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Joined: Jan 2007
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R
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59 235 with a nice clean rebuild. Got it running and driving it a few miles after breaking it in. The machine shop set the valves cold good enough to go. Told me to make sure I adjusted them hot. When would you adjust them, asap or after a couple of hours of run time or even longer. Ralph


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C
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Bring it up to operating temp and adjust now. After a couple hundred miles re-torque the head and check the valves again.


Woody
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'Bolter
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The step I missed was not re-torquing the head before adjusting the valves, after the first run. I found the torque values on the head bolts were way down from when I did the build. The manual advises to re-torque the head.


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H
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All head gaskets take a little "set" when they warm up, even the supposed "no-retorque" types. On something as easy to reach as a stovebolt engine, I choose to re-check the head bolt torque after the first warm-up, then tweak the valve adjustments if necessary. The valve cover has to come off anyway.
Jerry


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Isn't there one headbolt on these engines the requires you to remove the rocker assembly? It's the #1 headbolt, the first bolt in the torque sequence, and it's located right under the center oiler.

I thought I remembered this as the stumbling point in the 'easy to reach' scenario. Maybe a crows foot wrench would do it, but I don't think that will work either.

So a head retorque requires you to remove the rocker assembly, yes or no?

Stuart

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I've used an oddball offset wrench for that one, a tool I inherited from my father. It's not all that difficult to make one out of scrap metal with a little creative welding, though. Otherwise, I guess pulling the rockershaft is the only other option.
Jerry


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'Bolter
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My head is sort of halfway between the 216 and the newer 235. There are two inner bolts on mine that I use a socket with a universal on it. These are as you say near the center of the head. For the front most one, I remove the next rocker shaft bolt, undue the valve adjuster, slide the rocker forward out of the way and then torque the head.


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L
'Bolter
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Don't forget to check the torque on the rocker shaft assembly mounting bolts before you adjust as well. It will make a difference.
I don't recall having to take the rocker assembly off to torque my head bolts either. IIRC, my socket was just the right hight to clear it, it's a Mac 3/4 thinwall semi-deep impact socket, and I was using a Snap-On torque wrench.


Bill Burmeister
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'Bolter
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The head bolt pattern changed in 1953. My head is a 1951 and that probably makes a difference.


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L
'Bolter
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That's probably it. Been a while since I've messed with a 216 or early 235.


Bill Burmeister

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