The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Valve adjustment an timing

Hi Guys.

Thanks for all your previous help that got the car up and running. Lately i have decided to valve adfjustment because the valves were out of adjustment and were making noise. I followed teh instructions on the sitehttp://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/valveadjustment.htm. basically after i do the adjustment i still here noise coming from the valves i also notice that when i turn of the engine and i check the valves by hand that some of them have more play then the manual says and some have less play. so here are my questions.
#1 am i correct in assuming that i am adjusting the valves when they are closed. (spring decompressed)?
#2 my engine is still all origional could there be some wear and tear on the pushrods and rockers resulting in me having to fidle with the clearances?


i have also retimed the engine

regarding the timing when i disconnect the vacume advance and plug the hole in the carb i turn the distributor by loosening the clamp and rotating it a little bit either way until it runs best. after i reconnect the vacuum advance the engine doesnt run as well but when i give it some gas it smootes out.

by the way i have a 1951 216, i am setting the valve clerances at .008 on the in and .014 on the exhaust

Hello

Sometimes the best way to make sure the valve lifter is on the base of the cam is set the intake valve when the exhaust valve is open and the exhaust when the intake is open.
Due each cylinder, crank the engine over until the intake valve is up and the exhaust is down (set the intake valve) then crank engine till the intake is down and the exhaust is up (set the exhaust valve.The feeler gauge should have a small amount of drag on it when sliding it between the valve and rocker arm.

If you have any wear in the valve train it would be in the rocker shaft and at the rocker arm tip that pushes on the top of the valve.

the way to set the timing is to disconnect the vacuum line and plug the port, using a timing light set the timing, the timing marks are on the flywheel, you can see them through the hole with the pointer at the front of the bell housing. Then reconnect the vacuum advance.
It sounds like your setting the timing were it sounds the best and then adding the advance which is over advancing the timing.

chaimv,

Your car is a 216 with standard transmission, so it has solid lifters..or it should! The valves need to be set with the engine 'normalized', or up to running temp. If you decide to set them cold, you can ADD .005 to your gap.

The use of a light is the only proper way to time an engine. Even a experienced mechanic will default to a timing light over a 'guesstimate'.

Don't try to adjust them for absolutely no noise..you will tend to make them too tight, and will cause pain and suffering to the engine.


Stuart

Chaimv, you need to hear those tappets. If you get them to tight you will be bending pushrods or worse. The 216 is supposed to make some noise or you're in trouble.