setting valve /rocker clearance

[XJRpilot]

other than removing sparking plugs,
does anybody have a tip on turning the engine
to set the valve rocker clearance?
can i turn it via the crankshaft pully?
or leave it in gear and push the "b" up and down my driveway? (thats how the manual tells you to set the points!). i dont have a remote engine starter which would probably help. the manual states check no. 1 valve with no. 8 fully open.
fully open means no. 8 valve extended fully just prior to return to close. correct?

 

[Guest]

I use a 1 & 5/16 socket on a breaker bar to turn my engine over. Your valves should always add to 9, ie 1 &8, 7&2......

 

[clint]

Car in neutral!!!!!!!!!!
Take the white/brown wire from you starter relay,
touch to the fuse box

 

[clint]

something else:
do them in pairs
number from the front of engine, 1-8
when 1 is down, so is 8
2-7
so on, so forth, the number of the pairs should add to 9

 

[XJRpilot]

clint, chuck
thanks, i've got the sequence in the bentley manual for adjusting. yes all the pairs do add up to nine. pretty neat. as for the turning the engine, i think the breaker bar method would be easier, since i can slowly control the movement. maybe i'm not that comfortable bumping the engine with the starter. knowing me, i'd keep on overbumping it. as for the other question:

the manual states check no. 1 valve with no. 8 "fully open".
"fully open" means no. 8 valve extended fully just prior to return to close. correct?

oh yes, car in neutral during operation.

[ 04-24-2003: Message edited by: XJRpilot ]</p>

 

[Gary Lloyd]

Plugs out and in 4th gear!! It will roll back easy!!

 

[Guest]

yes when the valve is at it's highest right before it closes

 

[XJRpilot]

1/2 inch breaker bar i got.
i guess i'll have ask some of my friends to come up with a 1-5/16 socket.
the only one i have thats close is 1-1/16.
figures. maybe i should just buy one. what are the odds of using it again on the mgb? pretty
good i guess. cant wait for my better half to say "another tool!!?". then i can clarify its a socket not a tool.

 

[piman]

Hello XJR,
Yes, by fully down it does mean with the rocker pushing the valve to its lowest (full open position). I concur with the breaker bar\socket method as this gives more feel and you can see the valve opening fully then starting to close if you go too far. I have wired in a push button under the bonnet (hood) of my car to operate the starter but only use this for coarse adjustment or doing compression checks, it's too hit or miss for my liking to adjust valve clearances.
If I'm not preaching to the converted, be aware that worn rocker ends will give a false clearance.
If your valves sound noisy after adjustment then suspect that as a reason.

Alec

 

[Dave Russell]

XJR,
You are not likely to find a socket that large that fits a half inch drive. They usually fit a 3/4 or one inch drive so you will also need an adaptor. I once fitted a one inch drive socket with 1/4 shims epoxied into place for use with a 1/2 inch drive, it is still working some years later.

You can make a remote starter by obtaining a push button, almost anything will work, & attaching a couple of lengths of flexible wire with alligator clips on the ends. Wrap some insulating tape around the button connections.
D

 

[MGTF1250Dave]

Aloha XJR

This is one of the advantage of owning a car with a hand crank. I concur with the others that using the starter motor is to hit or miss for this job. Pushing the car in 4th gear, spark plugs out works fine for me on my TR3. You probably only need to move a few feet total backward and forward to check all the valves. The breaker bar and socket should also work fine if you don't have hoses, fan blades, radiator shrouds, etc. in the way.

Safety Fast,
Dave

 

[Bruce74B]

I was waiting for a T-Series owner to bring up the hand-crank option!

And I was also wondering about daves point of belts, hoses, etc being in the way...how do you work around that?

Bruce

WOW, this Forum is so imformative!

 

[aerog]

Depending on the engine you can sometimes pull the engine through using the alternator belt/pulley, as long as you pull the plugs out.

 

[XJRpilot]

i used the alternator/pully belt method.
worked great. i could work the valve up/down easily to get the valve just right for adjustment, except for the scrapes/skin removal on my inner arm from the alt pully. i can actually hear that the engine sounds
better in terms of intake and exhaust. not as choppy. some of the valve rocker distances were way off at .060 , but i got them all at .015 cold.

 

[Gary Lloyd]

What are you guys setting them at?? I have heard anything from .011 to .013, I can't imagie either really mattering, but what should it be????????

 

[gm9142l]

If you can find a place that sells Armstrong tools you can get the 1_5/16" socket in 1/2 drive. Snap-on, SK, Stanley Proto, Mac, Matco also all have that size in 1/2 drive. Got my Armstrong one from Grainger industrial supply for a little over 10 bucks.

 

[Bruce74B]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Gary Lloyd:
What are you guys setting them at?? I have heard anything from .011 to .013, I can't imagie either really mattering, but what should it be????????<hr></blockquote>

My 1974 Manual calls for .015 cold and the Hayes calls for .013-.017 which is the same I guess. I haven't had the time or nerve to check them yet though.

Bruce

 

[Brakedwell]

On this side of the pond we have a tool called a Clikadjust which is made by Gunsons and costs about £22. It makes accurate tappet setting easy. I was surprised how tight the clearances were when I had finished.