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Valve adjustment

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Mack

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I was thinking of adjuting the valves on my '76B with my Dad the other night, and he mentioned in the "old days" they used to adjust the valves while the car was running. I told my Dad I never heard of that, is that possible? is it better to do it this way or should the standard way be used? Thanks for the help! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
Heh, well, that's how you HAVE to do it on some cars. There is no mystery to it, but you are best to follow the manufacturers specs. ( or the repair guide you have )
 
Hello Mack,
yes it can be done, but not with any degree of accuracy. It can be useful to identify a 'noisy' tappet where wear on the rocker tip gives a false reading with the feeler gauge.
Bear in mind so many manufacturers, certainly of that era, give a cold dimension to set to. A running engine is not cold.

Alec
 
As a genuine "old guy" (54 years old), I remember when you would adjust hydraulic lifters with the engine running until the tapping went away and then tightened them an extra 1/4 turn or so...
 
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As a genuine "old guy" (54 years old), I remember when you would adjust hydraulic lifters with the engine running until the tapping went away and then tightened them an extra 1/4 turn or so...

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Yep thats for chevys but on an old dodge I had you used a feeler gauge to set it until the tapping just went away. I believe it was the old original 318, late 50's and early 60's. The later ones had non-adjustable rocker arms I believe 65 or 66 and later. My '67 383 looked like they were stamped out of 1/8 thick sheet metal.
Bob
 
I set them like that on my TD but my mech made me stop. He did say to use my thinnest guage and slip it in to find the noisy one so I wouldn't have to adjust them all just for the one noisy critter. That was in '53 and I set my '78 the same way last month.
 
If you decide to do this, video tape it please! I can't imagine how it would look trying to hold the screwdriver on top of the tappet, with a combo wrench loosing the nut with the engine running.

I took the spark plugs out, took the fan off the waterpump and turned the crank with a big adjustable wrench to set my valves. I would imagine this is a lot easier, and less comedic.
 
What happened here did the starter fail or the battery go dead??? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif:---Keoke
 
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If you decide to do this, video tape it please! I can't imagine how it would look trying to hold the screwdriver on top of the tappet, with a combo wrench loosing the nut with the engine running.

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It really isn't difficult at all. just takes a little coordination & mechanical aptitude. Thousands of mechanics have done it. Not much reason to do it with mechanical lifters though.

BTW, you can put the car in top gear & bump it forward or backward to turn the engine over. Lot easier than removing the fan. As Keoke said, bumping the starter is even easier.
D
 
Mack, all good ways to get it done, except the running part, it will beat the heck out of a feeler gauge. Let me give you one more. Put the car on level ground or driveway (us shad tree boys down south like dirt, JUST KIDDING). Put it in third gear and after ajusting one valve just pull the car forward until the next one is ready, if you go too far just lean on the car to push it back. Wayne
 
I've never heard of adjusting mechanical lifters this way.
I follow the VW method and adjust them cold some morning.
I find it easy to turn the engine with a large adjustable wrench, but plan to get the right size socket to make it easier.

While I'm not a great Haynes book fan following the adjustment pattern they suggest minimizes how much the engine needs to be turned.
 
No way would I try to adjust that valve while it was running. I used that method to FIND the noisy valve, shut her down, pulled the plugs, brought up that valve and then set it. All the other valves already were set correctly.
 
Hi Folks,

Please adjust your valves with the engine warm, as specified in the manual. Volks engines are set cold, again as specified by the manufacturer.

I have set the valves by using a wrench on the flywheel, and seen my mechanic set them by putting the car in 4th gear then pushing the car to depress the valve to adjust either works.

Brian
 
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