Optimal Valve Lash

I don't know does the builder have any basis for this? He's a master cam designer?, LOL and knows better than the company who designed and built the cam? Excuse my usual cynicism, but that's what comes to mind.

I didn't ask for a basis from him but i'll take what IQ52 has to say over your cynicism any day. by the way, IQ52 is currently building the top end of my new fire breather.



Is your .024/.028 lash setting hot or cold? If cold, you are probably at .030/.034 hot. The optimal lash will be determined by varying the lash and making a test run to see what the engine wants. I generally loosen the lash no more than .004" and tighten the lash no more than .008". So the cold iron settings would be .020-.032 intake and .028-.036 exhaust. Aluminum heads would be around .014-.026 and .022-.030 cold. I've tightened the lash more than .008" but you start running into increase overlap and some poor low end running.


If the engine runs better with tighter lash, you might could use a bigger cam. If it runs better with looser lash the cam might be too big. Try the intake and exhaust separately to see if it wants more or less duration on the intake or exhaust. It could take a couple of days to sort out the valve lash.

Cold IQ, I always set lash cold. Sounds like I'm within your range with the .024/.028 cold. Just on the looser end. I'd have to try this at the track or on a dyno. I'm not noticing any major changes when I tighten down the cold lash from say low .030's to mid .020's. Just less noise.


The cam designer determines a spec. In the case of MP I've always found the factory recommended lash was too lose. It's been a while since I ran MP but in the past mine liked about .006" tighter than what MP wanted. .

This is right about where my local guy Boyd Motorworks set it. He wanted .004 tighter after some dyno time.