Valve adjustment.......

[Good1inrc]

I have a 74 Dodge Dart slant 6 225. I've read sooo much ay setting at normal operating temperature. This is what I did. My adjusters didn't want to turn. So I measured the temps at normal operating temps. 1 at a time. 170 degrees was too cold, 180-185 was the trick. Set 1, ran for a few minutes until the next came up to temp, then set. This worked out absolutely awesome !!! The valves were so noisy, not now. Found I had a fuel pump arm slapping, that's next. 1 thing at a time folks :}.
I worked in a brewery for 25 years and that's we would set the seamers for cans of beer.
Hope this helps with " normal operating temps".

 

[volaredon]

People make so much about adjusting them as the old Chilton manuals said to do it(I believe this was the factory specified way too) like their afraid of them. Just fire it up, crank the idle as low as it'll go and still run, and go at it. I've done many of them like that over the years. I haven't done my current one yet but I haven't even started it in over a year. It was set "close" while on the engine stand, dropped in warmed up and broken in, and that's where it sits. The next time I get a chance to drop a battery in and fire it up, that's exactly my next step. Warm it up, pull the cover, restart the engine and adjust em up. There's not much to it.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Do one running with a radical cam in it. I wanna watch.

 

[volaredon]

I've honestly never had anything with a radical cam so I can't compare.
I've always dealt with stock ot at "worst" an RV level cam in a /6 "just going by what I know/have experienced"for myself

 

[RustyRatRod]

I've honestly never had anything with a radical cam so I can't compare.
I've always dealt with stock ot at "worst" an RV level cam in a /6 "just going by what I know/have experienced"for myself

And that's cool. We all do things differently. Even on stone stock engines, I adjust not running. It's worked for over forty years and it'll work for forty more if I'm around. lol

 

[vitamindart]

yep, I have and will continue to adjust mine with the engine off.

 

[AJ/FormS]

I set mine at ambient temp of ~70*F. That way I can take all day, it don't matter if I a take lunch break in between. The magic numbers for me have always been .013 and .023 Too tight on the exhaust usually makes mine run funny. Like herky-jerky, but, Mine is 9.5Scr with a bit of a cam, lol.

 

[ESP47]

I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight knowing that people are adjusting their valves with the engine off.

 

[Newbomb Turk]

I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight knowing that people are adjusting their valves with the engine off.

Let me know when you see a decent engine get its valves lashed with the engine running.

It won’t ever happen and bet your *** if that way was the best they’d be doing it.

It’s not 1953 any more.

 

[66fs]

Let me know when you see a decent engine get its valves lashed with the engine running.

It won’t ever happen and bet your *** if that way was the best they’d be doing it.

It’s not 1953 any more.

LOL even a slant six guy can do it. Did it that way since I was 19 and that was a long time ago. Did it that way at the dealers on a major tune up through the 70's. We are talking stock interference adjusters, not adjusters with lock nuts. Yours and my idea of a "decent engine" is probably different. Six of one half a dozen of the other. Do it any way you want, no need for negative comments or trying to puff yourself up.

 

[Newbomb Turk]

LOL even a slant six guy can do it. Did it that way since I was 19 and that was a long time ago. Did it that way at the dealers on a major tune up through the 70's. We are talking stock interference adjusters, not adjusters with lock nuts. Yours and my idea of a "decent engine" is probably different. Six of one half a dozen of the other. Do it any way you want, no need for negative comments or trying to puff yourself up.

 

[RustyRatRod]

LOL even a slant six guy can do it. Did it that way since I was 19 and that was a long time ago. Did it that way at the dealers on a major tune up through the 70's. We are talking stock interference adjusters, not adjusters with lock nuts. Yours and my idea of a "decent engine" is probably different. Six of one half a dozen of the other. Do it any way you want, no need for negative comments or trying to puff yourself up.

I don't think you'd like doing it running on my slant six. It has a very rough idle. I agree with you though. I have no negative comments about how anyone does it. Just adjust them how you're used to doing it.

 

[Charrlie_S]

Hey guys, this ain't rocket science.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Hey guys, this ain't rocket science.

Preach it, brother!

 

[66fs]

I don't think you'd like doing it running on my slant six. It has a very rough idle. I agree with you though. I have no negative comments about how anyone does it. Just adjust them how you're used to doing it.

In reality, we all have to adjust the lash static before we fire it up. I read you check lash in more than one spot also. I adjusted valves static for years, never had a problem.