Solid Lifter Adjustment

The Ford Shop manual is your best source for help with this.

I agree - the Ford Shop Manual is a great reference.

I also purchased a degree tape (Mr. Gasket) years ago to put around the harmonic balancer - this had marks for the various adjustment positions as you turn the crank - just makes it easy - you can still spin the crank carefully to each position. Not sure if this is still available.

Also, invest in a good set of "Step" feeler gauges - this will help you get the adjustment right on the money - the feeler gauge actually is 2 different thicknesses usually 0.002" apart with a "step' in the middle - some people also call them "go - no go" feeler gauges. If you are setting to say 0.018" clearance - you use a 0.017" - 0.019" gauge - one side fits loose and the other won't go between the valve and rocker - BINGO you are right on 0.018" lash. Lisle or Calvan makes these if I remember correctly where I got mine - but most parts stores will have to order them.

I always adjust the valves with the engine cold using the shop manual procedure.

Index the vibe damper into 4 quarters with point 'A' at the TDC timing mark. Working counter clockwise from there, mark the remaining 90 degree segments as 'B' 'C' & 'D' on the damper. I painted small white permanent hash marks at each of these locations to simplify follow-on valve adjustments vice small pieces of tape that will eventually fall off at some point.

Now with the engine on its'compression stroke for the #1 cylinder, line up the vibe damper 'A' mark with the timing pointer on the front cover:

Adjust both #1 valves.

Rotate the engine 90 degress to the 'B' mark and front cover pointer, and adjust cylinder #5 valves.

Rotate to 'C' and adjust #4 valves.

On to 'D' for #2,

to 'A' for #6,

to 'B' for #3,

to 'C' for #7

and lastly to 'D' for #8.

Viola, job finished. Hope this helps.

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If you can't find a degree tape and don't want to make index marks on your dampner, here's another quicky & dirty way (don't laugh) to find TDC for each cylinder:

- Drill the spark plug wire connectors out of an old dist.cap and place the cap on the distributor.

- Rotate the engine to #1 cylinder TDC. You will see the rotor tip in the hole, note it's exact position relative to the hole.

- Adjust #1 valves

- Rotate the engine until the rotor tip is visible in the same position at the next hole (#5 unless you have a 351W firing order cam) and adjust those valves.

- Repeat until done.

If using points you can also obviously pull the dist. cap and watch how the points line up relative to #1 TDC and repeat for all cylinders. The drilled cap is a little easier IMO and can be used if not running points. May sound goofy but if done carefully should be just as accurate as the other methods.

Hi,

I always adjust mine cold and set them to 0.022"

on both intake and exhaust. I had been told that

you must set them hot and running but after checking

my cold setting they were always 0.018 when warm and running

so I decided never to mess with the hot engine and get oil all

over my hands and engine compartment.

Have a slight memory of that we discussed this earlier on

this forum.

/Bo

Thanks for that tip Dave... that is a pretty darn slick way to do it.

Gary

I hope this old thread can be some help.http://www.hipomustang.com/hpmx/topic.asp…e&TOPIC_ID=2383 Monty

I set mine cold at .020. This spring I'm going back in and going to .022, I want some chatter!!

I'm going to plug in a quote here from an early thread. This post was by Moneymaker and it is in agreement with Charles Turners observation about the manuals and my own experience.

Quote

Best and most accurate method is the SAE and FoMoCo method.

Warm the engine.

Follow the firing order 1 5 4 2 6 3 7 8 and set the valves one at a time while the engine is warm.

Set the intake rocker at .018 just as the exhaust rocker comes in contact with the exhaust valve.

Set the exhaust rocker at .018 just as the intake comes back up to the top.

If you use poly lock style adjusting nuts and this method you can have 3-4 k or trouble free valve lash miles.

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Some additional info:

The factory lock nuts have never worked well for me. They simply won't hold an adjustment for any reasonable period of time. I have bought the ARP poly locks and don't recommend them because they are too tall for stock covers. The Comp Cam Poly Locks fit beautifully and will hold a lash adjustment much longer than the stock nuts, and fit under the chrome covers.

I ran a chassis dyno for several years and we always set valve lash on high performance motors at operating temperature as specified by the cam grinder to get maximum horsepower. There is a simple way to understand the degree of accuracy of a hot lash adjustment: set the lash stone cold to .022. Run the motor to operating temperature then shut the motor down, pull the covers and recheck the lash. You will likely find the majority of the valves are not in adjustment and loose.

I will rephrase what Moneymaker has said about valve position: as the intake just closes adjust the exhaust, as the exhaust just opens adjust the intake. That is a tried and true method for adjusting cams with high lift and performance profiles. You can tell if the valve is closing or opening by gently spinning the pushrod, as soon as it binds the valve is open, as soon as the pushrod frees up the valve has closed. You will always be on the base circle (valve completely closed) of the cam lobe if you stick to that method, and that's the perfect place to set the lash. Intake just closes adjust the exhaust. Exhaust just opens adjust the intake.

Forget about clips and adjustments with a running engine with solid lifters. All you'll do is make a mess of your motor and your floor.

The fellows that are proponents of cold lash aren't wrong, but if you're looking to get the most out of your engine it's all about fine tuning. From my experience I can tell you that a cold lash adjustment is a good starting point, but hot lash adjustment is optimal.

Quote from garymcgowan

Thanks for that tip Dave... that is a pretty darn slick way to do it. Gary

Thanks Gary, it was an idea I came up with while running a Pertronix. After it died I switched back to trusty points and continued to use that method as it's so easy.

Quote from round2K

The fellows that are proponents of cold lash aren't wrong, but if you're looking to get the most out of your engine it's all about fine tuning. From my experience I can tell you that a cold lash adjustment is a good starting point, but hot lash adjustment is optimal.

FWIW, I've found with the roller rockers I'm running the cold and hot lash are identical.