Adjusting valves

[tmontanez]

Hello all,

I started to get some rocker noise from both sides of the engine and a chattering sound when I accelerated to 40-50mph. I thought maybe my cam had gone flat, I checked the rockers and all cylinders seemed ok but I think the valves need adjustment, is there a way to adjust these without taking off the intake? (I know that's best so you can see exhaust and intake compression) but I'd rather not remove the intake if I do not need to.

Thanks

Tony

 

[26Troadster]

you shouldn't have to remove the intake. but we do need more info on your motor, like what is it. to be honest, if it is the rockers then they should make noise all the time. you may just need to adjust the dissy or get better gas. let us know more so we can try to help you.

 

[tmontanez]

Sorry forgot the engine deatails, it's a 69 chevy 350. Flat tappet cam/solid lifters. Coated headers, HEI dizzy, edelbrock 600 cfm carb. You can hear the rocker noise the entire time but then at 40-50 mph there is a louder chatter coming from the driver side.

 

[Bamamav]

Easy Chevy valve adjustment> Remove valve covers. Start at front, turn engine until valve opens, then closes and the valve beside it starts to open. Then, back off the adjusting nut on the rocker until loose, then while rolling the pushrod in between your fingers, tighten the adjusting nut until the pushrod just gets too tight to roll with your fingers. Then tighten 1/4 turn more on the nut. Move to the next valve, repeat until you have all of them adjusted.

You can actually adjust more valves at the same time, but you have to jump from side to side to catch them closed, and it's easy to forget which ones you have adjusted and which ones you haven't. If you do it the way I described, you stay in line and are almost sure to get them all the first time.

EDIT: Just noticed you said solid lifters, missed that the first time. Procedure is the same, EXCEPT you place a feeler gauge between the valve and rocker instead of rolling the pushrod between your fingers. You will need to know what clearance specs your cam calls for, available from the cam mfg.

 

[tmontanez]

Ok thanks man! EOIC technique? I'll check my cam specs and get on it.

 

[tmontanez]

Sorry man you were right it is actually hydraulic lifters, just checked. Hydraulic are the ones with two wires on the top and not a c clip right? So I will follow your first step

 

[26Troadster]

what bama said. be sure the motor is at operating temp. set motor at top dead center and you can adjust half of the valves, rotate the motor one full turn back to top dead center and get the other half. some cam grinders have a different lash from intake to exhaust. easy to tell the exhaust from the intakes, as the exhaust will line up with the exhaust ports. if you have stock rockers, i myself would take the nut off and give the small side of the nut a smack with a hammer to tighten them up a little, nothing real hard. when you move the nut you can tell if the are going to hold or not. i played hell with stock rockers and solid cams. if after market lock them real good. good luck.

Easy Chevy valve adjustment> Remove valve covers. Start at front, turn engine until valve opens, then closes and the valve beside it starts to open. Then, back off the adjusting nut on the rocker until loose, then while rolling the pushrod in between your fingers, tighten the adjusting nut until the pushrod just gets too tight to roll with your fingers. Then tighten 1/4 turn more on the nut. Move to the next valve, repeat until you have all of them adjusted.

You can actually adjust more valves at the same time, but you have to jump from side to side to catch them closed, and it's easy to forget which ones you have adjusted and which ones you haven't. If you do it the way I described, you stay in line and are almost sure to get them all the first time.

EDIT: Just noticed you said solid lifters, missed that the first time. Procedure is the same, EXCEPT you place a feeler gauge between the valve and rocker instead of rolling the pushrod between your fingers. You will need to know what clearance specs your cam calls for, available from the cam mfg.

 

[42chevy]

You also can adjust them with the engine running if hydraulic lifters. It is messy but easy. You back them off until they tap then tighten half to three quarters of a turn, at least that is how I do it. You can get clips to limit the oil splash from the rockers or cut the top out of a set of old valve covers to make doing them running less messy.