Tappets
- Thread starter Danny
- Start date
If you are not over confident about doing this Frost sell a product called Clickadjust.
You tighten them right up and then each turn / click as you loosen them off is a thousandth, looks pretty good but personaly having done it before the normal way I thought the price was to steep.
I think its about £30
Alan T.
You tighten them right up and then each turn / click as you loosen them off is a thousandth, looks pretty good but personaly having done it before the normal way I thought the price was to steep.
I think its about £30
Alan T.
wurzell
Member
Easiest method to use is "Rule of Nine".......
1) With vehicle on a flat, level road or driveway, remove all sparkplugs.
2) WITH IGNITION TURNED OFF, stick it into 4th gear, now you can pull the car towards you easily.
3) Remove Rocker cover, and observe valves. Pull car towards you until one of the vaves is FULLY open, it does'nt really matter which one, watch the valve/rocker arm until that valve is fully down/open. If you go too far, and the valve is starting to close, then just rock the car backwards and then come forwards again until you get the EXACT fully open point, this is so easy to do without the plugs in! Always pull the car towards you, which rotates the engine in the correct direction for adjustment, and not backwards......
4) Lets say it was valve number one which is fully open, this is the valve closest to the radiator end of the engine. With this valve fully open you add 8, to it which then equals 9, "The Rule of Nine", so ADJUST VALVE NUMBER 8. As you work your way through each valve, moving the car each time to give you a fully open valve, just add 8 to every valve number. So valve 1 fully open, adjust 8, 2 adjust 7, 3 adjust 6, 4 adjust 5, 5 adjust 4, 6 adjust 3, 7 adjust 2, 8 adjust 1, until your back where you started. I usually make a note on a piece of paper, as to which valves I've adjusted, but basically just keep going until you've done them all......
On Standard 'A' Series and A+ engines the valve clearances are almost always the same on exhaust and inlet valves, usually 0.012" or sometimes 0.015". However, most competition cams, and non factory stuff will have their own special settings, usually available from the manufacturer or consult the tuning books. Some clearances are DIFFERENT on the inlet than the exhaust, and vice versa! Check before setting, but loose, slack tappet clearances wont cost you power, unless their a mile out, they'll just rattle a lot!
What ever you do, dont set clearances too tight, ESPECIALLY on the exhausts, you'll risk burning the valves out, especially on hard driven leaded head engines......Better to set exhaust valves slack by a couple of thou, it wont cost you any power, their just a bit noisy, and you dont do any damage........With leaded heads, ALWAYS run an additive, and set the mixture and ignition timing spot on, so as theres NO pinking or rattling under load. The higher the octane fuel you run, the better they go.......
5) Re-fit rocker cover, re-fit sparkplugs with ignition leads in correct position, and TAKE IT OUT OF GEAR, BEFORE YOU TRY STARTING IT!!!
You should now have mastered the mysterious art of adjusting your valve clearances..........
1) With vehicle on a flat, level road or driveway, remove all sparkplugs.
2) WITH IGNITION TURNED OFF, stick it into 4th gear, now you can pull the car towards you easily.
3) Remove Rocker cover, and observe valves. Pull car towards you until one of the vaves is FULLY open, it does'nt really matter which one, watch the valve/rocker arm until that valve is fully down/open. If you go too far, and the valve is starting to close, then just rock the car backwards and then come forwards again until you get the EXACT fully open point, this is so easy to do without the plugs in! Always pull the car towards you, which rotates the engine in the correct direction for adjustment, and not backwards......
4) Lets say it was valve number one which is fully open, this is the valve closest to the radiator end of the engine. With this valve fully open you add 8, to it which then equals 9, "The Rule of Nine", so ADJUST VALVE NUMBER 8. As you work your way through each valve, moving the car each time to give you a fully open valve, just add 8 to every valve number. So valve 1 fully open, adjust 8, 2 adjust 7, 3 adjust 6, 4 adjust 5, 5 adjust 4, 6 adjust 3, 7 adjust 2, 8 adjust 1, until your back where you started. I usually make a note on a piece of paper, as to which valves I've adjusted, but basically just keep going until you've done them all......
On Standard 'A' Series and A+ engines the valve clearances are almost always the same on exhaust and inlet valves, usually 0.012" or sometimes 0.015". However, most competition cams, and non factory stuff will have their own special settings, usually available from the manufacturer or consult the tuning books. Some clearances are DIFFERENT on the inlet than the exhaust, and vice versa! Check before setting, but loose, slack tappet clearances wont cost you power, unless their a mile out, they'll just rattle a lot!
What ever you do, dont set clearances too tight, ESPECIALLY on the exhausts, you'll risk burning the valves out, especially on hard driven leaded head engines......Better to set exhaust valves slack by a couple of thou, it wont cost you any power, their just a bit noisy, and you dont do any damage........With leaded heads, ALWAYS run an additive, and set the mixture and ignition timing spot on, so as theres NO pinking or rattling under load. The higher the octane fuel you run, the better they go.......
5) Re-fit rocker cover, re-fit sparkplugs with ignition leads in correct position, and TAKE IT OUT OF GEAR, BEFORE YOU TRY STARTING IT!!!
You should now have mastered the mysterious art of adjusting your valve clearances..........
wurzell
Member
I personally would say even with the Freestyle Buggy, it's far easier to set the valve clearances from the FRONT of the vehicle/engine, I take my seats out and fold the rear bukhead panel down and the access is much easier than trying to do it from the rear, over the top of the carbs, spare wheel carriers, etc....It's still a bit fiddly to do, but I always move car fowards....