Hydraulic valve adjustments
 

Tomorrow I plan on installing my heads. The book says to turn the rocker arm nut until the pushrod slack is gone and then turn it another 3/4 turn.
That seems a little much...doesn't it....for hydraulic lifters?
My buddy says 1/4 turn is more like it and that 3/4 turns is what you would use for solid lifters(cold lash).
Which one should I use? 1/4 or 3/4 turn?
My book is new but the copyright is dated in the 70's
Hell, it still says to use aluminum spray paint on head gaskets.
That's an old method isn't it? You shouldn't have to do that now a days with the high quality gaskets like fel-pro and such..should you?

I have been using the 1/4 turn method for years. I have never had any problems. 3/4 sounds like way to much.

Zero lash and then a 1/4 to a 1/2 turn, typically....

As for head gaskets, the Fel-pro 9333 PT-1 is a great gasket for the price. And, no, you don't need any spray paint. They are coated with graphite.

The way i have done it is backward, but has worked everytime. tighten it passed zero lash, a few turns, than slowly loosen it till you can spin the push rod, but has drag on it, than tighten exactly 1/4 turn.

Well, I think you're all nuts, but what do I know?

I always tighten them 3/4 of a turn, unless they haven't been converted to studs, in which case I tighten to 20 pounds, making sure it doesn't go more than 1 full turn to get there.

The following is the proceedure I have used for years when installing rollers on a SBF with studs (posted in the Tech Tips Forum at RHC):

1) Install all 16, and snug down the nuts by hand.

2) Rotate the engine until the balancer reads TDC on the compression stroke.

3) Check the rotor in the distributor, and verify that it is pointing at the #1 wire on the cap. If it's not, rotate the engine 360 degrees.

4) To find the point of zero lash, spin the pushrod between your thumb and forefinger while slowly tightening the nut with a 1/4" drive ratchet. Tighten the following rockers until you feel the first bit of drag on the spinning pushrod:
Cylinder #1 intake and exhaust,
Cylinder #3 exhaust,
Cylinder #4 intake,
Cylinder #7 exhaust,
Cylinder #8 intake.

5) Now tighten each of those 3/4 of a turn, and lock them.

6) Rotate the engine 360 degrees, so the balancer reads TDC again.

7) With a 1/4" ratchet, tighten these rockers (again, to zero lash):
Cylinder #3 intake,
Cylinder #2 exhaust,
Cylinder #7 intake,
Cylinder #6 exhaust.

8) Now tighten each of those 3/4 of a turn, and lock them.

9) Rotate the engine 90 degrees, and with the ratchet, tighten to zero lash on these rockers:
Cylinder #2 intake
Cylinder #4 exhaust
Cylinder #5 intake and exhaust
Cylinder #6 intake
Cylinder #8 exhaust

10) Now tighten each of those 3/4 of a turn, and lock them.

Take care,
~Chris

I assume this same technique will work on the newer mopar magnum engines? The magnum heads are pedestal mount like the fords. Good info for when the 360 goes in the Aspen later this year.

Only if it has the same firing order.

I doubt the firing order is the same for Mopar. I know the older motors(small blocks) had Chevy firing orders...........1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2



MOPAR 1 , I'm curious....do you have full duel exhaust on that Aspen? Years ago when I had a Volare I had to run pipes out the sides under the doors because there was not enough room towards the rear for pipes or mufflers. My mufflers and headers always scraped the ground going over bumps.
It has an old 273 with an A-833 4-speed and 4:11 gears.
That's after I tore the weak but tough 225 slant six out of it.

Yes the firing order is different, but the actual adjusting should be the same. The magnum rockers are simular to the ford ones.

The guy I bought the Aspen from put full dual exhaust running all the way to the rear bumper. He had to cut and reweld the gas tank to make it work.

Get this, it's DUAL 3" EXHAUST with MAGNA FLOWS. It's brand new, so I just cant bring myself to take a saws-all to it.

Headers are always a prob for Mopar A and F bodies. Going around linkage and scarping the ground. TTI's are good and dont do the above, but are expensive ($500+).

Im looking at modifiing Patriot Tight Tuck Headers($180) to aviod all that. There shorty types, but should have no probs with the 450 horse 360 Magnum

The procedure is the same, just not the order in which you adjust the specific valves. That's what I thought you meant.

:)

adjusting valves/ stud mounted rockers
 

I followed PKRWUD's advice exactly as he stated when adjusting my valves on my Edel. alum. heads (stud mounted) last month. They came out perfect. Been running great ever since. Even after several nitrous runs! :D Thanks again Chris.