Valve Adjustment Procedure

Valve Adjustment Procedure


I have found this procedure to be the easiest and most trouble free with an adjustable valve train. I have used this from stock hydraulic cams to Big Roller cams. Here you go.

Do this one cylinder at a time in pairs (Intake & Exhaust). This works with 4, 6 and 8 cylinders and rotating in the proper direction.

Bring the exhaust valve around so that when it is just starting to open or move, (or watching the lifter) go and adjust the intake rocker.

Now, run the intake valve around until it is halfway closed and adjust the exhaust rocker.

Leave all your rockers loose before you start as you do not want the pushrod loaded into the lifter before you set your preload. Watch your pushrod or lifter for movement when adjusting.

Now for Hydraulic cam/lifter settings:
My Preference:
Stock and Real mild cams to a 1/2 to 3/4 turn past Zero lash.
Street/Strip hydraulic cams to a 1/4 to 1/2 turn. However, Follow Cam manufactures recommendations.
Race or Radical hydraulic cams to 1/4 turn. But some serious strip only engines can use zero lash.

Do this by adjusting the lock nut until the rocker is flush on the valve stem with no load. This is zero lash. Now set your Pre-load.

Do not re-adjust after you have initially set your valves as the lifter will feel snug. After you adjust it will feel loose as the lifter will unload.
Only if you have the Valley pan and/or intake off, can you re-adjust the rocker by backing the adjustment off and then starting over while watching for movement inside the lifter itself.

"Do not soak the lifters!!!"

With today's radical cams and tight clearances, a preloaded lifter can hang open until it bleeds down on first fire up and tag the piston.
I recommend heavily lubing it externally.

Use the same procedure for solid cams, but use the factory specs after warm-up. For your first cold initial setting, Adjust solid lifter or roller cam lifters about .002 on the loose side of the recommended "HOT" setting. As they set in and warm up, they usually will fall into spec. But re-adjust after break-in to check that you are not experiencing pre-mature cam wear. Always set your lash with solid lifters "HOT". The gap changes with heat and the exhaust valve will always develop more heat and a different setting from cold to hot.

Hope this helps and eliminates missing a cylinder or valve by doing one cylinder at a time.