Ok, what's everyone's secret/trick to adjusting the valve lash without squirting oil everywhere? It's been 25 years since I last pulled a valve cover...just bought my first 72 Chevelle w/a 350 SBC, hydraulic lifters...mild rebuild by the previous owner with about 800 miles on it. Hopefully I just need to tighten down a bit on the rocker to quiet it down a bit...it's not too noisey, but I can definetly hear one valve/rocker tapping away. I am assuming it is a rocker and not a lifter?...heads are new and supposedly the lifters.

There are two ways to do this. Engine not running and engine running. To do engine running and avoid all of the oil mess, find an old valve cover that you can cut the top open.

To do engine not running, you ned to be able to crank the engine so that the lifter you need to adjust is on the base circle (valve closed). Then loosen the rocker, and start tightening while checking the pushrod for up and down movement (checking for no spin does not work right). When you have no more movement, give the rocker another 1/2 turn.

Thanks Tim...do you get a "better" or more accrute adustment with the engine not running or running? Preferably, I would like to have not be running for obvious reasons, but I suspect enginee running is the best way? If engine not running, I would suspect I would want to make the adjustment after th engine has been thotougly warmed up, or does it make a difference?

Many thanks

If I want to do them hot I use these nifty little clips that plug the oil hole. Here (http://www.northernautoparts.com/ProductModelDetail.cfm?ProductModelId=2179) is an example of what I use. The Autozone up the street actually had them, and made hot adjustment a breeze. Come in a pack of 16.
Have fun!

With the engine running you will get a mess one way or another. If you have a cam with even a mild lift and aggressive ramps, even the deflectors mentioned above will be only partially helpful. I used them once and the oil was instead flying off the tips of the rockers (the valve tip end of the rocker) as the valve closed flinging hot oil throughout the engine compartment and all over my wonderfully expensive paint job.

Old rocker covers with a slot cut in the top to provide access to the adjusting nuts only is a better solution but why risk all the trouble?

Completely warm up the engine and adjust them with the engine off is my preferred method. Hydraulics are fairly forgiving, a 1/4 turn past zero lash works pretty much the same as a full turn past zero lash. In other words, even if the engine cools down a little while you work, it won't make enough of a difference to matter one little bit. And believe me, I've got the burns on my fingers to prove the engine is still hot after running the valves on all 8 cylinders with the engine off! :D

I have an old valve cover that I drilled holes in over each stud, works good

Originally posted by drielly:
...do you get a "better" or more accrute adustment with the engine not running or running? I think that depends on the person, as well as how noisy the environment is. My dad always did them running, but some people (myself included) have really lousy hearing, and I already set some headers of fire from an incredibly stoopid mistake I made, so I do them engine off and checking for no vertical motion of the pushrod. Everything else is what everyone else said! :D Good luck, don't make this more difficult than it is, it's pretty simple and very forgiving if you follow the advice form the posts here. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I can't thank you guys enough for all of the advise. I've posted many questions over the past months, and the replies have been incredibly insightful and helpful. I hope some day to return the same when I get a little more grease under my fingernails.

Many thanks to all!!

I always just placed a clean shop towel over the ones I wasn't messing with while it was idling and moved it as I did them..

But I still got some oil on me and down on both manifolds and headers..

pdq67

Why not use the EOIC method? Doesn't get much easyer than that, and you sure won't get oil everywhere, unless you just want to adjust them with the engine running.


Rocky

Rocky (or others) what is the "EOIC" method? I've seen that term in another post...again, just getting back in to the game after the typical get married, have kids, work, work, work...and now I have a toy to play with. Haven't pulled a cover since working on my buddy's 396 back in '78...boy I am getting old.

Thanks

Did a search on the site...great tech article on EO/IC..perfect!!!

http://www.chevelles.com/techref/ftecref17.html