We just got done putting a solid cam and lifters in a budies street rob but neither of us has ever did a valve lash in solid lifters we read the instruction that came with the cam and lifters but would really like other peoples input on how they do it?
If any one can help please let me know
Acleadsled3
Dave Camp

We run an Isky solid roller and set the valve lash at Intake: .016" and EX: .018" You could open it up to .020" - .022" My dad checks them seriously after every other race to make sure they're not loose, but it's his engine so I can't blame him.

Heres the easyest and most accurate way, turn the motor over till #1 exhaust valve just begins to open, you can lash intake #1 then keep going until intake #1 opens and starts to close, you can lash exhaust 1 then repeat this on 3, 5, 7 then go to the other side start at 2 and go back from there, this is THE WAY to adjust lifters....Bruce

If your firing order is 18436572, bring #1 intake to full lift, do #6, bring #8 up do 5, bring 4 up do 7, bring 3 up do2,6-1,5-8, 7-4,and2-3
then do the exhaust the same.
you dont have to rotate the motor as much.
make sure you dont set them to tight on the feeler gauges, it should feel like you're slicing warm butter,not a watermelon.

these guys got it, i even adjust my hydraulic lifters like that, untill they started ticking one time and we had to adjust them while the motor was running............



anyway, i like bruces way the best...

I always go in the firing order on a Chevy and use the lash specs on the cam card. Hydraulics I do by feel, not the right way I guess but I've never had a problem. No matter what kind of motor it is (I've done alfas and BMW's and Mercs and a bunch of other foreign crap too) I lash them cold, warm it up and check them all again, probably not necessary but I like the peace of mind.

When I did them on my brothers Bimmer I backed them off about .002 for a little extra low end, I felt like it needed it, don't tell him though LOL.

I just put the lifter on the heel of the cam, go right down the row. Since all you are ckecking is the clearance between the lifter and the cam. I'm from the old school.I've heard that this is not the way to do it, but I had a guy ck the other way with the valva just starting to open, no diff between the two. I came out of a speed shop that several track championships, Oh by the way, the that did ck it was former craftsman truck driver n mechanic. I would like for someone to explain the diff between the ways.. I'm always open to diff. things.

Actually how you said that's how I was taught to do it on an overhead cam motor accept I go in the firing order. how would that be wrong? as long as you get the spec,what's the difference?

Get a copy of a Speedway Motors catalog and use their lash setting sequence. Very simple and you will then have a written copy of it.

I make copies of this and give to all who I build motors for.

You will find this as tech tip in the cam & lifter section for SBC, but it will not work with the 4-7 firing order swap cam.

Gov

Governor, Are you talking about putting the motor on #1 cyl and doing int. n ex. then rotating to #6 then doing the rest? That is the way I do my hyd. I've never done that with solids. I'm referring to SBC.

Here it is for you.

Start off by setting #1 at TDC with valves closed. Once you have this done mark the harmonic and or flywheel at 90, 180 & 270 degrees or split into 4, 90 degree sections.

With #1 at TDC set #2 in #8 ex
rotate 90 deg set #1 in #4 ex
rotate 90 deg set #8 in #3 ex
rotate 90 deg set #4 in #6 ex
rotate 90 deg set #3 in #5 ex
rotate 90 deg set #6 in #7 ex
rotate 90 deg set #5 in #2 ex
rotate 90 deg set #7 in #1 ex

THIS WILL NOT WORK WITH 4-7 swap cam.

Once you have made 2 complete revolutions you will have all valves set.

I always go thru this sequence 2 times. Then again after I run a motor on my test stand and then again after the first race, then every 3-4 traces until I see no changes.

If you can run a stud girdle DO IT as your lash settings will stay set much better, but you need to have the girdle in place while setting valves and just loosen the ones you are working on. Some studs are not always 90 dergee to the head or have been bent and when you clamp down the girdle you will move the stud, thus change the lash setting.

You can use this for solid or hyd cams. On the hyd, just take up all lash, plus 1/4 turn down, or you can use a bent paper clip to use as a gauge and move the push rod seat cup down off the lock or snap ring inside the lifter.

I also will just rotate the push rod with my finger tips as I tighten the lash and once there is pressure to keep from rotating free, turn down the 1/4 turn.

On a solid cam, if you are using poly locks, NEVER tighten the nut more than 1/8 turn, after setting the allen set screw or you will stretch and can pop the end off the rocker stud.

Just be patient and do it right as you will gain HP with correct valve lash.

Hope this helps,

Gov

Look in the chiltons manual for the sequence to adjust them. If anyone has ever had to do a valve job on a custom chev van you will appreciate this method. There is no way you want to adjust them with the engine running for several reasons and Chevy never adjusted lifters one at a time or with engine running. That is a 5 hour job on a van with a-c and you will stink up a nice custom interior. Not to mention oil flying all over in there.

Get it on #1 do intake on 1,2,5,7, then exh on 1,3,4,8

Roll it over once till #6 is tdc then intake on 3,4,6,8 and exh on 2,5,6,7.

I have done this for 35 years now and no matter how fancy you get nothing works better. GM has done this for even longer.

Even using the feeler guage is not the proper way to set them. A dial indicator is more accurate at measuring actual clearance than a flat guage especially on a old set of parts.

wow Dick, I never thought of doing that way and I even have a chilton manual from like 1980. Thanks, you just save many hours of my life. I been doing it the other way for almost 20 years and I suppose it just never dawned on me that if a valve is closed, its closed it don't matter what stroke it's on. I feel like an idiot but wtf maybe now I'm a little smarter idiot now.