Note: The easiest way to determine when the piston is exactly at top dead center is by watching the cam lobes. When the intake lobes and exhaust lobes are pointing inwards at each other (intake slightly upward angle) over the certain piston you are fixing to work with, then THAT and only THAT piston is at TDC. Having the cam gears set to duplicate the proper 90 degree angles (12,3,6,9 oclock) will prove this.
- To get a feel for things, turn the gears to #1 TDC on the chart above. Then look at the cam lobes over piston #1. They will be pointing toward each other. Then put the gears to #3 TDC and check the cam lobes over piston #3. They will look exactly as they did previously on piston 1. Easy as pie. Set everything back to piston #1 and lets get started.
Note: Do not even bother thinking about the exhaust side for now. The procedure I'm typing calls for exacting the clearances across all of the intake side first, and then across the exhaust side secondly.
DO NOT set the feeler gauges up on the plastic underneath the windshield. They can easily fall down and possibly fall into the engine. HUGE precaution. Just a heads up.
- Take every feeler gauge anywhere from .005-.012 and begin trying to slide them inbetween the top of the valve's stem (from the #1 piston which you just set at TDC) and the bottom part of the rocker arm.
Note: Best way to go about this is from the smallest up. Start at .005 and if it goes in, then try it with .006. Eventually, the next size will NOT fit at all. When that happens, you know that the valve's clearance is equal to the last feeler gauge that fit. Example: .006 barely fits through with quite a bit of resistance and friction while sliding, but only the tip of .007 will edge into it. Two pics below show clearly. The valve clearance for that one valve would currently be .006. Some call it the "go/no go method". Good to maybe google for more info.
Best thing to do, is to put the gauge at the very bottom when you can feel it against the actual valve stem. Then slide it upwards along the valve and you will feel it go over the top of the valve. Once again, easy as pie. Take a few minutes and work with this. Once you feel that it's no problem finding the slot for the gauge, then let's do this!
- We are setting all the intake clearances at .008. Depending on what the valve previously measured, you will determine whether to tighten or loosen the small screw that is shown. (will be explained in pic below)
- To properly adjust the screw, you must first loosen the 10mm nut that each intake valve has in plain view.
Note: When you turn the screw with the flat head screwdriver, (after loosening the nut around it) it will be VERY sensitive. What I mean is, moving the screw in either direction by even as little as **3 degrees** it can potentially tighten/open the space by a difference of .001-.002. Be very careful when adjusting the screws because the slightest turn makes a difference.
- Work the left side intake valve and set it at .008 where it fits as the pic above shows, and .009 will only go in as far as the pic above shows as well.
- Do the same with the right side intake valve still on piston #1 and get it at .008 just like with the left side. Another side note about tightening the nuts around the adjusting screws.
*****NOTE: Before ANYTHING is tightened read this. All of the nuts on the INTAKE side, (10mm) around the adjusting screws, are to be tightened exactly at 14 ft/lb each. This is essential.
- Take the 10mm deep socket and stick the screwdriver through it. Then line it up and over the nut like shown. This is how you will hand tighten the nuts first. Once the screwdriver is holding the screw in position, hand twist the socket as hard as you can.
Note: This will help keep the screw from moving when you torque it down with the ratchet.
- After hand tightening both of them, double check the clearances for both intake valves on piston #1. They should be the same. (.008 = go. .009 = no go.)
- If everything is still set, it is time to torque them both down. Set the torque wrench to 14 ft lb's and tighten the left one. Triple check the clearance on that valve after it is tightened to 14 ft lb's. If it's still EXACTLY the same, then it is set for good. Do this for the intake valve next to it as well. The intake side of piston #1 is set. =]
- Turn the cams to position piston #3 at TDC as shown in the chart.
- The cam lobes are pointing together now, so lets get to adjusting. Go ahead and do the exact same procedure you just did with piston #1. Re-read and refollow the directions stated above. After both piston #3 intake valves are set at .008, then it's time to head back to the tire and turn the gears to "Piston #4 at TDC as shown once again in the chart.
- The lobes over piston #4 are facing each other now and do the same procedure you did with pistons #1 and #3. Things should be going a bit quicker since you have already gone through this twice. Routine is good.
Note: You will notice that rubber hose (annoyance) will kind of be in the way. Just pull it back and hold it towards the intake manifold to get your hands in there. No need to remove it, but some left and right hand coordination helps here.
Intake valves at piston #4 are now set at .008 so we can jump back at the gears and set them at "Piston #2 at TDC".
-Do the usual with the intake valves at piston #2. Set both at .008 and make sure the clearances are exact. Don't forget to double and triple check after tightening. Once done with piston #2, and all nuts are tightened to 14 ft/lb's and clearances are exact at .008, then the intake side is finally done!!! Halfway there!
NOTE: There is a modification to be made to the exhaust side feeler gauges to make the job go easier on the other side of the engine. The engine itself sits at quite an angle in the bay so this is where the jack comes in handy. The mod to the gauge will allow give it more of a custom fit to slide past the edge of the engine head. Mod described below.
If you have a bench vice this makes things much easier. You will be making an extra bend near the tip of the feeler gauge. I recommend bending a larger gauge (.016 or something/random) because they are easy to snap. Take a few minutes to get a crease with a vice/pliers then bend it with your thumb. DO NOT continue to bend it with the tools. It will break. Trust me. Apply the extra bend to .012 and .013 for setting and checking.
- With the #1 piston set at TDC, lower the car back on the ground. You will not need the jack anymore from this point on- only the jack. The reason for lowering the car is to make it easier to lean to the back of the engine. You may notice that after about 5-10 minutes the backs of your knees will hurt. The lower the car, the better.
NOTE: The exhaust side is exactly like the intake with one exception. The exhaust cam only has one lobe which means there is only 1 rocker arm as opposed to 2 on the intake side. What this means is that when doing the same procedure to the exhaust side, you must do both at the same time instead of going left-setting, then right side- setting. Following steps will help out.
- Look back at the exhaust side and you will see 8 more nuts around 8 more adjusting screws across the board just like the intake side. (all 10 mm)
- Take .010-.015 and start figuring out whether or not the screws should be tightened or loosened just like with the intake side.
NOTE: If you have the gauges bent like shown above, it will allow a better angle at not sliding the gauge in, but out. Without it, you will be able to get it in, but when pulling the gauge out, it will hit the inside lip of the head. This is the reasoning for the extra bends with .012 and .013.
- Loosen both nuts on the piston #1 exhaust side rocker arm after figuring which way both screws are going. (tighten/loosen)
- Set the left side clearance at .012 (go)/.013(no go)
- Hand tighten both nuts before torqing anything down. Use the deep socket 10mm and flat head screwdriver to hand tighten both.
- Recheck the clearances and make sure they are exact.
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