VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Valve lifter adjustment

Greetings to everyone...I was wondering when and how to adjust my valve lifters. They are very "noisy" now (like a sewing machine I've heard). How quiet should they be? Should they be adjusted when hot, motor running, or cold as I've heard cold will get me close? Try to keep your answers simple and thanks in advance...I can always count on you.
Best wishes,
Chuck

The only proper way to adjust the valves is with the engine running (at slow idle)......and yes, engine must be hot.
When an engine is first started and cold the valves will be relativly quiet. As things begin to expand the valves will make more noise. When all parts are evenly hot the noise will be less.....and that is the time the valves should be adjusted. Usually takes at least 1/2 hour of running at fast idle. On mine I take the car out and drive it for awhile, then let it fast idle for about 10 minutes.
How quiet the valve train will be depends on the condition of the parts. Worn rocker shafts and wear where the tip of the valve stems contact the rocker arm can make proper adjustment more difficult.
On my '39 I set the valves at .014" for the exhaust and .006" for the intake and you can barely hear any noise-and I have never burnt any valves.
There is an old saying that the valves have to make noise or they are adjusted too close. This is not 10 percent true. With good "parts" and proper setting the engine will be reasonably quiet when fully warmed up.

Thanks Gene, as always...don't laugh, how do you tell the intake from the exhaust valves?
Chuck

Originally Posted by Garbo

Thanks Gene, as always...don't laugh, how do you tell the intake from the exhaust valves?
Chuck

Gene can correct me if I'm in error, but as I recall (been a while since I've adjusted valves) the intake valves are vertical and the exhaust valves are at an angle to the cylinder bore.

For exhaust just look for the valves that line up with the exhaust ports exiting the head into the exhaust manifold and same for intake

Bob,

One easy way to remember is that whether counting from front-to-back or back-to-front, the order of the valves is the same: E-I-I-E-E-I-I-E-E-I-I-E. This works out this way because the two end valves, which are exhaust valves, have their own port in the head. The remaining valves are all paired to a respective port. With the valve cover off, you will be able to see the relationship between the branches of the intake and exhaust manifolds and the respective valves.

You can also identify which valve goes to the intake and the ones that go to the exhaust. The exhaust valve is the one that empties into the exhaust manifold, or the manifold that is pitted and probably rusty. You can visualize a line from the intake manifold to the intake valve. Nice clean manifold.

The valves are in pairs. The first cylinder gets the first exhaust and the first intake. 2nd cylinder gets the next two and on down the line.

Valves can receive an initial adjustment with the motor not running. After the engine is running and has warmed up to temperature you can make final adjustments. Even when this adjusted has been run for some time the valves (tappets) need to be adjusted for the final time.

I noted that Chevgene indicated that the proper way to adjust the valves is with the engine at slow idle. What is the secret to doing this? I seem to end up with bent feeler gages and never know for sure if I have the correct adjustment.

The engine speed should be down around 400 RPM. Adjust for the slowest speed that it will idle.

Why are you damaging feeler gages? If the gage is getting depressions when placed in the gap you may have badly worn rocker arms. You should remove at least one and inspect it. If it shows a depression at the point where it pushes the pushrod down, it will need to be refaced.

For the novice who is adjusting his valves/tappets a helper makes the job much easier. You use the wrench and the screwdriver and the helper holds the feeler gage.

A good helper is a marvel to have doing a valve adjusting job, I suggest two Chevrolet inline six guys do their cars together. The guy doing the screw and lock nut adjusting job work on the passanger side and the guy with the feeler gauge work on the driver's side. Like Ray said it works.
When I don't have a helper sometimes I will adjust all the intakes till they click, then go to the drivers side and gauge all of them, remembering which ones need to be adjusted up or down, go back and forth till I have all six intakes right then repeat the operation with the exhaust. But after all I am an Okie by birth!
I found one of those valve adjusting tool It has a box end and a screwdriver built in, for $2.00 at a junk store in Arkansas, so you don't have to use both hands for the wrench and screwdriver.