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Adjusting Valve Timings
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Adjusting valve timings
Author: John Lieberman
You need to remember the "nine minus" rule:
You number the valves from 1 through 8 starting at the "front" (fan) end of the motor.
Park the car on a level surface with the e-brake off; put it in gear; remove the valve cover; and then pull it forward or push it backward until ONE of the valves is all the way down ( fully open). Then you count from front to back to see which valve is all the way down; subtract that number from nine, and adjust the resulting valve to .012 (12-thousandths). That's the recommended valve lash for a street car. (On mine, I adjust to .015 because of the high-lift roller-tip rockers, the 250 lb Isky valve springs, and the high-compression motor)
Let's say that #5 is the first to go all the way down. You then subtract 5 from 9 and get 4. So you adjust #4. All you need is a feeler gauge, a 1/2-inch box wrench, and a flat-bladed screwdriver. You hold the adjuster in place with the screwdriver while you tighten the nut. Once you've got that one adjusted, and the locking nut down tight, write it down on a notepad and push or pull the car until you get another one to go all the way down and then do the same thing. Keep repeating this process until you've adjusted all eight valves. Double check all 8 of them to make sure you haven't made a mistake somewhere along the line. Correct it if you have. Then put the valve cover back on; take it out of gear; and twist 'er tail!!!
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