Re: 30 Std 8 Valve adjustment???

Posted by Peter Packard On 2007/12/11 5:35:54

G'day all, I also used to half burn myself to death trying to set those tappets with the engine running. I thought that there has to be a better way. Well a lot of years ago I read of a method of adjustment, for straight eights of firing order 1-6-2-5-8-3-7-4 and have been using it successfully for over 40 years. The engine should be nicely warmed up to operating temperature and you only have to rotate the engine one turn from No1 firing position to set all of the tappets. Try it and see what you think.
STAGE A - NO 1 AND NO 8 PISTONS AT TOP CENTRE, WITH NO 1 PISTON IN FIRING POSITION ( BOTH LIFTERS DOWN)- ADJUST STAGE A
ROTATE ENGINE 360 DEGREES TO STAGE B, IF YOU OVER ROTATE BRING IT BACK 60 DEGREES THEN RE-ROTATE TO STAGE A. or B. ( TO TAKE UP BACKLASH IN TIMING CHAIN ETC.)
STAGE B - NO 1 AND NO 8 PISTONS AT TOP CENTRE , WITH NO 8 PISTON IN FIRING POSITION ( BOTH LIFTERS DOWN) - ADJUST STAGE B.

STAGE A - ADJUST
NO 1 - BOTH VALVES
NO 2 - EXHAUST VALVE
NO 3 - INLET VALVE
NO 4 - INLET VALVE
NO 5 - EXHAUST VALVE
NO 6 - EXHAUST VALVE
NO 7 - INLET VALVE

STAGE B - ADJUST
NO 2 - INLET VALVE
NO 3 - EXHAUST VALVE
NO 4 - EXHAUST VALVE
NO 5 - INLET VALVE
NO 6 - INLET VALVE
NO 7 - EXHAUST VALVE
NO 8 - BOTH VALVES

There is a margin of overlap in the above method, so it is not necessary to have the piston exactly at top centre. I also use the GO - NO GO feeler adjustment method. I also give the exhaust valve an extra thou to keep them on the seat a micro-second longer, to run them cooler as we tend to run the engines a bit harder than in the old days. There is also a similar method for 6 cylinder engines of 1-5-3-6-2-4 firing order Best regards Peter Toet