hello All,

i am valve lashing my solid cam ls1 engine, can any shed some light on the best way to valve lash the rockers and by describing it step by step

 

1. pick a cylinder
2. when the exhaust valves just starts to open on that cylinder, adjust your intake valve.
3. after you have adjusted that intake valve, continue rotating the motor over and watch that intake valve (the one u just lashed) open and when it is 3/4" of the way closed, adjust your exhaust valve on that cylinder.

Hope this helps.

Joe

 

so there no exact cylidreical sequance that i should go by?

 

There is if you want, but I start from with driver front #1, and work my backwards, then jump to pass. side then go back. Pick a cylinder and go, pretty much.

 

well if i can get the sequance that will be great.. thanks in advance , your help and info is most appreciated

 

there is a sequence, i could look in my service manual, but as JPH said that way is easier and is how i adjust all valves. (that are adjustable)

 

Exactly how I was taught and have done it this way for years. Some people like to work from front to back then side to side. Other people that I know use a fully marked Harmonic balancer and work each cylinder from it's firing order.

Robin

 

You can't really get away with doing the old TDC method with solid rollers where you adjusted both valves on #1 at TDC of the compression stroke (both valves closed), then turn the crank 90* and go to the next in the firing order. There's enough cam deflection with big springs on big solid rollers that you really need to use the EO/IC method as described above.

 

If you're going to set lash on a solid roller, you need to do it as Joe described. Trying to do 'em all at once or simply following the firing order and setting both at once will cost you some power. I had it proven to me on a dyno with a 406, the difference was 8hp at 6500.

 

Sure you do - when the exhaust starts to open, you know where you are in the cycle, just as you do when the intake starts to close. A lot of folks still lash solid rollers just like they've done flat tappet cams for years, but those that have tested the EO/IC method know that although it takes longer, it makes more power. I didn't believe it until I had it proven to me, either. I STILL adjust hydraulic rollers and flat tappet cams the way I've always done it (piston at TDC on compression stroke, adjust both, then rotate the crank 90* and go to the next on the firing order and so on), but solid rollers are another ballgame, at least the more aggressive ones with big springs are.

 

Solid Lifter Adjustment:
First warm the engine to operating temperature (about 15-minutes) and then quickly remove the valve covers. Follow the chart below. With the #1 Intake valve at FULL LIFT (this means that you spin the engine until the Intake valve on the #1 cylinder is fully open ... you can tell this by the rocker arm pushing the down until it goes no further) you can now adjust the "opposite in firing order" cylinder. In the small and big block Chevy engines this is the #6 cylinder. Loosen the rocker (if using roller rockers there is a Jam Nut that you must loosen with an Allen Wrench).
Now, based upon your cam card (cam specs) you should know what the valve lash setting should be. Let's say that your valve lash setting is .022". Get out the .022" feeler gauge and place it between the top of the valve stem and the rocker arm tip. Snug down the rocker "just" until you begin to fell resistance. The valve lash setting should not be tight ... the feeling should be about the same as putting a knife through a stick of cold butter. Not too hard, not too soft. Now, hopefully you are using "positive-lock" rocker arm retention instead of just pinched rocker nuts or Nylox. If using rocker nuts your job is done, go to the next valve. If using positive-locks, hold the body of the lock in place with a box end or open end wrench (there are special tools for this available) and then tighten the Allen screw.
NOTE: In most cases the Allen screw will make a slight "click" when it is tight. Now, go adjust the remaining valves.
Valve Adjustment the Quick Way:
Ok, now to the good stuff! First, view this little chart for Small and Big Block Chevy Engines that I made and see if you can understand it ... for other engines, use your firing order that matches your engine to do the same. You set up this procedure based upon "opposite" cylinders of your firing order. (see below)
Intake Valve Adjustment: ENGINE OFF!
with #1 cylinder Intake Valve at fully open valve lift .... Adjust #6 Intake Valve
with #8 cylinder Intake Valve at fully open valve lift .... Adjust #5 Intake Valve
with #4 cylinder Intake Valve at fully open valve lift .... Adjust #7 Intake Valve
with #3 cylinder Intake Valve at fully open valve lift .... Adjust #2 Intake Valve
with #6 cylinder Intake Valve at fully open valve lift .... Adjust #1 Intake Valve
with #5 cylinder Intake Valve at fully open valve lift .... Adjust #8 Intake Valve
with #7 cylinder Intake Valve at fully open valve lift .... Adjust #4 Intake Valve
with #2 cylinder Intake Valve at fully open valve lift.... Adjust #3 Intake Valve
Exhaust Valve Adjustment: ENGINE OFF!
If you have noticed, this is the same procedure as the intake valves listed above, just that you are now adjusting the exhaust valves the same way.
with #1 cylinder Exhaust Valve at fully open valve lift.... Adjust #6 Exhaust Valve
with #8 cylinder Exhaust Valve at fully open valve lift.... Adjust #5 Exhaust Valve
with #4 cylinder Exhaust Valve at fully open valve lift.... Adjust #7 Exhaust Valve
with #3 cylinder Exhaust Valve at fully open valve lift.... Adjust #2 Exhaust Valve
with #6 cylinder Exhaust Valve at fully open valve lift.... Adjust #1 Exhaust Valve
with #5 cylinder Exhaust Valve at fully open valve lift.... Adjust #8 Exhaust Valve
with #7 cylinder Exhaust Valve at fully open valve lift.... Adjust #4 Exhaust Valve
with #2 cylinder Exhaust Valve at fully open valve lift.... Adjust #3 Exhaust Valve

 

this is really info DTL, thanks everyone God Bless

 

Why or why-not??

The engine builder I'm working with (and he's been building for over 40 years), simply adjusts both intake and exhaust at each cylinder at "base circle" when the rocker tips at the valve are stopped at the highest point.

I am using hydraulic lifters. 226/238 .610/.607 116lsa

 

Read post number 9.

 

I saw that. So does that mean CAN"T do it with SOLID LIFTERS?

What about hydraulic lifters? Why not do the TDC method here?

 

You should be fine with the hyd roller, a lot of things change when you go solid.