[lovetoski]

Looking for a bit of advice...

I adjusted the valves on my 60 yesterday. I'd never done it before, and followed directions from Jim C. Last valve adjustment was done by a shop, but I'm not sure they knew what they were doing. Of course, I'm not all that sure I know what I'm doing either!!

Anyway, the valves sound much louder than before. There's a very definite "tic, tic, tic, tic..." My son even asked me what was wrong with the engine as I was driving him home from school. I can't hear them when the accelerator is to the floor, as the straight six rumble is louder than the valves, but when I take my foot off the gas, or just cruising at partial throttle, I can hear them easily.

I have a 500 mile drive over the next two days, and don't want to screw up the engine. I can postpone the drive if needed, but would prefer not to.

The noise is enough different than before that I'm not confident I did the valve adjustment correctly, so I'd love to get any advice.

Thanks in advance.

[dd113]

My method:
Hook up a remote starter. Get the motor to full temp. Once at ful temp you need to move rather fast; faster as temp drops!

Pull the valve cover
run the motor around until you see numbers 1 IN and EX go up and down. Run it around again to see when they do it. The plan is to stop the motor when #1 ex goes all the way up (closed) If you think of the open/closed and turn the motor over by remote you will see it eventually. The actual position of the cam is only relvant to the open/closed position. The cam has a range where each set of valves is closed. Easy way to tell is to look at them as they move and to also feel them. When the valves are closed the "gap" you are adjusting is there. The rocker will not move so much up/down as L/R. The loose feeling also helps tell you the rockers are open which means the valves are closed.

By the time you are comfortable with all of this start the motor, it is OK to do with the VC off. Get it back to temp. Get an .08 and a .14 feeler gauge. Start at #1. You want to feel a real resistance as you pull the feeler between the rocker and the valve. Not too tight nor too loose. Slightly loose is better than too tight. You should hear a "tick" like a sewing machine but no clatter on acceleration.

Most of the time IN is too loose and EX is too tight. There is no science to this.

[lowtideride]

my valves are starting to tic tic tic and I have never done a valve job but want to REAl soon, but from what i gather it should be quiter...than before......but there will always be a faint tic???? if anyone wants to post up on the easiest way to do a valve job with out fawking it up would be cool.

[lowtideride]

DD you posted while i was typing....

[Cruisergreg]

Originally Posted by lowtideride

but from what i gather it should be quiter...than before......but there will always be a faint tic????

Even with correct valve clearances the 2F still will sound a little more like a sewing machine than say a V8 with hydraulic lifters.

[2mbb]

I've used the "Jim C" method and that works for me. If you think the tic-ing is too loud, you could go back in and check the clearances. Maybe one of them is out of adjustment. I've found that it takes a certain amount of practice to: keep track of intake vs exhaust clearances, move quickly to keep the engine hot, and not get burned. Also, access to some of the valve stems is a little difficult and you could get a false reading if your feeler gauge is not flat on the seat. Over the years I've learned through trial and error how much drag on the feeler gauge gives an acceptable adjustement. One thing you could try to check your adjustment is to use the next size or so thicker gauge. With a few thousands oversize, you shound not be able to get the gauge in the gap.

Good luck.

[devo]

I never could adjust my valves on a static 2F that was to my liking.
My prefence was to adjust with the engine moving.
Bring it up to operating temp. Remove the valve cover . Mark all of the intake lifters so you know the I from E. Start the engine and slow the idle down to where it just turned over and oil oozed out of the oilers. Then use the proper feeler and make the adjustment.
devo

[lovetoski]

hmmm...it was ~35 degrees outside when I did this, so maybe the engine cooled off too quickly. If they are not quite right, as it sounds like the case, will I do damage to drive 500 miles? I know this is a difficult question to answer, but I have no clue as to the "robustness" of the valves - do they tolerate out of adjustment well, or is it critical that they are right on?

Thanks again for all the help...

[swank60]

This turned out to be a great thread from a while back when I was having the same problem. The motor running method was the most reliable, IIRC.

adjusting the valves (FAQ maybe?)

Mine tic-tic-tics too, but I've found that a little Marvel Mystery Oil helps, heavier oil helps (went to the Delo 15-40 - has a high detergent level, so it cleans as you go, and that helps a whole, whole lot) - but mine sounds like a sewing machine too. Always has. my old TR6 was the same way - it had the half-sized version of the 60 engine.

I had mechanics look at both of them because I had that same "WTF kind of noise is that" and every time I get the same thing "Don't worry, it sounds great!"

[devo]

It seems that even when the valves are adjusted perfectly one might be louder than another. But there is a certain rhythm to the tapping when they are set.
It is necessary to use new feelers every time if you are adjusting the valves with the motor running.
devo

[Tinker]

Noisy rocker arms are not the big potential problem: quiet ones are.

Too little clearance causes burned valves.

Too much causes noise and not much else.

Doing it running like the FSM says is an exercize in frustration, but the only accurate way. I first did this kind of valve adjustment when I was a kid, but didn't mind it then. It's a real PITA now, but a nostalgic one.

[FJ40Jim]

Doug,
How many miles are on the valvetrain?
It is difficult (impossible?) to get an accurate, quiet valve adjustment on a rocker assembly w/ 283000 miles on it. The tips of the rocker arms get a "trench" worn into them on top of the valvestem, so when a wide feeler is slid into there it bridges the trench. The rocker shaft itself is worn on the bottom. The bushings are worn inside the rocker arm. some or all of the cam lobes and lifters are badly worn (through the too thin surface hardening) so the valve clearance changes, depending on where the lifter is rotated, etc...

One high-mileage trick that can make a big difference is to use a special homemade feeler blade that has been trimmed to be slightly smaller than the width of the valvestem trench. This will allow the blade to only sit on top of the valve stem.

If you are sure that you've got the intakes and exhausts set at the right lash, then drive the truck. A 2F w/ properly adjusted valves will be a little noisy. It is an ancient tractor engine w/ HEAVY valvetrain components. OTOH, if it is annoyingly noisy from inside the passenger compartment, then something is probly not right. Also, if it is quiet like a hydraulic cammed chebby, then things might be set a little too tight.

One last thing: don't set valves with the engine running. This is an urban legend resulting from a bad engrish translation of the early service manual.

[lovetoski]

Thanks to all for the prompt advice. While you can hear the valves inside the passenger compartment, it's not loud, nor annoying, just much more notible than before. Based on what you all are telling me, my valves were too tight before, and now they aren't too tight. Maybe they are too loose, especially with the worn rocker "trench" that Jim C mentions. I'm not sure how many miles are on my engine, as the PO put in a used engine. Compression is strong (~165 all across) but milage unknown.

I think I'll drive it for now, and redo it in a few weeks on a warmer day just for giggles.

Best Regards,

[dogboy2]

just to add to the pot: a Toyota mechanic gave me a hands-on lesson in this years ago when I had my '40. IIRC, we brought the motor up to operating temp/hot, shut it down, pulled the valve cover, hooked up a remote starter, "bumped" the motor over until the valves were closed, worked front-of-motor to back, bumped the motor again to set up the next series of valves, worked front-to-back, then started the motor with the valve cover off and checked the clearance with it running, shut the motor back down and readjusted any valves that were found to be off during the running check, then restarted the motor/cover off and rechecked them again, repeating this process until all of the valves were adjusted to spec.

notice the "repeat" part: it took a couple of run throughs the first few times I did this, less as my fingers learned what to feel for. I almost had it mastered when I sold the '40 -- it's definately an art. Now the real trick will be to see if my hands can remember the trick 20+ years after the lessons and get the '60 dialed in.

hth,
-dogboy- '87 FJ60

[dogboy2]

one more: the Toyota guy who taught me this described the sound of a properly adjusted valvetrain as that of a "sewing machine", not a clackity-clack, but more of a purring tick-tick-tick-tick

-db-