Cold Valve Adjustment? (2 Viewers)

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VA Mountain FJ40

VA Mountain FJ40

Joined
Jan 16, 2023
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Stuart, Virginia
Ready to adjust valves on Jolene during engine assembly. Pretty sure I’ve got the routine down from the ample information here. One thing I didn’t see…

Valves supposed to be set while warm. Well, it’s a rebuilt engine. It doesn’t run yet. The instructions from the engine builder say to check valve adjustments BEFORE first start-up. So, cold.

Yes, I will go back and check and readjust the valves after she’s running.

So, OK to set valves with factory specs cold prior to first start-up? I am guessing the cold adjustment before first start is to be sure there are no interference issues.

Am I good to go?

Chip
VA Mountain FJ40
 
VA Mountain FJ40 said:
Ready to adjust valves on Jolene during engine assembly. Pretty sure I’ve got the routine down from the ample information here. One thing I didn’t see…

Valves supposed to be set while warm. Well, it’s a rebuilt engine. It doesn’t run yet. The instructions from the engine builder say to check valve adjustments BEFORE first start-up. So, cold.

Yes, I will go back and check and readjust the valves after she’s running.

So, OK to set valves with factory specs cold prior to first start-up? I am guessing the cold adjustment before first start is to be sure there are no interference issues.

Am I good to go?

Chip
VA Mountain FJ40
Click to expand...

Yep, you're good. Set them a c hair on the loose side when cold, if you want. Too tight will burn valves.
 
I did it MANY years ago with a 22RE. From cold to as hot as possible was only .001"- .002" tighter. I had the engine as ready as I could to get the rocker cover off after driving home from work. Still had lash.

I was getting grief from friends because I liked to set my 22RE valves at .007 and .011 instead of Toyota spec of .008 and .012. It wasn't as loud and ran fine. (no ticking is too tight though) I put over 30K miles/year commuting alone and I did regular maintenance. Two of these trucks went over 400K miles. So as long as they aren't too tight, a couple thousand's isn't going to ruin your engine.

Everyone has a different "feel" on the drag of the feeler gauges too. You can always get a go-no go set of feeler gauges if you want more assurance of your setting.
 
Augustiron said:
It's surprising that as many times as I have seen this question asked, nobody has a " hot factory spec = xx mm cold" number from doing them hot, then measuring what that # is cold.

No, I am not volunteering, I no longer have a 2f.
Click to expand...
Cold setting is based on actual temperature of the engine. Adjusted in a cold garage at sub zero weather would be a different than during the summer in the desert. A life time ago when I worked on roof top air conditioners during the summer in Phoenix if you put you tools on top of the unit you burn your hands. Cold is a huge variable. These are low RPM tractor engines. Adjusting to spec and back off slightly cold and then final adjustment once up to operating temperature should be fine.
 
+1 for cold? I have seen -35 to 105 here. So setting cold depends on the day - warm that the thermostat job to be 165. In the winter I have a curtain blocking the bottom 1/2 of the raderator.

One time out in the desert tank training area, driving 15 miles in mud up to the hubs right at 32 in low range low, I had to stop on a down grade to lower the curtain to 1/4, than again to remove it completely or it wanted to run hot
 
Good points. I didn't do it during sub zero temps. More of 90's ambient to operating temp after pulling in the driveway.

Still ran mine at .007 and .011 all those years. Sounded like a smooth sewing machine and not a lot of clatter.

I'm sure engineers figured out the expansion rate of their materials and design so factory spec is for a reason.

I was mainly commenting on the "has anyone done it" aspect of the post.
 
Godwin

Thread '2F/3F hot/cold valve set'

I've read the arguments about setting valves hot or cold and I know that in the FSM hot is recommended. Today I decided to give it a little test. I adjusted valves on a '77 2F, '81 2F, and '88 3FE. Initially my plan was to warm up the engines, adjust the valves, let engines cool and recheck. I made it 1/2 way through this process before I lost patience, these engines hold heat for a long time.

Engines were warmed to ca. 180-185 F and the valves were adjusted to the stock setting of 0.008 IN and 0.014 EX. I allowed the '77 2F to cool before rechecking the valves; radiator was only...
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g-man

Thread 'How to adjust your 2f valve clearance'

I haven't seen a definitive thread on how to do a valve clearance adjustment on a 2f motor so here goes:

1. find and remove the sight window to see the timing marks on the flywheel. This is located on the passenger side of the engine bay. It is on the flywheel bell housing between the starter motor and the block. It is down below the firewall near the passenger side rear corner of the motor where the block meets the oil pan. Find your distributor and follow the bottom of the engine block all the way back below the firewall. Here is an image of the sight window.

1564578922056.webp
 
VA Mountain FJ40 said:
Ready to adjust valves on Jolene during engine assembly.
Click to expand...
Good. When I was assembling my engine I adjusted the valves a lot. It was good practice, I think, to see how the crank and cam gears and everything worked.
 
People over think this like oil. Set it to spec cold, run it, break it in. Then when it’s operating temp after driving 10-15min, pop valve cover off and send the feeler through while running to check each valve, note the tight/loose valves and readjust or use this chart when it’s cold. Both result with the same, either way you have to check when it’s hot.

IMG_2082.webp
 
I have never concidered adjusting the vavles cold, the OEM shows the clearances in hot a state. Makes sense to me and we all know why. I work on electronic equipment, there are always a tolerance and voltage drops depending where you check it. Engineers figure all this and then they write a procedure. An egine adjustments are a little different it will actually wear out prematurely out or in some cases it will cascade to other issues. The same thing applies when you measure the backlash on the timing gear or the differential. I know its something folks don't to want hear just follow the oem procedure to be on the safe side. But everything evantually wears out.
 
Last edited:
fjwagon said:
I have never concidered adjusting the vavles cold, the OEM shows the clearances in hot a state. Makes sense to me and we all know why. I work on electronic equipment, there are always a tolerance and voltage drops depending where you check it. Engineers figure all this and then they write a procedure. An egine adjustments are a little different it will actually wear out prematurely out or in some cases it will cascade to other issues. The same thing applies when you measure the backlash on the timing gear or the differential. I know its something folks don't want hear just follow the oem procedure to be on the safe side. But everything evantually wears out.
Click to expand...

The OP said that he is adjusting his after engine assembly and before the first start, so he doesn't have much choice, he has to adjust them cold. :meh:
 
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