Real-time help: adjusting valves (1 Viewer)

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acy76

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Twin Cities, MN
Following the guide here: How to adjust your 2f valve clearance - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/how-to-adjust-your-2f-valve-clearance.1152737/

1979 FJ40. My distributor is I think not stock. It is points only and the igniter has been removed. Cap is made in USA and has no provisions for vents. Older Toyota?

When I have the timing marks lined up (at least I believe so), the rotor points to the #5 plug hole not between 3 and 4 as the guide and Haynes says.

If I try to adjust #7 or #9 at this point, I have a lot of threads left on the screw, it is backed almost all the way out. All other valves marked “a” in the chart adjusted normally, as did other “b”s.

This just looks odd to me, what’s up? Or is this normal? Distributor rotor position, can that vary? Screws backed so far out?

Any advice appreciated.

EDIT: I should add, this truck ran well before I pulled the head to do the gasket and I have not touched the distributor.

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Don’t dwell on the dizzy too much, use the marks on your flywheel for reference.
 
Thanks.

Anyone know about the adjuster screws?
 
Get the pointer aligned to the line on the flywheel (TDC) before adjusting valves sequence.
Seems like the photo shows that? I recently checked the valves on my '87 (2F- so same same method) and when pointer aligned to the line on flywheel, the rotor pointed left of #4 plug. . . ran great after checking and timing BB was spot on.

The distributor does not look stock.
The one adjuster screw is puzzling- does pushrod move down as you rotate the crankshaft? Might be a stuck lifter? You could remove the side cover to see what's going on there.
 
Get the pointer aligned to the line on the flywheel (TDC) before adjusting valves sequence.
Seems like the photo shows that? I recently checked the valves on my '87 (2F- so same same method) and when pointer aligned to the line on flywheel, the rotor pointed left of #4 plug. . . ran great after checking and timing BB was spot on.

The distributor does not look stock.
The one adjuster screw is puzzling- does pushrod move down as you rotate the crankshaft? Might be a stuck lifter? You could remove the side cover to see what's going on there.
Yeah the rotor position you describe sounds like my situation. And that is the timing mark in the photo, just past the BB. I will recheck to be certain but I aligned it tons of times.

Will also check lifters, seems odd that two would behave the same?
 
Are you on the wrong stroke for the valves you are trying to adjust? (i.e. 360* of crankshaft / 180* of camshaft).

I'm assuming you tried to adjust 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9? It looks in the photo like 12, 11, and 10 are in a 'relaxed' position... can you do 12, 11, 10, 8, 6 and 4 with the crank in its current position?
 
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I would re-confirm that you are on the TDC mark. Hard to tell in your pic. As you rotate the engine, you should see the raised “bb” come up just before the “line.” They are just far enough apart that you can’t quite see them both in the window at the same time. The “bb” is 7 degrees BTDC and the “line” is TDC. This diagram might help also.

Valve Adjust.jpg
 
The distributor may be a tooth off on the drive gear, hence the rotor pointing more towards #4-5.

Is the inside of the valve cover scratched up around where the adjusting threads are?
 
Are you on the wrong stroke for the valves you are trying to adjust? (i.e. 360* of crankshaft / 180* of camshaft).

I'm assuming you tried to adjust 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 9? It looks in the photo like 12, 11, and 10 are in a 'relaxed' position... can you do 12, 11, 10, 8, 6 and 4 with the crank in its current position?
Yeah, I assume you meant 1,2,3,5,7,9–that’s what I’m attempting.
 
The distributor may be a tooth off on the drive gear, hence the rotor pointing more towards #4-5.

Is the inside of the valve cover scratched up around where the adjusting threads are?
There is what looks like a potentially related scratch where #7 could have hit. Hard to say.

Will the thing run if it’s off a tooth? It ran well, pinged on hard accel but the secondary was stuck shut in the carb. It also always overheated but there was coolant coming out the tailpipe so I figured gasket rather than timing but … ?
 
I would re-confirm that you are on the TDC mark. Hard to tell in your pic. As you rotate the engine, you should see the raised “bb” come up just before the “line.” They are just far enough apart that you can’t quite see them both in the window at the same time. The “bb” is 7 degrees BTDC and the “line” is TDC. This diagram might help also.

View attachment 3045296
I’ll look again. What’s the best vantage point? Alignment depends where you look at it from.
 
Also, everything is suspect, PO work was garbage when they did anything other than neglect it.
 
There is what looks like a potentially related scratch where #7 could have hit. Hard to say.

Will the thing run if it’s off a tooth? It ran well, pinged on hard accel but the secondary was stuck shut in the carb. It also always overheated but there was coolant coming out the tailpipe so I figured gasket rather than timing but … ?
Yes it will run if off a tooth- compensated for by advancing the timing (loosen the distributor holddown and rotate 'til pointer on BB).
It seems like there is a lot of room in the valve cover for the top of that rocker adjustment, so I dunno if it is a concern.
The head gasket replacement ought to take care of the overheating if there was contamination of the oil by coolant - did you have the head checked for cracks too?
 
I reread your first post and see the other valves all adjusted fine... so disregard my earlier post.

Do those 2 push rods look any different than the rest? Do those rockers go through full travel like the rest as the engine is spun? I'm wondering if the PO may have swapped in 'close enough' pushrods that are too long, or as @micruz60 suggested, those lifters are stuck?
 
Yes it will run if off a tooth- compensated for by advancing the timing (loosen the distributor holddown and rotate 'til pointer on BB).
It seems like there is a lot of room in the valve cover for the top of that rocker adjustment, so I dunno if it is a concern.
The head gasket replacement ought to take care of the overheating if there was contamination of the oil by coolant - did you have the head checked for cracks too?
No coolant in oil, just out the exhaust. I had the head totally rebuilt and checked out at the machine shop, all new but the casting.
 
So: distributor is 180 degrees off.

I rotated the engine and watched #1 pushrods and then aligned mark when both valves were closed and the piston was at the top (no plugs installed).

As long as the wires are right, is this an immediate issue? I plan to either install the correct distributor and igniter setup or go DUI and really just want to baseline this thing first after all the top end work (plus rebuilt carb, fixing the de-smog the PO did a half-assed job on, etc).
 
So: distributor is 180 degrees off.

I rotated the engine and watched #1 pushrods and then aligned mark when both valves were closed and the piston was at the top (no plugs installed).

As long as the wires are right, is this an immediate issue? I plan to either install the correct distributor and igniter setup or go DUI and really just want to baseline this thing first after all the top end work (plus rebuilt carb, fixing the de-smog the PO did a half-assed job on, etc).
Be certain that it is compression stroke, not exhaust stroke. Otherwise continue on, get it running, then come back with the base-lining work, fresh distributor et cetera.
:cheers:
 

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