Rebuilt F. Cold valve initial setting... (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Jul 28, 2006
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26
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309
Location
Hilo, Hawaii
1970 F engine. Refreshed. I have not yet started her. I get oil on top by spinning the pump through dizzy hole. Setting the valve lash, I turned crank to TDC line. Rotor on dizzy pointing towards #4 plug hole. #1 piston at top of cylinder. I set #1 exhaust valve .35 (.014") and intake to .20 (.008"). #2 intake. #3 exhaust. Got to #4 cylinder to set intake valve and its all the way down on the stroke, compressed (see pic). If I loosen the nut and adjust it all the way to spec, it just doesn't look correct, the threads are exposed much much more than "normal". The exhaust valve on #4 seems loose. What did I do wrong? And, how do I fix it. Thanks in advance....

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Remember there are two TDCs. TDC #1 compression, and TDC #1 exhaust.
Do half the valves on one TDC and the other half after rotating the crank 360* to the other TDC.

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I thought I was on compression stroke, because 1,2,3,5 all were loose. Just 7 got me stumped. I will try rotating 360 and start over. Or maybe do the second half, then rotate. Thanks
 
Sorry. Cylinder #4, intake valve #7 on that handy diagram. Cylinder #7 would be awesome on an F!
 
Hmmm.....adjusted valves # 4,6,8,10,11,12. Turned engine 360 to TDC line, valves #7 & 9 are on down stroke. 1,2, 3 & 5 checked fine with feeler gauge. Reground cam with new lifters, reused push rods from the same valves. I am stumped. Pic of valve #7 with adjuster at .008, that can't be right.

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That does seem odd. Any chance a lifter went in upside down?
I've heard of cheap aftermarket lifters separating. I'm talking about the two piece ones the have the top disc pressed into the lifter.
"LIFTER WOES"
 
Before I make more mistakes, lmk if this is sound. I took off the dizzy. Rag in that hole. Plugs came out. Coil removed. Battery out. Valve cover off. Side cover came off, gasket too. When i turn the engine via the big nut, at one point there is a lot (1\8" +) of gap between the bottom of the adjuster and the top of the push rod. In the pic, the rod falls over because the adjuster is out of the cup on top of the pushrod. Can I take the rocker arms off of valve #4 then remove push rod and attempt to get lifter out with a magnet?

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Thank you steamer, for the "lifter woes" link above..
 
I just don’t know if you can pull a push rod with out removing the whole rocker assembly. I never tried it. I’ve always had the entire rocker assembly off for one reason or another. I don’t see how you could remove just one rocker arm leaving the assembly attached. I would simply remove that one adjuster nut and screw and see if the push rod will lift out around the rocker. Good if it does. A magnet is how I pulled my lifters out. You may not have to pull it. You might see it with a mirror and light. Or feel it with a probe. Come to think of it, you may be able to feel the surface of the lifter with the loose push rod. If you can feel the cup or indent, it’s right side up and if it feels flat, it’s upside down. Maybe feel some others for comparison.
 
I came to the same conclusion. The whole rocker assembly needs to come out. The lifter looks correct, cup up. The gasket on my side cover is all stretched out, what a PITA. Such is life.😂. Taking a break.
 
Steamer, I like your technique for placing the gasket(s)! Is that shrink tube? And what type of gasket is that? Don't look like my rubber/cork...
 
Is there a way to find TDC on the compression stroke for cylinder #4 and just adjust the valves then?
 
Steamer, I like your technique for placing the gasket(s)! Is that shrink tube? And what type of gasket is that? Don't look like my rubber/cork...
That’s 1/4” poly tube used for pneumatic controls that I had on hand. Being flexy and cut on a bias made it easy guide them into each gasket hole. I guess a lot of things would work but 1/4" poly tube is easy to find.

The OEM cork gasket in my pic is coated with the graphite based Never Seize. I hate scraping gaskets that have been glued on with sealant. I have good luck with not using sealant but I’m lucky to have covers that have not been beat up, bent, or over torqued.

On someone’s suggestion here, I’ve since switched to Sil-Glyde on gaskets except for exhaust stuff.

I do use sealant in just a few places like the two rounded parts of the oil pan gasket and the backing plate of the water pump, I also Permatex the cork gasket to the valve cover but use Sil-Glyde between the gasket and head. Doing that makes it quick and easy to pop the cover off and back on using the same gasket over and over. On the steel valve cover without sealant on either side, I found it too easy for the cork gasket to slip or shrink inwards in the corners.
Here’s how I glue/Permatex my valve cover gasket on.

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Is there a way to find TDC on the compression stroke for cylinder #4 and just adjust the valves then?
You could but the half and half method works simply fine. But if you want to, here is one method.

When I got my first leak down tester not long ago, I needed to find TDC on compression for each cylinder individually. To do this I put it on TDC #1 compression, then I put a mark on the balancer/pulley with a file where I could line it up with something underneath so I could sight it in again later. Then I made two more marks 120 degrees around from that. Then I labeled the three marks that were 120 degrees apart from each other, cylinder numbers, 1&6 – 2&5 – 3&4. Now I can set each pair of pistons on TDC while underneath turning the crank nut. A look at the distributor rotor will tell ya which one of the two is on compression.
For a leak down test, I start with #1 TDC compression and then rotate my marks through the firing order 1-5-3-6-2-4

I linked a whistle tester in a recent thread that would help also. In fact, I think I’ll get one. “HERE”
 
Some might say OCD, but I like your results. Thanks for the tips, Steamer.

I called an old school mechanic over to help me. He Had me pull the rocker assy, and rods (kept in order). pulled the lifters in order, and he said they were worn, and no good for a new (regrind) cam. I thought I bought new lifters, but it was obvious I was mistaken. Pic. He thinks we can sand them flat with progressive sandpaper and ATF for lube. I remember reading that there might be a slight degree (cone) on the "flat" side to spin the lifter.

New on Sor.com = 30+$ each. Joint-Fuji is the legit lifter apparently. For a "tractor", $h!t ain't cheap, lol.

I sanded one by hand on a pane of glass, couple hours of effort, but it looked good. No pic, yet.

1- is this wrong? Buy new?

2- is there an easier way to resurface? I think the company in WA that reground my cam, offered to do the lifters also. I will contact them. Local machine shops refuse so far.

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You can just about see the "dimple" on the far lifter.

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