anything to do after valve adjustment?

[stamina]

is there anything i should make sure i do after adjusting valves and preloading lifters before i reinstall valve covers? likeshould i run it for a while then shut her off and let her cool down to adjust again? or should i run the motor to check if the noise is gone and then reinstall if it’s good? just want to make sure because those covers are a bitch to get on and off

 

[RonD]

Can't run the engine with valve covers off, will make a big mess

Valve train is lubricated by oil, often its pumped up the hollow push rods by hydraulic lifters and sprays out a hole in the rocker just above push rods socket
So real mess

You can get "valve rocker clips", oil deflectors, and put one on each rocker
Then put a towel down on the lower edge of the head, covering the exhaust manifold, to stop oil from leaking onto exhaust
That's how you can adjust valves with engine running, but you only run the engine for a short time

 

[Curious Hound]

Install valve covers and drink a beer.

 

[bobbywalter]

I just set flash over em.....they don't pump enough on these turds to get out of control....or they wouldn't need noise help to begin with .,....it does dump over the rail if the returns are cooked closed....and not cleaned.

 

[stamina]

Install valve covers and drink a beer.

love this reply man thank you

 

[gaz]

Stamina,

Absolutely DO NOT run the engine with the valve covers off. I did this (having previously only ever adjusted solid lifters while running), I put at least I quart of oil immediately on the deck.

If you desire to test for noise, I would put the covers on with at least the 4 corner fasteners or the 2 middles only. A 5-10 second engine start will let you hear if the adjustment is on the money. Then you could install the remaining valve cover fasteners.

The "next" thing to do is verify your fuel economy over the next 3 tanks of fuel as I would expect some improvement with your valves in proper adjustment.

 

[stamina]

Stamina,

Absolutely DO NOT run the engine with the valve covers off. I did this (having previously only ever adjusted solid lifters while running), I put at least I quart of oil immediately on the deck.

If you desire to test for noise, I would put the covers on with at least the 4 corner fasteners or the 2 middles only. A 5-10 second engine start will let you hear if the adjustment is on the money. Then you could install the remaining valve cover fasteners.

The "next" thing to do is verify your fuel economy over the next 3 tanks of fuel as I would expect some improvement with your valves in proper adjustment.

yea man i successfully did it, but 1 and 1/2 turns of preload didnt cut it, too tight, i loosened 1/4 at a time til i got her to start and run correctly, 3/4 turn was on the money like i saw from a bunch of youtubes, didn’t fix the noise but i have ruled out that the valve train was making the noise LOL, learned a lot along the way and fixed a pretty nasty oil leak with some felpro permadry gaskets, also started it with the covers off she wasn’t squirtin but if you ran it for more than 10 seconds it started pouring over the side onto the headers. next thing is a code 41 and if you have any answers to the thread i posted earlier today would be very appreciated, trying to get the vacuum system 100% in check, you’ve been a really big help dude thanks so much Gaz

 

[gaz]

Stamina,

Don't be shocked that the level of vacuum is controlled by the timing.

 

[bobbywalter]

Stamina,

Absolutely DO NOT run the engine with the valve covers off. I did this (having previously only ever adjusted solid lifters while running), I put at least I quart of oil immediately on the deck.

If you desire to test for noise, I would put the covers on with at least the 4 corner fasteners or the 2 middles only. A 5-10 second engine start will let you hear if the adjustment is on the money. Then you could install the remaining valve cover fasteners.

The "next" thing to do is verify your fuel economy over the next 3 tanks of fuel as I would expect some improvement with your valves in proper adjustment.

So your returns are cooked up....how bad?

 

[bobbywalter]

yea man i successfully did it, but 1 and 1/2 turns of preload didnt cut it, too tight, i loosened 1/4 at a time til i got her to start and run correctly, 3/4 turn was on the money like i saw from a bunch of youtubes, didn’t fix the noise but i have ruled out that the valve train was making the noise LOL, learned a lot along the way and fixed a pretty nasty oil leak with some felpro permadry gaskets, also started it with the covers off she wasn’t squirtin but if you ran it for more than 10 seconds it started pouring over the side onto the headers. next thing is a code 41 and if you have any answers to the thread i posted earlier today would be very appreciated, trying to get the vacuum system 100% in check, you’ve been a really big help dude thanks so much Gaz

So your returns are cooked up....how bad?

 

[bobbywalter]

I just set flash over em.....they don't pump enough on these turds to get out of control....or they wouldn't need noise help to begin with .,....it does dump over the rail if the returns are cooked closed....and not cleaned.

Based on what I said here...

 

[stamina]

Based on what I said here...

what are the returns? i still have the covers off and i could clean them.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Those are just casting holes on the outboard edge of the head that allow oil to drain back into the crankcase.

 

[stamina]

Those are just casting holes on the outboard edge of the head that allow oil to drain back into the crankcase.

how many turns of preload on 2.9 v6 lifters bro?

 

[Uncle Gump]

This is directly from my factory service manual for 1986...