[DeTomaso] Valve Lash (was "steering rack question")

JDeRyke at aol.com JDeRyke at aol.com
Wed Jun 16 14:45:59 EDT 2010


I follow Dan Jones' method of adjusting lash on hydraulic cams, but in 
're-adjusting' lash after the engine has run a bit, I do it directly. I dress in 
worn clothes, fire the engine and when it's barely warm, I pull one valve 
cover and adjust lash while the engine is at idle. This is terribly sloppy, 
smoky from oil hitting the exhausts and often painful as hot oil on my hands 
leaves burn marks. I can only stand the heat and smoke for the 8 valves or 
one bank of my Cleveland, then I need a break to   recover before doing the 
second bank. 
It's complicated by the need to slack off the tension from the stud girdle 
on the rocker nuts, adjust the nuts and internal setscrews while working 
around the loose but still-installed girdle, then retighten the stud girdle's 
cross-bolts. But its the only sure way I've found to get the hot-lash where 
it needs to be, and the combination of the adjusting nuts, setscrews and stud 
girdle keeps the adjustment where I set it.   Lets see- I last readjusted 
the lash in '91... or was it '92?   FWIW- J DeRyke



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