I've got a new cam coming next week and therefore will be tearing into my motor. I've adjusted valves before in Chevys where I run the engine and loosen the nut until it clacked and tighten until it runs rough, counting the turns and split the difference. I've read that for Pontiacs you use a torque wrench and tighten to a certain value. Why is there a difference? Can I do it the way I described above or does something bad happen in Pontiacs? With the torque method, won't the torque be affected by the type of valve springs? There's a radical racing cam in there now and I'm not sure if there are radical valve springs (I don't plan to mess with anything but the cam and lifters). If anyone can shed some light I'd appreciate it.
Do you have an adjustable valve train? If not, you will just torque the nuts down. The shoulder on the rocker arm stud determines the valve lash. If you do have an adjustable valve train, then I followed the directions that were supplied with my Comroller rocker arms. Basically you start at one cylinder and rotate the crank until the intake valve is almost all the way open, then you adjust the exhaust side of that cylinder. You turn the nut down until you can feel "pressure" as you turn the pushrod. At this point you give the nut a good half of a turn (for lifter preload). Continue this procedure for all the exhaust valves. I believe to adjust the intake side you pretty much follow the same procedure (I don't have the instructions in front of me currently).
There are a couple of Pontiac sights that describe adjusting Pontiac valves "cold". All you need to change a Pontiac to adjustable, is locknuts or posilocks. I recommend the Crane "Koolnuts", which are less than $30.
Cam showed up today! I should be having a busy weekend. I haven't torn into it yet but the guy I bought the car from claims there's solid lifters in there now so the valves lash should be adjustable. So 1/2 turn on the nut after the slop is gone gives the right lifter preload?
I looked at a set of heads the other day that had been rebuilt. The rebuilder installed 7/16" rocker studs for a big block chevy so they could be adjustable. If you used regular pont studs and don't tighten the nuts all the way your rocker arms may be pivoting on a threaded area of the stud. What kind of studs do solid lifters use?
Beats me. I'll let you know what I find when I take it apart. This is a YS code 1965 or 66 389 that originally had 335 horse. Maybe it originally had solid lifters?
Solid lifters use either the shouldered studs or the 7/16 studs, but you MUST use Poly-Locks. I use the 7/16 BBC studs for both my 428 and 455. The 455 has a solid lifter cam; the 428 has hydraulic lifters. I adjust the poly-locks on the hydraulic cam to allow for slight wear compensation by going one full turn after the push rod no longer spins by hand. This also won't allow them to pump up too much at high RPM. They require re-adjustment when I start to hear them make a little noise. I adjust the Solid lifter lash per the cam maker's specs.
Got the valve covers off. The valves are adjustable and there are nuts with the hex key locks so I should be in good shape. Looks like the concensus is 1/2 to 1 turn once the lifter starts to compress. Thanks.
Can anybody tell me if the harmonic balancer bolt to the crank is right hand or left hand thread? It doesn't want to budge and I want to be sure before I start thrashing it.
It's got right hand threads, and if installed correctly, was torqued to 165 Lb.-Ft. A few thousand miles of use, and it ought to be VERY snug. Take a piece of 1" pipe and slide it over the handle of your ratchet. Or, use a breaker bar with the same approach.
