Well, I finally got to the meat of the matter. I poped off the valve covers and found several loose rockers. I haven't got my shop manuals yet but I want adjust the rockers tomorrow (a.k.a. Saturday). This is what I think I know:

Number 1 is drivers side front. I can adjust half of the rockers when in TDC on numebr 1. Rotate crank 360 degrees on the and that gives TDC from number 6.

Does anyone have a quick link or notes for adjusting the rockers and in what order? I've found some information at www.faqfram.com but what the opinions of the experienced.

As a note, if I have to do this with it running what do you guy and gals normally do with the AC compressor?

8) I go one cylinder at a time myself.

PaPa John

PaPa John, do you have, like, a procedure. I reason that if you set TDC for cylinder 1 and adjust and the crank 1/4 turn number 8 is at TDC and so on through the firing order.

Is this correct?

I do one cylinder at a time -- sset number one cyl ehxaust valve on max lift and adjust intake. Bump engine untill number one intake valve is open and adjust exhaust. Lather, rinse, repeat for the other cylinders. That way when the inevitable inturreption occurs you will know which ones you've done and which ones are left. Never fails for me when I am in the middle of this either the shop phone rings or customer just needs to talk to me right now! My wife's radar is pretty good at knowing when i'm busy too.
By the way I also run the engine for a minute before adjusting to make sure the lifters are fully pumped up.

Ooops I guess I just said the same thing PaPa John did

... I figure this out in the morning! Thanks a million and some change.

I'm pooped and plan to be off to the local parts store to get new valve covers. Those blue one are just plain ugly!

8) Don't let me make the job any harder. the two step method is just as good most shops use it. I started doing one at a time back when I was running solid lifter cams. Find top dead center on #1 cyl. With rockers loose tighten nut until the play is just gone out of the rocker on intake and exhaust then adjust exhaust valves on #s 3,4 and 8 and intake valves on#s 2,5 and 7 rotate crank 360 degrees adjust exhaust valves on #s 2,5,6 and 7 and intake valves on3,4,6 and 8. If you are not sure when the play is out use a .0015 feeler guage. I rotate the push rod between my finger and thumb and tighten until I just start to feel resistance the tirn nut 1 full turn. I hope this helps.

PaPa John

... it helps, PaPa John! Thanks for the input. I'm trying to get my confidence back and you and 71el are doing your best to get me over the hump. I REALLY appreciate it.

One full turn?

Seems awfully tight.

John 8)

I've always don zero lash then 1/4 turn

yup 1/4 to 1/2 turn after 0 lash---a full turn will nearly bottom out the lifter if not completely..................Dan

i did a head job on a 383 and when we were ready to adjust the valves, we ran it til oil ran out of the rockers, then we went one by one starting with number 1 cylinder and worked our way in non particular order except front to back, and we loosened the rocker til you could hear the lifter tapping, then tightened til the tapping stopped, then went another 1/2 to 3/4 of a turn. and that truck is still running.

My son and I worked on the Elky all day except for some shopping time early this morning. We got the rockers adjusted this morning using the one at a time approach and it worked great. Some of those rockers were really rocking and kicking up quite a ruckus but now it nice and smooth and quite.

We put in new plugs and wires even though the old ones still looked good. I also fixed the idle boost bracket on the carburetor while we had it exposed.

He just got back from a quick spin and said it seemed more responsive and required less throttle to get more acceleration. Psycological or not, that's a good thing.

We did some interior stuff and bodt trim work but that's another forum.

We'll do some other checks tomorrow on the timing and the like. I need to get a new distributer cap and rotor and I'll check all those ignition circuts then.

My wife asked me why I got up so early on Saturday morning and was I liking the "father-son project". I must admit that I have forgotten more than I know but it is fun. I'm excited about putting on a new manifold and carburetor and dressing up then engine a bit.

Thanks for all you guy's support and advice. I had a great day! :-D

I "ekked" the tires. Impossible up until today.

I am hooked. We have to make this thing "perform".

I definitely going to the 4BBl and new intake manifold.

Header recommendations?

8) Hey guys I've been adjusting valve lash on these chevys for more than 30 years. But just to ease my mind I went to the book. Guess what? ONE FULL TURN AFTER O LASH!!! and some of the engines I've built were turning 9 grand!

PaPa John

We didn't go a full turn. More like a quarter to a half. Seems like a lot to me but if the books says one turn then I can try it.

I think some of the rockers might bottom out at a full turn. Is that possible?

im new to the site but i run a full turn on mine and you will notice a diff in the performance i turn seven grand with mine and its a daily driver just my 2 cents

Got to rehash this topic. I did the 2 step and 1 turn as described here and in '83 shop manual and engine would not start. Also found #6 plug gap knock to .010". A good ole boy veteran mechanic said 1 turn is too much. He goes 1/2 turn so I tried it and engine barely turned over. Then went zero lash and zero turn and it started right up but still had some rattle and runs like missing cylinder, so I readjusted while running. Rockers are quiet now but engine still runs too rough to drive. I guess I'll try 1/4 turn next.

Any other rocker adjustment discoveries since November?

I use the TDC on each cylinder method (8 turns of 1/4 revolution from #1 TDC) to adjust the rockers and used 1/4 to 1/2 turn even though the manual does call for a full turn.

How do you confirm you are at TDC for the other cylinders like te next one, #8? Does close count or do you have to be right on?
Thanks.

Http://www.centuryperformance,com/valveadjustment.asp. Guys give this one a try have fun Slim

Once TDC for #1 is found, TDC for each cylinder (in firing order) is 90 degrees clockwise. After 2 revolutions you will be back at #1 TDC.

Speaking to the precision of each stop, I have my son check #1 and #6 at the 0 degree stop while I rotate the engine from below and I check #4 and #7 180 degree stop from below. I eyeball the 90 and 270 degree stops which I am pretty good at. If you are anal about it you can make a simple "+" jig that will let you be more precise or use a laser line.

And, yes, this takes longer but I use the time as a teaching experience for my son discussing the finer points of understanding what's going on inside the engine.

Thanks for the info fellas. I'm going to confirm I didn't damage the plug wires or something during te several times I tore into it then give the rocker adjust another try. But it may be a couple of days.

When it rains it pours. My '83 cmino just developed a nasty oil leak and front end wobble and my son's car and my wifes car also had minor breaks in the last two days needing immediate attention. I thought I'd always have a car with 4 but I was wrong.

Thanks again.

Finally got the cmino back up and running. At least with a smooth idle. No test drive yet. I tried the Engine Off valve adjustment as described at www.centuryperformance.com/valveadjustment.asp with ¼ turn after zero lash, with no success. The truck would not start. Though I had better luck starting with the ecarb wires disconnected, it made no difference this time. Since I can’t try the messy Engine Running valve adjustment I’d thought I’d go back to the book adjustment of #1 cyl at zero per torsion mark. Then rotate 360 deg. So far with this method, after zero lash, I tried 1, ½, and 1/4 turn with no success. Cmino only ran with zero turn but ran terrible so I gave zero turn another try. It almost started this time but no cigar. So what’s left?

I tried again but this time I went 1/8 turn. It started right up and idled smooth. Unbelievable. At this time it started with the ecarb M/C solenoid disconnected. I get signals from the ECM, but I get “No Data” on a test scanner even though I get that code 23 via flashing engine light using ALDL jumper. So there may also be an ECM or EPROM issue.

I think it is important to note that since the engine wasn’t running, the oil was cool and adjustments should be made when oil is warmed up. I did notice when I could spin the push rod and then did a ½ or more turn to make the rod really loose, that it only took 1/8 –1/4 turn to snug pushrod. Obviously the lifter was slowly adjusting itself due to cool oil. Maybe evidence of sticking lifters. So for my cmino with cold engine only 1/8 turn after zero lash worked and 1, ½, ¼, and zero turn did not. The first time I had it running with zero turn, “Engine running” adjustment didn’t work either but I may not have had engine hot enough. I checked the adjustment again after the engine warmed up and all the rods spun so it still needs proper adjustment with warm oil as mentioned by others.

Now for the messy Engine Running experience. It wasn’t messy at all so I kept wondering what the big deal is. This is the quickest way to set the valves and hey, no mess. Just some oil dripping onto the rockers. Well after letting the engine get to a good hot running temp, I started to see smoke. Two pushrod were spitting oil over the rocker and onto the exhaust manifold. If they all were doing this then wow what a mess to would be. The reason I am adjusting the rockers is because I had major sludge buildup so I cleaned the rocker area and removed and cleaned the rockers & push rods making sure the rod hole was clean end to end. But I did not remove and clean the intake manifold area and lifters so the push rods clogged up again right away. Therefore no mess during Engine Running adjustment means poor oil circulation and this is a bad thing.

So no more foolin around. On this ’87 Cmino I’m going to replace the rockers, push rods, lifters, camshaft, and timing chain. I plan on a crate engine in a year or two so I’ll probably pick up a computer-less carb, distributor, and intake that will fit both so I can eliminate this ECM bull. My ’83 cmino runs great with Edlebrock carb/manifold.

All this was an unexpected repair as I noticed my oil pressure low. I was in the middle of figuring out the WO throttle bog after ecarb rebuild but that’s on hold for now. Connecting a known good oil pressure gauge showed my dash gauge reads at least 15 pounds too low with new sensor installed. But if it was reading correctly I would not have tore into the engine and discovered the obstructed oil flow. Kinda ironic that a bad gauge reading may have saved my engine.