So I'm getting ready to adjust my valves w/ my new Smith Bros adjusters.. I have been using the adjuster intake when Ex opens and adjust ex when intake starts to shut method. BUT I have it at TDC and could use the mopar method adjust, turn 1/4 adjust turn 1/4... It's a 588 solid roller w/ stage VI heads if it matters....

EOI Exhaust opening adjust Intake
ICE Intake closing adjust Exhaust

Works on EVERYTHING, much simpler way to do it as well.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS.........forget the damn 40 year old charts..........LOL!!!

Monte

I got this response from a guy at Comp Cams that many would know, the question also covered setting valves with an aluminum head:

Do the cold valve lash settings .006”-.008” TIGHTER than the spec card says. When the motor gets hot, the heads grow and opens up the lash.

Don’t use that chart. Do it like this: Look at one cylinder…rotate the motor by hand….set intake lash when exhaust rocker starts to move. Continue to rotate and set the exhaust when the intake rocker goes all the way down and is about ¾ of the way back up. You can do anything from your Chrysler to a Subaru to Ferrari that way and always be right.

I was at the national event in Columbus one year with a very famous Chrysler Super Stock racer (to remain un-named) and was sitting on his trailer door shooting the breeze as he was running the valves before dinner. I watched as he did the Chrysler chart thing. When he was done, we ran through them again using the approved method I listed above. Some of the settings were .004”-.006” different. The next morning he went about .03 faster than the prediction. The ones in error made the settings too loose and not only lost performance, but if the desired settings were on the loose side anyway, for performance, the risk was there to fail a valve or lifter by making too severe.

You really never know what your cold to hot numbers will be....UNTIL YOU CHECK IT. So on a new install or ANY install for that matter, if you want to lash them .008-.010 tight, that's fine. But after that, warm the motor to the temp where you intend to run it and then lash them HOT. Now when it cools off, check them and see how tight they are. THIS is your cold number and you will never have to lash hot valves again.

A motors block and head configurations vary as to how much stuff grows. We race our all aluminum motor at around 100* of water temp. To have the lash at .024 at 100*, I have to lash them at .011 cold. When we get back from a run and it has heat soaked on the tow back to the 150* range, the valves will be at .030...........SO, CHECK IT WHERE YOU RUN IT temp wise.

Monte

As mentioned forget the charts,set the intake as soon as the exhust starts to open and set the exhaust when the intake is 1/2+ closing.As far as cold setting listen to Monte,it depends on if its iron or aluminium componants or a combination of both and the operating temperture.Generally for a first time cold startup with an iron block/aluminium head combo set the cold setting .004 tighter,all iron componants,.002 tighter,aluminium block/aluminium heads .010/.015 tighter but always leave at least .005 clearence.Warm the engine to operating temperture and set to specs,let it cool and check the clearence,this will be your cold setting.Listen to Monte.

Don't forget to mark the ones that are done with a sharpie.

But, IF one has the lobes that work with the chart, why not use the chart...it is easier and faster.

I`ve always set the in. when the ex. just starts to open and the ex. when the in. fully openes then just starts to close. I`ve measured every inch of my lobe and this is the loosest point on the lobe. Some have stated it`s from shaft flex etc. but I don`t buy it.

I've always used the MP 1/4 turn method, 1 revolution and I'm done.