valve adjustment 1985 2.8
 

Help....?! anyway, does anybody know how to go about adjusting the valves in a 1985 2.8 litre v6. they are clacking somthing fierce because i got it way wrong the first time and my engines running like a chainsaw , sputtering and poppng through the carb. This thing gonna blow a gasket for sure and my hands are going through the ringer once more. So I got my B2 hauled apart again and the number one cylinder is in the firing position with both valves closed and TDC timing mark on the harmonic lined up with the pointer. What do i do now? I definately want to get it right this time. This mechanic I passed this by said "make sure the cam notch is down and each valve is closed when you adjust it"...what?? another racer guy said ": just cinch them down till you can just feel the push rods roll between your fingers...makes sense seeing as it solid lifters...I said to my self...but when? what cylinder at what time and how accurate in the firing /exaust phase on a given cylinder. I have a dial guage..do I use that as well? what notch? Anybody....

http://www.autozone.com/repair_info.htm <-- go here, put in your year, make, model, and I believe it's under routine maintenance / tune-up. Procedure is all there. Basically, you have to start with #1 @ TDC, adjust intake & exhaust, then roll to the next cylinder in the firing order, adjust, roll, adjust, roll... until all 6 intake & exhaust valves are adjusted. Part of what your post said makes me think I need to pull my valve covers and re-check mine when I get the time... might be adding my my valvetrain noise http://images.ford-trucks.com/forums...lies/frown.gif

Its not to complicated, I did it myself about 2 months ago and it made a huge differences in noise. What you need to do its watch the distributor and when you see it firing on a specific cylinder go to that cyclinder and adjust the lash for it. So if say the distributor is pointing on the #1 cyclinder than you go adjust the lash for that cylinder. Thats how I did it and I just rechecked my lash many times to make sure it was correct.

thanks guys, well I'll try the site you mentioned kernel- panic. Canadian ice...i tried that when i first did this and thats what got into trouble so I'm not sure what I did wrong there. I followed the firing order but everytime I spun the crank it came up at either number one or number five after the first and then the second rotation...nothing in between. In my mind the crank should spin one full 360 degrees before it fires on the next cylinder but it does'nt come out that way for some reason. one of the push rods was so mal -adjusted that it came out from under the rocker arm and just sat out to the side while it was running...very lucky that did not fall back into the crank case somehow.I just hope I did not blow the rings on that cylinder.So I'm looking to get a real handle on this because I don't want to do it for a third time. it seems I have to do each valve one at a time? and not both at once. I thought that if the cylider was firing that they could both be done because they are sitting on the heel of the cam.Anyway...still pretty confused.

No luck on the site kernel-panic. it just rolls me back to the beginning everytime with out giving me anything. I put in the model year, then it asks for the veicle make and then dumps me back to the beginning again. I guess theres a problem with the site. thanks anyhow

well my manual says get the #1 cyclinder to TDC then hand crank the crankshaft with a wrench and follow the distributor firing order and adjust the rest of the valves.

Heres what I am thinking now....the firing order is clockwise - 1-4-2-5-3-6....if I have this firing on the number one cylinder then number four ( the next one in the firing order) should in theory...be on its exaust stroke? Come around 180 degrees and...number four would be firing and number two ( the next in the order) would be on its exaust stroke..etc..etc? all I would do is adjust each cylinder that is firing acorrding to the firing order each 180 degrees while the other is on its exaust stroke until have come to the end of the firing sequence? Am I thinking right?

I just realised its going to have to come around a full 360 to TDC again because this is a four cycle engine...not a weed eater. The number four piston would be at the top at the exaust stoke expelling the exaust emmisions with number one firing. 180 would put number four at the bottom of the cylinder and sucking in air with the intake valve fully open... then...back up to the top and whammo!! at eight degree's before Top Dead Center by the timing gun...a full 360. So if my chain is out I'll know right away because the exaust valve rocker arm on four should be right down at full lift. I'll get back to you guys. Thanks for all your help so far canadian ice

TDC on the crank is for #1 only, from what I am thinking. it doesn't take much to rotate to the next cylinder in order, if I remember right?

I think if I want to bring the next cylinder to TDC and firing position I need to turn the crank four times?

Well...went out this evening and had a go at it again.After bringing the number one cylinder to what I am positive is TDC and firing at the correct stroke, I looked over to number four and the exaust valve rocker arm was down...right where I thought it should be.So I know now one hundred percent my cam is right where it should be...however, the distributor was pointing at number five! exactly 180 degrees out. definately part of the bigger picture for sure. So I loosened the hold down bolt pulled it up just enough not to lose the oil pump rod and meshed it back down again so it lines right up with number one on the cap and with the wire to the spark plug. Then I lined up the reluctor and tightened everything down. That should fire up right quick after I turn the key and then I can finess my timing with the gun.
Next, All I had to do was turn the crank 360 to the mark again on the damper and in line with the pointer and bingo...its at firing position at number four..the next cylinder in the order. Thanks canadian ice...I have seen the light!! now I'm just setting my lash for both valves at once for each cylinder in the order as I go along. I decided to do the racer guy thing though and I'm doing it by making sure that the push rods can just roll in my fingers.I loosen them off til I know the valves are 100 percent closed and tighten back down till everything just touchesthen teweak a little more until I can't roll the push rod in my fingers then back out ever so little till I can and stop there.I hear if you go tighter you get more top end power and vice versa. I'm pretty sure thats true because when I fired it up the first time when everything was all looose and out of whack...it burned rubber up the driveway...it lit them up pretty good. Very respectable for a little 2.8 Just the same I would rather have the feul economy at the top end and go tighter.I had to give up for now because its dark, but I'm definately on the right track. Thanks Kernel Panic, you're both right.

Haynes manuals are around $20, and this proceedure is covered, including tollerance specs. I don't remember exactly what the "correct" proceedure is, but I do know that there is a table for intake and exhaust correspondence, and it tells you which valve to adjust when another valve is open, so you only have to rotate the engine once! Running tight valves is dangerous, you can burn a valve if you are a little too tight. Besides, for less than the cost of spark plugs you could have a book to tell you how to do it correctly!!!!

I bought the book today and have found the table you are refering to along with everything else. Its on page 1- 49 at the bottom. It says to adjust the valves on number five when number one intake is JUST STARTING to open. That would NOT put number one at TDC AND FIRING because thats at the very end of the exaust stroke for number one. Number five would have fired.
I put the dial gauge on the number one intake and moved it five one thousanths into its cycle. If thats the case then five ( the sister cylinder... for lack of a better description) should be on TDC? getting ready to fire again? if thats the case I could do both valves at once, I am sure.
If not... then I would have to do each valve seperately for the "intake" ( where the book says to start) and then " follow the same procedure for the exaust" ???? to quote exactly..rotate around to get the exaust? The book is confusing me.

Most procedures I have found or read it says to adjust them when both valves are closed on each cylinder, I thought. I guess you can try and do what you can by trail and error. This is definitely something I would do with the engine out of the vehicle and on a stand, because I know how much of a pain it is to do all of this with the engine in the truck! Hope you get it going soon :)

I'm slightly confused, first off, what are you using a dial gauge for? A feeler gauge is the proper tool to measure valve lash with, between the rocker arm and valve stem. The table tells you to put one valve at open, and measure another, which will at that point have it's corresponding lobe directly opposite the lifter. I know what a pain this job is, last winter I did it on my '85 BII. I also know what a pain it is getting the valve covers off, which is why I suggested a manual, if you get it done correctly the first time, it saves you from having to tear into it again. I also opted to take the opportunity and I removed my rocker shafts, drove a pin out and removed the rockers (noting order) and cleaned out the shaft, which was full of crud from years of poor maintainance. I'm not suggesting you do this, but if it's ever crossed your mind now would be the time, although if you follow the service recommendations you'll be doing this again in 12,000 miles, it's the curse of mechanical lifters. All this irritation and noise aside, I still believe that mechanical lifters are the best!!!