61 f100 292 recently tried to adjust valves by hand as i was told through one of the post.
1. I need to know is there a correct way to adjust valves, I heard of a feeler gauge but never used one.. I've tried and tried to get them adjusted...either there too tight and the motor won't crank or there too loose and run like a diesel. also when it does run I hear a loud tapping sound it sound like its coming from the vacuum?

2. How reliable is a feeler gauge ? How do u adjust them with the gauge when the engine is cold (hopefully since it won't start)..

I would like to get this baby purring like a kitten by this weekend..

Thanks for your input and enjoy going through and reading the post...

 

I didn't write this novel, Walt Nuckels
did...

Y-Block enthusiast, let’s talk valve lash. As y-blocks have no hydraulic lifters, it is necessary to adjust the tappets quit often. Unfortunately, the use of a feeler gauge is satisfactory only if the rocker faces are in good condition. If the rocker faces have wear pockets, from contacting the valve stem, the use of a feeler gauge will provide results which are little better than calculated guessing, as the gap will always be greater than the thickness of the feeler gauge due to said condition.


About fifty years ago when solid lifters were most common, a tool was developed for adjusting valve lash, utilizing a dial indicator, called a P&G Valve Gapper. These tools were supplied with specific adapters for different makes of engines, including y-block Fords, by P&G manufacturing co. of Portland, Or., but to the best of my knowledge they no longer exist. Can anyone expand on the existence of this company or a source of this tool, or parts thereof? I have found a few at swap meets but not in the last decade. This is the finest tool ever developed for adjusting solid lifter equipped overhead tappets as anyone who owns one would testify.


For those of you without the luxury of such a precision tool, may I suggest a very satisfactory method alternative to feeler gauges anyone can perform without special tools.


The tappet adjust screw is 20 threads per inch thus 1 full turn represents .050” of linear travel. It works just like a micrometer. Multiply 1 turn of travel times existing rocker ratio. Example, .050” X 1.54 = .077”. As you can deduct, one full turn of the adjust screw used in a 1.54 ratio rocker will represent .077” of tappet clearance. Now divide one turn of tappet clearance i.e, .077” by 60 as in the 60 minuets of a clock face. This number is .001283” = 1 minute of clock face rotation. Thus 15 minuets of rotation will =.0192” Very close to .019” which is the specification for valve tappet clearance on 292 and 312 engines. 15 minutes clock rotation = 90 degrees rotation, an increment most auto enthusiast can easily estimate quit closely.


Get into the engine, with the lifter all the down obtain some tappet clearance then carefully rotate the adjust screw clockwise to obtain .000’ valve lash. Just touching but not depressing the valve. Now rotate the adjust screw counterclockwise 90 degrees. The resulting clearance should be very, very close to .019” regardless of rocker arm face wear.


If adjusting 1.43 ratio rockers rotate the adjust screw 16 min. of rotation ccw. To obtain .01906” clearance. Very, very ,very close.


In order to determine the ratio of said rocker, observe the # on the side. 1.54 rockers are marked ECG 6564-B2 or –B1. I am led to believe any rocker with a B1 or B2 suffix will be a 1.54 ratio rocker and all those without suffixes will be 1.43 ratio.


There you have it, Hope it helps...


Steve & the Rockette
'63 F100
'68 F100
'72 Capri 2L
'73 Capri 2.6L V6
'73 MG B GT 2.6L V6(Ford)
'98 Contour SVT 2.5L V6 (Mods)
'01 ZX2 (No Mods yet)

 

Wow,, thanks alot that was worth waiting for.... I'll try to tighten all the screws/bolts very tight....000 lash and then go with 90 degree counter clock and see what happens...

Should I warm the engine first then adjust?

I'll keep you guys posted....

 

Steve, yours was the best description of adjusting the valves that I've ever seen and I've seen lots.
I'll stand by my earlier statements that the Y is a lugger

 

Ok here's my update...

I played around a little last night .. tightened valves down until there was zero (0) lash... then I turned the screws counterclockwise about a turn and 1/2. She cranked up and ran decent, timing is no doubt off some but, it sounded like someone popping popcorn inside the engine so , i took the intake manifold and pushrod cover off and found two rods sitting down there.... (the popcorn has been found.) I put them back in place and tightended down a bit but, haven't replaced everything to start it ... Probably this weekend... I'm just glad its running

If anyone else has more comments or suggestions please please feel free.

Thanks again...

 

>Steve, yours was the best description of adjusting the
>valves that I've ever seen and I've seen lots.

It's not my discription of how to adjust
the valves, It belongs to Walt Nuckels, he
was a Ford Mechanic from the 50's to the 70's
so knew the Y-Block quite well, but all that
technical knowledge was lost last year, as
cancer took its toll, and Walt passed away...

>I'll stand by my earlier statements that the Y is a lugger

I agree, but can be built to run with the mice...

Steve & the Rockette
'63 F100
'68 F100
'72 Capri 2L
'73 Capri 2.6L V6
'73 MG B GT 2.6L V6(Ford)
'98 Contour SVT 2.5L V6 (Mods)
'01 ZX2 (No Mods yet)

 

>Ok here's my update...
>
>I played around a little last night .. tightened valves down
>until there was zero (0) lash... then I turned the screws
>counterclockwise about a turn and 1/2.

Dude, 90 degrees, *NOT* a turn and a half!!!! 1/4 turn
counter clockwise after 0.000" lash, a turn and a half,
all the push rods will fall out...

Okay, I gotta ask, You are rotating the engine and doing
one cylinder at a time, *RIGHT*??

Steve & the Rockette
'63 F100
'68 F100
'72 Capri 2L
'73 Capri 2.6L V6
'73 MG B GT 2.6L V6(Ford)
'98 Contour SVT 2.5L V6 (Mods)
'01 ZX2 (No Mods yet)

 

My bad...It might have been a little more than 1/4 turn but not 90 degrees. that was probably the problem in the first place....

Its been a while since I've worked on valves etc... Not exactly sure what you mean by rotating the engine!!! PLEASE EXPLAIN...

THANKS

 

Position the engine at TDC by the crankshaft pointer. #1 I + E valves will be CLOSED. Adjust as indicated.
Rotate the crankshaft til the rotor gets to the next cylinder in the distributor. ITS valves SHOULD be closed. Adjust them.

Continue with the rest of the cylinders.
There is a way to mark the crankshaft damper at 90deg intervals, but I don't remember off the top of my haid which valves to adjust when, but for sure it is related to the firinng order.
Remember, each cylinder has both valves CLOSED FOR SURE, and on the heel of the cam when its piston is at TDC-i.e. the sparking plug is about to fire, or just has.
If you don't want to follow the 1/4 turn procedure, you can buy all new rocker arms, and then you will have smooth surfaces to measure against. The '59s had 'self-locking' adjusters. Ours had one that was a non-starter. It kept coming out of adjustment, driving my dad nuts. I had no idea what he was doing then, but he sure used a few words to describe 'lacking quality control' (he was an aircraft powerplant engineer). Taking a time travel journey as I type....
tom

 

Sam I do this every day, get the engine hot, while
it's running lash them with .019 feeler gauge
gauge intake & exhaust , have it on slow idle,
you will be alright. Look in the book bigger
Y blocks are .009 & .020 272 292 and 312's are
.019 now it will run silently********