dkbikes4life413

I'm trying to work on my GF's 91 RS with a 350 TBI and I need help tightening the rocker arms. I need to know if there are any special steps to make sure that I dont over tighten the bolts or undertighten them. I also need to know exactly how to make sure that the #1 piston is at TDC on the compression stroke. I thought I had it there and I lined the notch in the dampner up to the 0 mark. Then I looked at the lifters and noticed that some of the lifter looked like they were farther down than the ones on the #1 cylinder. Also, some of the other vavles that the Haynes manual says that you can adjust at the same time as the #1 cyclinder were a lot farther up that some of the other ones that it says I can adjust.

chevypower

The 0" on the balancer marks #1 TDC and #6 TDC.

vjo90RS8

iTrader: (1)

take off the distributor cap so that you know if #1 or #6 is TDC

dkbikes4life413

I would use the distributor to tell where I'm at but I already took the distributor out of the car. We're changing the lifters in the car. I have the notch at 0 degrees but it says that it is supposed to be on the compression stroke. I felt for pressure at the spark plug hole so I guess I have it right. The Haynes manual says that you can adjust the #1,5,7,8 intake valves at the same time I think and then like the #1,3, and some other exhaust valves at the same time without rotating the crank at all. Some of these lifters arent all the way down. Is that normal? Should I not try to adjust the valves if the lifters arent all the way down?

chevypower

I did all the listed intake and exhaust at #1 TDC and then all of the intake and exhaust at #6 TDC that was listed in my Hanyes manule and the car wouldn't start! I'm in the middle of a large progect with a lot of other problems getting worked out too maybe tommaro when I get the fuel tank back in I can go about trying to get the valves right. I'm almost ready to pull out the damn 305ci and wait till the 388ci is done to drive the car again. If you get the valves set like that let me know. Mine may even be right, it may just be another problem, g0d knows I got a lot of them on this car. But its coming along, can't wait till the first time the front tires leave the ground! LOL Let me know how your valve setting goes please. Thanks, Bobby

88 WS6 TransAm GTA

iTrader: (1)

A long time ago, I tried to use the Haynes method, and it was TOTALLY wrong. Your best bet is to do it while the car is running. It can be real messy, but you can go to your local auto parts store and get clips that will clip ontop of the rocker and prevent the oil from spraying everywhere. Do a search on "Valve Lash" and all your questions will be answered.

vjo90RS8

iTrader: (1)

I used a Haynes manual and it checks out with what people have been saying on the boards....and my cars runs fine, driven on 250+ mile trips and made a few runs at the track. I trust the manual, as do many others.

TonyC

iTrader: (1)

hooey, I just went through this a little while ago:

Tighten down the rockers to where they're snug enough on the pushrods that you can see them move up and down. Turn the engine over with the starter, when the Exhaust starts to open, adjust the intake, crank the engine some more and when the intake starts to close, adjust the exhaust valve.
I just set the lash to zero (can't move the pushrod up and down, start to feel some (note don't tighten it until you can't turn it, that's waaaay too much, just tighten it until you feel some resistance turning) resistance spinning the pushrod, and then give it another 1/3rd of a turn.

When both valves are closed (#1 intake and #1 exhaust, meaning that the lifters are both all the way in their little home, down) and the timing mark is at 0* on the timing marker, your distributor will be pointing at where you need the #1 spark plug wire to be. Put your distributor back in so that it lines up with the oil pump drive (the way you took it out) and set the cap up so that the #1 cylinder is where you saw it should be before. For insurance, you can disconnect the EST, disconnect the injectors and just put the coil and the #1 plug wire on and use a timing light to set the timing while you just crank the engine with the starter, note that the engine isn't getting much oil while you do this. Just turn the lights off for this, it's much easier to see the mark, especially when you're only turning like 100 rpm or whatever.

That should help ya, obviously don't take what I say as gospel, I'm just a college student trying to figure out this stupid bag of bolts known as my car.

25THRSS

while it's running is what I've been taught. Worked fine for me in the past.

tbfirebird

heres what my auto teacher said and i did it and it works fine i was changing the valve seals man were my orgional ****.


adjust intake on the begining of exhaust
____________________________________

adjust the ehaust on the end of intake

tighten till little or no play and then turn the engine on and lossen each rocker arm till it clatters and then tighten till it stops clattering and turn 1/4 turn and go on from there.Then let the car cool off and then turn it back on and listen for any clattering or anything and check again.

92RSFivePointSlow

the haynes method you mentioned works great for stock camshafts. However you'll screw things up if you try to adjust a performance cam this way. Then you'll have to do it his auto teacher's way. But you don't always need to run the car, just reach zero lash and give it 1/4-1/2 turn past zero.