grandpa Love
Well-known Member
Someone explain, in the simplest way possible, how to adjust the valves? You check clearance when closed??? If you have to adjust you remove material? Thoughts on new , adjustable lifters? Tool to hold them??
- Thread starter grandpa Love
- Start date
Steve@Advance
Well-known Member
The adjustable lifters are much simpler. You have to grind down a wrench to hold the lifter body and turn the adjusting screw to get the correct clearance.
The cam must be on the base circle (the part away from the lobe) there is a formula for setting the engine at certain positions and setting certain lifters, but I prefer to just turn the engine through with a feeler gauge in the gap, turning it and adjusting until you find the loosest position. That way you KNOW it is right and not relying on turning and counting and possibly getting off track.
Without adjustable lifters you have to grind the stem of the valve to get more clearance, grind the face or seat to get less.
The problem with that is you can only adjust them with the head off and able to remove the valves. Real good chance once it is started and run and everything settles in, the clearance will change. Or if you get one wrong, it all has to come apart to readjust it.
If the retro fit kit are not too expensive, I would highly recommend it. It also get you better guides that don't break.
The cam must be on the base circle (the part away from the lobe) there is a formula for setting the engine at certain positions and setting certain lifters, but I prefer to just turn the engine through with a feeler gauge in the gap, turning it and adjusting until you find the loosest position. That way you KNOW it is right and not relying on turning and counting and possibly getting off track.
Without adjustable lifters you have to grind the stem of the valve to get more clearance, grind the face or seat to get less.
The problem with that is you can only adjust them with the head off and able to remove the valves. Real good chance once it is started and run and everything settles in, the clearance will change. Or if you get one wrong, it all has to come apart to readjust it.
If the retro fit kit are not too expensive, I would highly recommend it. It also get you better guides that don't break.
wore out
Well-known Member
Starting at the beginning, your tractor has "mushroom" valve stems which require "split" valve guides.
Nowadays the split guides are more or less obsolete.
When you replace the valves and guides you will have the option to get a set with or without valve rotators, your choice. Get the valves, guides, springs, retainers, keepers, etc. as a complete set.
Do NOT mix and match valve springs between the original, replacement, or replacement with rotator as they vary in length.
Getting them as a complete set will (hopefully) eliminate a mixup there.
The valve lifters ("tappets") can simply be lifted out of their bores and replaced with new, adjustable ones.
Put some "cam lubricant" on the cam face of the tappets before installing.
On the other hand, if you are doing this on the "cheap" to "flip" it, you could put everything back as it was and get one new split guide, should be able to find a "NOS" one on the 'net.
In that case, HOPEFULLY you kept track of where each valve assembly came from, and put them back as they were (due to grinding the stem being the only way to adjust tappet clearance).
old
Well-known Member
- Location
- Camdenton Missouri
As said buy the new improved one piece type guides and be done with it. Yes the old guides will still work but by far not as good and harder to install and adjust.
Geo-TH,In
Well-known Member
Yes flat heads had valve issue when I was a kid. Its called valve recession. I sold my old valve grinder used to remove material from stem. Back then removing the valve was the only way to remove material.
Go to you tube. They have about everything.
If I removed the valve I would get out my can of valve grinding compound and clean up the valve.
My dad's old flat heads were a pain
Go to you tube. They have about everything.
If I removed the valve I would get out my can of valve grinding compound and clean up the valve.
My dad's old flat heads were a pain
If you're gonna upgrade to adjustable lifters (and I reccomend doing so), do yourself a favor and drill the block to facilitate adjusting, while the old lifters are out and before installing the new adjustable lifters.
A lot of the engines have had the block drilled already, so as to not require the crazy little wrenches. I personally drill all blocks during rebuilds that aren't already drilled out.
Look for a simple 1/8 inch drilled hole in the boss casting that holds the lifter. Then when adjusting stick a nail or small diameter rod in the hole. As you turn the adjusting bolt, the lifter will turn until the diagonal slotted hole in the lifters lines up with the nail. Push the nail in a little more and now the lifter is held while you adjust the lifter.
Check out Hobo's pic in the last post of this thread
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