Post-adjustment valve issues?

Be sure and get a metric micrometer.such as this one: www.harborfreight.com/digital-micrometer-68305.html

This type also works well.

www.harborfreight.com/6-digital-caliper-...-readings-68304.html

If you want mechanical dial calipers so you don't have to change a battery:

www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-dial-caliper-66541.html

I have a similar set I have used for many years in addition to some expensive digital calipers. I almost always grab the dial caliper since it's easy to use.

With all due respect, bountyhunter, shims are better checked with a mic vs. a caliper, as shims can vary across the surface, and it is most important to check the center of the shim rather than the overall surface. IMHO, of course.

I'm wondering if you accidentily moved the buckets around. As was pointed out the buckets vary in thickness so they should go back in the same place to ensure your math stays correct.

I think at this point starting over is the best bet, then be sure the same buckets get back in the same place.



Scott

No...they don't vary if they're OEM buckets. Not generally anyway. It's aftermarket stuff you have to watch. OEM SOB buckets measure .098". I've seen Kibble whites vary from .098" to .118". The APE's measure in at .106" I put the in everything that gets a high lift cams and performance valve springs unless the customer wants Kibbles. Both are good quality buckets.

When you're setting up a valve job, ideally you want things to fall in perfectly so every valve takes the same shim or perhaps all of one size on the intake and another size on the exhaust. It just depends on what you're doing and what you have to work with.

When putting oversize valves in a head, you're sinking them. That's when those .118" thick buckets can bite you. You can end up with thin shims and that is exactly what you don't want in a racing engine. In an engine that will see severe duty with S.O.B. adjustment, you're always better off with no less than a 250 shim. 280 is even better if you can make it happen.

You can setup a head with exact installed heights on every valve and still not have every valve want the same shim when you do the final adjustment. Cam bearing wear, cam lobe wear, etc all come into play then. Actually it's always best to check lash with the head bolted to the engine it will be run on. It's just a big chunk of aluminum. It can flex when it's torqued down and give you a different valve lash reading that you got when you bench checked it....

Also, remember this. You're not holding 4 decimal places on lash adjustments. .0005" isn't going to make or break anything as long as you're up at the loose end of the lash range where you belong to start with.

Keep it Simple. Write down your lash settings. Roll the cam out of the way. Do one bucket at a time. Unless you're fishing around to see if you can swap shims from cylinder to cylinder or disassembling the head, there's no reason to take out more than one bucket at a time....

Hope that helps....this is not a difficult job. Mostly it 's a matter of taking your time and best to have a shim assortment handy

I'm wondering if you accidentily moved the buckets around. As was pointed out the buckets vary in thickness so they should go back in the same place to ensure your math stays correct.

I only took one bucket out at a time, so I don't think bucket thickness would have entered into it. Thanks, though.