Ford pre-crossflow engine
Discussion
You can adjust the tappets at idle on any engine where the adjustment is on the rocker pedestal, like Chevy and Ford V8s, though you may get oil splash. If the adjustment is on the rocker tip, I do not see how any tool can help you?
You might get away with bumping it on the starter, until you've cycled through all the adjustment positions. I don't suppose there's a lot of valve overlap, so the exact position is not going to be very fussy.
You might get away with bumping it on the starter, until you've cycled through all the adjustment positions. I don't suppose there's a lot of valve overlap, so the exact position is not going to be very fussy.
Not any sort of expert myself
Presumably the engine is one of these?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Kent_engine
If so: https://www.classicfordmag.co.uk/wp-content/upload...
Presumably the engine is one of these?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Kent_engine
If so: https://www.classicfordmag.co.uk/wp-content/upload...
Edited by alfaspecial on Thursday 21st May 12:30
Agreed on the firing order. To even the power pulses out on the crankshaft it would have to be either 1-3-4-2 or 1-2-4-3. Anything else would require the engine's crank to rotate through 360 degrees before the next power pulse, assuming the two outer and two inner cylinders move as pairs but are 360 degrees apart in the cycle.
Use the rotor arm position to give you cam lobe ref i.e get valve to adjust on full lift using starter motor watch rotor arm position keep flicking starter to alter rotor by 180 degrees then adjust that valve clearance , yes it's slow as in one at a time but the most accurate way of adjusting valve clearences compared to say "The rule of nine" etc
Equus said:
The Gunson Click-adjust can't be used with the engine running, and still needs you to turn the engine so that each pushrod being adjusted is 'rocking', though, I thought?
Correct. The only real Click-adjust advantage was supposedly being able to accurately set clearance where the rocker tips are worn, which is next to impossible with conventional feeler gauges.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Hang on - in the road car, is the alternator & exhaust manifold not on the right? Which may mean that the marine version is set back-to-front, making no.1 cylinder actually no.4...ergo the firing order is 1-3-4-2 which is the mirror image of 1-2-4-3. Or have I got this compleeeetely wrong? 
littleredrooster said:
Hang on - in the road car, is the alternator & exhaust manifold not on the right? Which may mean that the marine version is set back-to-front, making no.1 cylinder actually no.4...ergo the firing order is 1-3-4-2 which is the mirror image of 1-2-4-3. Or have I got this compleeeetely wrong?
No - if you replace 1 with 4, 2 with 3, 3 with 2 and 4 with 1, you get 4-3-1-2, which is the same as 1-2-4-3.
LimSlip said:
Equus said:
The Gunson Click-adjust can't be used with the engine running, and still needs you to turn the engine so that each pushrod being adjusted is 'rocking', though, I thought?
Correct. The only real Click-adjust advantage was supposedly being able to accurately set clearance where the rocker tips are worn, which is next to impossible with conventional feeler gauges.I have never owned a pre xflow Ford but had a few x flows. The rocker pads would wear heavily in the middle meaning a feeler gauge would bridge the gap and give a false reading.
We used to get around this by closing the clearance to zero then by knowing the pitch of the threads turn the adjuster screw back a certain amount which set your clearance spot on, compensating for all the wear in the valve train.
We used to get around this by closing the clearance to zero then by knowing the pitch of the threads turn the adjuster screw back a certain amount which set your clearance spot on, compensating for all the wear in the valve train.
Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff