Valve Adjustment Merc 351233 HP

How do you adjust the valve c

How do you adjust the valve clearance or do you just torque the rocker arm nuts and let the hydraulics take up the clearance. The nuts are free spinning--not the self locking type. I was going to bring each cylinder up to TDC and torque the nuts.
Comments

"If your lifters are hydraulic

"If your lifters are hydraulic, you don't really adjust clearances. Instead, you set a "pre-load" according to the valvetrain or engine manufacturer's specs. It usually involves torqueing the rockers until they complete contact between the lifter and valve stem (with the valve closed), then turning the nut or bolt another 1/2 to full turn. This can be done with the engine cold.

With solid lifters, you adjust to the spec'd clearance between the valve stem and rocker using a feeler gauge. This should be done with a warm engine.

Are you building an engine, or fixing a running one? If the latter, is it having valvetrain problems?

"

I did a valve job and when I

I did a valve job and when I took the heads off I didn't pay much attention to the rocker arm area. At assembly I brought #1 up to TDC and torqued the nuts on intake and exhaust. I couldn't find a torque listed in the specs so I used the standard torque for the fastener size being used. I plan on doing the remaining cylinders the same way. With a "zero-lash" valve system do the pushrods rotate easily like they do in a solid lifter system? I just don't want to bend the pushrods.
Thanks

"There is no torque number for

"There is no torque number for setting pre-load. It sounds like you have hydraulic lifters, so just tighten the nuts until the pushrod stops rotating in your fingers, then turn the nut 3/4 of a turn. This also assumes the lifters are filled with oil. If you didn't remove them when you did the valve job, they should be okay.

"

" croozertoo!
Thanks, that&#3

" croozertoo!
Thanks, that's what I did. I turned the engine over by hand and everything looks fine. I brought each cylinder up to TDC and tightened the nuts. At first you can't turn the pushrods by hand but wait a while and you can. I'm assuming that when the engine is running lifters will maintain "zero-lash".
Lakeguy72 "

"Yes, there is no lash in a hy

"Yes, there is no lash in a hydraulic valvetrain. It's taken up by the "give" in the lifters. Listen for any ticking sounds when you run the engine for the fist time - after the first few seconds it should run very quietly. Sounds like you're ready to go.....

"