setting valves

[bartowb]

looking for a little help on how to set the valves on my bronco. have a 69 with stock 302. just had heads redone with new seats and valves. the rockers are the beam style with adjustable nuts. have read a few ways to do them but want peoples take on how it is done properly. i appreciate any help

thanks

brian

 

[Bully Bob]

Check me on this..,

(no-one else is answering )

but, I 'think' the 289 had adj. rockers., & of course solid lifters are adj.

Seems to me my 302 heads had pre-set stops...meaning when the nut stopped turning., that was it. i.e. no need to adj.

 

[Seabronc]

I believe that you are 100% on that BullyBob. The adjustment is in the length of the lifter rods, The nuts are supposed to be torqued to a set ft. Lb., (don't have the number in mind). The only other thing besides lifter rods is the valve caps which take the wear of the rockers. Even there my memory escapes me but I believe only the exhaust valves have the caps, it is obvious when you take the rocker off. The rocker should be in a resting position when tightening the nut, ie. no spring pressure. If the engine is old but running good, you might want to replace all the springs, rockers, seal and valve caps. Sort of a mini-head rebuild without having to take the heads off. I did it a couple of years ago to my 351W.

Tools needed; compressor, bump switch, valve spring compressor, adapter to allow presurizing the cylinder (keeps the valve seated while making the changes, also cylinder near top so if the valve does come unseated you don't lose it inside the cylinder :-& , then you will need to remove the head ( . I adapted a compression tester hose for the connection from the compressor hose to the cylinder.

Parts needed; New Intake springs, New Exhaust springs, seals, 8 valve caps, new rockers and nuts.

Good luck.

>-

 

[bigbluebronc]

right out of the haynes manual page 2b-2 302 engines.... rocker arm stud nut torque too 17-23.......302 adjustable with longer or shorter pushrods only

Brian Thats how I have set up my 302 engines

 

[bartowb]

thanks for the help fellas. did some more looking and calling around. found out the rockers i have are the old style which are adjustable. the newer rockers are non adjustable except with shims or different length push rods. for the old style adjustable rockers they say to tighten down the nut till the rod just stops turning and then add 1/2 a turn. after getting my heads back from being rebuilt found out that when they put the new hard seats that initially you will have to hold off on the 1/2 turn until they become fully seated. again i appreciate all the help.

thanks

brian

 

[Scodge]

You do that tightening with the engine at TDC for the cylinder you are working on at the time. Very important!