Hot or not valve job

[Bob Riding]

I need to do a valve adjust on the Dodge before I sell it, but with the split exhaust manifold, it seems like the engine will be cold(er) by the time I get everything removed. How long after shutdown can you do a valve adjust?

Thanks

Bob

[randroid]

Bob,

Do it cold; .010" intake, .013 exhaust (p. 150 in the Service Manual). The metal swells when it gets hot and nuts are harder to turn accurately, not to mention those burns you'll get on your hands from grazing a hot manifold.

-Randy

[randroid]

... those clearances I gave you were for the 218 ci. Didn't realize my mistake until after I posted it, but they should be the same. Will somebody who knows what he's talking about please correct or affirm the clearances?

-Randy

[Don Coatney]

Bob;

Do you have an offer on your car? Did you install a cam with a regrind? If so the stock book valve clearances may not be correct. Recommended clearances for my regrind cam are .014” cold for both intake and exhaust. Lean towards the high side (IE greater clearance) when you do your adjustment. Better to hear a bit of ticking than to burn a valve due to the clearance being too close. Buy a “go-no-go” set of feeler gauges. Lou Earle gave me a set of these gauges on my last Georgia visit and they look like they will work great as I have not yet used them.

[james curl]

Bob, the car will run just fine with the side plates off. It does not splatter oil all over the place. I had to start mine and let it run about 30 minutes during the valve adjustment that I just did. I have a split manifold and both pipes cooled down completely during the first time through the adjusting procedure. I wanted to double check it again so I ran the engine 30 minutes an started the check then.

[Bob Riding]

Thanks everyone for the advice and yes Don I did get a firm offer on the Dodge. I guy from Alaska! He wants to drive it back from Fresno!. I have no doubts that it will make it, but he wants to take along a spare battery just in case.

He wants to send a deposit, but I told him that his word was good enough for me...I guess a buddy of his got burned on eBay...bought what he thought was a nice car-turned out to be a rust bucket...for $15k!

I have a month left to drive and enjoy it...kind of bittersweet really, be we are just caretakers and he owns a '40 Plymouth vert, '36 Dodge pickup and a couple of others that I can't recall. I think he will take care of the car...also did I mention he was in the merchant marine in WWII...real nice guy.

Bob

[Bob Riding]

Randy; Do you have the clearances for a 230 cu in motor? Are they the same as the 218?

This engine came out of a '54 Plymouth, and was rebuilt with a stock cam.

Thanks

Bob

[randroid]

Bob,

I got those clearances out of the Plymouth factory manual and it doesn't mention the 230". One of the members suggested they weren't correct and I've seen that happen in the past, so I'd try the .014 he suggested and perhaps lose a little power to ensure not burning the valves. When the new owner takes possession tell him where you set them and why, then offer to adjust them differently is he so desires. If nothing else, he should be favorably impressed by your integrity.

-Randy

[David Mac]

In the p26, P28 Manual it says .14 for both cold and .10 for both hot.