Valves and timing

[jgreg53]

Could resetting the valves throw off the timing?

[D35 Torpedo]

No

[keithb7]

It could throw off your valve timing. Is your engine running rough after you set the valves? 

[jgreg53]

It's not starting.  It has an uneven gallop when turning over. Really haven't had time to investigate. Afraid I could bend a valve. Thought about backing off all the valves and starting over. It's difficult getting the valves in the right position.  Hard to do alone finding 7:00 and 1:30.

[Sniper]

An uneven gallop makes me wonder if a valve is staying open?  A compression test would tell you.

[jgreg53]

I'm leary of even cranking it right now 

Edited March 25, 2023 by jgreg53

[Bryan G]

It was running before? Were they adjusted cold or running? If you're sure nothing else changed, I'd be inclined to, yes, back all of them off and try again. See if it will run with them backed off a bit. But before I did that I'd ask myself, again, did anything else change? One thing about adjusting them with the engine running, I think it would be more difficult to go too far. I was nervous about doing it but it's really not bad at all, kinda neat to operate on the heart while it beats away!

[D35 Torpedo]

On 3/23/2023 at 7:15 PM, jgreg53 said:

Could resetting the valves throw off the timing?

If you set a gap with feeler gauge, how could you possibly mess it up? If you did back off a lifter that was in the open position, it wouldnt open anymore. The only thing I can think off is not enough cold gap will hang the valve open when hot. Good luck

[Semmerling]

If....

 

-You took out all the plugs to remove the compression when you rotated the fan blade
-When you took the distributor cap off, you weren't confronted with a loose distributor able to rotate.
-You were concerned that you might have not been exactly TDC, but you know you were at least close
-You took the time to check the rotor to be sure that it was at least on the right firing position
-You used the right feeler gauge and you tightened the valve adjustment properly
- And, not that one has to, you didn't pull the over piston #6 plug and use a TDC rod?
- When you adjusted the valves you were not confronted with valves that were WAY out of order

-By the time you were finished the engine was cool.
-When you tried to restart the engine, the issue was it didn't start..not clanking and banging.

 

right?

 

Check your spark plug wires at the plugs for connections....at the cap for tight contact and right order.
Check the rotor contact surface to make sure wasn't accidentally greased. If it was, clean the cap too.

Things to consider: Distributor wasn't properly timed when set into the engine. 

 

Edited March 25, 2023 by Semmerling
I dodn't speal so guot

[jgreg53]

Finally got back to the car. Removed the spark plugs.  Rotated the motor to top dead center on #1 cylinder.  Re adjusted valves that were all the way down. Rotated motor to #6 cylinder at top dead center.. readjusted the rest. Put plugs back in. She started. I did the setting on the motor cold at .010 and .012. After the motor warmed up I did some fine tuning.  Running better. Thanks for all your advice guys.