Thanks for posting this. I am zipping up my Pontiac 400 after degreeing my cam. I prefer this method over adjusting the rocker arms whilst the engine is running.
few companys make lifter braces.....the stock block is stronger then youd think......ive ran a 515 hyd lift with 1.65 harland sharp double roller rockers in my 389 for yrs with no brace 6500 rmp pulls and never a issue in a 4000 lbs 66 tri power prix.....once you start getting in to the big lift solid cams is when u start getting in to to weakness issue.......but butler makes after market blocks if your wanting to go thay far...in my opinion better then gernaden a factory block i belive.....in the race only aspect any way
Are you sure you are "bumping" in the correct direction? You are bumping the adjuster CW direction which is bumping it away from the set screw lock. If you bumped it to the ccw direction while holding set screw, it would jam them together.
I adjust my 469 c.i. pontiac with an isky 525lift 320 degrees. Hydraulic cam with a compression guage. I'm going for max compression and it works great and I get max power. This also works on any motor with polylocks or with a nut on the rockers. Spin it over and tighten the valves until the compression drops then back it out until it goes up to max then lock it down where it is maxed. Then do the other the same way. You can't beat this and all cylinders will be at max compression. You will have to preload the poly locks. And remove all spark plugs.
The first thing to visit the scrap barrel on any of my Pontiac rebuilds are the stamped rockers. Harland Sharp are more than worth the $. Also reduces friction.
You don't want the exhaust valve to "Just start to open",,, You want to have the companion cylinder (#6) in valve overlap to adjust cyl. #1. That means cyl. #6 exhaust valve is closing while the Intake valve is opening. This will put Cyl. #1 on 0 degrees at TDC and then every 90 degrees you can adjust them in the firing order
Your video was helpful but turns out your extra 1/2 turn was completely wrong at least for my Pontiac 400 I'm building right now. When I was checking number 1 compression stroke with my finger for distributor placement there was no compression at all. I checked another cylinder, nothing again. I almost had myself convinced that my engine must be bad. Luckily it turns out the extra 1/2 turn was just too tight for my rockers and all the valves were stuck open a tiny bit even when they supposed they be closed. Could be a matter of differences in components.
Sounds like you were adjusting a solid lifter cam. You're lucky you didn't bend a valve, or did you😵💫? This is the correct method for hydraulic flat tappet cams. He adj them 3/4 turn, but you can adj 1/2 turn as well. Maybe you should hire a professional for your engine adjustments 😉
@@MH-WM This was 5 years ago. Doing is learning. I was using roller rockers, so maybe that was the difference? Engine ran like a top then, no bent valves. We al could use some professional help from time to time. 😁
PRW Stainless 1.5 Ratio Pontiac Roller Rocker Set PRW-0245501 butlerperformance.com/search.html?q=prw+rockers I put these on my 1969 400HO, I’m very impresses and they adjusted up easily!
Sadly from 2030 on all combustion cars including classics will be banned from public streets in entire EU and Scandinavia :-( In Germany the Green Peoples Party gave order to shorten fuel supply from 2025 on by reducing all conventional fuel stations to only one state operated central gas station per city or county. Now they even want to slow down all the gas pumps from 20 litre per minute to 2 litre per minute...From 2027 on in the EU certain car spare parts will be banned too....as exhaust systems, turbo chargers and even some engine and gearbox oils...California and New York will do the same from 2027 on.... So no investments should be done in oil burning cars any longer....They even created a new kind of crime here, called emissions and smoke crime.
Sir.you do not adjust pontiac hydraulic lifters like a Chevrolet.does not matter if your using aluminium or stamped steel rockers.Pontiacs dont adjust that way.all pontiac hydraulic lifters get tightened all the way down with 0 lash.good luck.
There is something very strange about viewing your video look at the engine from behind. I'm used to looking at it from the front while working on it. And when adjusting valves on a v8, I start with #1tdc, adjust all the valves as per the firing order, then rotate 360 degrees to #8 TDC and adjust the remainder per firing order. You can do them individually, or every 90 degrees, 180 degrees or 360 degrees. I prefer not to waste my time cranking the engine around all day, save your arm.
James HALL, I ASSume you converted over to the Chevy 7/16 rocker arm studs on this head before you did this. The stock Pontiac studs are bottlenecked, so you can't do this with them. its just crank the nuts down and jamm it.
Thanks for posting this. I am zipping up my Pontiac 400 after degreeing my cam. I prefer this method over adjusting the rocker arms whilst the engine is running.
Those open, brittle lifter valleys in the Pontiac sure make this process easier. You can literally see where the lifter is on the cam lobe!
Those big open areas do seem like they would make for a weak block...is cool to see the cam though.
few companys make lifter braces.....the stock block is stronger then youd think......ive ran a 515 hyd lift with 1.65 harland sharp double roller rockers in my 389 for yrs with no brace 6500 rmp pulls and never a issue in a 4000 lbs 66 tri power prix.....once you start getting in to the big lift solid cams is when u start getting in to to weakness issue.......but butler makes after market blocks if your wanting to go thay far...in my opinion better then gernaden a factory block i belive.....in the race only aspect any way
Are you sure you are "bumping" in the correct direction? You are bumping the adjuster CW direction which is bumping it away from the set screw lock. If you bumped it to the ccw direction while holding set screw, it would jam them together.
Its been so long since I made this video I dont honestly remember
Great observation, makes total sense 👍
I adjust my 469 c.i. pontiac with an isky 525lift 320 degrees. Hydraulic cam with a compression guage. I'm going for max compression and it works great and I get max power. This also works on any motor with polylocks or with a nut on the rockers. Spin it over and tighten the valves until the compression drops then back it out until it goes up to max then lock it down where it is maxed. Then do the other the same way. You can't beat this and all cylinders will be at max compression. You will have to preload the poly locks. And remove all spark plugs.
The first thing to visit the scrap barrel on any of my Pontiac rebuilds are the stamped rockers. Harland Sharp are more than worth the $. Also reduces friction.
on number 8 cylinder you have the intake and exhaust valve switched backwards on your tape. exhaust should be closest to the firewall...
Does it matter if engine is cold or warm?
Meant to be done cold
So u can in fact adj. both valves as long as they are on the base of the cam? Not on the lobe
You don't want the exhaust valve to "Just start to open",,, You want to have the companion cylinder (#6) in valve overlap to adjust cyl. #1. That means cyl. #6 exhaust valve is closing while the Intake valve is opening. This will put Cyl. #1 on 0 degrees at TDC and then every 90 degrees you can adjust them in the firing order
Your video was helpful but turns out your extra 1/2 turn was completely wrong at least for my Pontiac 400 I'm building right now. When I was checking number 1 compression stroke with my finger for distributor placement there was no compression at all. I checked another cylinder, nothing again. I almost had myself convinced that my engine must be bad. Luckily it turns out the extra 1/2 turn was just too tight for my rockers and all the valves were stuck open a tiny bit even when they supposed they be closed. Could be a matter of differences in components.
Tom Hutchison I have always gone 1/4 turn after 0 lash , been doing it for 35 yrs.
@@jimporter7602 .. I totally agree,, 1/4 turn, at least on Pontiac..
Sounds like you were adjusting a solid lifter cam. You're lucky you didn't bend a valve, or did you😵💫? This is the correct method for hydraulic flat tappet cams. He adj them 3/4 turn, but you can adj 1/2 turn as well. Maybe you should hire a professional for your engine adjustments 😉
@@MH-WM This was 5 years ago. Doing is learning. I was using roller rockers, so maybe that was the difference? Engine ran like a top then, no bent valves. We al could use some professional help from time to time. 😁
Nice, is this method the best? Some people do it engine runing and listen to the sound.
What type / ratio are the rockers?
That's messy as hell plus hard to do with polylocks.
What brand are those rockers, I can't find a non roller aluminum rocker set anywhere!
PRW Stainless 1.5 Ratio Pontiac Roller Rocker Set PRW-0245501
butlerperformance.com/search.html?q=prw+rockers
I put these on my 1969 400HO, I’m very impresses and they adjusted up easily!
That's how I have always done it i didn't know their was a different way to do it lol.
I was always told Pontiac lifters were torqued to a specific foot pound
Jason Miller if they’re stock or original rockers, yes. But the after markets roller rockers need to be set.
You are correct on hydraulic lifters.
Sadly from 2030 on all combustion cars including classics will be banned
from public streets in entire EU and Scandinavia :-( In Germany the
Green Peoples Party gave order to shorten fuel supply from 2025 on by
reducing all conventional fuel stations to only one state operated
central gas station per city or county. Now they even want to slow down
all the gas pumps from 20 litre per minute to 2 litre per minute...From
2027 on in the EU certain car spare parts will be banned too....as
exhaust systems, turbo chargers and even some engine and gearbox
oils...California and New York will do the same from 2027 on.... So no
investments should be done in oil burning cars any longer....They even
created a new kind of crime here, called emissions and smoke crime.
Those look like Harland Sharp rockers. Yes?
yes. great rockers.
Sir.you do not adjust pontiac hydraulic lifters like a Chevrolet.does not matter if your using aluminium or stamped steel rockers.Pontiacs dont adjust that way.all pontiac hydraulic lifters get tightened all the way down with 0 lash.good luck.
There is something very strange about viewing your video look at the engine from behind. I'm used to looking at it from the front while working on it. And when adjusting valves on a v8, I start with #1tdc, adjust all the valves as per the firing order, then rotate 360 degrees to #8 TDC and adjust the remainder per firing order. You can do them individually, or every 90 degrees, 180 degrees or 360 degrees. I prefer not to waste my time cranking the engine around all day, save your arm.
3/4 or half turn?
1/4
Where's the car?
I don’t understand how guys work with latex gloves .
James HALL,
I ASSume you converted over to the Chevy 7/16 rocker arm studs on this head before you did this. The stock Pontiac studs are bottlenecked, so you can't do this with them. its just crank the nuts down and jamm it.
Ram AIR 4 was adjustable.