How long to Adjust Rockers?

I take my good old time to ensure I get them just right, and it takes me about 45 minutes to an hour, but I do it the slow way. I do every intake valve in the firing order, then I do the exhaust valves the same way. There are "quick" methods that only require rotating the crank three times, but everytime I did it I ended up with noisey lifters. Having someone help crank the motor over GREATLY helps.
 
An hour sounds about right to me as well.

I take my time and focus intently on each step.

If I get distracted or have any doubts about something I did on one rocker ...... I do that one again.

I usually have one or two that I have to do over, lol.

Grady
 
Well It takes me about 15 Minutes to take the whole top part of my engine off to get the the valves. And Canary Said Have someone help you its alot easier.. Ive had a couple problems with them being a lil to loose so just take your time on them and you will get it right. And Id go over everything a second time to make sure its good. Its better safe then sorry and have to take everything apart again to redue the rockers
 
Dunno about that one, but you don't need anything to be at TDC to adjust rockers. All you need is for them to be on the lobe base circle (0 lift). I just turn untill the intake closes then turn a little more to make sure. As you face the cylinder the intake valve is always the one on the RIGHT.
 
Adjust the intake valves as soon as the exhaust valve starts to open, and adjust the exhaust valve as soon as the intake valve starts to close. This ensure you are on the base circle of the cam.

Grady said:
I take my time and focus intently on each step.

If I get distracted or have any doubts about something I did on one rocker ...... I do that one again.

I usually have one or two that I have to do over, lol.

Grady

I'm the same way Grady! I always have a few that I'm like... "Did I do that one right... was it at zero lash?"
 
I like this method:

With the piston at TDC with both valves in the closed position, do the following:

The first thing you want to do is verify zero valve lash. The best way to do this is to wiggle the push rod up & down as you tighten the rocker arm nut. At the point where the push rod no longer moves up & down, That is zero lash. You now have a starting point for verifying “true” zero lash & the lifter pre-load.

When you adjust the valves you are setting the lifter pre-load, Pre-load is the amount of distance the push rod seat (or “cup”) moves away from the retaining clip.

To set true zero lash & the lifter pre-load, We are going to follow the “EO / IC” procedure.

What is “EO / IC?

EO, is Exhaust Opening; IC, is Intake Closing.

We have the piston at TDC (Both valves are in the closed position), Rotate the engine in the normal direction of rotation (clockwise, if you are facing the front of the engine).
You will see the exhaust valve just starting to open, stop rotating the engine & back off the intake rocker arm.(You are going to back off the rocker arm & re-verify for true zero lash, As you are now positively on the base circle of the camshaft whereas the previous lash adjustment was just a pretty close ballpark guess.) You will once again wiggle the push rod up & down as you tighten the rocker arm nut. When all up & down movement is gone, tighten the rocker arm nut ½ turn, tighten the hex head set screw until it bottoms out on the rocker stud, tighten the rocker arm nut ¼ additional turn. You have now set the lifter pre-load at .045”.

Rotate the engine, You will see the exhaust valve fully open & then close. Watching the intake valve that you just set, You will see it open, You want to keep rotating the engine until it fully opens & then starts to close. When it is almost closed, stop rotating the engine. Set the exhaust valve the same way you did the intake valve.

Move onto the next cylinder in the firing order…