adjusting valvelash on a poly 318

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 10:33 pm

I should have done this awhile ago, but its a messy job and pain to remove one valve cover. I've noticed over the last 1000 or so miles that the valves have become noisey and the truck is not very smooth at idle, so I figured now was the time. The Dodge service manual suggests that the truck be warm, and idling to check the lash. Pulled the covers found the culprit rocker arm (actually they were all a little off). The truck now runs smooth, but not quite. To adjust the valves I would pass the appropiate feeler gage between the valve and the rocker arm as the engine idles. I was told I should encounter a little resistance, like passing a knife through butter. I would then shut the engine off and adjust the screw a little in the direction it needed to go. Restart the engine and repeat for the other valves.Now it sounds as though I never adjusted them. Is the process wrong? Once I'm in the range can a tighten them down little more to quite them down? Is there a way to do this with the engine off? The service manual indicates that heavier duty 318's (318-3)were equiped with hydraulic lifters, is it possible to interchange these with the 318-1 poly engines?
Any input is appricated

Jeffc · Post by **Jeffc** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:44 pm

All poly engine were made to run hydro lifter, however you need the cam to match, grinds are differant.

I do not like to do a running adjustment on the valves.
With engine fully warmed up, turn over engine till both rockers on one cylinder are up (I like to use a remote stater switch hooked to the starter to turn the engine over).
Lash when both rockers are up.
Go to the next set after turning over engine till both are up.
If you hear loud ticking after all are adjusted, you got one or more too loose or too tight.
You can tell which one(s) by taking a large screw driver
and holding it with handle to your ear and blade to
valve cover, or rocker, with engine running.

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 1:24 pm

Thanks for the input Jeff. One cylinder (#5, intake) would not hold the adjustment, after a few minutes the screw will just back off. I'm going to try loctite tip from your website and see if I can avoid replacing the rocker arms.

Jeffc · Post by **Jeffc** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:22 pm

You can also try to locate a "lock" nut for the adjuster.
Needs to be thinner than a standard nut, but a good nut and bolt store should be able to set you up.

Shaun · Post by **Shaun** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:29 pm

Adam,I agree with Jeff. You can adjust them by bumping the starter-remote is easier. I do mine a little different though. .012 intake and .021 is what your manual says,right? Well,you can do them cold. Yeah. Thermal expansion causes the metal to expand when the engine is hot-hence the big lash. Try .014 and .024 cold. And I sometimes will bump the engine over a little at a time,while checking-bump,check-bump,check...on each one to make very sure they are right.
Try different lash settings too. Jim at Racer Brown(who's cam I run)told me to try .011 in. and .018 ex. Of course that is different than stock,due to the different profile. But, he said you can go a little tighter-not much that way(.02 at most),and a little looser and see how she runs.It is a pain

.
To get rid of the bad adjustment screws that keep backing off,you can go two ways. First is get a new rocker assembly set from rocker arm specialty in Anderson(I'm pretty sure they have a web site too)-talk to Gary.I think they run $175 and they come with jam nuts. Or, you can buy machine nuts and grind down the tops of your rockers to give you the extra space(it won't work unless you do).Either way you have to take off at least one head-stupid design

. The shafts only come out one way and both heads are exactly the same,so one will come out towards the grill,the other towards the firewall

. Or you can buy a set of heads from me and I'll do it for you-maybe even some port/polish action!

Now you know part of the reason why a 440 is for me.

Shaun

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:25 pm

The Loctite with a new scew seems to be holding. I've put 400 miles on, mostly at freeway speeds with no noticable change in noise or idle. I have an extra set of rocker arms, but I'm going to assume that the drivers side rocker arm shaft exists towards the cowl, meaning the cylinder head would have to removed to replace the rocker arm.

Shaun · Post by **Shaun** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:51 pm

Be careful with that loctite-too much and you'll have it running through your oil. Shaun

Website · Post by **wideblock** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 4:29 pm

the problem with locktite is it gets back to liquid at temperatures. so if your on a long freeway run, its gonna come back loose. what i did on mine was to remove the adjuster nut, lay it on the tail gate, and give the threads a light rap with the hammer. reinstall and see if they got back tight. repeat if needed. new ones are best, but by distorting the threads a bit, you can get away with it till the next adjustment.

i always adjust mine cold as well, i add 2 for the intake and 4 for the exhaust and so far havent had any problems. but the suggestion to try different adjustments is a good one, you can draw a smoother idle and more performance form a very minor difference i valve adjustments on a mech cam. i experimented with my 66, tryed 3 different adjustments before i settled on what worked best. she liked the valves a shade loose, yes it rattled a bit at idle, but with the hood closed you really had to listen for it, but she really seemed to pull harded with the valves a bit loose.