How to Adjust Small Block Chevrolet Lifters

First of all let me explain what this article in about, this article does not cover the most recent built small block Chevrolet's.

It covers the first through fourth generation engines from about 1955-1982, the newer ones that have roller cams don't need to be adjusted.

OK now that we have that out of the way let's dive in head first, it's time to get wet boys and girls; first of all you'll need to remove the valve covers form the engine, this can usually be accomplished with a 7/16 socket on a ¼ inch drive ratchet.

There will be four bolts holding the valve cover on the engine, two on the top, and two on the bottom; if the valve cover has been on the engine for a long time it may not come off easily, but just keep working with it and it will come off.

The concept here is not really hard, and it doesn't take a lot of tools to adjust the lifters; it will however take a little bit of time.

So don't get in a hurry here, if you want your car to run right after your done; take the time and do this right.

Here is a list of the tools that you'll need:

1.A 3/8 drive ratchet and normal and deep sockets
2.A ¼ inch drive ratchet and deep sockets
3.A small pry bar to remove the valve covers if they are locked on
4.A set of hand wrenches
5.A ½ inch drive ratchet and sockets, or a breaker bar
6.A Set of feeler gauges

Once you have removed the valve covers you'll need to be able to rotate the engine to bring the valves to their fully closed position.

I usually do this with a ½ inch drive ratchet, or breaker bar; just to keep things easy I work from the front, to the rear on each side.

The actual adjusting of the lifters is very simple for hydraulic lifters, which is what most factory Chevrolet engines have.

All you need to do is get your first two valves to the fully closed position, it's not hard to tell when the valves are closed.

When they are closed you should be able to move the rocker arm from side to side a little bit, this movement should not be excessive.

OK now that you have your first two in the fully closed position, it's time to get dirty.

Get your 3/8 ratchet and put the 5/8 deep socket on it, in the center of the rocker arm you'll see a lock nut.

Put the 5/8 socket on this lock nut; now listen closely you will not need to tighten the lock nut very much, if you go to far your could flatten a cam lobe; not a good idea.

What I want you to do is put your thumb and forefinger on the push rod and see how easy it turns, the push rod is the end that doesn't sit on the valve spring.

If it's really easy to turn you'll need to tighten the lock nut until you can barely turn it, and wala you've adjusted your first lifter.

All you have to do now is repeat the same process on the fifteen lifters that you have left, next I'll show you how to adjust solid, or flat tappet lifters, this process is not quite as easy, but it's still not rocket science you can do it with no problem.

To adjust solid lifters you'll need a feeler gauge, this is not needed for hydraulic lifters; for this lesson we'll set our lifters to 26 thousandths.

This is a common setting for a lot of different cams, but you should always read you install manual if it's a new cam.

Everything is pretty much the same, except you need to leave back lash on a solid lifter cam, due to the fact that solid lifter cams perform better then hydraulic cams.

A lot of people will use them when they build high performance engines.

Now let's do it, get your 3/8 drive ratchet and put the 5/8 deep socket on it, locate the lock nut on the rocker arm and put the socket on the lock nut.

Now get your feeler gauge and try find the one labeled 0.26 and try to put it between the rocker arm, and the valve stem.

If it slides in there easily your lifters need to be adjusted, tighten the lock nut until you have to pull firmly on the feeler gauge to remove it from between the rocker arm and the valve stem, repeat the same process on the last fifteen rocker arms.

After this your done adjusting your lifters; you should not hear any clicking from under the valve covers.

Put the valve covers back on the engine, and don't tighten the blots to more then 15 LBFT, also always use new valve cover gaskets, rubber one are the best.