Valve clearances on '35 DU

[Guest imported_mossiyjack]

My info on setting intake and exhaust valve clearances tell me they is set HOT. Boy will that be fun!! My question is..I gauged them cold and they were 25 thou exhaust and 12 intake. My book says they should be 9 hot ex and 6 hot intake. Is there that much expansion from hot to cold? Taking into consideration ambient temps will affect cold readings. Suggestions...

Thanks, Mossiyjack@worldlinkisp.com

[Guest imported_woodwheels]

M-jack; 34-40 dodge 6 hot settings were all listed as .008 exhaust and .006 intake hot. Access to all 12 tappets is tough with the manifolds in place let alone hot. My practice is to do it cold with the manifolds removed. The time saved with this extra work when it is all said and done is worth the effort. The manifold gasket(s) are easily available, be they in 5 pieces or one piece, the results are the same. All L head 6 Dodge and Plymouth manifold gaskets 33-56 are interchangeable. Past 33&34 the reach to do the adjustments is even more impeded by body parts. Add .002 to each setting to allow for heat expansion of the works. Set at .008 for intake and .010 exhaust. Suggestion; the order of the valve settings is e,i,i,,e,e,i,i,e,e,i,i,e. Check each one off as you move down the line on a piece of paper, it is easy to get confused. Do not do all of one setting then the other. Start at one end and move to the other end one, at a time. You will need 3 end wrenches to do the job. The wrenches need to work together and the middle wrench needs to have thin jaws. This is not a quick job, location makes patience a necessity. Give your hands and back a break.

Jim

'33 DP technical advisor

Dodge Brothers Club

[Guest imported_mossiyjack]

Thanks Jim, I already have the manifolds off so access is ok. I had a broken valve spring on #1 exhaust and did a replace. The keeper washer was damaged also so replaced that. Getting the keepers back in was a joy. The wind flipped my fender cover and one keeper sailed into never never land. Spent an hour dredging the sandy ground with a magnet only to find all the metal shavings from eons. In a desperate flash of ?? I groped a pan I had drained the oil into, (nasty stuff) and there it was. That pan was under the center of the car proving that old adage, if an item is dropped it will head for the center of the vehicle. I should have looked there first. I again thank you and will follow your instructions. Cheers, JACK

[Guest imported_woodwheels]

Jack; Your post indicates that you are working on a car that has been sitting for a while. I am not trying to be presumptious or nosie but please take caution when changing oil on a car that has been sitting for a while. Unless you are absolutely sure that the oil being taken out is detergent you should assume that it is not. Putting detergent oil in an engine that has had nondetergent in it is a sure way to a machine shop and an engine rebuild. The process will take several thousand miles to make itself apparent. While you are putting life back into an older engine please consider dropping the oil pan. If there is an inch or so of gooo in the bottom of the pan you have a nondetergent engine. Clean it out to include the oil screen and be satisfied that you have saved an old engine. When you determine it is time for an engine rebuild then by all means use detergent oil on the rebuild.

Jim