adjust solid lifters

[broker-len]

working on a 32 PA 4 cylinder plymouth   book directs to set tappets HOT    with manifold and updaft carb very difficult     according to owners manual   .005 and .007 hot ,,,, .009 and .008   cold    but this is only for checking valve timing !!!!---directs to go back to hot setting for running car-----------   In 36 Plymouth shop manual it does give a hot and cold setting ---.006 sand .008 Hot    intake .007 and exhaust .012   cold  wandering if I can use this directive to adjust my 32 plymouth         your feed back please

Edited September 19, 2022 by broker-len
// (see edit history)

[Mark Shaw]

I always set them a bit loose for a cold start and re-set them hot after making all other adjustments..

I suggest you split the difference hot/cold for a first start-up situation.  

[broker-len]

thank you Mike     my point is do not want to adjust HOT    have to heat motor then take carb and linxage  off looking for a cold setting that I can like with

Edited September 19, 2022 by broker-len (see edit history)

[Bloo]

How good do you want it? It does actually make a car run sweeter when you really get it right. Exhaust valves grow more, but that part may already be compensated for in the stock settings. Some valves might grow more than others due to uneven cooling. Some might have wear in the tappets that fool your feeler gauge. Some people will tell you to just set them all .002 loose. It's probably OK. On the other hand if you want to just go THRRRRRRRRRR so nobody can hear one loose valve, here is what I would do.

 

Get yourself all set up to adjust them efficiently. Make any marks on the front pulley you need (or whatever you do on that model) so you can check them really quickly when the time comes. Then at you leisure, set them all .0015 looser than spec cold.

 

Once that is done, give it a good highway run. Idling won't do as the engine temperatures stabilize differently. Pull in, shut it off, take things apart really quick and CHECK all of the valves, write down the results. Then set them cold again using what you have learned, in other words if intake #3 is .001" loose hot, write that down so you can tighten it .001" later when it is cold.

 

If you've done this, and you still have clack clack clack, there is wear in the tappets fooling your feeler gauge. In that case use a dial indicator with a foot on it instead of a feeler gauge (if you can get it in there and pry the tappet back and forth). These days I usually default to the dial indicator right off the bat if it will work.

 

There is no reason at all you need to nitpick it this close for the engine's health. It sure does make engines run good though and sound good too. As long as no valves are too tight, the engine will be just fine.