Topic: 289 valve lash adjustment

[muncher]

Hey guys
I have another question for you. Hope you can help. I have a 289 1967 mustang. I was checking the valve clearance and noticed that one of the rockers is quite loose. You can rotate the pushrod easily when the valve is fully closed. Am i right that these engines are hydraulic and require a valve lash adj. First zero lash is set then a 1/4 turn??
Hope you can advise..........cheers

[muncher]

Hi Again
Also i have read that there are hydraulic and solid lifters. How can i tell which i have?
Thanks guys.

[66GTKFB]

I'm making an assumption that you have a stock 67 289 and do not have solid lifters.  There were only 472 factory solid lifter 289 engines in 1967. The proper Ford recomended procedure is to loosen the rocker adjustment nut and tighten it until the push rod doesn't turn, then add another 3/4 turn to the nut.
Jim

[Soaring]

Unless you are rich and famous, you won't have an engine with solid lifters.  Here is a step-by step procedure to adjust your hydraulic lifters. 
http://raceabilene.com/kelly/hotrod/valveadj.html

[muncher]

Thanks for the advice guys. What was confusing me was that there is an opening at the end of the rocker arms that looks like a feeler guage slides in to. So i guess i don't need to check the gap there then?
Great link by the way soaring.
Cheers

[Soaring]

That feeler gauge thing is only for solid lifters.  You ain't got those.    Just follow this simple guide and you will be running as smooth as silk unless you have burned valves.  If you do, then the head needs to be rebuilt, using hardened seats.  Let us know how it turns out. 

[muncher]

Just finished the valve adjustments. All of them needed doing some more than others. All i need now is for my radiator to arrive then i can fire her up 
Will let you know how it all goes may be Mon or Tues.

[Soaring]

OK, keep us infomed. 

[muncher]

Valve lash adj update...........................works great......noise greatly reduced. could of tightened down more though. I did a 1/4 turn instead of 1/2. I know i chickened out haha. Now i know nothing is going to blow up on me i will try again. thanks for the advice.

[Soaring]

I use 3/4 of a turn, and I have no rattles.  No burned valves either.  Any more than that and you are asking for trouble. 

[mustang15]

Hi all.  I'm new to the forums. Was googling valve adjustments for a 68 Ford Mustang w/ a 289 (stock except for intake manifold) and came across this post.  Thought I'd continue on this thread since no point starting another.  Ok, here's where I'm at.  I had to replace the head gaskets on my 289 and now I'm putting everything back together. 

I'm stuck on the valve adjustments, my haynes manual states that I should use a feeler gauge (on my non-solid lifters), but everything I google states to tighten to 0 lash, then 1/2 turn more.  So I've been going with google so far, here's what I did. 

Removed all the spark plugs and turned the engine manually until I felt air coming out of cylinder 1 spark plug hole and set it to TDC.  tightened up the rocker arms until I could no longer manually turn the push rod on both valves for each cylinder and then 1/2 turn.  Repeated these steps for each cylinder in firing order, 15426378 (if I remember correctly off the top of my head).  After finishing with cylinder 8, I went back and checked the rest of the valves and now they all seem to be loose again, not lots, but enough to turn the push rod on most and even wiggle the rocker arms. 

Is this normal?  should I keep repeating the previous steps until there's no more slack?  I can't turn on the car right now because I still have to drain the oil and replace and change out the radiator.  Hopefully I'll have a new radiator by this weekend so I can turn on the car.  Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Soaring]

Hi, and welcome to the site.  You can repeat the procedure as I have outlined above as often as you like.  I would wait until I started the engine to see just how much rattle you still have before tightening any further.  This will be a little messy because oil will get on the ground, but you don't want to over tighten.  So, get a big cardboard box and cut it open to put on the ground.  You can always wash the engine after you get the covers back on. 

[mustang15]

Thanks for the advice.  I will try that instead, hopefully this weekend and adjust as necessary after firing it up.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Thanks!

[Jeff73Mach1]

go to a junkyard and buy a pair of valve covers-if they are for your engine great, if not, they will still work to some degree

Cut the tops out so you just have the sides (you can cut then with a grinder with a cut off wheel or a saw or whatever precision is not important)

Place it in place and it will stop most of the oil running down the engine.

When adjusting hydraulic lifters, when you come back around they will be loose again if the lifters had time to bleed down.

zero lash plus 3/4 turn, don't be shy about it

[Soaring]

Yeah, I was going to suggest the old method of getting the original covers and cutting out the tops, but that method is archaitic. 

[Soaring]

Yeah, I was going to suggest the old method of getting the original covers and cutting out the tops, but that method is archaitic. 

First of all, you have to find the covers which is virtually impossible.

[muncher]

Hi mustang15.
This is a great forum lots of help and advice.
I tightened mine down the other weekend. Found that when i went to double check my adjustments the pushrods felt a little loose again. I started the engine and it still made a tappet sound but not as loud as before. So it was a definate improvement. It doesn't take long to do the adj so i will be doing it again. But this time as Jeff says i'm not going to be shy about it. I'm gonna turn that sucker down
Good luck with it ...............muncher

[Jeff73Mach1]

If small block ford valve covers are hard to find in your area, give me a shout.  The local pull a part has them laying around everywhere.

Keep in mind I am not talking correct covers for a specific year or engine, just any crappy 302/351/5.0 valve cover.

dented and dirty I can get them all day long for 10 bucks a set.

[6mustang6]

I crapped a windsor valve cover out the other day because they are so common. lol, but seriously, like Jeff said, you can use any ol windor valve cover and it'll be fine. The valve cover trick is a good idea. My dad and i have one for on 350 chevy with a gasket and everything. It's alot less messier.

[66GTKFB]

There is really no need for a cut off valve cover to adjust hydraulic lifters as the adjustment is done cold and with the engine not running. With solid lifters, yes as they can be adjusted hot and running (as well as cold). I use a cut off one that came from a 302 (year unknown) but it was dented beyond repair and the pricce was "right".
Jim