NewZed

Thanks for all of the input. I recently set mine cold and wondered if it was really necessary to open things up again to recheck hot, hence the question. In the future, if things get noisy and I want to drive right away I'll set it hot. Otherwise, cold seems like the way to go. Thanks again. By the way, will blood in the oil harm my engine? It's only a couple of knuckles worth....

Has anyone actually measured the difference in valve lash from cold to hot? Or had to make large adjustments from cold to hot settings? Are certain cylinders more prone to change dramatically? The materials and dimensions of the individual valve train components are the same, so it's not clear to me why there would be big differences. Component growth should be the same for each from cold to hot. I ask out of curiosity and laziness. It's easier to set it cold. Plus it seems like the individual settings should be more consistent with cold setting since they are made at the same temperature, as opposed to setting on a hot but cooling engine. Thanks for any comments.

I had a similar problem after upgrading to a zx alternator in a 1976 280Z. The brake warning lamp check relay was draining the battery. I had used the atlanticz instructions and the relay ended up "always hot" (not atlanticz's fault since the instructions were for a different car). With the old mechanical regulator the relay only got power when the motor was running. If you hear a relay clicking when you reconnect a charged battery, it could be the problem. I ended up cutting the relay off of the always on power circuit and splicing it in to the fuel pump circuit, which has a connector under the passenger seat, where the brake warning check relay is. The car will run and stop draining the battery if you just unplug it, but the red brake light in your dash won't work anymore. According to the wiring diagram there is also an EGR solenoid on the same circuit as the brake check relay. My car doesn't have one but yours might.

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