noelawinslow Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 Apparently my engine has a bit hotter of a cam, and there's a little bit of valve ticking, but I just adjusted the valves and the sound prevails even when at factory recommendation. Would a hotter cam alter the required amount of valve clearance? If so, is there a trial and error method of adjusting the valves until the ticking is gone, and therefore a proper seat is found? Or am I just doing the adjustment wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstarrocker Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 A properly adjusted valvetrain is louder than one that's out of spec... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelawinslow Posted March 4, 2013 Author Share Posted March 4, 2013 That wouldn't make sense, though. Valve lash out of spec would smack the cam against the rockers, right? Or is my understanding of valvetrains off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xnke Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 It's off. Valve lash is a minimum clearance required. As the valvetrain wears, this lash closes up, and as it closes up, the valves do not close fully and leak. Your valve lash will become zero before it starts to open up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skirkland1980 Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 It's off. Valve lash is a minimum clearance required. As the valvetrain wears, this lash closes up, and as it closes up, the valves do not close fully and leak. Your valve lash will become zero before it starts to open up. As the cam breaks in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyro Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 I set a "bigger" cam a little tighter. try 0.008" (hot). Most aftermarket cams spec a tighter lash than stock. If someone puts in a regrind cam without increase the thickness of the lash pads, it will tick. Check to see if the lash pads are stock and if the cam is a regrind. Also check the wipe pattern. Aftermarket cams are louder than stock cams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rejracer Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 (edited) The valves grow quite a bit with heat. That means .010 of valve clearance ends up being something like .004 at wot. When you start swapping out valve train components (specifically valves of a different material) the static valve lash may need to be changed depending on what's more important, power or long service intervals. Since there is some leeway you could reduce the spec a little, but you will need to check them more frequently. Sometimes the valves stretch, seats wear and things end up getting tighter. The amount the valves grow depends on EGT's, RPM's, Valve material, Seat material, and the day of the week. In other words, if you start changing valve lash it's advised to know what the consequences of this are before adjusting. If you want to put this to the test, adjust your exhaust valves to .000 clearance, then start it up. It will run great, for about 30 seconds, then stall out due to loss of compression. Let it cool for a few minutes and it starts back up. Edited March 5, 2013 by rejracer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xnke Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 As the cam breaks in? Absolutely. The camshaft will wear in at a MUCH lower rate than a newly cut valve will recede into the cylinder head. The lifecycle of a valve seat dictates that the valve will show a period of rapid recession, followed by a levelling off of this recession to a low, steady rate, after the valve and the valve seat have pounded themselves into a closely fitted, well sealed situation. Also, the valve stems will stretch, the keeper grooves wear, etc. All of this happens at a much faster rate than the cam base circle wears. The rocker arm wears only very slightly faster, and the lash adjuster pivot not very fast at all; but the predominate wear locations are at the valve end of the valvetrain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 That wouldn't make sense, though. Valve lash out of spec would smack the cam against the rockers, right? Or is my understanding of valvetrains off? It makes perfect sense. Valves beat into the seats. Lash closes. Lash is engineered to remain adequate to prevent overheating of the valve due to insufficient seat time (the only time the valve. An cool down) and to prevent the valve from going to zero-lash before. Next planned-maintenance interval. "Quiet valves are hot valves, and valves getting ready to fail!" Noisy valves are happy valves. The Nissan OHC has a noisy valve train. Get used to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelawinslow Posted March 6, 2013 Author Share Posted March 6, 2013 So how do you tell when it's properly adjusted? With so many options of adjustment, where can you feel confident in the lash setting? I'm sorry if I sound absurdly unaware, I just want to clear up my understanding of this piece of the engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 So how do you tell when it's properly adjusted? With so many options of adjustment, where can you feel confident in the lash setting? I'm sorry if I sound absurdly unaware, I just want to clear up my understanding of this piece of the engine. Valves are adjusted with feeler gauges, not your ears. Set it to factory spec (unless the cam grinder specs otherwise). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xnke Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 As I was taught for all solid valvetrains... A tappy tappet is a happy tappet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 There are not "many"... As with The Highlander, when dealing with things mechanical, "there can be only one".... And it has been pointed out to you in this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subtle_driver Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 Check your wipe pattern first. When you install a performance cam the pattern can be too far off the lash pads. This can damage your cam and wear everything out fast. If the lash pattern is near center you are a happy camper, assuming everything else is fine. Clean the lash pads and marker it up. Then rotate cam and see where it gets wiped off. If its too far to the side u need to change your lash pads to thinner or thicker ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subtle_driver Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 Check your wipe pattern first. When you install a performance cam the pattern can be too far off the lash pads. This can damage your cam and wear everything out fast. If the lash pattern is near center you are a happy camper, assuming everything else is fine. Clean the lash pads and marker it up. Then rotate cam and see where it gets wiped off. If its too far to the side u need to change your lash pads to thinner or thicker ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subtle_driver Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 I adjust my valves hot. I let the motor get a few degrees hotter than normal, unplug fan.. so I have more time to work. I have to pull strut bar and valve cover ASAP. then do the hot adjustment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Some of us pull that strut bar before we warm it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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