So, I am adjusting valve #3. My 14mm bent Craftsman wrenches are not fully gripping the bottom nut. I have been struggling with this for a while. I generally struggle for a bit until I remember how to do the procedure. This time, I have the valve clearance adjusted, but cannot get the nuts to lock together. Is there an easy fix for this or am I in trouble?

Thanks,

Dkr.

Rotate the large nut on top of the spring to find the position with the least amount of clearance (there may not be a variation) and set the clearance. Turn the bottom nut down slightly, rotate the top nut to adjust the clearance. While holding the top nut bring the bottom nut up to lock it in place. Often when bringing the bottom nut up and tight the clearance tightens too. Setting the clearance .001 loose may help before tightening the bottom nut. Remember loose is better than tight.

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"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

Thanks for the quick response. I will try this first thing in the morning. I just started playing with a third wrench as I remembered hearing threads about it.

When you say turn the bottom nut down slightly, does this mean clockwise? And, bring the bottom nut up = counterclockwise?

Usually, I remember the procedure by feel, but this time I am getting confused.

Dkr.

So, I was doing some online research and decided to try just turning the bottom nut counterclockwise till it was touching the top nut and then turn the top nut clockwise to tighten. This time I did it with a 30mm service wrench holding the nut on top of the spring. I tried doing this before but I suspect the nut on the spring was moving. Anyways, it is now tight. I was concerned the nut may have been stripped, but I think this demonstrates the nut was not stripped.

The concern I have is that on the other valves I have done, I am able to turn the top nut or the bottom nut and the whole assembly moves. On this valve #3, turning the top nut causes the whole assembly to move, but turning the bottom nut causes it to rotate by itself. That said, I have never needed to use a third wrench before. Is this just something incidental or possibly more serious?

Thanks,

Dkr.

Yes, you have it. The third wrench goes on the large nut at the top of the valve spring and is to rotate the valve or prevent it from rotating as needed. I guess you could cautiously use water pump type pliers for the third wrench.

Good luck!!!

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"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

Thanks, I guess it should be ok then. My thinking is that so long as the whole thing locks together with all three wrenches and the clearance is ok, the worst thing that could happen (?) would be the engine running rough. It's just a head-scratcher why that valve is behaving differently than all the other ones I have adjusted.

Dkr.

The locking of the clearance is done solely by the two 14mm nuts. The large nut turns the valve, rotating the valve helps find the tightest clearance spot as the valve rotates, that is where the clearance is best measured. If the valve clearance is set in the loose rotation spot, the clearance will be too tight when it turns to the tight rotation spot. Put a feeler gauge in to take up all of the clearance on any closed valve and feel the difference in clearance while rotating that valve with the big nut.

Good luck!!!

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"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

It looks like I still have a problem with this. I can lock the two 14mm nuts together at a very high clearance, but when I adjust it to .014, I have turned the bottom nut 25 turns independently counter-clockwise which should bring it up, but it never seems to lock or touch the top nut. I'm beginning to think the nut is stripped.

Dkr.

Sounds like the rocker arm, cap nut and lock nuts need to come off to see what is the problem. It would be best to have a new cap nut and lock nut on hand. Also look for a taller hardened lock nut of the same thread in case the threads on the valve stem are damaged. The taller nut would use undamaged threads.

Pulling the rockers isn’t difficult, rather straight forward. Probably shouldn’t run it until this is corrected, could burn a valve or damage a cam lobe/rocker.

Good luck!!!

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"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

Yep, I agree. From all I have read, it sounds like it is the lock nut. The dealers say the part is special order from Germany. Kent at M$$ource has it and I can buy with 2-day shipping. I have no idea where I would get the cap nut. Any ideas? I suppose I could look through a junkyard if I absolutely had to. I was able to adjust all of the other valves.

The strange thing is after playing with all of the valves, I don't believe the bottom lock nut is the same as the others. It seems just a tad bit larger and my 14mm wrenches do not fully grab onto it.

Dkr.

Hopefully it is the wrong nut on there and the threads on the valve were harder than the nut. If the threads are damaged on the valve you may be able to fashion a spacer between the adjuster cap and the locknut so that the new lock nut will grab different threads. A stainless washer(s) may be all that is needed. It would be good to run a die over the valve threads unless they look good.

The cap nut is probably ok, just would be good to have it handy. Where to get it? Forum members would have them if you posted a WTB in the parts thread. I think they are the same on 615, 616 & 617 engines.

Good luck!!!

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"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

The lock-nut came in yesterday and I was able to put it in today. The lock nut would hand-tight about halfway and then needed a tiny amount of torque to continue. Somebody put a different type of lock-nut on it -- it doesn't fit in my valve adjustment wrenches and the other nuts do. There's some history here. It would be interesting to see what happened previously.

I was able to replace the nut and got that valve adjusted. The car appears to be running well now.

Youtube helped with compressing the spring in place. I thought this was pretty smart -- I did not compress fully -- just enough to get the locknut threaded.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcNLiKIA9hE

Dkr.

Excellent!!! What is next?

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"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

Next would be working on getting a Sanden compressor in and then reupholstering the front seats. That should keep me busy this year.

Dkr.