I have heard several different ways to adjust the valve lash on the 2.8 V6...

One is to spin the push rod and tighten down the nut until you can no longer turn the push rod... Then tighten nut another turn and a half..

Second is to do the same, only go 3/4 of a turn.

Third is to tighten the nut until the pushrod can no longer wiggle in place, but can still turn freely, and then go 2 turns..

Fourth is do the same, only go 1 turn...

What is the proper adjustment technique on the valve lash?
I have new lifters, push rods, and rocker arms in the vehicle. I am just waiting to adjust them before I go any further....

The best way I've found is to use a .030 wire feeler gauge. In the top of the lifter is a retaining clip holding the guts in. With the cam in proper position, tighten the locknut until you have .030 clearance between the locking clip in the lifter and the cap the pushrod sits in. Takes out all the subjective "lash" feeling techniques.

You did soak the new lifters overnight in oil, right?

Of course... They soaked in oil all night, and were installed with engine assembly lube and white lithium grease smeared on the camshaft.

The intake manifold is already in place and torqued to spec. This will need to be adjusted without the benefit of a feeler guage... I did consider it, but chose to do it once the vehicle was able to be turned over by hand without fear of having anything fall into the cylinders..

The plenums have not been installed yet so the rocker arms are easy to get to..
I had 7 collapsed lifters when I took it apart, and want to make sure I won't have any issues this time.
Any others on the specs?

[This message has been edited by Synthesis (edited 07-25-2002).]

Just finished this last week and the engine runs and sounds great....tighten the nut while spinning the push rod until you just feel resistence, then go 1/2 more turn....do "not" go back and double check, the lifters will have bled down...

Rick

Synthesis, I wanted to ask you a question. I was talking to MinnGreen about this and he referred me to you. Is there a way i can wire in a manual fan switch but still retain the automatic switch incase i forget to turn it on?

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--Adam--
1987 Blue GT 5-speed
IM AOL: GTFiero

Make sure you replace those "collapsed" lifters or you will have a noisy engine. Good lifters require a lot of force to push in, the bad ones will push in fairly easy. Just tighten till you start to feel resistance to turning and go 1/2 turn more from there.

The lifters that came out do not give at all... No matter how much pressure I put on em.... Only on those 7.. I suspect the srping behind shattered and may be causing resistance...

As for the new lifters, they actually give when I put about 30 lbs of pressure on em.. I suspect the issue is with the old lifters and being overtightened.

Anyways, GTFiero1... Yes...

You have the V6 obviously. On the engine by the filler neck at the top of the engine for the cooling system, you will find a single green wire with white stripe. This wire is a ground for the cooling system. All you need is a single pole single throw switch. (On/off switch) and wire one side to ground, and the other side to the green with white striped wire...
When you turn the switch on, it will kick on the cooling fans in the vehicle. Shut it off, and the cooling system will function properly, assuming you have no faults in any of the electrical systems, or a bubble in the line...
All you need to do is tap into that wire..
It runs through the firewall in one of those harnesses, but don't ask me which one lol.

This is what it says in my Chilton's Manual:
A) Rotate the engine until the mark on the torsional damper lines up with the "0" mark on the timing tab, with the engine in the No.1 firing position. This may be determined by plaing fingers on the No.1 rocker arms as the mark on the damper comes near the "0" mark. If the valve are not moving, the engine is in the No1 firing position. With it in the No.1 one firing position the fallowing valves may be adjusted:
-exhaust 1,2,3
-intake 1,5,6
B) Back out the adjusting nut until lash is felt at the puchrod, then turn the adjusting nut until all lash is removed. This can be determined by rotaing the pushrod while turning the adjusting nut. When the lash has been removed, turn the adjusting nut 1-1/2 aditional to center the lifter plunger
C) Crank the engine one revolution until the timing tab "0" mark and the torsional damper mark are again in alignment. This is the No.4 firing position andnow the fallowing valves can be adjusted:
-Exhaust 4,5,6
-ibtake 2,3,4

Do not turn the adjustment more than 3/4 of a turn past zero lash or you WILL collapse the lifters, believe me as I am talking from personal experience. The Chilton and Haynes books are wrong when they say to go 1-1/2 turns from zero lash, DON'T DO IT or you will be sorry. Don't say no one told you. My mechanic told me (too late) that he only goes 1/2 turn past zero lash.

so, it should tie in like this?

Important Warning:

This is important, in case anyone missed the original post.

quote Originally posted by avengador1: Do not turn the adjustment more than 3/4 of a turn past zero lash or you WILL collapse the lifters, believe me as I am talking from personal experience. The Chilton and Haynes books are wrong when they say to go 1-1/2 turns from zero lash, DON'T DO IT or you will be sorry. Don't say no one told you. My mechanic told me (too late) that he only goes 1/2 turn past zero lash.

When I originally tightened the locknuts, I went a turn and a half. That was 32,000 miles ago...
Coming back from the MOA meet in St Paul MN, I started hearing the lifters. A week later, the car started missing...

Anyways, I intend to only use 1/2 to 3/4 turn on the lifters on reassembly....

As for your car GTFiero1, yes, that wiring thing you did is correct...

Your temp guage is a different sensor entirely, and I suspect the guage may have died on your vehicle (Mine does not work either). The wire you will be tapping into (Green with white stripe) is strictly a temperature controlled ON/OFF switch. It does nothing more than switch on when warm, and off when cold.

The entire circuit is controlled by the key anyways, so you can leave your manual switch on when you get out of the car, and it will still shut the fan off when you shut the key off...

Just be sure to use either a weather tight connector, or use some form of electrical sealant.

Yup - 1-2/2 turns wrecked my lifters also

quote Originally posted by avengador1: Do not turn the adjustment more than 3/4 of a turn past zero lash or you WILL collapse the lifters, believe me as I am talking from personal experience. The Chilton and Haynes books are wrong when they say to go 1-1/2 turns from zero lash, DON'T DO IT or you will be sorry. Don't say no one told you. My mechanic told me (too late) that he only goes 1/2 turn past zero lash.