Adjusting tappets

[KyleMorrisEvans92]

Hi All, can anyone give me a complete beginner's step by step guide on how to adjust the tappets?

Thanks in advance

Kyle Evans

[bmcecosse]

It's been covered many times - and is well detailed in the Workshop manual. You need a small 1/2" AF ring key (7/16" AF on early cars..) , a good mid-size screwdriver with flat blade and a set of feelers. Take all the spark plugs out to make turning the engine easy. Turn it till #1 rocker is down - now check the gap at #8 rocker - if not 15 thou, loosen the locknut slightly and adjust with the screwdriver until it is an easy 15 thou. Hold the slot with the driver while you tighten the lock nut - now recheck the gap. Repeat at all the rockers in turn using the rule of 9... so when #1 is down, adjust #8 (1+8-9) when #2 is down adjust #7 and so on. The exhaust valves are better set at 15 thou - so that's 1458 and the inlets can be left at 12 thou so that's 2367 - although for simplicity Rover just specified 15 thou for them all on later A series engines, and there is no harm in doing that if you wish.

[KyleMorrisEvans92]

Thank you, that's great !

[les]

When they are adjusted, you can, in future, check they are still ok with the engine on tickover, this saves winding the handle for each valve.

[bmcecosse]

Well - I've never tried that les - but I guess it should be possible - with a slooooow tickover....

[les]

Yes keep the revs below 5000 Seriously though it's a quick way to see if they need doing.

[TFM150K]

Don't you get oil all over the place?

[alexandermclaren]

It's been covered many times - and is well detailed in the Workshop manual. You need a small 1/2" AF ring key (7/16" AF on early cars..) , a good mid-size screwdriver with flat blade and a set of feelers. Take all the spark plugs out to make turning the engine easy. Turn it till #1 rocker is down - now check the gap at #8 rocker - if not 15 thou, loosen the locknut slightly and adjust with the screwdriver until it is an easy 15 thou. Hold the slot with the driver while you tighten the lock nut - now recheck the gap. Repeat at all the rockers in turn using the rule of 9... so when #1 is down, adjust #8 (1+8-9) when #2 is down adjust #7 and so on. The exhaust valves are better set at 15 thou - so that's 1458 and the inlets can be left at 12 thou so that's 2367 - although for simplicity Rover just specified 15 thou for them all on later A series engines, and there is no harm in doing that if you wish.

Gee bloody brilliant BMC this was a particular area that was cloudy to me at times I always thought I was going to need three small spanners and a screwdriver etc, but it was in which order was my problem . Now I know about the rule of 9 easy pass job done . Thanks for posting it in a layman's terms

[bmcecosse]

We need a 'like' button which we can attach to posts.....

[les]

Don't you get oil all over the place?

There has never been much to worry about for the time it takes, the oil is confined to the area.

[TFM150K]

Ta, Les. Going completely off the subject, how do you pick up previous posts like you did with mine in your last posting?

[les]

Click on the quote button, top right.

[bmcecosse]

I think you would need to be quite adept with the feeler gauges to check the gap with engine running - and a goodly risk of getting the gauge blade 'nipped' between valve and rocker - thus reducing the thickness ! There was available at one time the SPQR 'click adjust' tool that was intended for valve gap setting with the engine running...never used one....but I think they have a certain 'following' .
Here's a wee link to how it is used....... http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/ ... tm?t=46271

[les]

Give it a go sometime Roy I'd be interested to hear what you thought!

[TFM150K]

Click on the quote button, top right.

Ta, Les

[dalebrignall]

i will stick to my feeler guages its not that difficult to do

[bmcecosse]

Exactly - good choice. The 'clik adjust' goes with the colour tune/strobe timing light/vacuum gauge brigade.....

[lambrettalad]

thats room 101 then

[bmcecosse]

I've never been able to understand that....

[kennatt]

The old mech,in the family garage used to always check with the tick over method,the only problem being feeler gauges used to take a bit of a bashing,but as he used to say,how much is a feeler gauge,compared to the hourly rate you are paying me,had a point there,even more so these days.Done it myself several times,not sure if you get a more acurate setting possibly you do because all of the slack in the system is taken up and its how the settings will be when the engine is running.And yes very little oil spillage so long as you don't rev it with the cover off.