Adjustable plungers / valves
 

Hallo,
I saw today that my engine has adjustable valve lifters. Somewhere I heard "rumors" that they should not be good. What I do not believe.

Are there any real disadvantages?

Re: Adjustable plungers / valves
 

Can not remember why, but the other style with where the adjustment is held via threads being an interference fit are preferred. If yours are OK and holding proper adjustment, you should be OK.


There are other factors to consider if you decide to change them. The shoulder of the tappet has to be proper size against your cam.


Have you tried searching here for additional info?

Re: Adjustable plungers / valves
 

Hallo 30 CCP, thank you!

I have only today dismantled the valve cover to control the valves. Whether the setting works, I do not know yet. I must first learn how this is done with these adjusters .

If it works, I do not build otherwise.

I have u. a. also the books of Mcree and Andrews (red). My reading of the foreigan language is very slow.

Re: Adjustable plungers / valves
 

I only use cam followers and tappets with the interference fit threads. Adjustment may be fiddley but if you calculate how much turning the tappet say, one face (1/6th of a turn) will make to the clearance, it doesn't take long. Your car is LHD which makes it MUCH easier.

Re: Adjustable plungers / valves
 

More info. What I had happen to me.


I had my motor rebuilt last winter. The motor did not have adjustable tappets, so adjustable tappets were installed. When I got it back after about 200 miles the motor started a tapping noise. I went back to the place that pulled and re-installed the motor for me, and they adjusted a tappet via the valve access cover. Within another 200 miles it started tapping again. They told me to keep driving it, it would not hurt anything. The tapping did not get worse.


So I drove it for awhile, and contacted them again, they towed the truck to the motor builder and the motor builder replaced a couple if tappets. Issue appears fixed, 1500 miles no tappet noise.


So even with new parts and using the non-locking nut design, my motor still had this problem.


Since it looks like you have your motor apart/out of the car, valve access cover off, checking the gaps should be fairly simple. If you had an issue you would have heard a tappet(s) loudly tapping if the gap widened, or the motor would not run evenly if the gap had closed causing the valve not to open or fully open. There maybe other symptoms I am unaware of, am not an expert.


If you end up replacing the lifter with the other design, there is a preferred manufacturer.


Here is the info - "at one time there were 3 suppliers, two Chinese and they are problematic. Typically too small on the diameter which causes wear on the cams, and also issues with holding adjustment due to quality issues in production causing them not to hold properly.. They mention using USA Colony Adjustable Tappets, available through Snyders and Berts, best to ask before ordering."


Also preferred adjustment is .013 Intake, .015 exhaust.


Hope this helps.

Re: Adjustable plungers / valves
 

I recently replaced the cam in one of my engines with one with similar timing to the IB330 but with a lift of 0.290". The company that did the regrind (not a new cam - regrind the original) asked what valves I was using. He gave me two sets of figures. One was what you have posted but he said it they were the new stainless type, use 0.025" on the exhaust. I thought that was a bit much so I settled on 0.022". After about 200 miles, I dropped the sump to inspect and found that the cam follower was rubbing the heel of the cam slightly. 0.022" was not enough. I reset them to his recommendation and all is good. He cited another client who had similar experience with his Model T.
I'm surprised that the neither the vendors nor the manufacturers bother to mention this when they supply the valve kits. That's very poor, IMO and will tarnish their reputation if people set the clearances at factory specs and end up having trouble

Re: Adjustable plungers / valves
 

What is different about the stainless that make them require a wider gap? Wouldn't that cause them to be noisy? Am not a mechanic, and do not even begin to understand.

Re: Adjustable plungers / valves
 

30 CCP,

different steels have a different coefficient of expansion. The valve clearance is necessary only to get a tiny gap in the enginehead if it is hot.

Re: Adjustable plungers / valves
 

If I understand it right, you set at .022 and the lifter was rubbing the heel.
How can this happen? If the lifter is rubbing the heel, how do you get a .022 feeler gauge in????
You have one of two things happening.
1- The cam heels are not concentric.
2- You are not setting them on the heel.

Re: Adjustable plungers / valves
 

If you have excessive lifter bore wear you will continue to have problems.