valve adjustment, how important is it?

[jmpSHO]

I did a couple tune ups on my other SHOs before I started coming on the forum and I never knew about the valve adjustment and i never did one before. I read about it on the sho phoenix site and it seems like extra work that might not be needed. My SHO has 300k and I never adjusted the valves but it is time for valve cover gaskets, o-rings and plugs again. I guess my question is; is it really that important.

 

[Phoenix]

Up to date Ive never seen a SHO that needed adjustments THAT much , if you`re on a budget and theres no tapping noises , I would leave it alone if it was my DD.

 

[SHOtime2511]

well,if you have the valve covers off its very easy to check valve clearance.
personally I think valve adjustments on these cars were an over blown issue that originated way back in the day.

 

[SHOtimer]

When I did my first valve adjustment I found some valves that were out of spec, but not a lot.

The size of the shims is on the bottom of the shim. I made a map of my motor and wrote down what size was where.

Then I flipped all the shims...and gave the cams a new wear area to move on. A lot of time the shims will become concave from the cam constantly wearing on it.

Doug

 

[SHOlover1]

i think its important if its taping but if not don't worrie about it.
My 92 actually threw a valve shim and bent and smashed the valve and bucket a valve from not having the valves adjusted

 

[JRA2000TL]

My car was tapping like **** in the valvetrain. I pulled the hood (easier to get to the back), pulled both covers and checked the valves. Not 1 was out of spec. I replaced my camshaft due to a damaged/pitted lobe and replaced a shim (2550 shim I think) because it had some slight scratches. Put it back together, it still tapped. Added Lucas oil stabilizer, ran the **** out of the car for a few days letting the engine get good and hot; and it has quieted down so much the noise is almost non existent now except once in a while on a cold start. I just had a sticky valve or something.

They are easy to check if you have the intake off already. If you so desire, just get a feeler gauge and check them. As long as nothing is really out of whack, don't bother renting the tools and changing anything out as there is no need.

Really, it's not that hard. This is coming from the guy who put off doing his for over a year out of fear I'd tear it up. It was nothing. Just took some time, that's all.

 

[shonuffmine]

If you are pulling the covers ,run a feeler gauge on em and do a visual inspection of the contact areas,there is a reason it,s called preventive maintaince !

 

[jmpSHO]

well,if you have the valve covers off its very easy to check valve clearance.
personally I think valve adjustments on these cars were an over blown issue that originated way back in the day.

It seems easy enough to check the clearance but if one is out of spec I am assuming I would have to order a shim and have my car not running until I get one or however many i may need.

 

[jmpSHO]

My car was tapping like **** in the valvetrain. I pulled the hood (easier to get to the back), pulled both covers and checked the valves. Not 1 was out of spec. I replaced my camshaft due to a damaged/pitted lobe and replaced a shim (2550 shim I think) because it had some slight scratches. Put it back together, it still tapped. Added Lucas oil stabilizer, ran the **** out of the car for a few days letting the engine get good and hot; and it has quieted down so much the noise is almost non existent now except once in a while on a cold start. I just had a sticky valve or something.

They are easy to check if you have the intake off already. If you so desire, just get a feeler gauge and check them. As long as nothing is really out of whack, don't bother renting the tools and changing anything out as there is no need.

Really, it's not that hard. This is coming from the guy who put off doing his for over a year out of fear I'd tear it up. It was nothing. Just took some time, that's all.

Like I said it's not checking them that's a problem, it's getting a new shim that bothers me.

 

[SHOtimer]

It seems easy enough to check the clearance but if one is out of spec I am assuming I would have to order a shim and have my car not running until I get one or however many i may need.

www.shosource.com
www.shonutperformance.com

...both offer rental shim kits. So, you can have an assortment on hand.

www.rcmautomotive.com offers used and new shims for sale.

Doug

 

[jmpSHO]

www.shosource.com
www.shonutperformance.com

...both offer rental shim kits. So, you can have an assortment on hand.

www.rcmautomotive.com offers used and new shims for sale.

Doug

Thanks I didn't know i could rent a kit. Now I will definately do the valve adjustment.

 

[rubydist]

By all means check them. I've never seen one that was too tight, but you certainly don't want it out of spec on the tight side. If they are too loose, you can make an informed decision about whether you want to do the work to get it back in spec.

 

[JRA2000TL]

Don't worry about the shims. I have extra, Bill (SHObill) has a kit with lots of extras, etc. Shims can be had easily with just a post requesting them. I pulled my extras from a j/y SHO.