Rocker install

Ok, just found it. As viewed from the top, the distributor always turns counter-clockwise.

slmskrs wrote: I'll ask later how the distributor only turns one way regardless of crank rotation.

Left or right hand gears on the cam shaft. It's also why you need the proper gear on the distributor to match the rotation of the engine.

Okay, I'll be bolting on the new heads today so this is next. A few questions (I've read the other references (Crane and Comp) as well as what is in the manual. Honestly, if I had read this in more detail before tearing into the engine, I would have thought twice and maybe had someone else do it. The only other car I've adjusted the valves was my first car (anyone remember Datsun), a 4-banger with adjustable valves. These non-adjustable rockers seem to be a major pain, and if I do it wrong, I can't just pop the valve covers, I have to take the exhaust manifolds back off as well as the plenum. My retired auto mechanic friend (ski club member) thinks I shouldn't have to worry about it (it will be fine without shims or different push rods (even though I said that since these are remanufactured heads and some has been milled (he says probably no more than 10 thous).   I haven't seen what the shims look like, but the method of measuring seems inexact at best. I don't have a dial gauge. So, questions:

1. What do you use to scribe a small enough mark on the push rods so you can see and measure the difference?

2. Can I measure the difference with calipers (I assume I can get to the marks with them but haven't tried yet (standard calipers used for ski fin adjustments)?

3. Some of the docs I read said that you need to let the lifters bleed out before measurements, but above in this thread people were talking about collapsed lifters due to no oil so needing to pump them back up (or put them in a can of oil). I'm not planning on taking my lifters out so was going to use the drill oil pump driver to pump everything up (which I just got yesterday). Now I don't know which is the correct method.

Anyway, I'm nervous about the preload measurements / adjustments at the moment. I still have to finish cleaning the head mating surfaces of the block (that's going slow) and put the heads on first. So I have a little time to continue to worry about valve adjustments (in addition to concerns about having to tear back into it again due to leaky gaskets or some dumb mistake). I think I'd better take a breather so I'm going to run out and get a ski ride in with a ski buddy (which will get me pumped up to get back onto it---and by that time, you guys will have given me a bunch of additional info and/or slapped me upside the head......   :-)

Please re-read this entire thread from the beginning, I think you may be missing the point of the exercise.

You do NOT want the lifters to bleed down while measuring preload. A good before/after comparison depends on the lifters staying pumped up. What changes is the rockers.

For a non-adjustable valve train:
1. Install primed lifters, pushrods and torque down rockers to spec.
2. Make a mark on the pushrods relative to some fixed reference point (cam must be on base circle, ie, valve closed)
3. Remove rockers and see how much the (primed) lifter pushes it back up. Re-mark pushrod relative to the same reference point.
4. Measure difference between marks. If not in spec (.020-.040), shim or adjust pushrod length as necessary.

OK, fair call.
After re-reading the Comp cams and Crane cams guide I think I had it arse backwards.

The method is to torque all bolts first and then "wait a few minutes, allowing the lifters to bleed down". Then measure the preload by loosening the bolt and allowing the rod to rise.
I was going from a raised position and torquing down...therefore having to wait for each lifter to bleed to neutral position.

Sometimes you just get too wrapped up and can't see the obvious.

Thanks Gordon, some tips in there should help me shave a few hours off the task