Valve clearance

hudsonsplasher1

Hi All,
I know this subject has come up before, but here it goes again. I''m about to adjust the valve clearance on my 17 Super Six. Book calls for 8 thou. on intake and 10 on exhaust. But, somewhere I read with stainless steel valves and modern gas, they should be set 10 and 12 thou. clearance. Any thoughts much appreciated.
Also, the rods have been fitted with newer bolts without the castle nut and cotter pin. I have them set at 40 lbs. Think that's enough?
Gene.

mars55

I don't know about the valve clearance,but on the rod bolts,what would prevent the nut from coming lose. I think you need some kind postive lock on the nut. torque will not do it.

Geoff

Set the valves when the engine is thoroughly warmed up and you can't go wrong. and on your engine it is so easily accessed it is not an issue to get in there with the engine hot. Stick to the correct .008" and .010" clearances. The con rod bolts are 7/16-20 so you can safely go up to 45 lbs.

Ol racer

FYI

This is an area where opinions will vary but Ive always set valves a little looser than Specs regardless Hot or Cold, especially Exh valves, thinking its better to hear a little valve noise to ensure seating rather than be silent & potentially burn.

Regarding Rod Torque... I believe Bolt Torque Value ensures the Rod & Cap assembly becomes completely concentric at that Setting. Over tightening 'too much' because concern of no castle nut/cotter pin may distort the bearing, however a few lbs more for ease of mind probably is okay.

I can relate to your concern back when I eliminated the Pal Nut on Hornet Rods the first time.....

Hudson Engineers really 'over engineered' many features in Hudson making them very durable Cars.. Perhaps the Cotter pin & Pal nut were an extra assurance of retention, even though Hudson had balanced rotating assemblies long before other Mfg's....

Geoff

Setting the valves wider than specified achieves nothing, and can have an adverse effect on the efficiency of the motor. If you can hear a valve tappet it is too wide, and will accelerate the rate of embedment. That is, the indentation of the valve stem into the tappet or vice-versa, which makes it impossible to set them accurately once this occurs. Set them hot on your '17 motor, it is easy to do. Think about it - if the setting is too wide the valve is opening too late, and closing too early, and the wear on the cams, followers and tappets is accelerated.

hudsonsplasher1

Thanks Guys. I appreciate your input.
Gene.