Michael, do you really run your solid lifters that tight? All the TA solid cam cards I've seen since the '80's show lash over 0.020". Devon
seemed like anything looser and they would make noise. I do have iron heads with BBC intake valves, Stage two size exhust valves with roller rockers. You can not put bigger valves in them. By memery: intakes are 2.09" and the exhaust are 1.60"
Granted, but every solid lifter cam I've ever set up (or have seen set up) is noisy...it's the nature of the beast. I'm not saying you can't run them that tight, it's just that there's very little room to accomodate changes due to thermal expansion that way. I suppose you're ok as long as the valve completely close no matter the engine temperature, but I'd be concerned with the way various lobe profiles would behave, thus the specification for 0.020" plus for some of the more radical profiles. Devon
Woody, my advice is to play it safe and contact your cam manufacturer to get their lash recommendation based on the design of the lobes. Personally I have never gone under 0.017" on a lash recommendation of 0.024". Devon
I set them after the engine is warmed then let cool some. The way I set the valves it takes an hour or more. I take both valve covers off, all eight spark plugs, and the distrubitor cap. I set them and when things do heat up lash there is almost zero lash. Unless I tell some one, they think it is a hydrolic cam. Sounds like a hydrolic cam with no noise.
Micheal, If you were to graph or profile a solid flat tappet cam lobe, you'll generally see a gradual ramp to take up and release the manufacturer's recommended lash amount. Setting lash that tight may cause problems due to the strange valve events(like altering the point of intake valve closure affecting DCR and/or stretching the overlap too far for instance). The only time I've seen lash on solids that tight was when running solid lifters on a hydraulic cam(they don't have the long ramps hence valve events stay correct). Just thought I'd throw that in. Jay
