I'm measuring my valve clearances (shim under bucket style) following the book. My question is regarding how much resistance should you feel when sliding the feeler gauge in between the cam lobe and the bucket? All my measurements "just" meet the minimum (ie tight) tolerance but the gauge has to be pushed through the gap. Not so much as to bend the gauge but enough that it doesn't just slide in. I can feel the resistance when pulling it back and forth such that there is no extra. I don't want to take the cam shafts off unnecessarily and have "chased" gaps before....It's a PIA as the shims never seem to hit the sweet spot in the middle of the gap. Thanks for any input.
Having to push it in could be too tight, or it could be you don't have a straight-in shot with the feeler parallel to the lifter. Stiction is my indicator. With all the other specs "just" meeting spec, you may want to "just" go ahead and do em all. PITA is finding the necessary shims. Otherwise, it's "just" part of the game.
It should feel like you’re sliding the feeler gauge between the pages of a closed phone book with no pressure except the weight of the book itself. Thats the best description I can give you.
A PITA to do but you can switch around your shims to get just the right size and save on buying all new shims. Measure and carefully record your clearances + measure the actual shim thickness and record for each valve and put the shim in a labeled, divided storage box, determine what size shim you need for each valve and use whatever shim you've removed that is the right size. You'll most likely still need to get some new shims but this helps. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO MIX UP AND LOSE TRACK OF THE SHIM/VALVE MEASUREMENTS or you'll need to install the cams and measure again. By keeping them separated and in order you wont have to fumble around re-measuring every shim again.
Wait, maybe he doesn’t know what a phone book is? Find an iPad and slam it against your forehead. A bit less resistance than that.
Should slide in with no or very little sticking. If you have to physically push it either your not straight or it's too tight.
