860 valve adjustment - any special tips??

David Lewis · Oct 14, 2008

My 860 runs well but there is some clacking in the valves, so I plan to adjust them a little tighter. I have the marvelous Ford 860 Shop manual which says clearly what to do, but are there any special tips you have that I should know before I start?

awhtx · Oct 14, 2008

Do not set the valves any 'tighter" than the manual calls for. When the engine heats up everything expands and the valves won't close completely. You will burn the valves and then you'll have an expensive repair bill. All engines with solid lifters click some.

old · Oct 14, 2008

One thing I learned decades ago was an engine that does not have hyd valve type lifters should have a tick to them. If they don't then that spells burned valves and big buck to repair them. I learned that with an old dodge slant 6 and was always told they should sort of sound like a sewing machine when they ran
Hobby farm

john_Bud · Oct 14, 2008

You can follow the book for the order, or just rotate by hand and watch the valves operate. When BOTH of them have just rocked (first exhaust then intake) you should be TDC or a bit more. You can then adjust the valves. (on a gas engine, put your finger in the spark plug hole and you can feel for the TDC compression stroke by the air coming out). I do 0.018 cold which turns out to be 0.015 hot nearly every time. It's more fun to adjust cold then check hot.

After adjustment, rotate the engine by hand again and make sure that there is still slack.

richardp3 · Oct 15, 2008

Just adjusted my 850 lifters. I was able to get the valve cover off without removing sheet metal and fuel tank by loosening back gas tank bolts and removing the front gas tank bolt and front sheet metal dog leg bolts. Then I lifted the front of the fuel tank up an inch with a pry bar on the fuel tank mounting bracket.
Adjusting the gap was easy following the I/T service manual instructions (with cyl 1 intake and cyl 3 exhaust open, adjust cyl 2 and cyl 4 bla bla bla). Be sure and re-check all gaps and lock nut torques before you button it back up.

While your in there, you want to check if you have the oiler tube hold down bracket installed. It didn"t come from the factory on older engines, and keeps the rear oil tube from coming unseated. This is covered in the I/T manual.

860 valve adjustment - any special tips??

David Lewis

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awhtx

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old

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john_Bud

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richardp3

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