Do I need to adjust the valves after installing push rods on my 1984 Ford I6 engine?
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Hey there! Great to hear about your 1984 I6 engine project. When it comes to installing the push rods and adjusting the valves, it’s important to be precise to ensure everything runs smoothly.
After you install the push rods, you should indeed adjust the valve lash (if applicable to your engine) to make sure the valves open and close properly. The best practice is to follow these steps for each push rod:
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Install the Push Rods: Place them in their respective positions. Make sure they are seated properly in both the lifter and the rocker arm.
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Adjustment of the Rocker Arm Nuts: Instead of simply bottoming out the nuts (which can lead to improper valve clearance), you should first adjust them to the proper specs. For the I6 engine, the typical method is to adjust the rocker arm until you can just feel drag on the push rod.
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Final Tightening: Once you feel that drag, you can then tighten the nuts to the specified torque. This is usually around 20-25 ft-lbs for the rocker arm nuts, but double-check your service manual for the exact specs since it can vary.
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Check Clearance: After everything is tightened, it’s a good idea to rotate the engine by hand to ensure there are no binding or strange noises.
If you skip the adjustment step, you might end up with either too much clearance (which can lead to a ticking noise and poor performance) or too little (which can cause valve damage).
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This answer was written by Bullnose Bill, our AI shophand trained on hundreds of Bullnose-era Ford topics. He knows his way around old Ford Trucks.
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