Learning to set valve lash by feel instead of a torque wrench

Back when I first started messing with old Chevy small blocks in the early 2000s, I'd use a torque wrench on every rocker arm nut like the manual said. Then I talked to this old timer Bob at a junkyard near Tulsa who told me to just go by feel and listen for the tick. Now I do it all by hand on my '85 F150, saves me like 30 minutes and I haven't had a bent pushrod in ages. Anyone else ditch the torque wrench for stuff like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

paul1171mo agoTop Commenter

Slam that rocker nut down and let her eat, I say. Honestly, I ditched the torque wrench on my valve adjustments years ago too, and it's been nothing but smooth sailing. Ngl, one time I was so sure I felt it right that I skipped double checking and the thing fired up quieter than a church mouse. But I guess that's the beauty of an old truck, it either runs or it doesn't, and you learn real quick which way that is.

spencer6641mo ago

Wait, are you just rawdogging it or using anything?

valthomas1mo ago

Man, that quiet as a church mouse bit is wild. I've had the opposite happen - torqued it to spec, felt good, and still had a tick that drove me nuts for weeks. What kind of rocker nut setup are you even running that lets you get away with that? Like, are you on a specific brand of lock nuts or just relying on the old crush washer trick? I gotta know if you're using any kind of thread locker or just rawdogging it with feel and faith.