Valve adjustment

[Magnum14]

Hey guys I'm new here. I have a 1977 Monza Spyder with the 2300/140ci engine, its a new built engine less than 5,000 miles, its making pretty loud ticking noises, seeming to come from the valve train, My question is can I/how do I adjust the valves?

[rpoz-29]

Unless your engine is from a pre-1976 model, it has hydraulic lifters, and I don't know of any adjustments. If it's from an earlier year with mechanical lifters, you adjust the valves with the cam lobe straight up, using an 1/8 th inch allen wrench and a feeler guage. Exhaust valves are set at .035, and intakes at .015. The adjustment screws must be turned 360 degrees each time they are turned.

[Magnum14]

Ok thank you for that I'll check and see which one it is. Now I took the timing cover off cause we suspect that the cam timing is a tooth advanced, and the belt is shredded so I have to replace it, how is the right way to time this engine?

[rpoz-29]

If the timing belt is shredded, you may have another sort of problem. However, since you need to change it, set the crank at 0 degrees. If you look at the cam gear, you will see a small hole on the perimeter of the gear. By small, I mean about the size of a pencil lead. This has to be lined up with a notch on the head when the cam is at roughly the 6 o'clock position. You may need a mirror to see it. To install the belt, the 4 bolts on the water pump must be loosened and the pump slid to the right, as the pump pully acts as the belt tensioner. After the belt is slid onto the crank and cam gears, the pump pulley must be slid back and the pump tightened. Before I replaced the cover, I would turn the engine over by hand a couple of times to make certain I hadn't gotten it a tooth off. An easy way to determine if you have a hydraulic head, remove the cam cover, and with a lobe facing up, turn a lifter and look for a hole in the side of it near the top. If you have no hole, you have a hyraulic engine.

[Magnum14]

Thanks. the belt is frayed on both sides, I imagine its from being old, Like I said the motor has bout 5,000 miles but I got the car 7 years ago and at that point it hadn't been run in at least that long, so the belt is at least 14 years old. Its actually a neat design belt.

[Magnum14]

ok I checked the timing and I set the crank to 0 and if something isn't wrong then the belt was 4 teeth advanced, Would it even run like this? I reset it like you said and now it won't start, I want to reset the ignition timing, how do I line the distributor up right?

[rpoz-29]

Be sure the timing mark on the crank is pointed at "0". Make really sure the little "dot" is pointed at the" /\" looking mark on the head. Remove the cap from the distributor, and pull the distributor from the head. Turn the rotor until it will face #1 plug wire with the distributor in place. If all this is correct, it should start, although you will need to set the timing with a light.

[Magnum14]

Timing the cam this way requires having the bottom pulley off right?

[vegafrog]

It's been a loooong time but the easiest way I use to time my 2300's was to get the crank on TDC and on the metal shield behind the cam on the driver's side is a small hole that aligns with the hole in the pulley. Align the cam pulley with the hole and put you a nail in it and install the belt. You shouldn't have to do anything to the distributor unless someone has installed it wrong already. Be sure and remove the nail!

[rpoz-29]

The crank pully can stay on, but the guard around it and the alternater pully will need to be removed. It seems that I have managed to get the belt aroung the guard but it was a pain. And Vegafrog is correct, unless the distributor has been removed from the head, there is no need to mess with it.