In our last lesson, we covered installing your chain tensioners. In this lesson, we are up to installing the rest of the rocker shafts and performing the valve adjustment. Remember we installed an intake rocker on each side to set the timing? If not, you can catch up with that here. Timing your cam shafts.

Rocker Shafts

We have already put on the RSR O-rings onto the rocker shafts. This is a flat type rubber seal that needs to sit in the groove with out being bound up. As with most seals it can take a nice coating of silicon lubricant. We do not talk about how to tighten up or set the rocker shafts much in this video. We covered the rocker shaft tightening in the timing lesson.

Be aware of how the rocker shafts fit in relation to the cam box. Using a 5mm and an 8mm allen wrench, take up the load of the rocker.

Work your way through the rocker stand rocker shafts, facing the 5mm side to the cavity in the cam boxes. Make sure the rocker adjusting nuts are wound up all the way.

Engine Position

The valves that you are adjusting must be on TDC, top-dead-center of the compression stroke. The way we like to work is one bank then the next side of the engine. You will already be set up on TDC one from doing the timing. Turn over the engine, skipping every second cylinder. That way we can wrap up one side.

Finish the valve adjustment on the intake and exhaust sides, then put on the lower covers. With the lower covers on we can give a good dose of engine oil to the uppers with out it spilling on the floor!

Valve adjustment tool

Valve Covers

We powder coated the magnesium valve covers for this engine. Powder coat covered everything, top, bottom, and the logo. Next we machined the engine mating surface. The magnesium covers are prone to warping. The powder coat can help fill low spots when we set it up level in the mill and face. Take off as little as possible to expose the Porsche lettering.

Use aluminum washers and Nylock nuts when doing up the valve covers. The nuts are one-time use. Work the nuts down in a crisscross pattern. Take care with a mag cover, we go with a lower torque as a matter of feeling the cover coming down.

Wrapping up the valve adjustment

We move onto the oil cooler, spark plugs, and up next we service the intake manifold. Look forward to exhaust, ignition distributor, and we are heading toward the start-up!