Valves

To adjust the valves in the minimum number of steps:

1) Bring the engine to TDC on compression stroke of #1 cylinder. Mark the top of the crank pulley.

2) Imagine the tappets being numbered 1 - 8 from front to back.

3) Adjust tappet numbers 1 and 4 (exhaust)

4) Adjust tappet numbers 2 and 6 (intake)

4) Rotate the engine 360 degrees, until your crank pulley mark is at the top again.

5) Adjust tappet numbers 5 and 8 (exhaust)

6) Adjust tappet numbers 3 and 7 (intake)

If you go to adjust a tappet and it starts out with no clearance at all, you are probably counting wrong and this tappet is not on the base circle.

Zane's method is equally valid and perhaps less subject to user error...

VALVE ADJUSTING ON THE 4 CYLINDER ENGINE
It is possible to hold the tappets so that they can be adjusted by drilling a 1/8” hole in each tappet through the block after they are lined up on top dead center of the compression stroke for each cylinder. Drill the hole as close to the center of the tappet as possible. A smaller drill bit than 1/8” inch can be inserted into the hole to hold the tappet so the adjusters can be turned. Recheck the clearance after the drill bit has been removed. The piston should be on TDC of the cylinder you are adjusting. If you will start with the #1 cylinder and make a mark on the front pulley with a whiteout pen etc and then a reference point to it on the block somewhere then make another mark on the pulley 180 degrees across. After you have adjusted the first #1 cylinder to get the next cylinder in the firing order to TDC turn the engine untill the next mark on the pulley is at the reference point mark and adjust the second cylinder in the firing order. Do this turning the engine 180 degrees each time till the next pulley mark is at the reference mark until all four cylinders have been adjusted or checked. This procedure keeps you from having to find the compression stroke on all the rest of the cylinders.