[Healeys] Adjusting Valve Rocker Clearance

[BJ8 Healeys]

Tim, if you have a spanner of the appropriate size, you should be able to
use it to turn the engine.  I'm assuming by "spanner" you are referring to
what we Americans call an open-end (or "crowfoot") wrench and not a socket.
I use such a wrench, but have modified it by welding on an extension to the
handle to make it easier to turn the engine with it.

Using the starter relay button to turn over the engine works fine on a gross
basis, but it's also easy to overshoot the adjustment position and I find
the wrench a much more precise way to do it with a minimum of engine
turning.

I don't know what the claw was intended for, but it almost looks like a
holdover from the manual crank of the Model T days and I don't think it
would be very useful for turning the Healey engine given the space
restrictions. 

Steve Byers
HBJ8L/36666
BJ8 Registry
Havelock, NC  USA 


-----Original Message-----
From: healeys-bounces at autox.team.net [mailto:healeys-bounces at autox.team.net]
On Behalf Of Tim Ward
Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2012 7:46 AM
To: 'AH Mail List'
Subject: [Healeys] Adjusting Valve Rocker Clearance

Hi Team
Once again I need the benefit of your collective wisdom. 

I need to set the gaps again after a few years of use. I shall take out the
spark plugs so there is no resistance to turning the engine.
However.
The nut at the front, which is very large (I do have a spanner that size,
but the nut is too close to the chassis to use) also has a claw type fitting
on the front. So my question is, what is the easiest way to turn the engine
clockwise so that I get each successive valve, in the order set down in the
Haynes manual, to adjust? Using the starter is very imprecise. Rolling the
car in gear needs more  space than I have in my garage, and is also quite
difficult to get precise. Is the claw fitting designed to be used by
something to turn the crank? If so what?
 
Thank you. I am sure that I shall get lots of help, as usual.

Tim

BJ8 '67