1957 F-Bird Valve Clearance specs

[BigGar]

1957 Supercharged Thunderbird. I don't have a manual handy. Fresh restoration and a pushrod came off and got slightly bent on #7 cylinder intake valve. I managed to get the pushrod out and it rolled on the metal bench like a lightly bent pool cue. Just to get through the day and see where things were at, considering how easy this car is to remove the driver's side rocker cover and rocker arm, I straightened the pushrod out (remarkably well I might add! -still replacing it though). I put everything back together and car runs as it should. I would like to check all of the valve clearances though when I put the new pushrod in once I have it in hand. So if any of you could be so kind as to let me know what feeler gauges I'm going to be using, I would very much appreciate it! Also, I could use the proper torque spec for the rocker arm mounting bolts and the two studs. I just snugged them down reasonably tight for now as I just wanted to see how the car ran once I put the straightened pushrod back in place. It's coming back apart when I put the new pushrod in and I want to put it back together as perfectly as I can.

Best regards,

Gar

This page contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. As an eBay Partner, and Amazon Associate I may be compensated if you make a purchase at no cost to you.

 

[jack-in-sac]

1957 Supercharged Thunderbird. I don't have a manual handy. Fresh restoration and a pushrod came off and got slightly bent on #7 cylinder intake valve. I managed to get the pushrod out and it rolled on the metal bench like a lightly bent pool cue. Just to get through the day and see where things were at, considering how easy this car is to remove the driver's side rocker cover and rocker arm, I straightened the pushrod out (remarkably well I might add! -still replacing it though). I put everything back together and car runs as it should. I would like to check all of the valve clearances though when I put the new pushrod in once I have it in hand. So if any of you could be so kind as to let me know what feeler gauges I'm going to be using, I would very much appreciate it! Also, I could use the proper torque spec for the rocker arm mounting bolts and the two studs. I just snugged them down reasonably tight for now as I just wanted to see how the car ran once I put the straightened pushrod back in place. It's coming back apart when I put the new pushrod in and I want to put it back together as perfectly as I can.

Best regards,

Gar

I suggest you get a shop manual. Hot clearances should be .019 I use a P&G valve gapper that speeds the job. I also set my valves at .021 cold. I like them when hot to be a bit looser than called for. I would rather give up a little top end power than burn a valve.

 

[BigGar]

Thank you very much!

 

[Fbirdowner]

Hi... I had the same problem on an e bird several weeks ago trying to start a car that had not run in 10 years. If it happens again u don’t need to remove all the rocker arms shaft.

I fished the pushrod out and after straightening it loosened the adjusting nut and pushed the rocker arm to the side and put the pushrod back inn with the adjusting nut loose, u can put the rocker over the pushrod. Hold it there and tighten nut to about where it was. If u r lucky it’ll be all the way up.... and can be adjusted. I adjusted it to 19. Saves u a lot of work...... good luck walt

Ps I have an f bird and need a few parts. I could use blower, carb and fuel pump to complete my engine. Pls let me know if u or someone u know has parts..... thanks

 

[BigGar]

I might be able to get you the contact information of the restorer. He may have some parts. He's somewhere out here in CA and likely already well known on this forum as he's apparently "thee" F-Bird / T-Bird guy. I'll try to get some photos of my client's car. It's about as perfect as one's going to get I think. I was not at his warehouse today but he took it out for about a 15 mile drive to meet some folks for lunch. He said it ran well but cut out a couple of times and seemed to get pretty warm, at least according to the temp gauge. It's had literally no shakedown time. It was supposedly run on a dyno during the restoration process, but since it's been finished it's been driven on and off trailers at a few shows and that's about it. I'm sure today's 15 mile trip at least doubled the miles it's traveled since being finished up. The cutting out / shutting down thing has me a little concerned. Ignition switch issue? Are those teapot carburetors prone to vapor lock? It was about the warmest day of the year today in the Carlsbad / Vista, CA area anyway.

 

[doug7740]

Gar,

The question that I have is what caused the push rod to bend and what’s going to stop the same thing from happening again? Since you a said that since the restoration was finished the vehicle has been driven off and on trailers, that would rule out improper push rod installation. It is my belief that the rocker arms are binding on the rocker shafts causing the push rod to become unseated from the valve lifter. If you don't inspect and clean the rocker arm assemblies this might happen again. Do you want to take that chance?

Attached is an article from the March/April 1996 Early Bird magazine, written by Barry Thomas, which explains how to disassemble, inspect and clean the rocker arm assemblies.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

 

[Fbirdowner]

Gar,

The question that I have is what caused the push rod to bend and what’s going to stop the same thing from happening again? Since you a said that since the restoration was finished the vehicle has been driven off and on trailers, that would rule out improper push rod installation. It is my belief that the rocker arms are binding on the rocker shafts causing the push rod to become unseated from the valve lifter. If you don't inspect and clean the rocker arm assemblies this might happen again. Do you want to take that chance?

Attached is an article from the March/April 1996 Early Bird magazine, written by Barry Thomas, which explains how to disassemble, inspect and clean the rocker arm assemblies.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

Hi .... I’m my case my car had not run in 10 years and what caused the pushrod to bend was a stuck valve. I used the tool to remove the valve keepers and pushed the valve down over and over while oiling the base of the valve. I did that till it became free. Than loosened the adjusting nut and moved the rocker to the side, put the push rod back in and readjusted the nut. I have run the motor for about an hour and so far successful.

 

[BigGar]

Doug,
Thanks for that informative article. I'm going to try to get hold of the restorer to see if that is something that he did during the engine rebuild process or not. If not, I'll try to get a couple of those sheet metal plugs and do it myself. Seems like a reasonably easy job and we're planning on adjusting all of the valves again anyway once the new pushrod comes in. Like you said, there's probably a reason the pushrod got itself out of place because it was definitely in place when the car was delivered to my client.