Put the truck into the dealership last week to get the front crank seal replaced - asked the tech to run a check on the valve lash, started geting some clatter and I'm at 95K. Got the truck back, tech said all rockers were within spec but one.
Put about 900 miles on the truck Saturday and Sunday, started to notice more clatter. Pulled the valve cover, turned engine to TDC at 12:00 on damper - #1 exhaust was loose, but intake was tight. Weird, but not worried yet. Turned the engine 360, #1 intake loose, but exhaust tight. Rotated the crank through two more cycles, same thing. With the damper TDC mark at 12:00, intake rockers 1,3,4, 5, and exhaust 2,3,5,6 are loose. Rotate 360, and the opposite occurs.
Really don't want to pull injectors to find TDC - any other methods or ideas?
The truck runs OK, but has loud clatter under load, some power loss, and seems to "stutter" under steady light throttle - feel the stutter through the throttle pedal and can hear it in the exhaust tone, slightly. I'm going to talk to the dealership in the AM, but really don't want them to touch the engine again - would rather set the lash myself if I can find #1 TDC....

 

Crank down on the #1 intake valve (over adjust) turn the engine BY HAND until the piston comes up and stops against the valve. Mark the dampener with a fixed point on the block. Now turn it over the other way BY HAND until it stops and mark the dampener with the same fixed point you used earlier. Measure to the center of the two marks you made on the dampener and mark this in a different color or in some identifying way. Now using the same fixed point used to make the marks put the center mark on that and will be at TDC.

 

good idea. just dont force the **** thing.

had one guy in a shop i worked at try to find TDC with a johnson bar....... a REALLY BIG one. bent some valves. after he did that he asked me why its soo hard to turn over by hand. lol.

 

I use this method with a couple of differences. I watch #1 intake valve open and shut as I'm barring the engine over. Once it shuts completely I tighten the rocker down 5 turns and bar the engine carefully until the piston contacts the valve. I put a piece of masking tape on the balancer and mark it. Then I loosen the valve off, bar the engine about 90 degrees, tighten the valve back down exactly the same amount, bar the engine back and mark the tape. Peeling the tape back 1/2 way gives TDC. If you want to be really precise, set up a dial guage on the valve.

Doing it this way ensures that you're at the top of the compression stroke. Just rotating the engine back puts it at the top of the compression stroke one way and at the top of the intake/exhaust stroke the other way. It may cause the valve to be opening a bit.