Tappets

[David Stepney]

Having had difficulty with tight tappets when I first bought my car (rough running hot with the occasional popping back through the carburettor when pulling hard), I set mine to 6 thou for both inlet and exhaust. I note that Woodrow recommends 6 thou inlet and 7 thou exhaust whilst Williams says 4 thou for both. The handbook that came with the car (edition 972) is silent on the gap, merely exhorting the owner to use the tappet clearance gauge! I tend to the view that 4 thou is a bit tight and tight tappets can do more damage than loose ones.