checking valve clearance

[giantkiller]

Ok so I've checked the valves before. Using the cam lobe facing away from the lifter/ shim bucket. My clymer says top dead center. Witch puts the lobes 180 away from each other. But the picture shows lobe pointing straight up from lifter. The legends guys say just make sure the lobes are 180 away from each other.  The tdc 180 away from each other. Is easily repeatable. And the gaps are ever so slightly looser than when I point the lobes straight up from lifter. So witch is the correct way? 

[racerrad8]

I point mine all 180* away from the cam. That is the heel of the cam and should have the largest gap for the clearance. If you measure elsewhere, you could be on the ramp of the cam and obtain incorrect readings.

I think you left me a message about this over the weekend, sorry for the delay in responding.

Randy - RPM

[giantkiller]

Thanks Randy. That's what I did. Just wanted to make sure. So many saying to point them straight up from lifter,and the picture in the clymer. Was making me second guess.

Hey Randy I got the box with the shirts and relays
But you still haven't sent an email or pm on what I owe you. No rush. But I just wanted to make sure I didn't miss it somehow. I don't ever want to be the guy that didn't pay.

[Bozo]

Thanks Randy. That's what I did. Just wanted to make sure. So many saying to point them straight up from lifter,and the picture in the clymer. Was making me second guess.

Hey Randy I got the box with the shirts and relays
But you still haven't sent an email or pm on what I owe you. No rush. But I just wanted to make sure I didn't miss it somehow. I don't ever want to be the guy that didn't pay.

While on this topic, I had an unrelated (to the FJ) incidence where I decided to help my son change shims on his 2010 KLX250. Anyway I checked the shims and found one to be 0.4mm (S/B 0.24mm). Every time I changed the shim and went to recheck I had a different reading, after about 15min I realized why I could not get it right - if you have the lobe 180 degrees up the (hard to see) de-compressor on the exhaust cam was activated. By setting the crank to TDC  the readings were normal.