can you adjust the valve clearance on a 4cyl dakota? or is it made to go in one way that doesnt allow you to adjust them? if anyone could tell me that would be great.

 

wait for batty, he is the only other guy on here who is missing half an engine

 

torque them to 21ft/#s
when you torque, do 1 cylinder at a time, go back and forth between the exaust and intake rockers tightening gradually until you reach the proper torque,
then move on to the next cylinder

they are non-adjustable

 

i figured they were not adjustable. ill tightin up the rocker arms to what tourque you said and hopfully that will fix the ticking. the no.1 rocker arm has a slight tick, it isnt load enough to hear it with hood closed but with it open a tick is notiable at the no.1 piston and im guessing its the rocker arms cause its got a considerable amount of mile on it. 270k! if it dont fix it then ill leave it be unless the ticking gets worse.

 

it might be the fuel injector at #1 cylinder.
touch a long screwdriver onto the injector and put your ear on the handle.
Kind of like a cheap stethescope.
This is a method for finding bearing noises as well.
( old school)

 

i done used the broom handle trick. injectors make a different sound that is more noticable. im not sayin your wrong cause it could very well be an injector going bad. if an injector was going bad it would idel rough and lack power, it isnt doin that.

 

unplug it and you will find out in a hurry.
it'll run rough, but if the noise goes a way,,,,,,,,

 

mines got 117K, shes ticked since the day i got it, in 05,
my old 91 wrangler, same engine, she ticked all the years i had it...
i'll replace something and the tick quiets down a bit, then comes back, no worse, no better...
oh well

i've gone so far as putting new lifters in, so the only other options would be new rocker arms, pushrods, then the entire valvetrain, then injectors...
but im not gonna bother, i'll just swap in a bigger engine and call it done lol

 

when?

 

when i build the tube frame 3.5" bodydrop