Valve adjustment tips?, Do I need a trained monkey or what? Options

[mpoffers]

Got the car on jackstands, valve covers are off, I'm turning the engine and rocking the valves per instructions from a forum search. All is well.

Except I can't reach the valves. There's engine tin above, heat exchanger below, and suspension mount to the side. OK, I'm exagerating a little. I can reach the rockers, I can even get the feeler gage in and out. What I can't see how to do is get tools in there to do the adjustment. I might be able to get a wrench on the lock nut and get it loose, but I don't see how I could get it tight enough after I've made the adjustment. I definately don't see how I could hold the adjustment screw and tighten the nut simultaneously.

Am I missing something, or should I be recruiting the help of my 4-year-old-daughter? Her hands are pretty small.

Mike

[Katmanken]

If you have ever tightened a valve adjuster nut on an aircooled engine where you can see it, you will notice that the adjuster screw usually rotates unless the screw driver is in place.

[Gint]

If you have ever tightened a valve adjuster nut on an aircooled engine where you can see it, you will notice that the adjuster screw usually rotates unless the screw driver is in place.

True. I check and set the clearance and then give my nuts a tighten and observe how much the screw turns. Then I loosen the nut again and turn the screw back that much extra distance and then tighten it down. Afterwords I recheck the clearance. If it's not right, repeat the previous procedure. Done. Still, only on rare occasions do I need to actually use a screwdriver.