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I once had a Z129 Continental gas and as I recall the gap was .16 and .18 hot (forget which was which but someone will correct me).I think the former is intakes and latter exhausts cause they get hotter and expand longer. There are several methods defined in text, but I am lazy and want the easiest route. So for me that is remove the things in the way and with a cold engine, I roll the crank while watching the rocker arms. When you get to TDC (Per cylinder, not total engine timing) both rockers will be relaxed for several degrees of crank rev. back and forth. you can just rock the crank while watching the rockers and they don't move. Put the crank in the center of your rocking motion and get after it. If you are going from any other function (inlet, exhaust), as soon as one stops moving (as you rotate the crank slowly) the other one starts. It's real easy once you turn the crank thru a full 4 cycles to see what I am talking about. You can try to line the engine up so you only have to turn the crank twice (per the book), but I forget which one I tweaked and just do them one at the time. Since I set them cold (easy) I add .002 to the set value to allow for valve length expansion due to heat. So my numbers are .018 and .020 not .016 and .018. When correctly adjusted, the feeler gauge will just slide thru the gap between the head of the rocker arm and valve stem without causing the rocker arm to rise (lift up a little). If it moves while sliding the gauge the gap is too tight and if you can't feel any sliding friction it is too wide. The nut on the other end of the rocker arm sets the distance. One final point. Most of these engines use solid lifters so they will tick a little. Hydraulic lifters were invented to take up the slack and prevent the (annoying) tick. That's what's in your car. Point to remember. You'll never burn a valve from being too tight if you hear em ticking. So in reality the tick is music to your ears..... but you don't want them clattering at you and I have been adjusting valves on tractors for the past 25 years and never had to go back into an engine I overhauled.
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