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What happens if you might have over tightened your valves a little too much? And just another stupid question How much of a cam can you use if you have stock heads with press in rocker studs obviously a hydraulic cam.

You can use a pretty healthy cam with a stock head. Just can't go with a huge lift and stock springs. I think the stock Z28 springs can handle up to 490 lift.I have used the 284h comp cam.
Get the valves to tight and you could possibly bend a push rod. I alway set mine hot. Tighten them down till it misses, back it off till it starts to clatter then tighten it till it quits and give mine another 1/4 turn
never did like setting them cold but when I did I set them till I can turn the pushrods freely with my fingers.
Somebody jump in here and correct me were I am wrong.

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Too much to do and not enough time or money!
Courage is the other side of fear!
Pain is the weakness leaving the body!

If you managed to tighten them enough to keep them from seating, they would probably overheat and warp/crack.

Wiping out a cam lobe is a distinct possibility.

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FIAA!

SFPP!

On a Hyd. cam i set them up while on the engine stand.As was mentioned i adjust the valve while turning the push rods till i have O clearance then on a street motor i go 1/2 turn on a race type motor i go 1/4 turn then bolt on the valve covers and never look at them again. The rest is in the break in on start up.

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1978 pro street step/side 455Buick, 4sp,4.11s, 31/18.5s

So 0 clearance is when you can't turn the pushrod right. Do you do half on 0 TDC and the other half one full crank turn.

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Too much to do and not enough time or money!
Courage is the other side of fear!
Pain is the weakness leaving the body!

There is a method I followed to adjust them cold on the engine stand like I did and I ended up messed up. I bought an edelbrock cam and the instructions said something like start at the number 1 cylinder turn the motor over until the exhaust lifter starts to go up and tighten to zero lash and then crank the motor over again until the intake lifter starts to move down and set to zero lash etc,etc,etc. After about half way through I noticed all the ones that I had allready adjusted werent adjusted right anymore. Speedway motors has a another method that looks like it could save some time. but either way the next time I have to re adjust valves in a new motor or for what ever reason I will start by doing them on the stand like I allways do and then double check myself with the motor hot and running. DUMB QUESTION: How do you convert press in rocker arm studs too screw in type? I havent done any research on this yet but is there a way to do it or do I need to get another set of heads?

You can pull the press in studs out by using a spacer and tightening a nut on the stus and pull them out. The problem is that screw in studs usually need to be set lower in the boss so most of the time you have to machine down the boss, also you need to compensate for the guide plates as well.

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Certified pilots, looking down on people since 1903.

I think cold you set it at top dead center and adjust certain cylinders exhaust or intake and then crank it one full turn and adjust the rest.

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Too much to do and not enough time or money!
Courage is the other side of fear!
Pain is the weakness leaving the body!

The simple way while on the engine stand is start at #1 cyl at TDC and adjust both twisting the push rod until you feel it make contact (O clearance) then turn 1/2 turn.THEN go to the next cyl in the firing order at tdc, when done you will have the valves adjusted in firing order and then you turn it a little more and you are at TDC #1 again.It's not as difficult as it sounds and i have done so many this way that i don't even pre lube the lifters as i can feel the clearance and i always pre lube and turn the motor before the dist go's in, this way i know the motor is lubed and i know about what the oil pressure will be on startup. It may sound like bragging but i haven't blowen one up yet knock on wood(rapping on head now).Here is a good clue ,if you due not feel comfortable doing your valve or even your motor please find some one you trust to help as the pain and anquish as well as money you save will be worth it.

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1978 pro street step/side 455Buick, 4sp,4.11s, 31/18.5s

so are you putting each cylinder in the firing order at tdc as you do the valves or leaving the crank at 0 tdc with the number 1 cylinder at tdc and doing the firing order. 18436572

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Too much to do and not enough time or money!
Courage is the other side of fear!
Pain is the weakness leaving the body!

Rotate the motor to the next cyl. in the firing order to TDC adj. valves then rotate to next and so on untill you have done all 8 cyl. Adj. the valves on each cyl. at a time only.

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1978 pro street step/side 455Buick, 4sp,4.11s, 31/18.5s

I saw a stud pinning kit made by MR. Gasket has anyone used this kit and if so is it easy to use at home or do you have to have a machine shop do it for you. Since my motor isnt really going to see much abuse or at least this motor I would just like to change the cam out sometime in the future but I dont really want to spend much money on it. Im working on getting another motor together but it will be a while before it gets finished I just want to make the most out of what I have for right now. I have been thinking a little about printing out the head casting numbers and going for a walk in the bone yard to see if there is anything out there that would be a decent candidate for a mild street motor with screw in studs.

Hell ! , if the thing is running and you've been around the bolck twice dog'in on it just pull one valve cover and take a pizza box and cut it to fit the exhaust side of the head . Stuff it between the gasket flat and valve spring , take a 5/8 wrench or socket and fire the motor up . back off the rocker till you here it "clack" then tighten it 1/4 to 1/2 turn you'll hear it if you go to far . Do all the valves on that side then re- install the cover and repeat on the other side . If the valves are to tight you will hear the motor smooth out as you hot adjust the valves . I do all mine this way even with the cold adjust method . Just my .02

Small Block Chevy Valve Adjustment Order 0 deg TDC, both number one valves shut.

Adjust the #1 exhaust valve

Adjust the #1 intake valve

Adjust the #3 exhaust valve

Adjust the #5 intake valve

Adjust the #7 intake valve

Adjust the #2 intake valve
Adjust the #4 exhaust valve
Adjust the #8 exhaust valve
Now rotate the engine 360 degrees. The mark on the balancer should be back at the TDC mark. Keep in mind that this is not the TDC where #1 would be firing! It's where #6 would fire.
Adjust the #3 intake valve
Adjust the #5 exhaust valve
Adjust the #7 exhaust valve
Adjust the #2 exhaust valve
Adjust the #4 intake valve
Adjust the #6 exhaust valve
Adjust the #6 intake valve
Adjust the #8 intake valve

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72 luv v-8 owned since 16!
240" rear engine dragster
traded the circle track cars for a blown 496 chevy
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29 dodge 4 dr sedan (project)
84 ranger 2wd "tuff truck" with 350 sbc

That is the way I thought it was done cold. Gues I did mine right then.
I took an oldd valve cover and drilled holes init for a ratchet to fit the rockers so I could adjust them hot if i wanted. Saves a lot of oil and mess.

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Too much to do and not enough time or money!
Courage is the other side of fear!
Pain is the weakness leaving the body!

The idea about using an old valve cover with the top peeled out of it sounds like a good idea you would think that a tall style cover might be perfect. I think eldlebrock makes a two piece cover for that purpose and there are a ton of knockoffs that look like the two piece that have little plastic inserts that resemble allen bolts. Either way I got it all dialed in and drove it friday night. A couple of kids standing on the street corner convinced me I should do a burnout so I did it was the first intended burn out I have done with the new motor.