yes, but the whole engine, including all the gaps and holes, expand with
increasing temperature. if all the materials were the same, and the
temperature was uniform throughout the engine, then the gap would expand
by exactly the same percentage as the overall expansion of the engine; and
there would be more than .006 lash. there might be a differential thermal
expansion going on because of different materials and temperature
differences, and maybe that is what is going on, but it is a little
surprising.

the idea is the same as heating a metal plate with a hole punched out. the
plate and hole must expand by the same percentage. maybe the easiest way
to prove that statement is to imagine also heating the piece that was
punched out. it obviously exdpands, and should be just the right size to
fit the expanded hole in the heated sheet.

dan

On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 10:19:53 -0500, Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
wrote:

>It's the heat that expands the steel parts.
>The various parts just expand and consume that .006.
>Various parts = Lifters, Rocker Arms, Valve Stems, Pushrods, valve seats.
>Check out .006 on a feeler gauge, it's about 1/2 as thick as typing paper.
>
>Stan Wilder
>