Valve clearance

[P.I.M.P.]

So I think I'm going to try and dive in to the motor today and do a little spring cleaning. I was wondering if anybody has a stage 1 hot cam and what the clearances they have them set at? I have heard that some people have set them at .006 and .008. I know that hot cams recommends .008 and .010 but have heard that they make a little more noise set at the recommended clearance and have noticed that extra noise. Question is who is using a stage one, have you set it lower than recommended, will this hurt the machine and how long have you been running it this way? Do you notice a power loss or gain? 

[Krandall]

Valves clearances have a tendancy to tighten over time. Making the clearance smaller right away I don't think would have issues, but down the road if not checked semi-frequently, you could possibly get them over tight where they don't close fully.

[Mad Dog]

Won't notice a power loss unless you are way out of spec one way or the other.  No performance benefit really from moving around inside the OEM spec.  Set them looser if you don't mind the valve noise and don't want to check them as often, or use a tighter spec to cut down on noise and remember to check them more often.