Pull the spark plugs so the engine rotates easier may help. I use the engine crank but yours is lost. Have you perused ebay for a crank handle? They are very handy for this very reason.

Chevs of the 40s sells them.

As does The Filling Station for a bit cheaper.

Hello 29Red4,

In reading your post, I get the impression that you need a crank handle to start the engine so to be able to adjust the valve lash with the engine running. Is this correct? You adjusted the valves cold, turning engine over using pipe wrench. Do you still need to turn the engine over by hand for other reasons. Is your electric starter operational? The Filling Station lists a crank handle with dimensions given, click-on picture for closer view. OK, as for valve adjusting, suggest watching - Youtube: Little Boy Customs. title: 1938 Chevy Coupe! Valve Adjustment While The Engine Is Running. Notice the need to try and keep the screwdriver in contact with the adjusting screw with one hand while using feeler gauge with other hand. Suggest google search: Antique valve adjusting tool. Study the Zim Mfg. valve adjusting tool. ( Wrench and Screwdriver in one ). 

Hi 29Red4

The '29 engine may be a little different in it's reaction to being warmed up, but the 1942 to 46 Chevrolet repair manual contains a chart showing that when a 216 engine is completely warmed up the valve clearances come back to their original cold setting.

For that reason I no longer fool around with trying to set my valves hot.

As the chart shows, if you are not COMPLETELY warmed up, you will actually end up with a very poor setting.

Cold setting has been working well for me!  🙂

PS

For your interest, I'm attaching the chart I'm referring to:

Jack up one rear wheel put the transmission in third gear, then rotate the engine by rotating the wheel off the ground. If you have enough space in front and behind the vehicle just put the transmission in high gear and move the vehicle forward and back with rear tires on the ground to rotate the engine. You can also rotate the engine with a lever in the slots in the front pulley but you are limited in how far it will move because of limited open space. Different levers with straight, angled ends can extend the range of rotation.

Thanks to all who had ideas. I had checked ebay and then realized The Filling Station had one. Don't know why I didn't check them sooner as most of my parts are from them.

@harry-truppner 

The engine starts fine. I just needed a way to adjust the valves while hot. I have ordered a hand crank.

FWIW I'm on the same camp as Ole. I never set them hot and have never had an issue. The lash at dead cold and normalized hot are the same. (or so close it makes any difference insignificant)

I have also never found a significant difference in cold vs. hot lash. Using feeler gauges on running engines justs destroys the feeler gauge by squeezing between metal parts. Actually the best adjustment is by maximizing vacuum at each valve of a warm running engine.