patrickt,
Agreed, but for the novice it is better to spell out the process. Good point on checking your own hot lash, wait till cold, then take note of cold lash. Every engine has its own expansion rate, and as you say, alloys make a big difference. With my iron block and giant alloy heads, my expansion was much less than I first thought it would be, so it's always good to do this exercise yourself and not assume when setting cold. Unless you enjoy setting the lash hot, then by all means, that is the absolute best way.
John
