Setting valve clearance on b2k

So I'm getting the usual ticking sounds from my motor and I think it's about time I adjusted the lifters.
(My truck was a b2200 but has a later model b2000 motor in it now just in case anyone looks at my garage and see's the b2200 written anywhere)
Anyway I have checked the lifters via the oil filler hole and can see that they're not hydraulic and I can adjust them and after reading hundreds of forums looking for the sizes I need I have come up with .008 inlet and .012 exhaust, now are these imperial sizes?
I assume they are so I need to convert to "real man metric" as my feelers aren't that flash as to have both sizes.
So once I have the cover off I turn the motor by hand until the lifter lump is 180deg past the lifter then do I fit the gauge under the rocker to valve part to set or do I do it between the cam and the rocker?
I'm sure I read somewhere that there's a right place to do the measuring but I've read so many different topics on it that they've all merged into a big confusing mess as to which one that was.

ok ill let you know this, i did mine after a head rebuild and you must do it exactly like this!

run the engine until its at operating temp.. like 10-15 minutes if that..

take off the valve cover.

set to top dead center with piston 1 on compression stroke. you can check if it is by taking the dist cap off and seeing if its on number 1

now do cylinder 1 and 2 intake and 1 and 3 exhaust.

rotate the crankshaft 360 degrease so piston 4 is on the compression, you can check same as the first time with the dist.

check 3 and 4 intake and 2 and 4 exhaust!

put valve cover on.


and that's it!! oh btw they are all set to .012 inch or .3 mm not .008, and that goes same for intake and exhaust on both valve and cam side! easy eh? took me about 5 minutes excluding warm up

cool as, that sounds like all the info I need, you make it sound real easy, and the sizing is just what I needed as my conversion skills aren't the best at times.
Now all I have to do is get out in this freezing weather and get it done

I adjusted my valve clearances just how you said but I was informed to set the at .008 and .012 just how he had said.

I haven't done this on a Mazda B2000, but did once on my 1979 Toyota truck (I think).

Yes, supposed to do at operating temperature, not easy to get the valve cover off quickly and not get burned, then check/set valves without getting burned !!!

At least we adjust the valves on our old VWs at 70F (but here in Arizona we may not get that low even at 5am for several months straight !!!)

hmmm. I might need to re-adjust mine then because I was not aware of the operating temp being a factor in this adjustment. Good to know, Thank you!