Valve Adjustments

[russs]

My valves are loose and I'm thinking about adjusting them. I've adjusted small block chevies and little honda motors but never a REAL motor.... Any tricks to adjusting them or is it pretty straight forward?

 

[NAIL BENDER]

For starters, a crankshaft barring tool comes in handy for rotating the engine to line up to top dead center.

Measure valve lash at rocker arms: Intake 1-2-4, Exhaust 1-3-5. Measurements: Intake .006 in min, .015in max, Exhaust .015 in min, .030in max.

If you need to adjust, loosen the lock nut on the rocker arm and turn the adjusting screw until desired measurement. Desired measurement: Intake .010 in, Exhaust .020 in.

Then rotate the crankshaft 360 so that the pump gear mark is at the 6:00 position. Repeat with Intake 3-5-6, and Exhaust 2-4-6. Put back together and you are done.

 

[Whit]

Joe has it right on, I did find that I could turn the motor backwards with a ratchet on the alternator nut.

Cheers, Kevin

 

[russs]

Originally posted by NAIL BENDER
For starters, a crankshaft barring tool comes in handy for rotating the engine to line up to top dead center.

Measure valve lash at rocker arms: Intake 1-2-4, Exhaust 1-3-5. Measurements: Intake .006 in min, .015in max, Exhaust .015 in min, .030in max.

If you need to adjust, loosen the lock nut on the rocker arm and turn the adjusting screw until desired measurement. Desired measurement: Intake .010 in, Exhaust .020 in.

Then rotate the crankshaft 360 so that the pump gear mark is at the 6:00 position. Repeat with Intake 3-5-6, and Exhaust 2-4-6. Put back together and you are done.

I'd need to pull the draft tube off first to look at the snout of the injection pump right?

I was going to take it to Cummins NW, but I'm sure I can do this myself or at a BOMB party..

I'll try the backwards trick!

 

[NAIL BENDER]

Yes, you will need to pull the draft tube (pump gear cover). Easy operation to do. The barring tool and about 5' of extension works great.

 

[thumper 549]

most of us gear heads run them to the min clearance with good results,( the job is a pc of cake)

 

[Ol Blue]

Since cylinders 1 and 6 are companion cylinders, just watch the valves on #6 while turning the engine backwards with the alternator nut. When the the exhaust just closes and intake just starts to open, you're just slightly past TDC of #1, so put a magic marker stipe across the harmonic blancer that you can align with the fan nut or other reference mark.

Adjust #1 intake and exhaust #2 intake, #3 exhaust, #4 intake, #5 exhaust (note both on #1 then every next cylinder is intake then exhaust, then intake, then exhaust)

Rotate the engine 360degrees using the magic marker stipe on the harmonic balancer. Adjust #6 intake and exhaust, then #5 intake, #4 exhaust, #3 intake, #2 exhaust (note again, both intake and exhaust on the "end of block" cylinder, then every other cylinder alternates intake, exhaust)

In the future, just align your mark and see if #1 or #6 push rods are loose and do that series of rockers, then rotate 360deg and do the other series.

Don't forget, this is supposed to be done on a "cool" engine. Stone cold is good, manual says less than 140 degrees is I remember correctly.

This method is quick, easy, doesn't require a barring tool, and nothing has to come off except the valve cover. I usually set mine at .008 intake and .018 exhaust - the middle of the road kinda thing.

 

[dieselminded]

http://www.3d.otisnet.net/b_series_valve_clearance_adjustment.htm