Valve and Valve Adjustments

ADJUSTING VALVE TAPPET CLEARANCE

Adjust tappet clearance according to
specifications. Correct clearance contributes
to quiet engine operation and long valve
seat wear. Insufficient clearance causes the
valve to ride open, resulting in lost
compression and burning. Too much
clearance retards timing and shortens valve
life above seat preventing maximum intake
and exhaust. Check tappet guide clearance.
Sloppy fit permits tappet to strike valve
stem off-center, causing side thrust on valve
stem with excessive wear and bad seating.
•
The valve tappets are removable. These
large, barrel shaped, pressure lubricated
tappets are so designed that by removing the
adjusting screw, the main body can be lifted
out and replaced from above through the valve
chamber. This eliminates the costly service
operation of dropping the oil pan and pulling
the camshaft. Locking of the adjustment is both
simple and effective. Accurate valve tappet
settings materially prolong engine life and aid
performance. In addition to impairing
performance, excessive clearances are harmful
to cams and tappets as well as to the rest of
the valve mechanism. When clearances are too
low, the possibility of burned valves increases.
•
 Check and adjust intake and exhaust
tappets to following clearances at normal
operating temperature:
Intake - .008" Exhaust - .014"

•
Procedures in adjusting valve tappet
clearance:
1. Disconnect and ground the high
tension coil wire to prevent accidentally
starting the engine.
 2. Remove the valve tappet cover from the left
side of the crankcase for L-head engine but
if the engine is I-head or OHC-overhead
camshaft; remove the valve tappet cover
from the top of the cylinder head.

•
 3. Remove the spark plug from number one
cylinder. For in line type engine begin at
front side with the number one spark plug.

•
 4. Place thumb over the spark plug opening
and slowly crank the engine until an
outward pressure can be felt. Pressure
indicates number one piston is moving
toward Top Dead Center of the compression
stroke. Continue cranking until the timing
mark on the flywheel is in center of the
flywheel housing timing hole. Both valves
are then closed on the compression stroke
of number one cylinder.
•
 5. Use two thin wrenches when adjusting
valve clearance. Use the lower wrench to
hold the tappet and the upper wrench to
raise or lower the tappet adjusting screw.
When the valve lash is properly adjusted,
the appropriate feeler gauge should pass
between the tappet and its corresponding
valve stem with a slight drag
Note: Follow/refer to
Manufacturer’s
Specification Manual.
•
 6. Crank the engine one-half revolution at a
time and check the clearance of each valve;
adjust if necessary. Do this on each set of
cylinder valves in succession according to
the firing order of the engine, which is 1-3-
4-2.
Note: Locate the firing order of Engine.

•
7. Install new gasket and install valve tappet
cover. Be sure the valve cover has an oil-
tight seal with the crankcase.
Note: Use the appropriate sealant, gasket and
ensure the correct bolt tight
8. Replace the spark plug, spark plug wire and
coil wire.