[RESOLVED] Strange Sounds After Valve Adjustment

[Huzo]

  FWIW, I use a 3/8" shorty extension dropped in the spark plug hole. Works perfect.

Until you get the thing jammed in the hole as the piston contacts it and you damage the thread.
Just use a damn straw or LONG zip tie…Works perfect !
Also I suggest, that if anyone does not have a fundamental idea that there are two TDC points in a combustion cycle, then they should reach for a book before they reach for a wrench.
Or watch someone else do it first.

[Huzo]

the cylk popped up

I don’t know what the hell the “cylk” is, but I think it might have been the piston.

[Bulldog9]

Until you get the thing jammed in the hole as the piston contacts it and you damage the thread.
Just use a damn straw or LONG zip tie…Works perfect !
Also I suggest, that if anyone does not have a fundamental idea that there are two TDC points in a combustion cycle, then they should reach for a book before they reach for a wrench.
Or watch someone else do it first.

I get what you are saying. The Shorty sticks m1ybe 3/4" into the combustion chamber and there is ZERO chance of it binding because it doesn't touch the extension until it is almost to the top of travel. Straws bend, and zip ties. well........ But hey you do you.... YMMV As for the two TDC, duh..... The issue is WHICH is the one to use, and if you have experience, you will find that Exhaust and Intake are sometimes adjusted differently for each cyl off one of the two. This is NOT the case on a Guzzi motor of course where you can adjust both.

[Tom H]

"adjust both"? I assume you mean both valves on the one cylinder. Then find TDC for the other cyl. and then adjust both valves.

Tom

[Bulldog9]

"adjust both"? I assume you mean both valves on the one cylinder. Then find TDC for the other cyl. and then adjust both valves.

Tom

Not Talking about Guzzi motors. Perhaps I am "misremembering" but  IRRC, on one of my Porsche motors, you cant adjust the Intake and exhaust valves at the same time.  But thinking about it....... It doesn't make sense. All I know is a valve adjustment is a LONG Process where you have to do Intake, Rotate motor to the next TDC and then Exhaust valves.

[Tom H]

I seem to remember something like that for my '62 F100 I6. In the manual it says something to the effect to start on #1 cylinder intake loose, adjust it, then go to #3 cyl. or the like and do the intake or exhaust??. Then rotate the engine until this cyl. has the intake loose and then do the corresponding cylinder. The repeat until all are done. I guess Ford felt that the position of the lift part of the lobe didn't matter as long as it was not trying to lift the rocker. BTW: this is a solid lifter engine, not hydraulic.

Supposedly, doing it by the book sped up the process rather than TDC at compression for each cyl. one at a time. I just made it simple for myself when I did it the last time and TDC at comp each cyl one at a time and adjusted both valves.

Maybe your engine you remember had DOHC and some sort of ramp up to the lift part of the lobe??? "Maybe" that would be why you can't just do both valves of that cyl. at the same time????

Tom

[wirespokes]

I worked on a Volvo P1800 once that wouldn't run past about 35mph. Ran fine up to that point. Spent three or four days thinking it was everything from a plugged exhaust to the fuel injection. Two previous volvo shops told the customer the engine was shot and needed replacing. I'd replaced the head the year before and knew everything inside was fine. It only had like 100K and they're good for much much more. About the third or fourth time rechecking the valves I tried the alternative method like Tom just posted. I'd never done it that way before, or since, so can't give you the procedure but I got to a certain point and went "Hey, I must have missed that valve opening." Took a couple runs through to realize it just wasn't opening. That's when I discovered it was a bad cam. Volvo was known to have some soft ones in the early 70s. A bad cam just wasn't something on my radar at all.

[n3303j]

Thinking bask to '55 Chevy with solid lifters. Did the adjustment on a warm running engine. Put the socket on the adjustment nut and tried inserting the proper feeler on the valve stem. If it didn't go in you'd crank the adjustment open until it easily cleared (with engine running). Then you'd slowly crank adjustment down (with engine running) until the feeler just stopped being loose. Then pull it clear and over to next cylinder. If the job took over 10 minutes total you were just too slow. Rocker clearances were specified HOT.
All the time oil was slowly dripping over the assembly keeping it lubricated. Great old school procedure.

Hydraulic were the same except you'd crank down until the cylinder just started misfiring and then back out a specified number of turns.

So I get a new '80 Toyota Tercel. Solid lifters. It calls for rocker clearance after an interval (forget what interval). So I try the same trick. Rocker cover off and light the fire. It's like the drain hose fell off the washer. Oil fountain everywhere. Shut it down and adjust the "new way". No wonder those engines ran 300,000 miles without being opened. Plenty of lubrication on all moving parts.

[faffi]

My dad teached me to do one valve clearance when the other(s) for that cylinder was open. I still do it that way because you cannot go wrong.

[Dirk_S]

Sure hope this topic tangent isn’t confusing the OP or any other folks new to Guzzi valve clearances.

[Bulldog9]

I don’t know what the hell the “cylk” is, but I think it might have been the piston.

Your a smart guy..... I have fat fingers CYL(k) but meant piston
....

[LowRyter]

If the clearances are so tight that the feeler gauge won't insert, likely that cam has tension on the valve train, rather than the valves being closed.   So turn the crank one full turn, back to the timing markers.  Feeler gauge should fit to adjust valves.

I find it much easier to turn the engine with the alternator nut at the front of the engine.  Once you find TDC, go ahead a put a park on fin on the alternator.  Set it at midnight on the right side,  then turn it like a clock to 3 pm for the left side. 

[Kev m]

I find it much easier to turn the engine with the alternator nut at the front of the engine.  Once you find TDC, go ahead a put a park on fin on the alternator.  Set it at midnight on the right side,  then turn it like a clock to 3 pm for the left side.

I love that too, and prefer it on my 2013 smallblock.

But sadly starting around 2014/15 with the last run of the MkI V7 smallblock it was no longer practical as those and all later ones (V7II+) have a wet alternator mounted behind a sealed engine front cover.

[Tom H]

^^^^^What Kev wrote!

Tom

[Huzo]

My dad teached me to do one valve clearance when the other(s) for that cylinder was open. I still do it that way because you cannot go wrong.

Okaayyy..
So if you have cylinder #1 at TDC on the compression stroke on a 360 degree parallel twin, the exhaust valve is closed, yes ?
Then cylinder #2 will be at TDC on the exhaust stroke, where will the clearance for #2 be…?

[SIR REAL ED]

I used to use a chopstick before accidentally breaking it off in the cylinder.

What the Heck were you thinking?

Only use uncooked spaghetti!

[Vagrant]

The new SB's do not have timing marks. It's a close enough deal with a straw.