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Valve clearance


Robert n
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A bit fiddly but patience does it.  If there was such a thing as a ninety degree feeler gauge it would be easier. Access to the valve covers is fairly straightforward. There is a special tool to turn the adjuster but it can be done with an open ended spanner of the right size.

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34 minutes ago, 2stroke4stroke said:

A bit fiddly but patience does it.  If there was such a thing as a ninety degree feeler gauge it would be easier. Access to the valve covers is fairly straightforward. There is a special tool to turn the adjuster but it can be done with an open ended spanner of the right size.

There is, just not widely available, Snap on make them, I had a set once. You can bend a normal one.

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3 hours ago, misscrabstick said:

There is, just not widely available, Snap on make them, I had a set once. You can bend a normal one.

90 degrees seemed a bit far to bend.  I cut the end off a gauge, drilled it and put a screw through it but there was not really enough working space.  An engineer pal sets Honda gaps by opening so much from no gap based on thread pitch, hence travel of adjuster, and has had no problems over many years. Can't recall what the pitch is.

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It's an easy enough job with normal gauges. You'll find that the timing mark on the generator cover doesn't line up 100% with the mark on the flywheel. When they are aligned you will still have tension on the rocker arms.

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17 hours ago, 2stroke4stroke said:

Actually I've just had a thought.  Something along the lines of the wire type spark plug gauge would be ideal as it would fit easily.  Is it possible to get bendable wire of some sort that is made in an acccurate enough diameter?

I don't know what gap size you are aiming for but maybe guitar strings could help?https://music.stackexchange.com/questions/33257/standard-guitar-string-gauge there are lots of sets available (different gauges). Most seem to be quoted in imperial sizes. The three thinest strings in any set are plain wire - the thicker three are usually a wound wire and wouldn't be suitable.

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Just bend the ends of a normal set of feeler gauges .

if your posh you can keep this a special set or if your tight you just bend back after doing the job.

i think you only need 3 or 4 sizes to give you the variation you need 

on several monts I have found very little change in valve change in clearance even after several years use.

 

Edited by jimmyl
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14 hours ago, monteeman said:

I would trust feeler guage more than guitar strings.

they are cheap to buy so just bend the one you need...simple....

There's also the feel of pulling the gauge that I like. The manual calls it "slight drag." Don't think you could get that with wire.

For the intakes, Motion Pro makes a "tappet feeler gauge" (do a search) with 0.004" and 0.005". Works great. I also have the 0.006" and 0.008" and set intakes tight on the 0.006" so they're at the big end of the range.

They don't make one in 0.012" for the exhaust. I've done as others mentioned and bent a 0.012" gauge leaf.

I usually see more change in the intakes. And it's small. Usually only tighten about 0.001" every year or two. But I don't do the wide-open point-and-shoot thing much either. The more high RPM, the more you'll need to check valve clearance.

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you have one and can mount it in the right way you can use a DTI dial or depth test indicator. With the dti resting on the rocker..engine on compression you can rock the rocker and get a reading. Space is minimal and it is fiddly. The most important thing is to re check the clearance after tightening the locking nut. Bending a normal feeler gauge is the easy way to go.    

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 3/19/2020 at 11:55 PM, section swept said:

If you have one and can mount it in the right way you can use a DTI dial or depth test indicator. With the dti resting on the rocker..engine on compression you can rock the rocker and get a reading. Space is minimal and it is fiddly. The most important thing is to re check the clearance after tightening the locking nut. Bending a normal feeler gauge is the easy way to go.    

How can this work when both valves are opened by one rocker arm? Surely all you will measure is the tightest clearance? The other valve could be an excess clearance and you would not measure with a dial gauge?

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On 3/28/2020 at 11:33 PM, oz thumper said:

How can this work when both valves are opened by one rocker arm? Surely all you will measure is the tightest clearance? The other valve could be an excess clearance and you would not measure with a dial gauge?

I did say at the end of my post ‘bending a normal feeler gauge is the easy way to go’. ?

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