how do you loosen lock nut for valve adjustment
 

Just bought an 84 300D-T and it is making some nailing like noise (never had a diesel so not positive that is what it is.)

Anyways - was going to do an adjustment... the instructions in my book say to hold the adjusting nut while loosening the lock nut. But it doesn't say which way to turn the lock nut to loosen. I assumed clockwise so it would be moving down compressing the spring but it wouldn't move with quite a bit of pressure and I didn't want to break anything. Is clockwise the correct direction?

Thanks,

Ed

The top nut is the lock nut. To loosen it you put a wrench on both the lock nut and the adjust nut, then rotate the wrench on the lock nut counterclockwise. For the adjust nut: CW widens the gap and CCW tightens the gap.

Lefty loosey, righty tighty in 99.9% of the cases. Get the special wrenches if you can, it makes the job alot easier. There are also aftermarket versions of the correct wrenches that cost less. They right tools make the job go much faster.

Get the proper wrenches....
 

You will probably do valve adjustments once, maybe twice per year....get the wrenches designed for the job. I bought the set of two matching wrenches with a third tool that holds the spring (keeps it from rotating). I have done many valve adjustments, and I have not once used the spring holder thing, only the two wrenches.

Mark

Russell at dieselgiant.com has a set of wrenchs, and also has them in his "replace every filter and maintain you car kit". I try to support those who support us here, Chuck

Other way around, top is adjusting nut, bottom is the lock nut.

I suppose that puts valve adjustment in the 00.1% category. Except when the engine is upside down.

Oops, that could be. According to Diesel Giant it can be either way.

If you have access to an oxy-acetelyne torch, you can make your own pretty easy out of some cheap wrenches.

If the engine is upside down it is still the same.:silly:

Only if you are standing on your head.

Ok, I looked at the tutorial at Diesel Giant and it could be either way but the official manufacturer way says the lower is the lock nut. Assuming I wanted to do it that way I guess I would turn the lower nut clockwise to loosen it from the upper nut?

Or maybe instead of holding one I should do both at the same time... top CCW and bottom CW and one of them will eventually loosen?

Odds are pretty good that they will both loosen at the same time.

I like to lay underneath my engine when it is upside down. LOL