Valve adjustment issues... when will this valve ever co-operate???
 

I've spent as much time on this one valve as I have on four other cylinders. I'm turning the nuts toward the left of the picture below (looking from the driver's-side, turning towards the timing chain). I've loosened it this much several times and it's STILL too tight (.35 mm is the exhaust spec I'm using).

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1384550920

What is going on? Am I turning it in the wrong direction? Something else wrong? It is loose enough for the intake specs -- so it's not crazy tight -- but this is an exhaust valve.

:wallbash:

Cam lobe is pointing up right?

Is the rocker arm straight - doesn't look very straight in the picture but that could be an optical illusion.

Are you holding the cap on top of the spring with the third spanner?

Cam lobe pointing right up at the oil feed tube per Roy's instructions.

Rocker arm appears straight.

No, I don't have the third wrench. Is that the problem? I've been able to do all nine others without.

It can be if the valve spins in the valve seat - the top nut seems like it is stuck!

The ideal way is not to have the spring and valve rotate while doing the adjustment. That is what the third wrench is for. Reason being is the valve rotator beneath the spring could be worn and not able to spin the valve causing an uneven wear on the valve seat and stem. Once you rotate the valve, you disturb the position where it was wearing down on and the valve will not seat correctly. This valve seat wear could cause the adjustment to be used up.

Also the not so drastic, what stretch said above..^^^
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Both top & bottom nuts are moving just fine... the valve spring is turning with the bottom nut, though.

Richard -- how could I tell if that is the case? How would I reseat the valve?

So just to get it straight, are you at max adjustment?

Hmmm... define that :). I can still turn the bottom nut both ways.

BTW, I realized that I broke a PP technicality by not specifying the engine -- OM617.952.

Are you bottoming out with the adjuster nut? Or you are just spinning the adjuster and lock nut and no movement is happening.

What I said earlier is a drastic case. Didn't mean to bring fear in the equation so early in the discussion.

The top nut bottoms out into the bottom nut, at which point I loosen the bottom nut and then again bottom out the top nut into the bottom, check clearance, loosen bottom nut, etc.

The engine is supposed to have only 140,000, so I'm guessing that that would make your first theory less likely (I hope!).

If the cap and spring (which means valve) are turning when you turn the bottom nut, you really aren't increasing the distance.

This is how I broke my valve guide, didn't have third tool and tried vice grips and gorilla force to hold that cap in place while I turned the bottom nut. Don't do dat....if that is the case, get the third tool.

FYI
 

You have a private message.

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Hopefully Roy got you straightened out. But I suspect you are spinning the whole valve and not adjustment is being made.


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with THAT much space between the bottom nut and the top, you should have PLENTY of adjustment, but most likely what's happening is, the bottom nut spins down, and gives you the appearance of space, then when you turn the actual adjuster nut, the top one, the valve is just spinning taking up the space from the lock nut (lower).
you need to GENTLY get ahold of the hex on the spring retainer, and hold it still as you spin the adjuster nut down to make the gap.