valve adjusting question

phildidit · Postby **phildidit** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 7:53 pm

i was going to adjust the valves on my cub. here is the situation. i have the tappet cover off. i also have the radiator off. i think i found tdc. on #1. the problem or question i have is here do i start. the manual says to put a wrench on the bottom nut and adjust the top nut. well, both of them are turning by barely touching them. on all the valves. what is the deal. are they all loose? where do i start? any help is appreciated.

Postby **Rick Spivey** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 7:59 pm

Phil,

Wish I had pictures, but I'll offer this up.

At TDC, not ALL of them should be loose. The point is whenever a cylinder is firing, both valves are closed, and there should be clearance at the tappets. So you need to cycle your engine through, and adjust each cylinder at it's firing point (the TDC of each cylinder, if you will).

The easiest way is to start at 1 at TDC, then go in firing order, turning the crank 1/2 revolution for each cylinder. Use your feeler gage between the valve stem and tappet, use the two nuts to adjust until the feeler is "snug", or slide with a little drag. You have to hold one nut, and turn the other in or out, to tighten or loosen the "clearance".

By the way, you also need to put your third hand on first...

beaconlight · Postby **beaconlight** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 8:14 pm

Phil are you saying the adjusting nuts (the adjusting and the lock Nut) are swinging free? Or are you saying the push rods turn easily( the part going down into the block)?
I am not sure I understand your question.

phildidit · Postby **phildidit** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 8:21 pm

the adjusting nuts are turning freely. if i touch them with my finger they both turn. i thought i would have to hold the botttom one and turn the top one, but they both turn easily.

Hengy · Postby **Hengy** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 8:38 pm

phildidit wrote:the adjusting nuts are turning freely. if i touch them with my finger they both turn. i thought i would have to hold the botttom one and turn the top one, but they both turn easily.

Sounds like it is normal to me. When you don't have any wrench on the nuts, the whole assembly should turn freely (at least mine do). However, when you put a wrench on the bottom nut, the top one should be pretty snug. This keeps them from coming out of adjustment once they are set.

Mike in La Crosse, WI

Postby **Rick Spivey** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 8:40 pm

Phil,

To be CRYSTAL clear-

Do the two nuts turn freely as a unit, together, or

are you saying that each nut will freely turn individually?

These two nuts sort of "lock" to one another; screwing the bottom one into the top will increase clearance, screwing it out will decrease it (unless I got that totally backwards, you still get the point I hope).

But these nuts are tight enough to one another that you SHOULD have to hold one with a wrench, then turn the second one with a second wrench, and they are still HARD to turn....

phildidit · Postby **phildidit** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 8:51 pm

ok, they are turning together as one. so if i put the wrenches on each of the nuts and loosen them, where do i guage exactly?

Hengy · Postby **Hengy** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:11 pm

There is a "gap" between the bottom of the valve that sticks down into that area (the part with the spring attached to it) and the "cap-like-thing" on top of the upper nut. I will look for a picture and see if I can post it...

Mike in La Crosse, WI

Hengy · Postby **Hengy** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:15 pm

Here is a good picture of the valve setup...courtesy of PageRob and his cub Black Cat...

The place you put the feeler is right at the bottom of the valve stem...bright silver in this picture...

Does this help?

Mike in La Crosse, WI

Postby **Trent M** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:29 pm

I think Mike has explained the measurement well. Hold the bottom part with a wrench and turn the nut to get the clearance right. I set mine to 0.015, some set to 0.013. Another note, you can adjust valves 1, 2, 3, and 5 (starting towards the front of the tractor) on #1 cylinder TDC compression. The others 4, 6, 7, and 8 with #4 cylinder on TDC compression. I couldn't feel compression on 4, so I aligned timing mark and pointer where 4, 6, 7, and 8 were closed and adjusted them.

Also, there is an excellent "How To" by Lance Leitzel.

Postby **George Willer** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:53 pm

WisconsinCubMan wrote:There is a "gap" between the bottom of the valve that sticks down into that area (the part with the spring attached to it) and the "cap-like-thing" on top of the upper nut. I will look for a picture and see if I can post it...

Mike in La Crosse, WI

You learn well, Grasshopper!

PageRob · Postby **PageRob** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:57 pm

WisconsinCubMan wrote:Here is a good picture of the valve setup...courtesy of PageRob and his cub Black Cat...

Hey, look at that! I did provide something useful to the forum!

Hengy · Postby **Hengy** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 11:16 pm

George Willer wrote:You learn well, Grasshopper!

Thank you for that compliment, George... it means a lot coming from you guys... see at least a little of this information you guys are send out sinks into this thick skull!!!

PageRob wrote:Hey, look at that! I did provide something useful to the forum!

I hope you didn't mind my pirating your picture...I knew I saw a good picture of valves a while ago... and you picture was PERFECT...

Mike in La Crosse, WI

PageRob · Postby **PageRob** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:30 am

I don't mind at all. I post them so people can look at 'em, and if they can educate, all the better!

phildidit · Postby **phildidit** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:48 pm

that picture helps a whole lot, thanks to everyone. i have seen the gap set in the manual for .013 or .015 , which should i do. any opinopns?

Farmall Cub

valve adjusting question

valve adjusting question

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