Checking Engine Valve Clearance

[YardBikeBob]

I'm preparing for my 500 hr service on my '13 R4041H. Perusing the manual it says valve clearance is 0.025 mm. I've never bothered to look at this. The diagram looks simple enough with a jamb nut over the pushrods. The valve cover is right there on top other than that fat exhaust thingy snakeing over the engine. Engine is pre-Tier 4 nightmare so I should be able to do this.

So the question:

How do you check valve clearance on a diesel? On gas motors, you pull the plugs to figure out TDC while turning the crank off the front pulley bolt. Oops. No plugs. And you'll be fighting 22:1 compression manually turning the crank.

Hmm. Advice from experts?

~Bob

 

[bruceatlam]

I'm not sure that I would even worry about it ----- but, if you insist, pull the glow plugs. Then you can easily rotate the engine.

 

[3Lfarms]

Just turn it slowly. The pressure will only take a few seconds to bleed past the rings. A long handle wrench is your friend here. With the crank at TDC, adjust the cylinder that has the valves closed.

 

[jaydee325]

Check your owners manual for the firing order. According to Tractor Data, you have a 4 cylinder engine, which makes this easy. For example my LS R3039 has a 4 cylinder engine with a firing order of 1-3-4-2. That means that 1 and 4, and 3 and 2 are paired cylinders.

Get a remote start switch and connect to your starter. Bump the engine over. For my example, as I bump the engine over with the starter, I'll observe cylinder 4 valve rockers "rock". Meaning exhaust will begin to close as the intake begins to open. At this point you can check/set cylinder 1 valve clearance. Repeat for the rest of the paired cylinders and you are done.