V11 LeMans Valve Clearances

[p6x]

  On 11/19/2024 at 10:10 PM, audiomick said:

We're talking about highly-tuned tractor motors here. And a standard set of feeler gauges goes in 0.05 mm steps (0,05 in Europe... ).

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My Facom feeler gauges set starts at 0.04mm and goes to 0.10mm in 0.01 increment...

Ha!

[gstallons]

I give up.

[audiomick]

  On 11/19/2024 at 10:48 PM, p6x said:

My Facom feeler gauges set starts at 0.04mm and goes to 0.10mm in 0.01 increment...

Ha!

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Whilst I truly fully understand having and liking such a precision instrument, I really couldn't be buggered farting around that much with the valve clearance on a push-rod motor.

Having said that, I respect the attention to detail compeletely. It's just me trying to curb my compulsive perfectionismus a bit. If I didn't, setting the valve clearances could cost me a week of solid work.

  On 11/19/2024 at 10:48 PM, gstallons said:

I give up.

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What, already?

Edited November 20, 2024 by audiomick

[Pressureangle]

It is amusing to see this devolve into discussion about accuracy beyond what the rod bearings require.

[docc]

  On 11/20/2024 at 1:01 PM, Pressureangle said:

It is amusing to see this devolve into discussion about accuracy beyond what the rod bearings require.

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Leave the tire and oil threads to the amateurs. Here at V11LM.com, we take The Valve Adjustment  from a maintenance task to the level of Philosophical Ritual.    

[gstallons]

That's one way of lookin' at it.

[PJPR01]

How exactly does the rock get used in the Valve Adjustment?  Seems I'm missing that tool in my toolbox!

 

Funny to read this read, I was just thinking about tightening up the valves a bit as they're a bit too clattery for my taste...have been running them loose now for a couple of years...but I do like the sound of a quieter engine.  

Edited November 20, 2024 by PJPR01

[docc]

  On 11/20/2024 at 4:09 PM, PJPR01 said:

How exactly does the rock get used in the Valve Adjustment?  Seems I'm missing that tool in my toolbox!

 

Funny to read this read, I was just thinking about tightening up the valves a bit as they're a bit too clattery for my taste...have been running them loose now for a couple of years...but I do like the sound of a quieter engine.  

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The idea was to investigate the common lore (I would say "myth") that the valves have to be "stone cold" to adjust, hence the infrared temperature reader and the stone. More on that here:

 

[PJPR01]

Aha...I completely missed the pun...good one! At least I have a heat gun...middle of winter here in Texas...a freezing 55F...should be good enough for a valve adjustment!

[Tomchri]

 And my little point was Guzzi are good with clearances to 0.30mm  

Cheers Tom. 

[audiomick]

  On 11/20/2024 at 2:38 PM, docc said:

...The Valve Adjustment  from a maintenance task to the level of Philosophical Ritual.

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  On 11/20/2024 at 4:09 PM, PJPR01 said:

How exactly does the rock get used in the Valve Adjustment?

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  On 11/20/2024 at 5:46 PM, docc said:

The idea was to investigate the common lore (I would say "myth") that the valves have to be "stone cold" to adjust

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So that would be the Philosopher's Stone then, right?

Edited November 21, 2024 by audiomick

[PJPR01]

Probably better than the Blarney Stone!  

Here I was thinking that the Stone was an adequate substitute for a 10mm wrench!  

[Lucky Phil]

A few points. People are getting way to obsessed with the definition of a "cold" engine and running clearances too loose causes valve train damage eventually as the lifters no longer correctly utilise the opening ramps on the cams. 

Considering steel has an expansion profile of .0000072" per degree F of temp shift then a 40 degree difference in a "cold" engine will be .000288 or less than 3 tenths of a thou. Of course considering the aluminium pushrods at around twice the expansion rate of steel it would be around .0005" or 1/2 thou. If you can comfortably hold your hand on the cylinder head then the temp is around 40C ish and fine to do the clearances. 

Phil

Edited November 22, 2024 by Lucky Phil

[audiomick]

  On 11/21/2024 at 8:37 PM, Lucky Phil said:

Considering steel has an expansion profile of .0000072" per degree F of temp shift then a 40 degree difference in a "cold" engine will be .000288 or less than 3 tenths of a thou.

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Can you do that one again in metric, please? I'm getting splinters under my fingernails trying to convert it.

[docc]

Here's what I found when checking my cold set 0.006 Intake/0.008 Exhaust warmed to 90ºC engine temperature:

Intake had loosened 0.002" (to 0.008") and the exhaust had loosened just less than 0.001" (to 0.009ish").