valve clearance adjustment questions

[waterpig]

I purchased a S-470-D a couple of years ago. I've done most of the much needed (prior owner did very little) maintenance items on the tractor except for checking the valve clearances. Looking at the manual it appears to be somewhat of painful task as the pistons have to be in the proper position before the clearances can be checked / adjusted. A few questions:

1) This is probably a dumb question; but how do I know which piston / valve rocker arm is number 1, 2 and 3?

2) To get at the crank pulley will I need to remove the radiator and anything else that is in the way? If so, does the radiator have to be drained and how difficult is it to remove?

3) Do I need to remove the belt from the pulley and how do most of you turn the pulley (socket)? Is the crank pulley clearly marked so I know what 1,2, and 3 TDC is?

4) How often do you adjust the valves? My repair manual says every 400 hours, is that what most follow?

Any other pointers /help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[skylarkguy]

Usually cylinders are numbered front to back on an inline engine. Your manual should indicate this as.

If you remove the radiator it will be empty. Either you can drain it in a controlled fashion or all the fluid will come dumping out when you remove the lower radiator hose. I don't recommend the second way it will be messy. You might be able to get to the crank pulley with out removing it though.

You can likely leave the belts in place. Turning the crank is best done with a socket and extension. The pulley should have timing marks on it you should find them and clean them up. Sometimes I paint the little mark with some white paint so they are very clearly seen.

Every 400 hrs seems ok. Do what the manual suggests. Usually you'll only have to turn it to TDC check some valves then move it one revolution and check the others...but do what the book says for sure.

Good luck

 

[jwayne14]

dont forget there are two TDCs. make sure youre on the tdc for the compression stroke.

 

[waterpig]

Thanks for the replies. Are the timing marks on the pulley all triple lines and should there be sets of them? I looked at it last night and all I can see are one set of III marks.

 

[skylarkguy]

My guess is that one mark is the actual tdc the others are x degrees above or below tcd

 

[Harry in Ky]

I think you're making this far too complicated. I have a technique for valve adjustment that's served me well for years. You can do yours by whatever method you choose, but here's how I do it.
First, pull the fuel shutoff or remove the wire from pump solenoid(anything to make sure it won't start). Bump the starter a time or two and look for a rocker arm that's down. Adjust the OTHER valve on that cylinder and mark the adjusted rocker arm with soapstone. Bump the starter again and look for another rocker arm down. Adjust the other valve on that cylinder and mark the rocker arm. Continue the process until all rocker arms are marked. You're done. No worrying about TDC, compression stroke, timing marks, sockets, belts, or the air pressure in the left front tire. This works for 3 cylinder, 4 cylinder, 5 cylinder, 6 cylinder, any number you might have. All you need to keep straight is when you adjust a valve, make sure that you notice if it's intake or exhaust, since the two settings are often different.

 

[waterpig]

Thanks Harry. That's exactly the kind of advice I was looking for. I knew it had to be easier than what the "very" vague instructions in the manual called for.

 

[oliver28472]

That's the way my brother did my 470 last winter. He's a pretty fair mechanic.