Multi's Valve Adjustment.....

[Srjeeper]

First I need to thank JT, rlwm211 for their technical knowledge & advise which proved invaluable.
Thank you both..so much..

Since day one I always thought my valves sounded a bit noisey. Talked it over with JT on a couple occasions and he had a deuce that was the same way, yet ran beautifully, as does mine.

He suspected there was some sort of harmonics happening in the valve train at certain RPM's that would cause the valves to be a touch noiser than at other times. It made sence to me too and after playing with the RPM's on a few trips it sorta proved to be the case.

Well I've got a trip coming up shortly, so I thought I'd check the adjustment to be on the safe side and see if it makes a difference.

Now the way they explain how to do the adjustment in TM 9-2320-361-34, page 3-26 may be a bit confusing to some at first. Reading it over a few times will make it clearer and certainly the easiest way to do the job.

Now the TM has you removing the radiator so you can turn the engine over using the bolt on the crank balancer. I wasn't about to do that so after talking with my mentors it was decided to go to plan B. That would be using a rear wheel or turning the driveshaft with a bar in the U-joint.

I tried the tire thing and I couldn't make much headway. So next I jacked up the rears and put the transfer case in 'low' and the trans in 5th. gear, much better. Again after confering with a mentor, it was decided it may be even better to put the tranfser case in 'high' with the trans in 5th., better yet. I still didn't care for the bar in the U-joint thing so I got out a 24" pipe wrench and used that on the driveshaft right behind the T-case....BINGO....easy as pie!!!

Now whats next is to turn the engine over till the first valve rocker (intake) on the first cylinder (#1) is all the way down (valve open) to start adjusting.

***IMPORTANT SAFETY MESSAGE***
FIRST OFF...disconnect your batteries and put something on your fuel shutoff handle to hold it all the way out till your done with the job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So now your able to adjust about half the various valves. The TM calls for .010 gap on the intake and .025 gap on the exhaust. Those with decades more experience than me recommend .015 gap on the intake and stay with the .025 gap on the exhaust and that's exactly what I did.

Then, after the proper valves are adjusted, you turn the engine over 1 full turn (360*) till the front rocker on #6 cylinder is full open and proceed to adjust the remaining valves. It's just that simple and only requires you turn the engine over 1 time to adjust all the valves.

Couple bits of info in case yer wondering.....
*cylinders are numbered 1 thru 6 starting at the front
*front valves are intakes, back are exhaust on all cylinders
*lock nuts on the rockers are 9/16", but I found a 14mm box end wrench worked best.
*rocker cover gaskets are thick rubber. Use some dielectric grease on them when you reinstall or replace them and they will seal better plus never stick.
*whole job start to finish, minus BS sessions, took 1hr. with two people. 1-on top adjusting/ 1-underneath turning it over.

This weekend I'll have it out to see how it sounds on the highway, couldn't really notice a difference sitting in the shop running. Because of the different setting I had to adjust all the intakes, but only three of the six exhaust needed adjustment and they were too tight.

This motor has 26k on it since it's Tooele rebuild in 1991 and this is the first the covers were off.

The valves are something that needs to be kept up with on these motors to help them last. I found this to be a very easy thing to do if you follow the TM's directions.

 

[jatonka]

Glad it went well, see you at Fort Drum June 18th. JT out

 

[goldwing2000]

If you put the tcase in neutral, you wouldn't have had to jack up the rear of the truck. Otherwise, good to hear you had a positive experience!

 

[Garandfan]

I adjusted the valve lash after I did my head gaskets. I pulled the radiator because I couldn't get a soldier B. Glad I did... All the crud in the radiator. I used the big socket wrench method. At least here you can watch the rockers reach the max height and adjust accordingly.

 

[cjtroutt]

Great info thank you.

 

[Billy Bobbed]

Thanks for the tip on turning the engine,Im not going to take off the radiator either.

 

[Garandfan]

don't get lazy... pull the rad and flush it! plus it will be a good time to inspect the compressor pulley any maybe change the belt.

 

[wsucougarx]

Outstanding!! Thanks for this thread. Something I haven't even thought about doing.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Well you guys got me thinking it would be good to do in the summer,so Garandfan any tips on pulling the radiator out. I read one time it is very heavy. How about flushing the block too. Belts, thermostat and gasket anything else while we're in there. Do you think you should get the valve cover gaskets ahead of time. Are they typically bad, NAPA numbers on any of these things?

Thanks Guys, Ron

 

[kastein]

I did it alone (as I had no soldier B either) and also used the "big pipe wrench on the intermediate shaft" method. Look out for the grease zerk, and it does get annoying going from under the truck to over the truck repeatedly to get the valves lined up right...

Valve cover gaskets can be reused if they are not too squashed. They can also be bought new, Eriks Military Surplus has them for the very reasonable price of $12 each right now. NSN is 5330008855723

EDIT: it appears that their price may be $12 for a pair, even better! I am not sure I read the site correctly at first. I can't even get valve cover gaskets for my "little jeeps" for that cheap and there are millions of them on the road.

 

[Garandfan]

Shopping list:
lower hose (you can find the Napa # with research)
radiator flush stuff
Alternator belts and compressor pulley (research)
PB blaster
3 gallons of regular green antifreeze
3 gallons of distilled water
Compressor pulley wrench
1 7/8" wrench for the rear half of the compressor pulley
thermostat if you want to replace
hose (i think 2 inch i.d. but check) for the water pump and hose for the oil cooler


I dropped the tailgate on my Dodge and backed it up to the front of my deuce (it sucks to pull a radiator from the front bumper) Put PB blaster on the front compressor pulley. Drain the block and the radiator. Open the drain on the block located just above the starter. Open the drain on the front of the radiator. Remove the brush guard while draining. When the Antifreeze stops flowing from the drains, then pull lower radiator hose (save the lower hose for last -less anti-freeze in the face or shoulder). Remove the ground strap on the radiator and unscrew the 2 nuts on the bottom (note the spring compression). Then disconnect the top brace on the radiator. If you have a winch, get a piece of cardboard to put between the radiator and the winch handle so as to not damage the radiator upon removal. Lift the radiator out and put it on your tailgate. Flush the crap out of your radiator. You may want to get it worked on while you have it out.
It's way easier to work on the compressor pulley and alternator belts with the radiator off. Take the opposing bolts out of the front compressor pulley. Open the dog ears up by wedging a flat head screwdriver where they split. Then use the compressor wrench on the front pulley and the 1 7/8 "(I think--check the size) wrench on the back pulley to separate the pulley halves.
After you replace the compressor and alternator pulleys, replace the lower radiator hose. If you want to do any other work like replace t-stat, hoses n your water pump, etc. might as well get it done.
Put the lower hose on the block before you install the radiator. Then re-install the radiator.
If you want to call me, PM me and I'll give you my number or you can give me your number

 

[Garandfan]

Shopping list:
lower hose (you can find the Napa # with research)
radiator flush stuff
Alternator belts and compressor pulley (research)
PB blaster
3 gallons of regular green antifreeze
3 gallons of distilled water
Compressor pulley wrench
1 7/8" wrench for the rear half of the compressor pulley
thermostat if you want to replace
hose (i think 2 inch i.d. but check) for the water pump and hose for the oil cooler


I dropped the tailgate on my Dodge and backed it up to the front of my deuce (it sucks to pull a radiator from the front bumper) Put PB blaster on the front compressor pulley. Drain the block and the radiator. Open the drain on the block located just above the starter. Open the drain on the front of the radiator. Remove the brush guard while draining. When the Antifreeze stops flowing from the drains, then pull lower radiator hose (save the lower hose for last -less anti-freeze in the face or shoulder). Remove the ground strap on the radiator and unscrew the 2 nuts on the bottom (note the spring compression). Then disconnect the top brace on the radiator. If you have a winch, get a piece of cardboard to put between the radiator and the winch handle so as to not damage the radiator upon removal. Lift the radiator out and put it on your tailgate. Flush the crap out of your radiator. You may want to get it worked on while you have it out.
It's way easier to work on the compressor pulley and alternator belts with the radiator off. Take the opposing bolts out of the front compressor pulley. Open the dog ears up by wedging a flat head screwdriver where they split. Then use the compressor wrench on the front pulley and the 1 7/8 "(I think--check the size) wrench on the back pulley to separate the pulley halves.
After you replace the compressor and alternator pulleys, replace the lower radiator hose. If you want to do any other work like replace t-stat, hoses n your water pump, etc. might as well get it done.
Put the lower hose on the block before you install the radiator. Then re-install the radiator.
If you want to call me, PM me and I'll give you my number or you can give me your number

 

[Garandfan]

I don't know why this posted twice

 

[rosco]

In the Old Days, when engines always had solid lifters, and the engine had some wear on it (the engines I was around always did), the rocker arm would wear a grove in it, where it contacted the valve stem/rotor cap. Therfore, you could not get an acurate valve adjustment and find the loose, noisey valves, unless you adjusted the engine, "hot and running". The feeler guage would bridge between the worn grove and the stem. The adjustment would be too loose and noisey. So that's the way I learned it - it takes a little practice to do it that way, but you can adjust valves "hot and running", and be done, while others are thinking about how to rotate the engine. Valve adjustment was a natural part of a tune up, and your ear was always tuned for loose or tight valves.