Yet another rookie question -- I was adjusting Annabelle's valve clearances and when I got to the exhaust side of the number 3 cylinder I found the bolt was stripped. The eccentric washer or nut appeared to be riding on the valve stem in such a way as to open the valve, but I cannot be sure how well this was working at engine operating speeds. My question is, other than replacing the defective bolt, what else should I evaluate in light of what I have found?
Rocker bolt stripped
- Thread starter Ohmess
- Start date
What clearance was there between the eccentric and valve top before you loosened the bolt? I think the only issue you would have is if there was no clearance and the valve never closed all the way and possibly bent by the piston. That is probably not the case since it seems that the engine was running fine before you started.
With the eccentric and bolt removed you should be able to check the condition of the valve stem top.
With the eccentric and bolt removed you should be able to check the condition of the valve stem top.
Thanks Sven. Top of the valve is fine. I did not measure the clearance before loosening the nut. It was unable to insert the .28mm feeler gauge I was using into the gap, and decided to loosen the nut rather than switch to the .25mm gauge. At the time, I was thinking that what I was feeling was too tight to be within range, and that an adjustment would be required. Then as I started to turn the nut, I found then stripped bolt.
Practically speaking, there really isn't much you can do except replace the adjusting nut and bolt. (Don't forget that washer.)
The greatest likelihood is no damage since the dreaded "stripping" most probably occurred when the valve lash adjustment was being finalized - and the nut was over torqued. Although there are clearly exceptions, had the adjustment nut been too loose, the adjustment eccentric's default geometry ordinarily favors a larger rather than smaller clearance. In turn, this would be accompanied by a tell-tale "clatter" (and misfire) rather than a normal "ticking" and smooth running.
The greatest likelihood is no damage since the dreaded "stripping" most probably occurred when the valve lash adjustment was being finalized - and the nut was over torqued. Although there are clearly exceptions, had the adjustment nut been too loose, the adjustment eccentric's default geometry ordinarily favors a larger rather than smaller clearance. In turn, this would be accompanied by a tell-tale "clatter" (and misfire) rather than a normal "ticking" and smooth running.