Valve Clearance adjustment on a volvo engine

titan151 · #1 (**permalink**) 01-17-2009

So I am putting my MD7A head back on the engine and I need to adjust the valve clearance. The manual says that with a hot engine the clearance should be 0.3mm. However, since I am putting it back together it is not hot, and there is no cold clearance given. So should I put it together and estimate a cold clearance, then once running fine tune it? Any idea what a cold clearance would be, say 0.5mm or something like that?

Rockter · #2 (**permalink**) 01-17-2009

titan :

Classically the clearance closes as the motor heats.
I think you'd be safe to set the clearance to 0.5 mm to warm the motor.
With an overhead cam motor, you cannot easily stop every now and again as it warms to check that you still have a clearance, because you will get oil in your face a-plenty as the cam slings it into your visage. With an overhead valve motor, there is very little oil by comparison, and the valve covers can be left off, and checked as the motor heats.

You do no harm until the clearance closes completely. Then the vavle gets a hard time.

A little over-gapping of clearances really does not hurt anything. I was always very wary if valve gear ran very quiet anyway. My old Russky motorcycle dealer always said "a chatty tappet is a happy tappet". I guess years of experience taught him to leave the clearances a little wide.

Let them chatter a bit, within reason. It does no harm, particularly for a low-revving motor. Russkies did not rev much.

Is the MD7 an overhead cam motor? I know not. Personally, the OHC is a performance concept. It isn't needed on a sailboat motor. For me, OHV rules.

Set the clearances to 0.5 mm, heat the motor, and re-set to 0.3 mm. You will be OK. Once set up, and with regular oil changes, over time the clearances really are very slow to change.
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titan151 · #3 (**permalink**) 01-17-2009

Thanks for the info. My valve cover is really pretty easy to remove, so once I get it up and running I will pop it off and readjust.

timebandit · #4 (**permalink**) 01-17-2009

After you adjust the valves warm you should leave the cover off and then when the engine cools measure the clearance and then the next time you can adjust them cold.

Quote:

Originally Posted by titan151

Thanks for the info. My valve cover is really pretty easy to remove, so once I get it up and running I will pop it off and readjust.