Ask The Editors: Kodiak Valve Adjustment Time

The hard part is definitely behind you.

Good call on taking the time to make sure the valve clearances are within spec. Slight anomalies here will absolutely affect the performance of your machine as described. Grab those feeler gauges and let’s see where you need to be.

Cold valve lash specifications are 0.0035 to 0.0051 inches for the intake valve and 0.0063 to 0.0079 inches for the exhaust valve.

Cold of course referring to the fact that you’re going to want to set these specs while the engine is cold (the heat of operation will expand the metal and these specifications take that into consideration).

Now to check the valve lash after your adjusting, here is the technique:

Warm Up: Start the engine and let it warm up to operating temperature.
Rotate: Rotate the engine to the top dead center (TDC) position.
Measure: Insert a feeler gauge between the front of the rocker arm and the valve stem.
Pinchy Situation: You should feel a very slight pinch or light resistance when moving the feeler gauge through this space.
Adjust as Necessary: If there is too much (feeler gauge passes cleanly through) or too little clearance (can’t get the gauge inside or once it is in, it gets stuck), adjust the rocker arm by turning the adjuster screw.

That should do it – correct valve lash ensures that the intake and exhaust valves are opening and closing at the precise time of the engine cycle, keeping airflow optimal on the intake side and allowing hot exhaust gas a path to escape.

Got questions for us? Ask them here!