• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.

    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Setting the tappets and fuel pump

chicken

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
I need to set my valve tapet gaps, from memory i believe this is 0.015" (i will have to look in the book) but i was told that there is a certain order to do this in (like start and 12 then go to 6 or something along those lines).
Is there such an order or do you simple start at one end at work your war along, also what is the best method for setting them.
One more question, should the fuel pump run continuosly or does it prime up and cut in and out, it seems to be pumping very fast and as the car is not running i assumed it would slow up even stop when it had filled the float chambers.
 
Re: Help with setting the tapets & fuel pump quiery

Rule of 13, for a six cylinder (12 valves).

Do #1 with #12 open; #2 with #11 open; #3 with #10 open, and so on.

The advantage is the minimum number of times you rotate the engine by hand.
 
Re: Help with setting the tapets & fuel pump quiery

Fuel pump should fill the bowls and stop, cycling occasionally thereafter.

If it continues to cycle, it's probably sucking air through one of the pipes feeding it (air's easier to move than liquid).
 
Re: Help with setting the tapets & fuel pump quiery

Hello Chicken,

I think Randy's advice is misleading as if you do them in order, i.e. 1 then 2 then 3 etc then you will turn the engine over far more times than is necessary. The valves open and shut in a random order decided by the firing order and the camshaft configuration.
Certainly follow the rule of 13 for a six and start with whatever valve is closed, set the valve that satisfies the 13 number (E.g. if number 7 is fully open then adjust number 6 valve) turn the engine over slowly until the next valve opens and set it's correspondingly closed valve.
As this is confusing as to what and what has not been adjusted, keep some sort of tick list so you can record what you have adjusted.
Incidentally, due to the camshaft configuration of Triumph six cylinder engines there are two valves available for adjustment at every step so takes half the turns of a more usual engine.

Alec
 
Re: Help with setting the tapets & fuel pump quiery

Alec, you are correct.

I guess that was harder to explain than I realised; yes, with a firing order of 1,5,3,6,2,4, you can adjust the appropriate valve, depending on which cylinder is at TDC. Just more "math" to think about /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
Re: Help with setting the tapets & fuel pump quiery

Well it doesn't matter which way you go just so you get them all and I don't think you will wear the engine out just turning it over that way. ...Keoke--AZ-- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cowboy.gif
 
Re: Help with setting the tapets & fuel pump quiery

Hello Keoke,

I don't believe that wear is the consideration, merely making the job easier. The important thing is getting them all adjusted, hence my reference to a chart or such like.
When I do my Triumph, I use the order given in the manual as my chart and as I said two valves can be adjusted at the same position so only six movements of the engine to do them all. Twice as many for a conventional set up.

Alec
 
Re: Help with setting the tapets & fuel pump quiery

As normally I take the plugs out to make an engine easier to turn,starting with No1 on tdc on compression stroke with both valves closed,(check the tdc with rod through spark plug hole) you can adjust both inlet and exhaust valve clearances for that cylinder,then following the firing order just turn the crank until the next cylinder in firing order,in this case 5, comes onto tdc, adjust those two and so on , 1 5 3 6 2 4 is the normal 6 cylinder firing order.repeat the process twice. to recheck them
 
Re: Help with setting the tapets & fuel pump quiery

In the old days, you could just disconnect the coil and push the button on the back of the starter solenoid...until the valve you wanted was positioned correctly, start at the front and go to the back. Now you have to clip on a hand held switch. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Re: Help with setting the tapets & fuel pump quiery

Yeah Dar100, but do you know what!! on some of the 6 Cylinder cars you can not get your finger between the fire wall and the solenoid's button.---Keoke- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cryin.gif
 
Re: Help with setting the tapets & fuel pump quiery

Dar100

My solenoid has a swith on the back of it, so i guess i can just turn the engine over on that as i think i may have a job manualy and also trying to get a spanner on the crank nut.
 
Re: Help with setting the tapets & fuel pump quiery

Randy and all

Thanks for your help, i guess if i take the plugs out and check the pistons are at tdc then adjust those valves and so on I should be getting somewhere.
Maybe it will start then !!!!!!
 
Re: Help with setting the tapets & fuel pump quiery

Remove plugs - place it in second gear and pull steadily, watch valves, when one of a pair opens the other must be closed, gap that and move on, others will be opening and shutting as well and you can do the lot in the space of a metre or so

Bob
 
Re: Help with setting the tapets & fuel pump quier

The manual gives this order for minimal number of turning over. I also just put the car in gear (coil wire and spark plugs pulled) and use the front tire to bump the motor.

Valve fully open.......Check and adjust

12......1
6.......7
4.......9
11......2
8.......5
3......10
1......12
7.......6
9.......4
2......11
5.......8
10......3
 
Re: Help with setting the tapets & fuel pump quier

Yes - It's amazing how much more leverage & control you can get by turning the wheel rather than pushing the car.
D
 
Re: Help with setting the tapets & fuel pump quier

There you go never to old to learn new tricks, I had not thought of that one. Top gear better than a lower one

Bob
 
Re: Help with setting the tapets & fuel pump quier

Well Bob, I just use the fan seems simple enough to me.__Keoke
 
Back
Top