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Turning motor over by hand?

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Lukens

Lukens

Jedi Warrior
Offline
After re-torquing my head yesterday I of course had to reset my valve clearances. I use the "rule of nine" Even though I remove the plugs and loosen the fan belt, I've never been able to turn the crank by pulling/pushing on the fan blades. I always resort to bumping the starter with the solenoid until I "hope" I'm on top of a lobe. Gets me close but... What do you guys do?
Russ
 
I would avoid using the fan blade, as it puts a lot of stress on the fan.

Either a wrench on the front bolt, or put the car in gear and roll it.
 
I never had luck with the fan blade method either. I raise one rear wheel, put the gearbox in 4th, and rotate the wheel.

Frugal Tom
 
I generally either bump it with the starter; or put it in 4th gear and roll it backwards a bit. (Forwards would work just as well, but my driveway slopes the other way.)

I'm also not a fan of "rule of 9". Instead, I turn so each cylinder in the firing sequence has both valves open a bit; then adjust both valves on the cylinder that is opposite in the firing sequence. That way I can run the valves in only 4 steps, and it's easier to remember, too. Also works on 6 cylinder engines (and any "even fire" 4-stroke with an even number of cylinders).
 
Neighbor does the turning.

You could also put the car on gravel or dirt, so it won't get out of control, and roll it back/forward like Darrell suggests.
 
TR3driver said:
I'm also not a fan of "rule of 9". Instead, I turn so each cylinder in the firing sequence has both valves open a bit; then adjust both valves on the cylinder that is opposite in the firing sequence. That way I can run the valves in only 4 steps, and it's easier to remember, too. Also works on 6 cylinder engines (and any "even fire" 4-stroke with an even number of cylinders).
Click to expand...

I do it pretty much the same way. I also put a mark 180 degrees opposite of the original TDC mark to make it easier to get the appropriate valves lined up. On the TR's with six cylinder engines, you can put marks every 120 degrees and do the same thing.
 
I take the plugs out, put the car in 4th gear, and with my right hand at the door opening and my left on the left front tire, I roll the car forward in my small garage until the valves begin to move. It's easy to watch the valves this way. Once I work on one valve, I put the car in neutral, roll the car back a bit, put the car in 4th again, and continue. I repeat this until all the valves are done.


My fan is plastic: too sharp to move by hand and too fragile.
 
I assume that we're dicussing a TR3A. Mine is a 1958 TR3A and I never had a problem using the hand-crank to turn the engine to set the valve clearances.
 
Don Elliott said:
I assume that we're dicussing a TR3A. Mine is a 1958 TR3A and I never had a problem using the hand-crank to turn the engine to set the valve clearances.
Click to expand...

Hand crank would be the ticket. My rad has no hole. I need all the cooling I can get down here.
 
Lukens said:
Hand crank would be the ticket. My rad has no hole. I need all the cooling I can get down here.
Click to expand...

If you have a replacement grille, you probably know you have less air flow than the original grille provided. Some folks with replacement grilles slightly widen all the slots in the grille to let more air through.
 
Actually, i believe TRF has corrected that problem and is now supplying repros with the correct wider openings. At least that's what Albert told me, I haven't bought one (since I finally got a small mouth apron for my TR3).

I've got the dimensions at home, if anyone needs them.
 
Don Elliott said:
I never had a problem using the hand-crank to turn the engine to set the valve clearances.
Click to expand...
More time consuming, though, having to put down the tools and walk around to the crank. Plus like many others, I have no hole in the radiator and no dog for the crank to engage.
 
TR3driver said:
Actually, i believe TRF has corrected that problem and is now supplying repros with the correct wider openings. At least that's what Albert told me, I haven't bought one (since I finally got a small mouth apron for my TR3).

I've got the dimensions at home, if anyone needs them.
Click to expand...

Thanks Randall. Didn't know it's been corrected. That was just an FYI in case he has a replacement grille.
Tom
 
All of the above, but usually either rolling the car in gear or turning it by pulling on the fan belt. Does your starter solenoid have a button on it? That makes bumping an option.
 
I'm with Don...figured that's why they put a button on the solenoid. Laziness is the mother of all invention!
 
CJD said:
I'm with Don...figured that's why they put a button on the solenoid. Laziness is the mother of all invention!
Click to expand...
That's what I use. I'm probably being anal, but if you're a few degrees past the high spot of the closed valve, then the valve you're "feeling" is already starting to close. Which means you're setting that valve a few "extra" thousanths open.
Correct me if I'm wrong. I'm no expert.
 
Lukens said:
That's what I use. I'm probably being anal, but if you're a few degrees past the high spot of the closed valve, then the valve you're "feeling" is already starting to close. Which means you're setting that valve a few "extra" thousanths open.
Correct me if I'm wrong. I'm no expert.
Click to expand...
Nope, shouldn't work that way. Using the "Rule of 9", the lifter for the valve that is closed is riding on the "base circle" of the cam, which extends for over half of a crankshaft revolution (1/4 of a camshaft revolution) to either side of where the opposite valve is fully open. So assuming the camshaft is properly machined (and not bent), it really doesn't matter where within that area you set the valves. As long as the "opposite" valve is open even just a little, you should be fine.

Which is why the method I gave (which is also in the factory workshop manual) works.
 
This diagram might help. The opposite lobe (with the valve fully open) will be turned 180 degrees from the lobe in the diagram and of course they turn together. So that other lobe can be off by quite a bit, and this one will still be on the circular part of the cam lobe.
valve lash.JPG
 
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