Section 4 — Maintenance
•DO NOT SMOKE when near the battery;
•DO NOT cause flame or spark in battery area; and
•Discharge static electricity from your body before touching the battery by first touching a grounded metal surface.
Be sure the Auto/Off/Manual switch is set to ! the OFF position before connecting the battery
cables. If the switch is set to AUTO or MANUAL, the generator can crank and start as soon as the battery cables are connected.
Be sure the utility power supply is turned off, or sparking may occur at the battery posts as you attach the cables and cause an explosion.
4.8 ADJUSTING VALVE CLEARANCE
After the first 50 hours of operation, you should adjust the valve clearance in the engine.
Important: If you feel uncomfortable about doing this procedure or you don't have the proper tools, please contact your Generac Authorized Dealer for service assistance. This is a very important step to insure the longest life for your engine.
To adjusting valve clearance:
•Make sure the engine is at room temperature.
•Make sure that the spark plug wire is removed from the spark plug and out of the way.
•Remove the four screws attaching the valve cover with a #2 or #3 phillips screwdriver.
•Make sure the piston is at Top Dead Center (TDC) of its compression stroke (both valves closed). To get the piston at TDC, remove the intake screen at the front of the engine to gain access to the flywheel nut. Use a large socket and socket wrench to rotate the nut and hence the engine. While watching the piston through the spark plug hole. The piston should move up and down. The piston is at TDC when it is up as high as it can go.
•Loosen the rocker jam nut. Use an 10mm allen wrench to turn the pivot ball stud while checking clearance between the rocker arm and the valve stem with a feeler gauge. Correct clearance is
NOTE:
You must hold the rocker arm jam nut in place as you turn the pivot ball stud.
When valve clearance is correct, hold the pivot ball stud in place with the allen wrench and tighten the rocker arm jam nut. Tighten the jam nut to 174 in/lbs. torque. After tightening the jam nut, recheck valve clearance to make sure it did not change.
Figure 4.6 - Valve Clearance Adjustment
Rocker
Pivot BallArm
Stud
Jam Nut
Valve
Stem
•Install new valve cover gasket.
•
NOTE:
Start all four screws before tightening or you will not be able to get all the screws in place. Make sure the valve cover gasket is in place.
•
•Repeat the process for the other cylinder.
4.9COOLING SYSTEM
Air inlet and outlet openings in the generator com- partment must be open and unobstructed for contin- ued proper operation. This includes such obstruc- tions as high grass, weeds, brush, leaves and snow.
Without sufficient cooling and ventilating air flow, the engine/generator quickly overheats, which causes it to quickly shut down. (See Figure 4.7 for vent locations.)
Figure 4.7 – Cooling Vent Locations
The exhaust from this product gets extremely hot and remains hot after shutdown. High grass, weeds, brush, leaves, etc. must remain clear of the exhaust. Such materials may ignite and burn from the heat of the exhaust system.
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