Sears 005734-0 General, Long Term Storage, Valve Clearance Adjustment, Adjusting Valve Clearance

Section 3 — Maintenance

3.6	ADJUSTING VALVE CLEARANCE	When valve clearance is correct, hold the pivot ball stud in place with the
After the first 50 hours of operation, check the valve clearance in 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
engine and adjust if necessary.
		make sure it did not change.
Important: If feeling uncomfortable about doing this procedure or the		• Install new valve cover gasket.
proper tools are not available, please take the generator to the nearest
		• Re-attach the valve cover.
service center to have the valve clearance adjusted. This is a very
important step to insure longest life for the engine.		NOTE:
To check valve clearance:		Start all four screws before tightening or it will not be possible to get all
• Make sure the engine is at room temperature (60° - 80° F).		the screws in place. Make sure the valve cover gasket is in place.
• Make sure that the spark plug wire is removed from the spark plug and		• Re-attach the spark plug wire to the spark plug.
out of the way.		• Repeat the process for the other cylinder.

• Remove the four screws attaching the valve cover.

• Make sure the piston is at Top Dead Center (TDC) of its compression	3.7	GENERAL
stroke (both valves closed). To get the piston at TDC, remove the	The generator should be started at least once every seven days and be
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	allowed to run at least 30 minutes. If this cannot be done and the unit must
the engine in a clockwise direction while watching the piston through	be stored for more than 30 days, use the following information as a guide
the spark plug hole. The piston should move up and down. The piston	to prepare it for storage.
is at TDC when it is up as high as it can go.
• Insert a 0.002 - 0.004 inch (0.05 - 0.1mm) feeler gauge between the			DANGER
rocker arm and valve stem. Correct clearance is when a slight drag is	NEVER store engine with fuel in tank indoors or
felt when sliding the gauge back and forth. If the clearance is either
excessively loose or tight the rocker arms will need adjusting.	 in enclosed, poorly ventilated areas where fumes
To adjust valve clearance:	may reach an open flame, spark or pilot light as on
	a furnace, water heater, clothes dryer or other gas
• Loosen the rocker jam nut (Figure 21). Use an 10mm allen wrench to	appliance.
turn the pivot ball stud while checking clearance between the rocker
arm and the valve stem with a feeler gauge. Correct clearance is	3.8	LONG TERM STORAGE
0.002-0.004 inch (0.05-0.1 mm).
Figure 21 - Valve Clearance Adjustment	It is important to prevent gum deposits from forming in essential fuel
	system parts such as the carburetor, fuel hose or tank during storage.
	Also, experience indicates that alcohol-blended fuels (called gasohol,
	ethanol or methanol) can attract moisture, which leads to separation and
	formation of acids during storage. Acidic gas can damage the fuel system
	of an engine while in storage.
	To avoid engine problems, the fuel system should be emptied before
	storage of 30 days or longer, as follows:
	• Remove all gasoline from the fuel tank.

NOTE:

The rocker arm jam nut must be held in place as the pivot ball stud is turned.

DANGER

Drain fuel into approved container outdoors, away from open flame. Be sure engine is cool. Do not smoke.

•Start and run engine until engine stops from lack of fuel.

•While engine is still warm, drain oil from crankcase. Refill with recommended grade.

•Remove spark plugs and pour about 1/2 ounce (15 ml) of engine oil into the cylinders. Cover spark plug hole with rag. Press the “Start” button and allow engine to crank for 2 seconds. Then press the “Stop” button.

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