Need Help Low Cost Valve Job on a Linhai 257 cc  By  bob123456789 (Read 4,269 times)

I just got back from my test ride.

I put 1.7 ounces of the zMAx fuel treatment in 1/2 full gas tank. I let it warm up until the cooling fan came on. I then put 2.4 ounces in my oil. I filled my gas tank with 1 gallon of premium gas.

When I left for my test ride it was just like before. Didn't have enough get up and go to carry me down the street. Died 6-9 times and needed to be restarted. Eventually I could get it to carry me without dying.

I drove it roughly 30 minutes and 10 miles.

As much as I hoped for it I saw no real change in the engine's operation.

What next?

RockyNV do you still think I should get feeler gauges and check the exhaust valve adjustment myself? Are my symptoms those of an exhaust valve not in adjustment? Most of its life it was stored outside in a dry part of Texas under a covered shading in a parking lot . I don't remember water vapor coming out of the exhaust pipe. The muffler seems functional. The center pipe doesn't move at all when I try to move it.

Yes you need to verify the intake and exhaust valve gaps along with the timing marks being aligned doing a compression test afterwards. If the compression comes back up then you need to address the fuel system, check for dragging brakes, CVT issues, etc otherwise its then time to drain the coolant and pull the head or at least get an inexpensive usb camera and take a look inside the cylinder, exhaust port and intake port to see what the piston, cylinder walls and valves look like:



www.amazon.com/ePathChina-Waterproof-Endoscope-Inspection-Computers/dp/B018G4VO9M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479652256&sr=8-1&keywords=usb+inspection+camera

So I have followed these instructions up to page 6.

www.itistheride.com/Help_257cc_valve_adjustment_tutorial.pdf

When I line up the mark on the sprocket with the timing chain with the one on the housing at the hole just above the oil plug I can't ever make the triangle on the flywheel line up with the mark on this housing. I have rotated it counter clockwise one revolution 7 times until the marks on the sprocket align again and I can't ever get them to line up in the hole above the oil fill plug.

The only two things I can think of trying are:

1) I could line up the marks on the timing chain sprocket then put a plastic zip tie in the spark plug hole and measure the length in the cylinder. Rotate the variator nut one revolution until the marks line up again. Then repeat this several times until I found the one with the shortest measurement or top dead center.

2) I could try to rotate the variator nut a bit at a time until I can find the triangle on the flywheel.

Does anyone else have any advice how to solve this?

I should have the camera by tomorrow. Maybe I got the last one.

I will go to Cycle Gear and get their feeler gauges since I haven't opened the ones from HF yet I can return them.

This is my first time doing this. What are the steps I need to follow to get the issue with the timing chain correct?

1) Drain oil
2) Remove timing chain cover.
3) Loosen then remove timing chain tensioner
4) Remove timing chain
5) Find top dead center. How? Does having the marker seen in the hole above the oil file plug lined up do this?
6) Set the intake and exhaust valve clearances. Are the correct settings intake valve is .004" and the exhaust is .005"?
7) Put the engine covers back on.
8) Put oil in the engine.
9) Put the spark plug back in
10) Connect the battery
11) Check compression
12) If the compression is good put everything back together.
13) If the compression is bad use the camera to inspect the cylinder/valves through the spark plug hole.

Thanks for everyone's help with this.

Good one Tortoise! I should phrased that differently.

Here is the latest. I'd appreciate feedback on if I am thinking about this correctly. I am planning to start this tomorrow morning.

If the chain skipped a tooth on the sprocket it is likely either a problem with the chain tensioner or the chain is stretched.

These are the steps I will follow:

1) Remove the cover over the rocker arm.
2) Feel the chain tension to see if it is loose.
3) Remove the chain tensioner to see if I can see any issues with it. If there are replace the tensioner. If not continue down this list.
4) Loosen the rocker arms so that I can loosen the chain enough to slip in one tooth.
(this video is close to the next few steps:
5) Slip the chain one tooth.
6) Tighten the rocker arms lightly.
7) Make sure that the timing marks on the cam sprocket is aligned with the mark on the housing. Check if in the hole above the oil fill plug the triangle mark on the flywheel is aligned with the mark on the housing. If not repeat steps 4 through 7 until both sets of marks are aligned.
8) Tighten the rocker arm bolts to the correct torque.
9) Check the intake valve clearance. If not correct adjust.
10) Check the exhaust valve clearance. If not correct adjust.
11) Put the chain tensioner back on.
12) Put the rocker arm cover back on.
13) Put the cam cover back on.
14) Put the cover on the hole just above the oil fill plug.
15) Use camera to inspect whether internal damage happened due the issue, cylinder, rings,....
16) Put the compression tester in the spark plug hole.
17) Put the battery back.
18) Test the compression.