quick question regarding Valve Adjustment

[Joe24]

Hey folks!

Playing around with my 79' Special, following some of 5twins amazing advice, and I've got a quick question regarding valve adjustment.

I've removed the alternator cover, and I am trying to line up the T with the Timing mark on the rotor. Two things:

1) Directly as I get the timing mark to line up with the T, the engine decides to continue to turn over another 10mm. Essentially, making it hard to line them up.

I've only tried a few times because of my main question:

2) Can I used the nut located on the rotor to turn the engine over? I am finding it hard to kick it over with the kickstarter.

I've attached a photo, where I've highlighted the nut in purple, and in red a chip of sorts in the rotor. Is this chip problematic?

Your help and advice, as always, is greatly appreciated!

PS: I am very green, mechanically, if that wasnt already obvious.

 

[jchrisk1]

Yes. You'll want to use a wrench or socket with a breaker bar to turn the rotor.

I've never seen a chip in a rotor like that personally, but you check to see if it's good with a meter. There are threads explaining how.

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[angus67]

take the plugs out.

 

[Joe24]

cheers mate!

Thanks for the advice, and I'll look into testing with the multimeter.

 

[Joe24]

Will do!

Thank you.

Guess I am sorted now, thank you everyone. Once this rain stops I'll get back to work.

 

[XSLeo]

The engine won't stay at TDC very well. When one side is at TDC the other side has a valve closing. This closing valve has a lot of spring pressure trying to close it. This spring pressure pushes on the cam lobe. This turns the cam, turns the crank.
For valve adjustment it won't have to be right at TDC. The round part of the cam lobe where the valve is closed is about 180 degrees of the cam rotation.
The reason they say to do it at TDC is the ensure both valves are closed.
Being off 10 or 15 is ok. As long as the valve you are adjusting is closed you can adjust it.
On cars with 6 or 8 cylinders they used to print a list of the valves that are closed the same time #1 cylinder was at TDC, you adjusted all these valves then turned the enine so the cylinder half way around the distributor was at TDC then adjust the rest of the valves. That saved finding TDC for every cylinder.
Leo

 

[nj1639]

What's the consensus on this procedure?

 

[weekendrider]

Like jchrisk1 said you can stop it on the mark with a wrench or socket and breaker.
That rotor has been dropped. I repaired one like it with JB weld but haven't used it.
If you look to replace it you will want one that still has an amber color to the rosin.
Dark brown or black is a sign of excessive heat/ being overworked.

 

[Joe24]

What's the consensus on this procedure?

Damn, that makes it seem simple eh!

 

[weaselbeak]

That rotor chip is not interfering with the brush contact area, so why worry about it?

 

[nj1639]

Damn, that makes it seem simple eh!

Yeah Joe, pretty simple.
Plugs out, crank rotation counter clockwise but that may not matter with the cam chain adjusted properly. When the valve starts to close and gets the play, insert the desired gauge. If its good then try the next size up. If the next size up goes in then adjust her down. Keep rolling the crank and trying the next size up until the valve opens and there's no gap.
I like to roll the crank through another cycle just to make sure nothing has changed....anal.