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Adjusting the valves on a 6V CJ (for the novice mechanic) |
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Your SV CJ will need to have its
valve clearance adjusted periodically. I try to do mine
once a year, usually during the winter maintenance
sessions. Here's the right-side access cover. All you
need is a regular screwdriver to remove it. |
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The angle of this photo doesn't
reveal the adjusting nuts. If the camera had been
slightly higher you would see them in the foreground. The
two visible nuts are for locking everything into position
once you've made the adjustments. The nuts you don't see
are the ones you turn to adjust the gap between the push
rods and the valve stems. |
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A feeler guage is used to check the gap.
There are conflicting specs regarding the size of the gap
so I use .004" (0.10mm) for both the intake and the
exhaust valves. This has always worked well for my bikes.
(CJs can tolerate a lot of slop.) These adjustments are
always done on a cold engine. |
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Two 14mm open-end wrenches in
position. The closer nut is for making the adjustment and
the other one is the lockdown nut. |
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Time for new cover gaskets. The
green one is a Chinese gasket I use as a pattern.
Underneath is 1/8" cork gasket material from our
NAPA store. |
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Trace the pattern with a pen... |
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...and cut them out with scissors. Viola,
two new gaskets. It's not rocket science. |
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Make sure the gasket mating surfaces are
spotless. |
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Ditto on the covers. I lightly shined them
using a fine wire wheel on my bench grinder. You should
always use some sort of sealer on the gaskets. Just about
anything will do but I just happened to have some
Permatex 2A Form-a-Gasket on hand, so that's what I used. |
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And, being a novice, I generally use too
much of the stuff. Whatever squishes out the sides when
you screw the cover down will wipe right off. Oil will
not leak here. Trust me. |
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Done. The whole job takes about 15-20
minutes. |