Valve Adjustment
The old Heart of Gold has a newly (2 ½ years ago) rebuilt Stbd engine. It is a Perkins 6-354T and now has about 300 Hrs. There is some popping or sucking sound coming from the turbo and I wonder if the valves might need adjusting after run in or if it might be something else. Thoughts? If valves, is this a DYI job or should I call a mechanic. What would I expect to pay this mechanic if valve adjustment is the only problem?
Greg and Jane Bowers
Heart of Gold!
www.seaplanetearth.comhttp://www.seaplanetearth.com
Greg,
Usually, valve noise is described as a clatter, not popping or sucking.
Check your owners manual for the first due valve clearance adjustment, which
is the most imortant one. Look for a mechanic to charge 2-3 hours (with
pretty good access to the top of the engine), at $50-125/hr. Valve
adjustment is pretty straightforward if you are an auto handy-man, you could
handle it. You'll need feeler gages and open end wrenches, maybe allen
wrenches. Don't forget a new valve-cover gasket and silicone sealing
compound. Getting the old gasket off the head and cover is often the
hardest part of the job.
Your noise may be something else entirely, like an air leak around the
turbo. If possible, have it checked by the mechanic or shop who performed
the rebuild.
Mark Richter, Ortona, FL on the Okeechobee Waterway
Mark's Mobile Marine
General boat repairs at my dock or yours.
Electrical system design, installation and repair.
<<The old Heart of Gold has a newly (2 ½ years ago) rebuilt Stbd engine. It
is a Perkins 6-354T and now has <<about 300 Hrs. There is some popping or
sucking sound coming from the turbo and I wonder if the valves <<might need
adjusting after run in or if it might be something else. Thoughts? If
valves, is this a DYI job or <<should I call a mechanic. What would I
expect to pay this mechanic if valve adjustment is the only problem?
Greg and Jane Bowers
Heart of Gold!
The valve adjustment is very easy on our T6-354 engines, but I doubt
yours needs it, and certainly would not make the noise you described
near the turbo. Your starboard engine (I assume counter-rotating like
mine) has 12 thousands valve setting cold on both intake and exhaust,
which makes them very easy. Just pop of the valve cover and ensure the
proper point in the cycle. If you don't know what a cylinder "rocking"
is, then have someone do it. Should take no more than 1 hour labor.
However, I would look for a water leak in the aftercooler to make this
sort of noise. You may have a seal leaking seawater into the intake air
stream and it may be the sound you hear. The turbo sucks air and blows
it through the aftercooler. The aftercooler is in the seawater circuit,
and perhaps has corroded through a tube or has a seal leak. Important
to find this. At idle, the turbo boost is virtually nil, so you could
remove the hose that takes the cooled air from the aftercooler to the
manifold off and let the engine run as a naturally aspirated engine at
idle RPM. If the noise is gone, then you have pretty well narrowed the
problem down.
Ken Bloomfield
<<The old Heart of Gold has a newly (2 ½ years ago) rebuilt Stbd
engine. It is a Perkins 6-354T and now has <<about 300 Hrs. There is
some popping or sucking sound coming from the turbo and I wonder if
the valves <<might need adjusting after run in or if it might be
something else. Thoughts? If valves, is this a DYI job or <<should I
call a mechanic. What would I expect to pay this mechanic if valve
adjustment is the only problem?
Greg and Jane Bowers
Heart of Gold!