Adjusting 550 tappets

super99

Well-known Member
Before Christmas I took the head off of my 550 gas to get a burned valve replaced. Got the head back Saturday afternoon and put it on Sunday. I was checking the valve clearance and the one they just replaced needed adjustment. I broke the nut loose and couldn't move the adjuster with a screw driver, I tried using a wrench on the screwdriver and it wanted to burr the slot. I ended up putting some heat on it and then was able to get it to move. I tried several other
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ones and they were all stuck tight. I have never ran into this before, wondering if someone put locktite on the threads when it was apart? You can see the color change on the one I heated up. Anyone ever run into this?? I ran a compression test just for fun and all cylinders had 120#s. I was going to fire it up today, but I found some of the wiring needed attention and my hands got cold, so it will have to wait for another day. Chris
 
I sure am wondering why the head looks like it has never been off the tractor meaning its still all greasy and oily. first thing machine shops do is soak the head in the hot tank .appears like your saying they just replaced one valve and that's it. ya I see it was heated up. and yes all 4 cyl's would need adjusting since the head has been off.
 
I have rocker arm sets if you need one---My email's open or you can call 7A to 10P central time---Thanks
Kent Gordon
Palestine, TX
903 729 8349
 
I took the head off because #4 cylinder had low compression, the exhaust valve was burned and needed replaced. The other 3 cylinder had good compression and hardly any ring wear on all of the cylinders. If the valve hadn't burned, I would not have taken the head off to begin with. Why pay good money to have all the valves ground when they didn't need it? This tractor is not going to be worked hard and long, I just want it to run decent. I took the head to a Farm Repair Shop that could do everything but mill the head and he agreed with me on what needed to be done. He replaced the valve and put new valve seals on all the valves. He check all the valves when he replaced the seals and said they were fine. I ran a compression test after installing the head and ALL cylinders had 120#s compression, that's good enough for what it will be doing. I'm confident that it will run fine without spending unnecessary money having work done to it that doesn't need to be done. Chris
 

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