Valve clearance adjustment Mercury 3 litre 135 HP 2002

[mike88]

I am getting a tapping from the enfine which sounds like loose valve adjustment but manual does not give valve clearance figures does anybody have them.

 

[Don S]

Re: Valve clearance adjustment Mercury 3 litre 135 HP 2002

Are we talking about a Mercury 3 litre outboard, or an IO? If an IO, there is no clearance adjustent you would do with a feeler gauge, Being a 2002, I would be really wondering why hydraulic lifters are getting noisy. Have you checked the oil? Is it over full? Has it been changed lately? When and how did it start making noise.
Something just doesn't sound right.

 

[mike88]

Re: Valve clearance adjustment Mercury 3 litre 135 HP 2002

I changed the oil and filter last week and used Valvoline 20/50 and a genuine filter, it may ba little over full as it is showing above the chequered part of the dipstick. The noise is there when it it running at low speed or ticking over.
The oil pressure is 40 and the temp 170

 

[mike88]

Re: Valve clearance adjustment Mercury 3 litre 135 HP 2002

sorry- it is an I/O unit

 

[Don S]

Re: Valve clearance adjustment Mercury 3 litre 135 HP 2002

Did it make the noise before you changed the oil and overfilled it?

 

[mike88]

Re: Valve clearance adjustment Mercury 3 litre 135 HP 2002

Yes it has always had a tappet type noise , I would like to quieten it if it is incorrectly adjusted.I see from some of the other threads that there is a method of setting the preload on the tappets by taking the engine up to firing TDC on no 1 cylinder then torquing the rockers to 40lbs does this apply to my unit?

 

[Don S]

Re: Valve clearance adjustment Mercury 3 litre 135 HP 2002

does this apply to my unit?

Yes, just checking why you wanted to adjust them. many times it's not a lifter problem. Just checking.
Here is a link to the manual http://www.4shared.com/document/xEKlzP-s/Service_Manual_26.html
Section 3 covers the valve adjustment.
One thing to remember when you re adjust them. When you tighten down the lifters to eliminate movement in the pushrod, Do it ONE TIME ONLY, do not adjust the lifter and keep checking for movement, it will come back. Just adjust it till the pushrod stops, then move on to the next valve.

 

[mike88]

Re: Valve clearance adjustment Mercury 3 litre 135 HP 2002

Thank you that's exactly what I needed
Mike