US 6,205,850 B1Granted

Method for setting tappet clearance

AssigneesHonda of America Mfg., Inc., Sanyo Machine America Corporation

InventorsDaniel Joseph Wehrman, Tetsuo Toyama

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Abstract

A method for setting clearance between a tappet screw and a valve wherein the movement of the valve during opening and closing is monitored and used to calculate further linear movement of the tappet screw to provide a desired tappet clearance. In one embodiment, a predetermined imaginary zero point, which falls in a band of linear displacement during closing of the valve, is used to determine a distance the tappet screw must be further moved to provide the desired tappet clearance. In another embodiment, plural valve displacement measurements are taken and the true zero point or valve closed position, and further movement of the tappet screw to provide the desired tappet clearance is determined based upon these plural measurements. In a further embodiment, movement of the valve head is directly monitored and used to set the tappet clearance.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method for setting a clearance between a tappet screw and an engine valve, comprising the steps of:

establishing a known cam shaft orientation;
providing a desired clearance distance between said tappet screw and said valve;
assuming a valve-seated position;
determining a pre-zero point of the valve at the assumed valve-seated position;
advancing the tappet screw toward the valve;
contacting the valve with the tappet screw and moving the valve away from the assumed valve-seated position a predetermined distance;
reversing the tappet screw to move the valve toward the assumed valve-seated position;
establishing at least one imaginary zero point while moving the valve toward the assumed valve-seated position, said imaginary zero point falling in a band of linear displacement of the valve between said predetermined distance and said assumed valve-seated position;
assuming a predetermined linear travel of the valve from the pre-zero point to the imaginary zero point;
determining further linear travel of the tappet screw necessary to provide the desired clearance distance based upon the predetermined linear travel and the desired clearance distance;
and,
moving the tappet screw an amount equal to the determined further linear travel to place the tappet screw at the desired clearance distance from said valve.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.