How often do you guys set your valve lash?

[pcrussell50]

My 2000 Mercaha (Yamaha F100 power head), had it done about 50 hours ago.

I’m away from my manual at the moment so I don’t know what it says. Also wondering if it is typical to run the valves more frequently than the manual says anyway.

-Peter

[XstreamVking]

I have fishing guide buddies that never adj. their valves even after 1000 hrs. Usually ran em till they blew. One guy got nearly 3k hrs on a 115 yammi. Were yours noisy?

[rock]

Gonna take some time for me to get used to 4 stroke outboards. I thought this was a trick question or maybe just a joke.

Rock

[XstreamVking]

No need to get used to them, they're just a flash in the pan. Be gone soon.......hahahaaa. I wish! A new 400#, 400HP 2 smoke with a nice slick lower would be real sweet...

[pcrussell50]

Gonna take some time for me to get used to 4 stroke outboards. I thought this was a trick question or maybe just a joke.

Rock

It's the motor that came on the boat when I bought it. It's only a Whaler. Can barely do 40 with the wife and two girls and daytime lake gear.



It is fuel efficient I will say that. And super quiet at idle, though I don't know why everyone says four strokes are quiet because it's not at all quiet at cruise, just a different kind of sound than a two stroke.

Anyway, maybe I won't be too wrapped around the axle over valve lash adjustment just yet. The mechanic that did the valves a hundred hours or so ago (maybe it was only 50 hours?) was impressive and trustworthy and the engine runs nicely.

-Peter

[XstreamVking]

I can't see the reasoning behind adjustment or checking of the valves every 100 hrs. There's no reason I know for them to get out of adjustment under normal use. If someone knows why it would be needed let me in on the secret. As long as it runs nicely, let er eat.....

[pcrussell50]

I can't see the reasoning behind adjustment or checking of the valves every 100 hrs. There's no reason I know for them to get out of adjustment under normal use. If someone knows why it would be needed let me in on the secret. As long as it runs nicely, let er eat.....

Thanks, mate. I like this advice. We don't put 20 hours a year on this motor anyway.

-Peter

[mr fun]

some people just cant help themselves

[25two.stroke]

1000 hr at the most frequent. I checked one at 4500 that had never been done before and it was still in spec. I have 1368 on my 2020 rn and I haven't checked it and I am not going to for a while. It is slightly different than yours in that it is roller-rocker overhead and yours is true overhead with buckets...but valve lash/wear is similar.

[Mark Poole ModVP]

If you keep your oil and filter changed and keep the oil clean and undiluted then there will be very little wear going on. A long time ago I worked at a Honda dealer than sold a lot of motors to commercial crabbers and shrimpers. Of course they did not change the oil frequent enough. It was always jet black when it was finally changed and their valves would almost always need adjusting.

[aj06bolt12r]

In your application I wouldn't really worry about it.. If the valve lash is getting far enough out of spec to make any kind of difference in performance you have some kind of wear going on. Either valve, valve seat or camshaft wearing out most likely. In that case a valve adjustment isn't going to fix it, or will fix it for a few hours.. Because once that kind of wear starts it just keeps getting worse.. Fast.