I'm having a lot of problems adjusting my valve clearences

Ok I was on the wrong stroke when at TDC, on the correct stroke it became very easy to turn the engine and I have been flying past the mark without even noticing. I've adjusted the clearences again at the correct stroke and triple checked both clearences and I'm still getting the ticking!!!! I even tightened each adjuster down by about 1/4 turn after that and still got the same problem. I need more suggestions please guys.

By the way I've noticed that when the engine idles it runs a little bit inconsistantly; most of the time it will run like normal and every 10 seconds it will run a little quieter and smoother for about 1/2 a second. Also before I messed up my valve clearences I would get a wonderful roaring/farting noise comming from my air filter while accelerating but it isn't as loud any more so I assume that less air is getting into the engine than before.

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Originally Posted by spencer2004

Ok I was on the wrong stroke when at TDC ... I need more suggestions please guys.

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Been there, done that, got the oily t-shirt :icon10: Don't feel bad, it is a common mistake.

I am assuming your oil viscosity is ok? Not too thin?

Also, are you sure the ticking was in the valve train? We all tend to first assume that ticking is the result of valves needing adjustment. Investing in even a cheap mechanics stethoscope can help isolate where it is coming from. If you discover that the ticking is indeed coming from the head/cover, it might not be an out-of-whack lash, but rather excessive play in another part of the rocker assembly.

I don't know your engine, so how does the oiling system work? Is it possible to remove a cover and run the engine to watch/hear the valves operating? Or does the engine just have an inspection/adjustment plate/cover?

Lots of little bits and pieces in a valve train that can make the ticking/tapping noise if there is some wear/free play.

It's been about 1550km since my last oil change so it's probably due for a change, the oil is at the correct level and I am using the reccommended oil for my bike (10w-40) however. My engine only has inspection covers for the valves, is it safe to run the engine with the covers off? It is starting to look like something other than the valves is causing the noise but it seems odd that this would start right after I adjusted the valves unless if the incorrect adjustment caused it. I don't know how my oiling system works but oil is reaching the valves with no problem as far as I can tell. I tried listening to the engine with a screwdriver pressed against my ear and the noise was louder at the top of the engine and loudest at the intake valve.

Even though I have a 200cc, both engines are made by the same company, Qingqi. That's why I suggested ChinaV's post. I made a few mistakes the first time I did my valves. The first is I used the wrong feeler guages. I was using standard guages but using the metric numbers...or the other way around. Anyway, they ended up too big and the bike ran like crap. The second mistake was I used straight guages instead of angled. The area is very tight as you now know. It takes a few tries to get it right as V said in his post. At one point I was thinking about dropping the motor out a bit to get at the front but I got it done. It really does help to have another set of hands here. Also, as DanDaMan said, there will always be some ticking sound coming from these small thumpers.

I figured it out in the end. Most sources says to adjust the valves so you get a loose fit with the feeler gague but I read somewhere else that that is crap and it should be a tight fit so I tightened the valve adjusters a little more than I usually do and the valve noise went away.

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Originally Posted by spencer2004

I figured it out in the end. Most sources says to adjust the valves so you get a loose fit with the feeler gague but I read somewhere else that that is crap and it should be a tight fit so I tightened the valve adjusters a little more than I usually do and the valve noise went away.

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And now just wait till your valve seats start to burn.
I mean, this is NOT correct and might lead to larger engine damage.

There are imo NO motorbike engines with ZERO gap at cold engine.
The gap is there for a purpose, something else must be wrong causing the ticking!

No what I ment was when I put the feeler gague in and adjust the valve clearence I go with a tight fit instead of a loose fit.

Try with proper fit. Maybe you understand incorrectly how tight or loose you should be feeler gauge while adjusting gap. This is a subjective feeling, and it is difficult to express in words.

Man, there's no need to complicate things. Stick to the service manual recommendations. If you hear ticking, look somewhere else in valvetrain (I don't know... maybe chain tensioner...) besides the valve clearance.