# Tecumseh valve gap question



## Dauntae (Nov 10, 2016)

Doing my first valve work on these engines and all went well except when I ground the valve I went a little heavier than I thought, The gaps in the Tecumseh service manual say .008 on intake and .012 on exhaust but the exhaust now takes the .016 and .017 can be pushed in, I know it's the size of a human hair too much but how much will this effect the engine not opening that hair as far. Let me know because I want to get this put back together and onto the next machine so I can clear out the garage some.

Thank you


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

It won't open as far, but should be alright.


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## paulm12 (May 22, 2015)

what engine model is it? are you sure the spec is not 0.008" to 0.012" on both? Most of the older Tecumseh have same valve clearance for both.


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## JayzAuto1 (Jul 25, 2016)

Experience is what you get, when you don’t get what you want....
That happened on my first valve job. It was noisy. Didn’t seem to affect performance too much..... but I knew it was wrong and got tired of listening to it. So 3 weeks later, I got a valve and did it over..... much more carefully than the first time. 

GLuck, Jay


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## Grunt (Nov 11, 2013)

Did you lap the valves before or after grinding the valve stem? If you didn't lap them after, there is a real good chance the clearance will decrease after lapping.


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## Dauntae (Nov 10, 2016)

Was going to skip the lapping as this is more a learning job (NOT a customers machine but a beater I picked up) But now decided to lap them, Just need to get the right stuff to do it, Not in a rush but DO want to get my garage cleared out a little LOL Thanks for all the quick responses.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Too much clearance is at least safer than too-little. With too much, at least the valve will seal completely. But if that's the valve with the compression release, then you'd give up a bit of compression release, so it might be a harder to pull the cord.


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## Dauntae (Nov 10, 2016)

its the exhaust valve, Will test it out and if it's too much of a issue I will pull a valve from one of the many parts engines, Will be giving this to a friend after it's running so good learning for me anyway, Not hard to do but just got to be careful.


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## Robert A Fierro (Jan 24, 2018)

Too little clearance can lead to burnt valves... 
Too much, noise and some mostly theoretical (for these engines) loss of HP.


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