250 Cummins Valve/fuel injector adjustment.

[Rifleman]

My question about valve/fuel injector adjustment is this, i only plan to drive my truck about 2000 miles a year at most, probably a whole lot less, so how often should i do the valve/Fuel injector adjustment. I am sure that the TM's say to do it every so many miles or hours of use. Since i am going to use my truck way less then the military ever would then how often would you guys do the valve/Fuel injector adjustment. One more point when i start my truck now i see no smoke at all and am having no problems with it. Please don't misunderstand me, i am not trying to be lazy about maintenance, i am just looking for a base line for my truck seeing that it's going to be used so little. So do you think once a year would be a good start?

 

[m16ty]

I don't recall the numbers but you adjust the fuel injectors with a in/lb torque wrench instead of a feeler gauge. The numbers should be in the TM.

 

[73m819]

I don't recall the numbers but you adjust the fuel injectors with a in/lb torque wrench instead of a feeler gauge. The numbers should be in the TM.

You can also use a dial indicator

 

[jonesal]

The Cummings... (heh, heh) overhaul manual I have calls to "run the rail" after engine break in. Given the rebuild in my M923, I'll be doing a complete adjustment this spring. Having the two special service tools referenced in the TMs will help greatly. In my opinion, the dial gauge methods gives better results than the torque wrench method, but both are in the TMs. I scounded an NOS Cummins dial gauge kit for $75 off CL and am waiting for the price of the adjuster tool to drop a bit (Snapon stuff is dipped in gold). There's a good post on adjustment, just search for it in this forum. It takes about three reads of the TM and then "Oh ya, that's starting to make sense..."

Al Jones
M923

 

[rangereter]

Most engines are good for a couple of hundred thousand miles between top end adjustments...where do you think you fit in there?
Regards, Bob

 

[Rifleman]

Rangereter, My truck went through the Red River Army Depot overhaul in May of 2009 and at that time the speed o had 8 miles on it. Since then the truck is now only showing 38 miles on the speed o in three years of use. So i have no way of knowing when the valves and fuel injectors were last adjusted. That's why i was asking you guys if i should do a valve adjustment and since i plan on using the truck so little i just wanted to know how often you would do a valve adjustment after that. Now your saying the valves only neeed to be done every couple of hundred thousand miles so it looks like if i do them once i would be good to go for years after that unless the truck starts having problems.

 

[rangereter]

Rifleman I would say to have the top end run on the motor if it will give you a warm fuzzy. I would submit to you that valve lash and injector adjustment will only fall out of adjustment do to wear (if initially set to specs of course). An engine can set idle for decades and will have no effect on settings. I have done a lot of tune-ups on these 855s, and because mine runs good, I have never been inclined to remove the rocker covers. There are good preventative maintenance practices, and there is the "if it isn't broke don't fix it approach"... most of us fall in between somewhere.
Regards, Bob