valve adjustment on CAT 3116

[Feal318000]

has anyone attempted, or done a full valve adjustment on their 3116? my diesel mechanic says "its simple- anyone can do it"......

 

[aleigh]

I have not a 3116 personally yet, although I have adjusted valves on other engines. The 3116 procedure does not look particularly difficult. Your biggest dilemma is it requires 3116-specific tools, so it's just a question of whether you're going to save money over the long run vs taking it to your local diesel guy who does them all day long. Just be sure to get it done one way or another though - it's important on these engines.

 

[Scar59]

Meyer MRC Carpenter Diesel Engine Service Tool Kit - Caterpillar 3116,3126,3114. Google their web site, they have a instruction video. The tool kits are out there but expensive. The manual can be downloaded to a PDF. It's more than just valve adjustment. It is for fuel timing and injector rack synchronization.

 

[Feal318000]

thanks guys!

 

[Aernan]

Meyer MRC Carpenter Diesel Engine Service Tool Kit - Caterpillar 3116,3126,3114. Google their web site, they have a instruction video. The tool kits are out there but expensive. The manual can be downloaded to a PDF. It's more than just valve adjustment. It is for fuel timing and injector rack synchronization.

I was able to find the toolkit mentioned on google. Looking at photos of it I don't see the shim form setting the fuel rack in it. Can you confirm it is everything that is needed?

 

[snowtrac nome]

The valve lash is a simple thing to do don't touch the injector rockers with out the fuel system kit. My cat guy says the valve adjustment interval is 100k so if you want peace of mind maybe get a feeler gauge set and check it.

 

[Aernan]

The valve lash is a simple thing to do don't touch the injector rockers with out the fuel system kit. My cat guy says the valve adjustment interval is 100k so if you want peace of mind maybe get a feeler gauge set and check it.

I just found a cat 3116 for marine engines and it says valve adjust every 2000 hours. I figure that's 12k miles. Does that sound right?

 

[Floridianson]

A boat motor is considered pushing a big load up a hill all the time it's running.

 

[Aernan]

Ok I just read the procedure. It says to insert the timing bolt. The required tools does not mention this bolt. It looks like a longer version of the plug bolt. Does anyone know it's size?

 

[snowtrac nome]

I have the whole kit to do all cat engines, but you can just get the one for the 3116 from your cat dealer, its a bolt with a spring loaded tip that will drop in a hole in the flywheel when you hit tdc.

 

[Aernan]

Looks like I need to call my local Cat dealer and price some tools/service.

 

[Smike740]

I have the MRC Carpenter set you show pictured and have set both the valve lash and fuel injectors. It’s not hard following their procedure which is different than what is used for the Caterpillar tools. There is a video on their website. Regarding the timing bolt it is not required however it does make it easier especially if you are doing it alone. Basically you just align the hole in the flywheel with the hole in the bell housing.

 

[Aernan]

After more reading about the procedure and "special" tools required I found this great article. http://schoolbusmechanic.blogspot.com/2006/08/diesel-mechanic-cat-3116-valve-and.html
It looks like the only tools required are:

*Dial Indicator # 1U-8869
*Contact Point # 9U-7274
*Feeler Guage # 123-4941
*16mm/18mm Drop Wrench # 128-8824
* Timing Guage Block # 9U-7269
* Magnetic Base # 123-4940

I'm having more confidence in being able to afford the tools and do this myself. Now I just need to know how frequently this is supposed to be done.

 

[Aernan]

Ok Cat recommends 250, 500, 1000 hours for service. The formulas I'm finding online are like:

As far at what you were asking: Just use the figure 1 mile per minute, no matter theengine speed. One MPM = 60 MPH since there are 60 minutes in an hour. Thus, your 4,000 hours on the hour meter would be 4,000 hours x 60 MPH = 240,000miles.

So:
250 hrs = 15,000 miles
500 hrs = 30,000 miles
1000 hrs = 60,000 miles

Does that seem plausible? My truck is at 16,6 and I don't know it's service life so I'm starting to think it needs an adjustment.

 

[Awesomeness]

A mile per minute would be 60MPH, so I don't think that's reasonable. Essentially you're saying the average speed of the truck over its life is 60 MPH. Considering the truck can't even go 60MPH, I would use a number like 1 mile = 4 minutes (e.g. 15 MPH average) if you use it a lot (e.g. daily driver). The reality of these trucks is they probably spend most of their time idling doing nothing, so a number like 1 mile = 8 minutes (e.g. 7.5 MPH average) probably isn't unreasonable either.

I wonder if that number was for an over-the-road truck that spends most of it's time going 75MPH?

 

[Floridianson]

I wonder if that number was for an over-the-road truck that spends most of it's time going 75MPH?

Seems like it would be in the medium duty trucks not heavy duty over the road trucks.

 

[Awesomeness]

Seems like it would be in the medium duty trucks not heavy duty over the road trucks.

"It" being a 3116? "Seems like [a 3116] would [only] be in a medium duty truck"?

The 1 mile = 1 minute = 60 MPH average just seems like an impossible number for most vehicles. I bet my daily driver doesn't even average that, and 2/3 of my drive to work every day is on the highway at 85 MPH.

 

[Floridianson]

I agree no way 60mph average. Medium duty might be trash trucks or local delivery stop and go.

 

[Aernan]

Has anyone found any documentation on the valve adjustment interval? I can't find anything for road going vehicles only the marine engines.

 

[snowtrac nome]

I have no written documentation I'm just going by my cat over the road buddy who gave me the 100k overhead interval, but it isn't hard to stick in a set of feeler gauges to check and verify if an adjustment needs to happen sooner.