Craftsman 580.329180 Owner's Manual page 16

Adjusting Valve Clearance
After the first 50 hours of operation, you should
adjust the valve clearance in the engine.
IMPORTANT: If you feel uncomfortable about doing
this procedure or you don't have the proper tools,
please take your generator in to the nearest Sears
service center to have the valve clearance adjusted.
This is a very important step to insure longest life for
your engine.
To adjust valve clearance:
• Make sure the engine is at room temperature.
• Make sure that the spark plug wire is removed from
the spark plug and out of the way.
• Remove the breather tube from the valve cover.
• Remove the four screws attaching the valve cover
with a #2 or 3 phillips screwdriver.
• Make sure the piston is at Top Dead Center (TDC)
of its compression stroke (both valves closed). To
get the piston at TDC, pull on the recoil handle
slowly while watching the piston through the spark
plug hole. As you pull on the recoil handle, the
piston should move up and down. The piston is at
TDC when it is up as high as it can go.
• Loosen the rocker arm jam nut. Use an 8mm allen
wrench to turn the pivot ball stud while checking
clearance between the rocker arm and the valve
stem with a feeler gauge. Correct clearance is
0.002-0.004 inch (0.05-0.1 mm).
NOTE: You must hold the rocker arm jam nut in place
as you turn the pivot ball stud.
When valve clearance is correct, hold the pivot ball
stud in place with the allen wrench and tighten the
rocker arm jam nut. Tighten the jam nut to
65-85 inch-pounds torque. After tightening the jam
nut, recheck valve clearance to make sure it did
not change.
• Reattach the valve cover.
NOTE: Start all four screws before tightening or you
will not be able to get all the screws in place.
NOTE: Make sure the gasket between the valve cover
and cylinder head is in place.
• Reattach the breather tube.
• Reattach the spark plug wire to the spark plug.
16