Carburetor Maintenance; Valve/Tappet Gap Adjustment - Saito FG-14C Owner's Operating Instruction Manual

(TDC) position. Refer to figure below:
Cam (Intake or Exhaust)
• Reassemble the piston, rod, rocker arm, pins,
pushrod, tappet, etc. in their original positions.
Engine parts are mated after running the engine and
must be reassembled as close as possible to their
original position.

Carburetor Maintenance

Should you experience difficulty with the carburetor of your engine:
• Be sure the needles are set to factory specifications.
• Generally speaking, there are very few things that keep today's modern gasoline engines from starting. To that
end, make sure you use good-quality "fresh" fuel, the spark plug is good, and the ignition system is working
properly.
• Check the battery voltage to make sure the ignition is getting the proper voltage. Should the engine fail to start
after these items are verified, refer to the Troubleshooting Guide.

Valve/Tappet Gap Adjustment

After approximately every 1 to 2 hours of operation,
tappet gap adjustment may be necessary. When
you check the valves, lubricate the moveable parts.
Also, make sure the screw is in tight before making
adjustments to valves.
Adjust the valves to a clearance of .03mm to .10mm
(.002 to .004 in) using the supplied gauge. The valves
must be adjusted with the engine cold due to thermal
expansion.
How to Adjust the Valve/Tappet Gap
Remove the plug and the rocker arm cover and revolve
the propeller slowly clockwise by hand. The intake side
rocker arm stops, and by turning it, the piston reaches
the compression top dead center (TDC).
In that position, adjust with the included gauge and
hexagonal wrench so the tappet gap may be set to
almost zero when the engine is in the compression
stroke. If the gauge can enter a limit gauge with a 0.1
mm thickness, the clearance is at maximum and needs
20
Bench Mark
• Assemble the engine, reversing the crisscross
pattern used in the disassembly. Prior to tightening
each of the screws, apply a drop of oil to prevent
thread damage.
• Normal engine maintenance, such as adjusting the
valves or carburetor, is permissible without voiding
the warranty. If you have any questions concerning
maintenance procedures, please contact the Horizon
Product Support Department at 877-504-0233.
Our representatives will be happy to advise you on
maintenance issues.
Valves must be in the compression stroke or closed
position as shown in the following figure. When
adjustment is completed, make sure you tighten the
lock nut.
Tappet Adjustment
Screw
adjustment. Adjust between 0.03 and 0.10mm (0.002
to 0.04 in.) After the gap is checked, tighten the locknut
securely. Do not over-tighten.
The tappet gap is the most important factor in the
maintenance of 4-stroke engines, and operation with
an excess clearance will degrade performance. In
particular, a large gap aggravates abrasion of the tappet
and the cam and also increases the unusual sound.
Adjust between
0.03 – 0.10mm (.002 in – .004 in)
Gauge
(0.1mm Max.)