Valve Adjustment.. Where did I go Wrong?
 

So I have been trying to adjust the valves in my new Magician. I've followed all the directions I could find but my valves still sound VERY loud. tap tap tap..

I found TDC (The T mark) on what I think is the compression stroke. I say I THINK because I pulled the plug and saw that the piston was at the top (I rotated the cam again and watched the piston move down to be sure).. Then I proceeded to carefully set the intake and exhaust to 0.003.

My question is can the piston be at the top and the T mark set and not be at TDC? It's really sounds loud but I have nothing to compare it to. If I had audio of a properly adjusted Hawk engine that would be helpful.

Its a pain in the a$$ with the magician since most of the plastics and the tank have to come off..

Im sure you understand that the cam turns at half crankshaft speed, so both valves are shut on the compression stroke, and this only occurs on every OTHER revolution. Or, simply put every other time the 'T' appears you are at TDC on the compression stroke. So the time honored easy way to do this to wiggle both pushrods, or spin them. If they both spin, both valves are shut, which only occurs on the compression stroke. Set the valves at .003 inches intake, and .004 inches exhaust. Rotate the engine one revolution and try spinning the push rods again. You should not be able to spin them because both valves are slightly open due to valve overlap at the exhaust/intake stroke cross-over...ARH :zzz:

did you use the dot on the cam gear? or the number one stamped on the gear as in between the 2 head bolts marking? sure you know better to use the dot to dot as top. some videos out there say to use the “1” which is incorrect.

Are you talking about an overhead cam engine? This is a pushrod engine....ARH

Easy way to know if you have the correct TDC is to watch the intake valve. Once it starts moving the next T mark will be TDC for the compression stroke.

OK Look at this picture. on example 2 and 4 the piston is making its way to TDC. But As ARH noted only in pic 2 are you on your compression stroke. note the valves in pic 2, both are closed. in 4 the Exhaust is open. so TDC happens at 2 and between 4 and 1. Hope that helps.