Sampson Boat Covideo
Removing Glow Plugs and Setting Valve Clearances (BETA 85T)
July 20, 2025 · 11 min · 227K views
What this video covers
Leo Goolden performs a valve clearance adjustment on a BETA 85T diesel engine while docked in Campbell River, British Columbia. To access the valve cover, he removes the glow plugs, fuel lines, and associated hoses and wires. The engine, a four-cylinder unit with 16 valves, requires checking eight rocker arm clearances, as each arm activates a pair of valves. Goolden rotates the crankshaft by hand using a socket wrench to reach top dead center for each cylinder. He uses a feeler gauge to measure the required clearance of 0.006 inches (0.15mm). Adjustments involve loosening a lock nut and turning an adjustment screw, a process that requires multiple attempts per rocker arm to maintain the setting while tightening the nut. After verifying the clearances, he reinstalls the valve cover, noting the importance of properly seating the gasket to prevent oil leaks. The engine requires this maintenance after its initial 500 hours of operation.
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