Adjusting Valve Clearance

[stevenj 4]

I've got a Kohler Magnum 20. I was checking the valve clearance and it is a little tight. The manual says that you have to grind the ends of the valve stems to adjust the clearance. Question - What do you use to grind the valve stems that gets them smooth and square?

[Roy 0]

Cheap method would be to jury rig a vee block perpendicular to the side of a grinding wheel. Lay the valve stem in the vee and hand feed it into the side of the wheel while rotating the valve. A machine shop would use a Spindex on a grinding machine. I have gotten away with doing it by hand on the face of the grinding wheel but am sure the end was not "square". Others may have better methods. Whatever method used be careful and go slow. It is real easy to remove too much and have excess valve clearance.

[HubbardRA 19]

I just use a regular flat file. I put it between the end of the valve and the follower. Move it back and forth till the clearance is correct. This is what I have done on B/S engines. I don't know if you can get the file into the valve on the Kohler Magnum engines.