Wisconsin VH4 Generator Set

⚠ If the clutch begins to slip it should be readjusted, otherwise it will become overheated and damaged.

Tools: hand crank, drift punch, screwdriver

1. Remove the clutch inspection plate and release the clutch operating lever.
2. Turn engine over by means of the hand crank until the clutch adjustment lock is visible through the inspection opening in the clutch housing.
3. Hold the clutch stationary using a drift punch wedged in place or another method of keeping the take-off shaft from turning.
4. Loosen screw holding the adjustment lock in place.
5. Insert a screw driver in one of the notches and turn the adjusting ring counter-clockwise, one notch at a time, until a very firm pressure is required to engage the clutch with the operating lever.
6. Tighten adjusting lock screw and mount inspection cover.

⚠ A new clutch requires several adjustments until friction surfaces are worn in. Do not let a new clutch slip, this may ruin the friction surfaces.

Tools: screwdriver, 1/16 inch diameter wire

1. Pull adjusting lockpin out and insert a piece of 1/16 inch diameter wire into the hole on the side of the lockpin to keep pin in outer position.
2. Turn the adjusting yoke clockwise, or wedge a screw driver into the adjusting yoke and against the side of the inspection hole opening to keep yoke from turning, then turn the take-off shaft counter-c
3. Tighten yoke enough so that the operating lever requires a distinct pressure to engage.
4. Remove wire from lockpin and turn adjusting yoke slightly to allow lockpin to snap into hole in floating plate.

⚠ Any change in gap opening will affect the ignition advance.

Tools: hand crank, screwdriver, feeler gauge

1. Remove rocker arm cover from No. 1 cylinder bank.
2. Turn engine over with hand crank until the inlet valve opens and then closes.
3. Continue turning until the leading edge of the 'X' marked vane on the flywheel is in line with the centerline mark of the No. 1 and 3 cylinder-banks.
4. Before mounting distributor, take off cap, remove rotor and dust cover.
5. Hold distributor face up with terminal wire or stud away and in a 12 o'clock position. Mount rotor and turn until rotor contact points are in an approximate 2 o'clock position (Delco-Remy) or 10 o'clo
6. Assemble distributor to housing, meshing the gears while retaining the terminal wire or stud in an approximate 12 o'clock position.
7. Mount distributor clamp to drive housing but do not tighten screw.
8. Adjust breaker point gap to 0.020 inch maximum opening.
9. With clamp screw loose, turn distributor body counter-clockwise so breaker points are firmly closed, then clockwise until breaker points are just beginning to open.
10. Tighten clamp screw. The No. 1 cylinder is now ready to fire in the retarded position.

⚠ The governor rod connection to the carburetor must be very carefully adjusted for length, otherwise the governor will not function properly and cause the engine to surge badly.

Tools: tachometer or revolution counter

1. With control rod disconnected from governor lever, push the rod toward the carburetor as far as it will go (wide open position).
2. Move the governor lever as far as possible in the same direction.
3. Hold both parts in the above position and screw the rod in or out of the swivel block on the carburetor until the bent end of the rod registers with the hole in the lever.
4. Then screw the rod in one more turn to shorten the linkage slightly.
5. Hook the governor spring into the proper hole in the governor lever to suit the operating speed.
6. Adjust spring tension by means of the adjusting screw. Tightening the adjusting screw locknut gives higher speeds; loosening lowers spring tension and reduces R.P.M.
7. Use a tachometer or revolution counter against the crankshaft to check speed while adjusting.

Tools: short stiff wire, hand crank

1. Expose timing marks on flywheel and shroud.
2. Position No. 1 piston on compression stroke.
3. Turn engine over past top dead center until the leading edge of the 'X' marked vane on the flywheel is in line with the vertical centerline mark on the shroud. Leave flywheel in this position.
4. Remove inspection hole plug located in gear cover at magneto mounting flange.
5. Set magneto for spark discharge to the No. 1 terminal using a short stiff wire in the No. 1 terminal socket bent to within 1/8 inch of the magneto frame. Turn magneto gear clockwise, tripping the impu
6. Place gasket on flange and mount magneto to engine, meshing the gears so that the gear tooth marked with an 'X' will be visible through the lower half of the inspection hole in gear cover.
7. Securely tighten nut and capscrew for mounting magneto.

⚠ If the engine is running below 2000 R.P.M. when timing, the automatic advance will not be in the full advance position and the timing would not be accurate.

Tools: timing lamp, screwdriver

1. Chalk or paint the end of the 'X' marked vane on the flywheel white.
2. Insert a small screwdriver into the No. 1 terminal tower on the distributor cap, making contact with the spark plug wire terminal.
3. Connect the red terminal clip from a timing lamp to the metal portion of the screwdriver; connect one lamp wire to the battery and the other to ground.
4. With engine operating at 2000 R.P.M. or over, allow the flash from the neon lamp to illuminate the whitened vane.
5. At the time of the flash the leading edge of the vane should line up with the running spark advance timing hole on the flywheel shroud.
6. If it does not, loosen the distributor clamp screw and turn the distributor body slightly clockwise or counter-clockwise until the white flywheel vane matches up with the advance timing hole. Tighten

⚠ Idle engine at 1000 R.P.M., and if oil pressure falls below 15 P.S.I., check for irregularities in the oil pump, bearings and oil connections.

Tools: 3/16 inch Allen wrench

1. Remove plug from the end of the oil pressure relief valve.
2. With a 3/16 inch Allen wrench, remove the outer lock screw.
3. With the same wrench, adjust spring tension by means of the adjusting screw; turn clockwise to increase gauge pressure, counter-clockwise to reduce pressure.
4. With engine running at 1800 R.P.M. and engine oil hot, adjust oil pressure to 40 to 45 P.S.I.
5. After adjustment is made, mount outer lock screw firmly in place.
6. Use a new 3/4 inch expansion plug to seal off any oil which may by-pass the screw threads.

⚠ With spark plugs removed, turning crankshaft is made easier.

Tools: feeler gauge, 1/2 inch tappet wrench

1. Measure clearance between top of valve and nose of rocker arm with a feeler gauge.
2. Turn the tappet adjusting screw clockwise to decrease valve clearance and counter-clockwise to increase clearance.
3. Adjust No. 1 inlet valve clearance first, then by a short turn of the crank adjust No. 3 inlet.
4. Return to No. 1 cylinder and adjust the exhaust clearance, then adjust No. 3 exhaust.
5. Repeat procedure for No. 2 and No. 4 bank of cylinders, starting with No. 4 inlet valve.
6. Mark each rocker arm with chalk as adjustment is completed.

⚠ Avoid reverse polarity - this distributor is for negative ground systems only.

⚠ Do not operate the engine with the battery disconnected.

⚠ Disconnect the ground (negative) cable when charging the battery.

Tools: 12 volt test light, voltmeter

1. Visually inspect plug wires, coil wire, distributor cap and rotor; replace any components that show deterioration.
2. Check for loose or poor connections in ignition circuit and check battery terminals for corrosion and loose connections.
3. Check battery voltage with engine off; it should be 12 to 15 volts.
4. Connect the test light between the positive (+) side of the ignition coil and ground; with ignition on the light should light.
5. Disconnect the black primary lead between coil negative (-) terminal and distributor. Connect test light to negative terminal of the ignition coil; turn ignition on, the light should light.
6. Reconnect black primary lead and connect test light again to negative terminal of coil.
7. Disconnect high voltage wire from center of distributor cap and ground to engine.
8. Crank the engine; the test light should flicker as the engine is cranked.
9. If the light does not flicker then the distributor electronic module is faulty.

Tools: starting crank

1. Remove the spark plugs and squirt about a fluid ounce of crankcase oil through the spark plug hole into each cylinder.
2. Turn the engine over several times with the starting crank to distribute the oil over the cylinder walls.
3. Reassemble spark plugs; compression should be satisfactory.

⚠ Old gaskets harden, take a 'set' and will very likely leak.

Tools: emery cloth or steel wool

1. Check gasket face surface of rocker arm cover at the rounded end for paint accumulation; scrape off any paint that forms a hump and smooth with emery cloth or steel wool.
2. Clean gasket faces on the cylinder head and rocker arm covers.
3. Spread a thin coat of perma-tex into the rocker arm cover to hold gasket in place.
4. Use new gaskets.

Tools: wire type gauge, torque wrench

1. Remove spark plugs and clean and re-gap.
2. Check spark plug gap with a wire type gauge and regap.
3. Use a new gasket when mounting either old or new plugs and thoroughly clean threads in cylinder head before installation.
4. Tighten spark plugs to 22 foot pounds torque. If torque wrench is not available, tighten plug until it begins to seat on the gasket, then turn 1/2 to 3/4 of a turn more.