Valve Lash & Overhead Caterpillar 3406E Verified Factory Specs

Caterpillar 3406E Valve Lash & Injector Height Specs

Factory OEM cold valve lash adjustment specifications, feeler gauge sizes, and Cat 9U-7227 injector height gauge settings for Caterpillar 3406E (5EK/2WS/1MM) diesel engines.

Selected Heavy Diesel Engine

Intake Valve Lash (Cold)

0.015 in

Feeler Blade: .015 in (0.38 mm)

Exhaust Valve Lash (Cold)

0.030 in

Feeler Blade: .030 in (0.76 mm)

Engine Brake (Jake) Lash

0.027 in

Feeler Blade: .027 in (0.69 mm)

Cylinder Adjustment Stepper (Firing Order: 1-5-3-6-2-4)

Click Step 1 or Step 2 to highlight which valves to set based on crankshaft timing mark.

Step 1 of 2: Cylinder 1 at Top Dead Center (TDC)

Install timing bolt in flywheel at TC Compression Stroke Cylinder 1

Valves to Adjust in this Position:Cylinders 1, 2, 4 Intake Valves; Cylinders 1, 3, 5 Exhaust Valves

Engine Brake (Jake) & Injector Settings:Set Injectors on Cylinders 3, 5, 6 with Cat 9U-7227 gauge (78.0 mm)

Rocker Arm Lock Nut Torque: 25 ft-lbs (34 N·m)

Source: Caterpillar Service Manual SENR5580 (3406E Diesel Truck Engine Specifications)

Caterpillar 3406E Valve Lash & Injector Height Setup

The 3406E engine requires accurate feeler gauge adjustment of intake/exhaust valves and precise setting of electronic unit injectors:

TC Compression Stroke Cylinder 1

Intake Valves: Cylinders 1, 2, 4 (.015 in / 0.38 mm)
Exhaust Valves: Cylinders 1, 3, 5 (.030 in / 0.76 mm)
Injectors: Cylinders 3, 5, 6 (Set to 78.0 ± 0.2 mm / 3.07 in)
Jake Slave Piston: Cylinders 1, 3, 5 (.027 in / 0.69 mm)

TC Compression Stroke Cylinder 6 (360° Turn)

Intake Valves: Cylinders 3, 5, 6 (.015 in / 0.38 mm)
Exhaust Valves: Cylinders 2, 4, 6 (.030 in / 0.76 mm)
Injectors: Cylinders 1, 2, 4 (Set to 78.0 ± 0.2 mm / 3.07 in)
Jake Slave Piston: Cylinders 2, 4, 6 (.027 in / 0.69 mm)

Locknut Torque: Torque valve adjustment locknuts to 25 lb-ft (34 N·m) and injector rocker arm locknuts to 40 lb-ft (54 N·m).

Related Heavy Diesel Engineering Tools

Cross-reference other factory specifications and diagnostic tools for commercial diesel engines:

Pillar 3 →

Valve Lash & Overhead

Intake, exhaust, & Jake brake clearances.

Pillar 1 →

Oil & Coolant Sump

Standard vs deep pan fill volumes.

Pillar 4 →

Head Bolt Torque

Torque-to-yield angle stages & sequences.

Pillar 2 →

SPN Fault Code Lookup

J1939 fault diagnostics & sensor pins.

Technical Reference Citation: Caterpillar Service Manual SENR5580 (3406E Diesel Truck Engine Specifications)

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