Valve bridge construction method

Claim 1

An improved method of rebuilding a used valve bridge assembly of the type that actuates the exhaust valves in a cylinder of a diesel locomotive engine, said bridge including a cross-arm with distal ends and lash adjuster sockets adjacent to each of the distal ends, each of the lash adjuster sockets having an opening adapted to receive a lash adjuster by being press-fit therein in order to provide smooth, efficient operation of the exhaust valves, and said bridge having at least one lash adjuster socket with an inner diameter worn oversized so that a standard size lash adjuster can no longer be properly fitted therein, the improved method of: maintaining a stock of oversized lash adjusters which each include an outer cylindrical wall having a radially outwardly projecting rib member adapted to be in surface-to-surface contact with the inner surface of the lash adjuster sockets and having an outer diameter dimension larger in diameter than the outer diameter dimension of the corresponding rib on the standard size lash adjuster; disassembling the used valve bridge, including removing the used lash adjusters from each of the lash adjuster sockets; cleaning the valve bridge, including the lash adjuster sockets formed therein, without machining the lash adjuster sockets in the valve bridge; measuring the inner diameter dimension of each of the oversized lash adjuster sockets in the valve bridge; selecting an oversized lash adjuster from said stock of oversized lash adjusters having an outer diameter dimension comparable to the measured inner diameter dimension of each of the oversized lash adjuster sockets; and reassembling the valve bridge, including press-fitting the selected oversized lash adjuster into the measured lash adjuster socket so that the radially outwardly projecting rib member is in surface to surface contact with the inner surface of the measured lash adjuster socket.