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On 3 May 2002, at 17:50, Daniel Baum wrote: > I have FINALLY got around to adjusting my car's valves, and FINALLY found > something that was actually easier than the books and people on the list > have made it out to be. (Of course knowing me I may have done the whole > thing wrong and just not realised it, but in the mean time I am living with the > delusion that it went very smoothly) This is just one more of those things where experience is the best teacher. You will eventually discover the feel of a correctly adjusted valve, feeler gauge has just the right drag. You'll also find easy ways to get the gauge in there. > I understand from all sorts of sources that a loose valve in far less serious > than a tight one so if it's .007" I hope it doesn't matter. Extreme cases of either are bad, but it's certainly better to err on the loose side. > Two other things I found were helpful: use a socket with an extension to > undo the adjusters, 'cause it saves your knuckles, and don't forget to take off > your sunglasses before you get under the car. I have a special offset Snap-On wrench made for just this purpose. Eventually you'll start to do this without needing to look, although a good visual inspection is always a good idea. > The valve covers were the dirtiest thing I have ever seen. I didn't glue the > gaskets on, following advice from everyone except Muir. I just used a coating of > grease to hold them in place. The old gaskets seem to be made of plastic, while > my new ones look like cork. Dirty inside, or out? If inside, have you changed the oil lately? Did the PO do it regularly? I glue the each gasket to the cover in 6 places, but NEVER glue the gasket to the head. > So I turned the engine on after I had finished, and frankly it didn't sound much > different, which I understand is not necessarily a bad thing, as loose valves > clatter. Right, the really good thing was the tight valves you fixed. > Muir is right though, it does give you a feeling of intimacy with the car, > and if I were to descend into really extreme Muir-dom, I would say that the car > seemed to sound happier after it was done :~) Groovy man! Ah so, Weedhopper, you have been allowed another glimpse at your Karma. > PS Why does an early (1963 I think) Type 34 user manual say that you should > adjust the valves to .012" (.30mm)? Don't know. I've never been able to understand the changes here, other than the late change from .004 to .006". I think this change happened when the heads changed from the "long stud" heads to the "short stud" heads, but I've never been able to understand what that had to do with the valve adjustment, because the rocker stands are still in contact with the same pedestal in the head. - ******************************* Jim Adney, jadney@vwtype3.org Madison, Wisconsin, USA ******************************* ------------------------------------------------------------------- List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list or mailto:help@vwtype3.org