[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] [New Search]
Wow, but is that 130K ilometers? I don't think the FI engines are any harder on valves than a carbbed one would be, that doenst make sense but a valve job on ANY AC engine at about 60K (miles) is recommended, even the T4 engines. Kinda like replacing the timing belt on modern cars. Freeway miles have been good on my engine and it has a lot of life left in it really but the last heads I did on it had 55K on one side and 70K on the other, they were WHIPPED! One valve had lost its keeper grooves, 2 were starting to burn, one had the seat sinking in the head... but in defense of VW they WERE aftermarket heads and valves, and had been through the trauma of the Amzoil engine. I think another important factor is how well the valve train geometry is set up, Im not sure how much that would have varied from engine to engine from the factory but in rebuilds it probably does. That has a HUGE effect on guide wear. Keith Bit late to the party ... I've been rebuilding my own engine for a few months now, and reading all the books, so I must be an expert by now ... right ?! FWIW: my FI engine has 130K. Original heads and valves judging by the buildup of crud. Guide wear was OK. Clearances OK. And the books say "FI engines are hard on valves and need a valve job every 60K" (or something like that anyway). They almost imply you're a fool to drive more than that without work. And the PO, who had it for 5 years and did lots of freeway miles, said "valve clearances? how do you do that?" when I asked. To echo other comments: just drive it, and check the valve clearances regularly. Maybe even every day if you're doing high mileage and really paranoid. -- Matt. UK. '73 1600e FB. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~