AirSpeed VW Community Forums

Technical => Engine Tech Forum => Topic started by: celticbob on January 03, 2004, 02:49:42 AM

Title: Valve Adjustment
Post by: celticbob on January 03, 2004, 02:49:42 AM

The car runs fine but I have never had the valves touched in the 6 years of owning it. Should I leave it alone or get them done? Is this relativly easy to do for a novice (first timer) or should I get a mechanic to do it?

 

Title: Valve Adjustment
Post by: Bruce on January 03, 2004, 01:22:01 PM

Are you saying you haven't adjusted your valves in 6 years?  I think that even breaks Rob's record.

Title: Valve Adjustment
Post by: celticbob on January 03, 2004, 01:38:22 PM

True, they have never been touched.
There appears to be no problem with them so I never even considered it. The car doesn't get used allot so never thought about it untill recently.
What am I in for???

Title: Valve Adjustment
Post by: Bruce on January 04, 2004, 12:41:20 AM

Takes about 'arf an 'ar.  You might get your hands dirty too.  Are you up for it?

Title: Valve Adjustment
Post by: celticbob on January 04, 2004, 12:56:39 AM

Sure I'm up for it.
Big job for a novice?

Title: Valve Adjustment
Post by: Bruce on January 04, 2004, 11:41:38 AM

No, but your first time might take you over an hour.
Get your new Orange Bentley manual that Jason sent you.  In there is the procedure.  
There is one thing in there that the novice will find confusing.  When they talk about using a feeler guage, they all talk about the correct amount of drag to feel when the gap is correct.  What a load of crap!  That's gotta be the stupidest most inaccurate way to use a feeler guage.  The best way for anyone to use feeler guages is to use the go, no-go method.  In your engine you will use the .006\" guage and the .007\" guage.  Adjust the gap until the 6 goes while the 7 doesn't go.  Then you know you have .006\".  
Some guys like to measure the gap before they adjust to see how far off they are.  Takes a while, but informative.  Yesterday I heard about one guy that keeps a log book of his adjustments.  I bet he waits until he gets home to take a crap too.

Title: Valve Adjustment
Post by: moni on January 04, 2004, 01:55:07 PM

Quote

Big job for a novice?

it's the perfect job for a novice. it's not hard, just time-consuming your first time.

follow bruce's method, and i recommend checking the gap before you adjust. not to find out how far off it is, but sometimes they're spot on and don't require adjusting at all. i've got one intake and one outake that is bang on every time -- not that i'm complaining.  ;)  

Title: Valve Adjustment
Post by: celticbob on January 05, 2004, 07:48:00 AM

Thanks for the tips.
Anything I will need besides new gaskets?