Thanks for the video! Not sure if this is posted anywhere throughout the comments, but if you use a rag instead of a padded screwdriver to unlock the bails from the valve cover, it might be a bit easier and also less abrasive to a nice set of covers. And, if you have limited space to work with, you can just slide the rag underneath the bail, pull out and down....presto its off.
Many years ago when I used to adjust my valves I would have a 4, 6 and 8 feeler gauge to ensure that I could feel the gap was right. I always did my valves first thing inn the morning with the engine cold. 6 Inlet and Exhaust as tight valves run very hot! Thank goodness for hydraulic tappets!!
good resource, i like the beginning in order to get cylinder 1 in compression without looking at the distributor. But after that, this may become much easier if you turn the engine counterclockwise; you adjust #1 and then #2 without having to do the extra 1-1/2 turn to get the #2 in compression when you turn clockwise. Then #3 and last #4. Nice video!
Hi Firing order 1432 then you can do 1234 opposite the engine rotation piston 1 at TDC do No.1 then 180° for No.2 then 180° for No.3 then 180° for No.4 job done.
Those valve covers would be absolutely spotless if they were going onto my VW engine...If you can prevent any bit if abrasive dirt going inside the engine, that's a good thing...Grit and dirt must travel through the oil pump before the oil filter.
If you notice in the video, you had clearance when you rocked #1 arm as you could clearly hear a large gap but when you used the gauge it wouldn't clear it. Next time push the arm against the pushrod firmly before checking for clearance.
After many years of doing this, let me help. First, pop valve covers off. Second, remove distributor cap and rotate engine to #1 position, which closes both valves. 3rd, check both valves for clearance. If good, move to next cylinder by repeating step 2. I used to do this easily in 20 mins. while I was in college. Only a couple of valves will ever be out of whack, usually the ones near the heat-intensive oilcooler. Good luck.
The threaded adjusters are 10 thread per cm or one revolution equals about .039 inches or about .040..half a rev about .020 so for .007 which is what I set my '71 to. I set it to somewhat less than a 1/4 turn . I made the mistake of letting a shop that did not specialise in vw do my valve job once and they leaked...a vw shop reground the seats and valves but with not much left the geometry was not perfect although they sealed well and have lasted fine. Long story short I cant get a feeler in the space but turning the adjuster to zero clearance and then backing it out the right amount works fine...no feeler gauge needed. Its not the best way but it works.
I've been using .006 for ~15 years / 150,000 miles now. Error on the side of caution I suppose. I could try .004 but then I'd want to check very frequently, that .004 can go to zero faster than .006. Have a couple British cars, one exhaust valve would lose all its clearance after a few hundred miles. But the VW's in my experience have been stable, usually only re-adjust zero to maybe four valves at 3K intervals. Since this is a "linked comment", I cannot reply directly.
It sure does, try it. As long as the cylinder you are working with is in compression both exhaust and intake will be closed where basically is adjusted. So, if starting at #1 and going backwards, you will be working in the sequence1,2,3,4 instead of the engine firing order. I'm working with my 74 S.Beetle body right now; eventually i'll make a video about it. I think there are some videos of it in youtube though.
Mike Kafer I misspoke, meant to type turning the engine backward doesn't change the firing order, it only reverses it. But you won't see the "exhaust - intake" sequence before TDC for each cylinder if you're turning the engine backward. Really my main point with this video was that you can find TDC for each cylinder by observing the "exhaust - intake" sequence for each cylinder.
+Don K. Johnson I've been using .006. Since I check it often, every 3000 miles, and it doesn't change very much in that time, I could probably do .004 without harm. But .006 has been working okay for me for many years / miles.
Step one.... look for sticker telling you whether it has hydraulic lifters. Step 2....do not adjust if it has hydraulic lifters. Step 3....if you are not sure, take it to a garage.
If you're going to check it frequently, I think .004 will be okay. If you're going to put some miles in between checks, open up to .006 will add some margin of safety. After a while, you may find the gaps are stable, not changing much over time / miles. I've heard Formula Vee guys run zero clearance, but check frequently.
matt acree engine size don't matter since all air cooled VW have same adjustments. Max is .004 and min is .006 it also depends on where you live due to climate and loose is always better than tight. Hot climate .006 cold no more than. 004 hope that helped
How do you know if you need to adjust the valves? Im new the the vw world i have a 2387 long block on turbo it turns off right after i turn it on. Any info would be great thanks
otroman5 Generally I check the valve adjustment on the VW every 3000 miles. But this engine has been very "stable" requiring little adjustment at those intervals. Based on this experience, I could probably stretch the interval to 6000 miles or more. Other engines I've owned, valves started sinking into the heads, requiring very frequent adjustments. So look for trends, did the clearance change much since the previous adjustment? If not, maybe can check less frequently.
i tried to do this today following the rob muir tutorial in the idiot book, i think i did everything correctly, i loosened the lock nuts to adjust the gaps, they were a little big. i pulled the crank to TDC, following the mark on my crank pulley, the distributor also lined ip with the notch in the case, after loosening the lock nut the adjuster wouldn't turn so i cant close the gaps.. i tried the intake and the exhaust, neither would move.... am i doing something wrong?.
nick blake I've seen those adjusters rust in place due to improper ( outdoor ) storage, but inside the oily heads shouldn't be an issue. As a simple test, you might just swap on a different set of rocker shafts together with arms and adjusters, if you have those extra parts lying around. Since you say you have gaps, I'll assume you've got the right piston at TDC and the adjusters aren't pressing against the valves.
nice job i do it the same looks like ,,,i find 1 top comp stroke then turn crank countercheck wise and do 2 and so on ,,,,,id rather have a little loose valve then too too tight just saying ,,,,enjoy thanks for the vid its great
Using reasonable force, you can't hold the screw with a screwdriver and turn the nut separately? You don't want to break off the ears of the screw ... if it's really stuck I'd unscrew it all the way out and deal with it off the car, use heat maybe.
mbs B Thanks for the comment. Does the sound quit about 3/4 of the way through? I left the video up because it's very popular, but I suspect people don't hear any sound after about the halfway or 3/4'ers point(?)
there so many TOM DICK AND HARRY out there showing you how to adjust valves and it is all in good, BUT most think because they have done are experts NOT SO Did you even notice the 2 springs that are upside down, people can do things but still not know when they see something else wrong, and if I am you can prove me wrong I ll send u a 100.00 #2intake and looks like #1 exhaust. look at them there not all turned the same way, gl
Good job having a sand buggy so it was easy to show the valve adjustment!
Thanks for the video! Not sure if this is posted anywhere throughout the comments, but if you use a rag instead of a padded screwdriver to unlock the bails from the valve cover, it might be a bit easier and also less abrasive to a nice set of covers. And, if you have limited space to work with, you can just slide the rag underneath the bail, pull out and down....presto its off.
Not a bad idea
Many years ago when I used to adjust my valves I would have a 4, 6 and 8 feeler gauge to ensure that I could feel the gap was right. I always did my valves first thing inn the morning with the engine cold. 6 Inlet and Exhaust as tight valves run very hot! Thank goodness for hydraulic tappets!!
good resource, i like the beginning in order to get cylinder 1 in compression without looking at the distributor. But after that, this may become much easier if you turn the engine counterclockwise; you adjust #1 and then #2 without having to do the extra 1-1/2 turn to get the #2 in compression when you turn clockwise. Then #3 and last #4. Nice video!
Thanks for the comment. But the sequence of exhaust valve - intake valve -TDC won't be the same turning the engine backwards.
Hi
Firing order 1432 then you can do 1234 opposite the engine rotation piston 1 at TDC do No.1 then 180° for No.2 then 180° for No.3 then 180° for No.4 job done.
Reversing the sequence doesn't change the order ... one can adjust 4 & 3 then 2 & 1 without turning the engine backward.
Those valve covers would be absolutely spotless if they were going onto my VW engine...If you can prevent any bit if abrasive dirt going inside the engine, that's a good thing...Grit and dirt must travel through the oil pump before the oil filter.
If you notice in the video, you had clearance when you rocked #1 arm as you could clearly hear a large gap but when you used the gauge it wouldn't clear it. Next time push the arm against the pushrod firmly before checking for clearance.
After many years of doing this, let me help.
First, pop valve covers off. Second, remove distributor cap and rotate engine to #1 position, which closes both valves. 3rd, check both valves for clearance. If good, move to next cylinder by repeating step 2. I used to do this easily in 20 mins. while I was in college. Only a couple of valves will ever be out of whack, usually the ones near the heat-intensive oilcooler. Good luck.
The threaded adjusters are 10 thread per cm or one revolution equals about .039 inches or about .040..half a rev about .020 so for .007 which is what I set my '71 to. I set it to somewhat less than a 1/4 turn . I made the mistake of letting a shop that did not specialise in vw do my valve job once and they leaked...a vw shop reground the seats and valves but with not much left the geometry was not perfect although they sealed well and have lasted fine. Long story short I cant get a feeler in the space but turning the adjuster to zero clearance and then backing it out the right amount works fine...no feeler gauge needed. Its not the best way but it works.
I have a baja too. Love it
I've been using .006 for ~15 years / 150,000 miles now. Error on the side of caution I suppose. I could try .004 but then I'd want to check very frequently, that .004 can go to zero faster than .006. Have a couple British cars, one exhaust valve would lose all its clearance after a few hundred miles. But the VW's in my experience have been stable, usually only re-adjust zero to maybe four valves at 3K intervals. Since this is a "linked comment", I cannot reply directly.
My dad's old beetle ate an exhaust valve when it died many years ago. Cool vid
Sounds repairable, but also sounds like that car is long gone.
This was back in the 70's ;)
It sure does, try it. As long as the cylinder you are working with is in compression both exhaust and intake will be closed where basically is adjusted. So, if starting at #1 and going backwards, you will be working in the sequence1,2,3,4 instead of the engine firing order. I'm working with my 74 S.Beetle body right now; eventually i'll make a video about it. I think there are some videos of it in youtube though.
Mike Kafer I misspoke, meant to type turning the engine backward doesn't change the firing order, it only reverses it. But you won't see the "exhaust - intake" sequence before TDC for each cylinder if you're turning the engine backward. Really my main point with this video was that you can find TDC for each cylinder by observing the "exhaust - intake" sequence for each cylinder.
You might want to clean the head before you take out the valve cover sign and debris is your enemy wear and tear even you could clogged oil port
Nice video, do you need to drain the oil to remove the valve covers?
William Cook Generally no, although parked on the street the low side drips a bit, so I try to move fast.
guidoguitar thank you sir! Great video
did you ever mention the gap size, or what feeler gauge you were using? .004, .005, .006??
+Don K. Johnson I've been using .006. Since I check it often, every 3000 miles, and it doesn't change very much in that time, I could probably do .004 without harm. But .006 has been working okay for me for many years / miles.
Its always Valve #1 or #4 that needs A Tweak. #2 and #3 always seems to hang in there fine.
Step one.... look for sticker telling you whether it has hydraulic lifters. Step 2....do not adjust if it has hydraulic lifters.
Step 3....if you are not sure, take it to a garage.
So what do I have to do? Adjust the screw until it touches the valve?
What is a good gap to adjust a 1914 valves
If you're going to check it frequently, I think .004 will be okay. If you're going to put some miles in between checks, open up to .006 will add some margin of safety. After a while, you may find the gaps are stable, not changing much over time / miles. I've heard Formula Vee guys run zero clearance, but check frequently.
matt acree engine size don't matter since all air cooled VW have same adjustments. Max is .004 and min is .006 it also depends on where you live due to climate and loose is always better than tight. Hot climate .006 cold no more than. 004 hope that helped
How do you know if you need to adjust the valves? Im new the the vw world i have a 2387 long block on turbo it turns off right after i turn it on. Any info would be great thanks
otroman5 Generally I check the valve adjustment on the VW every 3000 miles. But this engine has been very "stable" requiring little adjustment at those intervals. Based on this experience, I could probably stretch the interval to 6000 miles or more. Other engines I've owned, valves started sinking into the heads, requiring very frequent adjustments. So look for trends, did the clearance change much since the previous adjustment? If not, maybe can check less frequently.
i tried to do this today following the rob muir tutorial in the idiot book, i think i did everything correctly, i loosened the lock nuts to adjust the gaps, they were a little big. i pulled the crank to TDC, following the mark on my crank pulley, the distributor also lined ip with the notch in the case, after loosening the lock nut the adjuster wouldn't turn so i cant close the gaps.. i tried the intake and the exhaust, neither would move.... am i doing something wrong?.
nick blake I've seen those adjusters rust in place due to improper ( outdoor ) storage, but inside the oily heads shouldn't be an issue. As a simple test, you might just swap on a different set of rocker shafts together with arms and adjusters, if you have those extra parts lying around. Since you say you have gaps, I'll assume you've got the right piston at TDC and the adjusters aren't pressing against the valves.
calibrate with 004? oh 006?
nice job i do it the same looks like ,,,i find 1 top comp stroke then turn crank countercheck wise and do 2 and so on ,,,,,id rather have a little loose valve then too too tight just saying ,,,,enjoy thanks for the vid its great
You might want to take the spark plug out and make the engine easier to turn
My nut and screw are moving together when i turn the nut! Any suggestions!?
Using reasonable force, you can't hold the screw with a screwdriver and turn the nut separately? You don't want to break off the ears of the screw ... if it's really stuck I'd unscrew it all the way out and deal with it off the car, use heat maybe.
Very helpful, thanks!
Thanks For the Video dude !
Nice video. Thanks for sharing that!
mbs B Thanks for the comment. Does the sound quit about 3/4 of the way through? I left the video up because it's very popular, but I suspect people don't hear any sound after about the halfway or 3/4'ers point(?)
guidoguitar Your suspicion is correct
great video
+Nhe Antonio Thanks!
there so many TOM DICK AND HARRY out there showing you how to adjust valves and it is all in good, BUT most think because they have done are experts NOT SO Did you even notice the 2 springs that are upside down, people can do things but still not know when they see something else wrong, and if I am you can prove me wrong I ll send u a 100.00 #2intake and looks like #1 exhaust. look at them there not all turned the same way, gl
Valve gap varies depending on your engine. 40hp have 2 different specs. Do your homework, or buy a chilton book. Cheers!
I did this on my 1500. Now it's loud and I can't drive it. Trust no video...
Kind of a dufus. Just read the Idiots Guide to keeping your bug alive. Needs to edit his video.
Muy bueno pero seria mejor en espanol
Step one... hahahaha...
Miguel Pereira Legal Good to see one person caught that. Thanks for the comment.