914 Valve Adjustment Made Easy, It is a joke ... Options

[pat4]

Going to adjust valves on my 2.0 engine, went to Tech Tips on PP site ... and this article is a joke.

It explains how to rotate the engine, how to find TDC, loosening Retaining Nut, tightening Retaining Nut, etc ... classical things.

... but with the engine pulled of the car !!!!

Question: With engine in the car, with the exhausts lines, adjustment nuts seems approximatively unreachable. How do you proceed to access adjustment nuts ? Any advice welcome !

[mightyohm]

You can get to them, you just have to use all available space and reach around the heat exchangers. Get under the car and try it. The hardest part is getting the valve covers off, I use a big screwdriver and pry the big retaining clamp off.

[SpecialK]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

Just did mine two days ago, in fact the ramp and jackstand are still holding it up (some other items that I noticed needed attention...but when isn't there (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) ) Came in from the front of the engine with a BFS and popped the valve covers. I think the hardest part in my case was getting the car that high in the air with my POS $24 Walmart floor jack (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

[Dave_Darling]

The engine is out of the car because the pictures wouldn't show anything at all if we tried to take them while it was in the car....

I find that I can reach into the rocker box area from the side for about half of the valves. Which ones depends on if it's the left or right side of the motor. The rest, I get to from behind the engine. That is, assuming the right side of the motor, I reach up and lay my left forearm on the heat exchanger. Then I can reach from there and get to the valves that are unreachable from directly outboard.

Just try different angles to get to the valves. Peoples' hands and arms are different sizes, so different angles may work for you than for me.

--DD

[SirAndy]

you can do it with the engine in the car ...

all you need is tiny hands and a short & stubby screwdriver.
a good light source helps too.
take the wheels off!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif) Andy

[dmenche914]

It is doable, when you jack up the car, put one rear wheel on a block to prevent it from turning, (no block? then just leave one side on the ground at a time) then use the opposite side wheel to turn the motor over (in gear) to get to the correct top dead centers.

After that, wiggle and sqirm, try different sized wrenches, and drivers. unless you have hulk hoggan sized arms, you should be able to pull it off. I hated the first several times I did it, but eventually got used to it, and now know what tools, arm positions work best for me. Different valves require different body postions, and angles to reach.

do not worry, anything is possibel!

good luck

dave

[maxwelj]

You haven't lived 'til you do it on a 6.....(adjust the valves that is..) top and bottom. Loads of fun....

[skline]

I dont have to do that anymore on mine (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) But when I did, I got tired of dropping the short stubby screwdriver and just started using a dime. Yes, 10 cent piece works great. Break the nuts loose with your wrench and then use a coin to get it where you want it and tighten the nut back up holding the screw with the coin. Recheck it afterwards and put it all back together and drive. Piece of cake. Oh, and to remove the bail? I pry it off from one side with a large screwdriver and take it all the way off. Takes about 1 second on each side.

[soloracer]

You haven't lived 'til you do it on a 6.....(adjust the valves that is..) top and bottom. Loads of fun....

You think that's tough.....you should try doing them on a rotary engine sometime. They're a real bitch to find........ (IMG:style_emoticons/default/w00t.gif)

[bondo]

A good set of ratcheting box end wrenches helps a great deal.

--Royce

[anthony]

I used the Pelican article the first time I did my valves. It took maybe 45 minutes with being ultra carefull and doulble and triple checking everything. Now I can do it in 15 minutes. Like people said, the hardest part is getting the valve covers off.