How do you guys with a lift rotate the motor so you can adjust the valves.
It's a nice problem, having a lift, but now I cant figure out a simple way to do this.

Rich

I use a rubber hammer handle in one wheel from the back side thru a spoke and against the caliper to keep one wheel from turning. Or, remove a wheel and clamp the rotor to the backing plate.

With cylinder #1 at tdc, put the trans. in fifth gear. Raise the car on the lift. With something under one of the wheels, lower the car until that wheel rests on something just enough so it doesn't turn when you turn the opposite wheel. When one wheel is prevented from turning, you can rotate the engine by turning the other wheel. You can look through the hole under the trans. to see when you have rotated the engine enough to adjust the next valve. I use a mid rise scissor lift and this technique works for me. Depending on the lift you are using, this might not work for you.
Cheers, Elliot

Now that the hard ways have been proposed, take a look at the way I do it, which can (surprisingly conveniently) in the classic threads forum. Invest is a remote starter button, or a piece of wire with with a female push on connector on one end and the other having an inch or so of exposed wire. Put the car in neutral for this process. "Bump" the engine over until you have one valve rocked all the way open. Adjust the valve opposite the open one. Repeat as necessary. Once you become familiar with the procedure, you'll notice that TWO valves (but never on the same cylinder) are always open at the same time, simplifying the job. No jumping up and down, no need to find TDC, no fooling around with chocks, tires, broom sticks, or anything else, just a relaxing 5-15 minutes under the car.

Good luck!

The Cap'n

Figured that was the easiest way except I need to search my whole place to find that damn starter setup I lost a few years ago...

I guess I could always may another one...

rich

The Cap'n is right again of course. Although I have to take issue with the "just a relaxing 5-15 minutes under the car". Of course, he has been working on these cars for 65 years now and.....

may i offer another option ? or a modified one ?
remove the spark plugs ( for ease of rotating crank ), select any gear, lift the rear wheels off ground, use any method you like to stop the opposite wheel from rotating, as you rotate the free wheel watch the rockers of any cylinder, when those two rockers are rocking in opposite directions ( valve overlap ) adjust the valves on the cylinder directly across the engine.
This method is supported by a Porsche factory tool for applying the e brake to one caliper or the other. Tool US8001 wheel lock. This is a 914 specific tool.

That "5-15 minutes" was cuttin' you guys some slack ...................

The Cap'n

I fabricated a bar to bolt into hub.
Flat bar with 2 holes drilled in it. Then bent to catch the hub tube.
Then put on one tire to turn.

But Cap'n how do I hook my remote starter when I have a hot start relay?

Use one of these to lock the passenger side e-brake lever on the caliper. Rotate the driver's side wheel to turn the engine over.

Click to view attachment

I have been doing valve adjustments like this for about 15 years. Takes me about 15 to 20 minutes.

Well, you could hook it up to the relay ....................

Or remove the wire from terminal 50 and put your switch lead there ................

The Cap'n

I'm a convert.
I've been using the Cap'n's technique and will never go back
you can even buy a crappy remote starter switch at a flaps for $10

this way you don't even have to take a wheel off or anything.
definitely easy

Hmm, this thread went from how to lock a wheel the how to adjust the valves in in one sentence.

Tlhat little remote starter button is handy for a lot of thimgs, but ive never lost my hammer, and what is so hard about it?

+1

It didn't start out asking how to lock a wheel, but how to turn the engine to adjust the valves while the car is on a lift. I do it the easy way, many others don't. It's their (and, in the end, your) choice.

The Cap'n

And mark your flywheel 180 degrees from the TDC mark. Use the little window in the trans to see the marks and adjust them in the firing order.

OK. You do it your way, and I'll do it in 5 minutes. Well, that's not exactly true; Sometimes it takes me less than that.

The Cap'n