I am checking the valves because they seem noisy and also to track down an erratic idle
I have read the rocking method but I would like to stick with the dizzy and TDC method please.

I read cyl #1 & #3 has same TDC and #2 & #4 has same TDC

Question 1 – Setting TDC on the fan notch does it have to be at “0” or will the notch for “27BTDC” work too

When I find TDC for #1 on fan notch and dizzy rotor is pointing to #1 tower of dizzy cap

Question 2 - Can I adjust all the valves for #1 and #3 cyl ??
Then rotating the motor to #2 TDC on fan notch and dizzy is pointing to #2 tower

Question 3. Can I adjust all the valves for #2 and #4 cyl ??

Question 4. Is it wise to replace the cork valve cover and not risk a leak.
The gasket is pretty new though and low mileage since I last had them off.
I am thinking of purchasing the 914rubber re-usable ones. Any recommendation’s

Thanks everyone !
Ted

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=28758

captain crusty (RIP) procedure above

if valve cover gaskets are relatively new and not leaking, then I reuse.

Pelican Parts, read and save as your favorite

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/9...alve_adjust.htm

If you have never done it before, I suggest you do NOT try the crusty method.

Use the mark in the flywheel, not the one in the fan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtPd5qzyTk8


If you line it up at the top of the engine at the case split, that is TDC #1 (assuming the rotor is pointing to #1).
Rotate the engine 180 degrees so the mark lines up at the bottom of the engine, TDC #4
Keep rotating through 180 degrees and you hit them all.
I set mine at TDC #1, then made another mark (different color) on the bottom.
Now you can hit TDC for every cylinder without getting out from under the car.

The camshaft shares the same lobe for the two valves on opposite sides of the motor.
forget TDC, forget where the distributor is, forget marking the flywheel.

Get under the motor, take off the valve covers on both sides.
intakes are nearest the middle of the motor.

When the intake valve on the rear of the motor on the drivers side is all the way open, which you can see, which you can rock back and forth to verify its all the way open, go to the intake valve on the rear of the motor on the passenger side and adjust it.

This method is the easiest to understand and foolproof.
Replace the valve cover gasket each time y adjust the valves .
I used a light amount of gasket sealer on the valve cover to keep it straight because they do get pushed around a bit when you put the bail back on, and they can sometimes get out of place enough to to leak.....lots.

The VW logo on the valve cover goes on upside down.

I use the "book" method, which means setting each cylinder to TDC.

I also re-use valve cover gaskets, as long as they are not leaking and do not appear to be damaged. I use a little bit of sealer to "glue" the gaskets to the valve cover in a few spots, especially in the corners.

--DD

I agree that "the crusty method" is the quickest way once you understand the basics.

But trying to teach someone the shortcut, before the 'longway' makes for less understanding.

The first time I tried the crusty method, I thought that "rocking"meant the exact opposite of what was intended so it was 100% confusing.
By understanding the text book method first, it will help you appreciate the shortcut.

There was also the long debate about the backside of the lobe not being 100% consistent, so I would get some variation based on where on the backside of the circle you set the valves.

Maybe it's just easier to notice that when you set to zero lash.
I can set it to 'zero' on the back and find spots on the elsewhere on the backside that are not zero.
So I just choose to use a repeatable measurement - TDC.

Can someone please confirm I am doing this right.

With the car on jack stands the right wheel on ramp and unmoveable, in 5 gear I am rotating the driver rear wheel in the backwards direction.

When I see the notch on the flywheel underneath between the trans, the dizzy points to #2
I rotate it again until I see the notch and the dizzy points to #2 again

I continue to rotate the wheel backward directions until I see notch again, dizzy points to #4, I rotate again until I see the notch and it shows #4 on dizzy again,

Then the whole thing repeats, the dizzy never points to #1 or #3 ??

I cannot correlate any marks on the flywheel cutout on top in the engine compartment because I am always underneath the vehicle.

When the dizzy is pointing to #2 or #4 the fan marks are no where to be seen
Does this mean the fan timing marks are wrong ?
So would this explain why I can't time it correctly ?

So what should I look for on the flywheel and where so I can get TDC for #1 and #3

Thanks in advance

Another odd thing the valve cover on drivers side has logo upside down but the passenger side cover has the logo upside, the head cutout matches the contour of the cover, oh well, minor details, it wasn't leaking.

Help please !!!

You have to make a mark on the flywheel. While under the car, reach up around the trans and find the top hole like the bottom one. Rotate flywheel till you can feel the notch with your fingertip. Put some white paint on the flywheel thru the bottom hole. The engine is at either 1 or 3 when you can see the paint. 2 or 4 when the notch is visible. The crankshaft rotates twice for every engine revolution. I'm not sure cause I haven't adjusted valves in a while, but I think your turning the wheel the wrong direction

Did you check the video link I posted above?

For TDC#1 & 3 the mark will line up at the top.
For TDC #4 & 2 the mark will line up at the bottom.

Set at TDC#1 - mark is lined up at top.
Move to TDC #4 - mark is lined up at bottom
TDC #3 - mark is at the top again
TDC #2 - mark is at the bottom.

That is why I have two marks, so I can see all 4 TDCs from the bottom.

I use the same mark to set my timing.

Good Lord this is giving me agita........... I'll be installing the pushrods and rockers and initial adjustment next week, and I am SO not looking forward to it. Anyone in the Fort Lewis/Tacoma want to come over and keep me sane and on track? Case of your favorite Beer/Soda & great BBQ

Hey Steve, I think you mean angina. Lol. Don't fret, is not that hard

LOL, no agita, its italian (well NY slang Italian at least) for upset stomach.

Thanks for all the help everyone.

I lined up the notch on the top cutout and then painted a mark on the bottom cutout.

Now I can hit all the TDC by rotating the wheel (corrected: forward direction), whenever I see the paint or notch at either the top or bottom cutout, the TDC comes along for each cyl and I also confirmed it by rotor pointing to the cylinders 1-4-3-2

So when I was at #1 TDC, notch showing on the top cutout, the TDC mark at the fan is close by maybe off by a few degrees. So how can I compensate for this when I am trying set timing ?

How do I time it using the notch on the top, do I point the timing light to cutout in the rear of the engine instead of the fan ?? The notch would be TDC - "0" though but I need to set it to 27BTDC for my 1.7 and there is no mark for that on flywheel or is there ?

Much appreciated !!

Ted

I use the notch in the rear at TDC 0deg and I set my variable timing light to desired advance.

So why is it that the marks on the fan is off and the mark on the flywheel is better, just curious.

Stugray so I take it you dial in the advance you want on your timing light and then shine it on the mark and adjust the dizzy until the notch comes up ??

I think my timing light can do it, I better dig up the manual and check.

Thanks.

When you put the valve covers on , the logos should be upside down on both sides. Just rotate the one that's not upside down 180 degrees. I don't know why they made them so that they're supposed to be upside down, but that is the way they go.

I've read the upside down thing so many times. I put mine that way just because that's what I was taught, but, does anyone know where that comes from and why? It's not in the FSM. I see no reason for it. And " that's just the way it is " is not an acceptable answer.

thought read somewhere about the type -4s being originally designed for busses (never had a bus or been up close and personal) but I think or thought there was some access to engine thru the rear floor and you adjusted valves from the top thus making the logo appear right side up
talking out of my ass? or can someone confirm

cjl

Buses have engine tin too.

How's the red dog, cj? What breed is she? I forget.

ahh.... the tin
ah so
maybe initially installed by factory techs from above and they put it on that way out of habit of putting letters right side up ?

red dog is good! still crazy he's a vizsla so it comes with the territory
Click to view attachment

cjl

He's not crazy, just very alert.

Damn it. I did it again.

I had a pic of him in that reply but it was sideways in trying to fix it i musta deleted it
how's your car? new paints gotta look awesome!

cjl

Cap'n Krusty always said that the tab that sticks off of the one end of the cover is supposed to be on the bottom, which would put the VW logo upside down. He never said why though, at least not in any thread I've ever come across.

I've read that other people have said that even though the cover looks symmetrical, it actually isn't. I've never looked closely enough to say if that's true or not.

But yeah, I've never come across anything that says exactly why. There must be SOME reason for that tab one the one end, if not just to be there for a directional indicator.

It seems that there were a couple of different castings for the fan, and they were slightly off from each other. You can see a couple of different examples on Pelican's Tech Article on timing.



I don't know why the valve cover logo is supposed to be upside-down, but I have heard it from more than one reliable resource. The Cap'n was one, and I believe Jake Raby was another. They seem to leak less that way for some reason.

--DD

1. All 4 cylinder ACVW motors have the same basic cam-shaft design, 4 cam lobes, each set doing double duty for opposing cylinders.
2. Intake-Compression-Power-Exhaust. The 4 strokes of all 4 cycle engines.
3. At the end of the exhaust-stroke the exhaust valve closes as the intake valve starts to open. At this point the cam-lifters for the OPPOSING cylinder are situated on the back of the cam lobes and can be safely adjusted.

I pull both valve covers, jack up one rear wheel and with the car in 4th gear turn over the motor while watching the valve-train. When I identify an exhaust valve closing I focus on that cylinder and continue turning the motor until it's intake valve STARTS opening. Then I adjust the valve clearance on the OPPOSING cylinder.
For example- if I'm watching the #1 cylinder for the Exh-closure/Int-opening I adjust the #3 cylinder. And continue working my way around the engine.
It's all done from beneath the car so you don't have to look at timing marks or the dizzy's position. It's a simple shortcut/solution to something that people tend to make complicated.

I've been doing it this way for 40 years without any problems! I learned it from my Dad who figured it out at least 20 years earlier!
"VW before VW was cool"
Fred Hurst

Ok the valve adjustment is done now trying to time it at 27 BTDC with the mark on the flywheel on top of the engine.

I disconnected the vacuum lines from the dizzy and plug them up

Ran up the RPM with an assistant to 3500

adjusted my snap on timing light to read 27 and adjusted the dizzy until the mark came up on the flywheel

tightened dizzy down

connected the vacuum retard to dizzy

BUT now I cannot adjust the idle, I turn it CCW and it appears it wont go above 600 rpm, seems like I can unscrew the idle screw all the way and have no affect

what gives ???????

Any help is very much appreciated !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Update:
I can sort of get idle to come to 900 but that's after I fiddle with the dizzy to 20 BTDC,
Idle screw seems to respond a little bit more, but not much, should there be a happy medium with the timing ?

Timing light clamp on #1? That's drivers side rear plug wire. I realize you probably know that, but it's happened before.

Yes timing light clamp on #1 plug wire

check to make sure the advance mechanism in the dizzy is actually working?

If it is stuck it might behave like this.

I checked advance and retard with mity vac and they move, I have since disconnected the vacuum advance to dizzy and left the retard connected.