Does anyone have any photo evidence that it is possible to remove the lower valve covers (to do a valve adjustment) with the 6-cyl engine in the car?

I have heard rumors that it is possible to do without removing the engine, and I do not believe that the covers will clear the lower studs and the suspension console without lowering the engine (which I do not want to do).

I'll attempt it, if some kind folks will post some pictures of how to get the lower valve covers off.

For those of you who don't know, I am in process of moving away from my shop and am temporarily in an apartment. I moved the car over here, but it is in need of a valve adjustment and all I have is an apartment size garage and almost no tools. There is a Harbor Freight store in town where I may get some temporary tools to get the job done, or I may bring some tools back with me on my next trip home. (very likely to happen)

On second thought, I could probably get the car high enough to pull the motor and do a proper job here in the apartment garage. I just need my tools............

For those who care, I am moving from Kansas City to Evansville, IN.

I would still like to see some pictures (of removing the lower valve covers) if anyone has any.


P.S. the engine is a 1984 3.2

IF you have turbo valve covers and someone was nice enough to remember to grind the covers for clearance....yes.







































Otherwise yer fuched.....

BTDT, GTTTTPI

I'm almost afraid to ask.

WTF does GTTTTPI mean?

I believe that I will be dropping the engine in my teeny weeny apartment garage. On jack stands. Damn I miss my lift....

Got The Teeshirt To Prove It....

Oopsie, one to many "T"s

oops.... don't know how this one posted without pics

It is easy to do but Mike is right. If you have the turbo covers on you will need to grind some down. This picture is off my old engine but you can see where you need to remove material and then they come out just fine.

what picture Jon?
I have an apartment sized garage and have had my motor (/6) in and out a few times. You can pick up a small set of tools that will last for the job for about $50. Then leave them in your car as a just in case set.

There they are!

Here is one from my engine when I had it out. You can see where I did some grinding to avoid the dog ears.

Yeah, but I'm a spoiled rotten brat. And I just sold my shop with house included.


Those pics do show some nice detail of removal of some material from the lower valve covers. (are both sides done the same?)

Now they DO come out with that amount of material removed? (I'm still a slightly doubting Thomas) I could probably do that with a HF dremel tool and a carbide bit in slightly less time than dropping the engine (and I would save 11 quarts of oil).

I should do a poll to see who has apartment size garages. (I'll probably be really surprised.)

I'm still a spoiled brat.

My old Garage:

No, you will need to take different amounts off each one. I lowered my engine just enough to get the covers off the first time. Then I looked at where material needed to come off. Traced areas with a sharpie. removed the material and they went right in. I removed them three times since without needing to do anything else to the engine.

That sounds like what I will attempt to do in my primitive environment. It would be cake once I get my shop set back up (or built), but I don't want to wait that long.

In any event, I'll need my jack and jack stands and a few select tools (like my feeler gauge, a dremel tool and some wrenches)

Thanks for the inputs.


Any problems with header interferences?

Well, they are kinda in the way but it is just a matter of wiggling it through. Really not too hard once you get everything figured out. Hope everything goes smooth. Shouldn't be too hard.

I take of the heat exchangers on a car that's got them, it makes life much easier. I always take those later 930 lower covers and have 5/16"" of the fins ground off.

I do business with a company in Evansville. Nice town for the size. Turoni's on Main St. downtown has the best thin crust pizza. How long before you move? I go there at least once a year and sometimes two or three.

I loosen the front motor mounts, then lift the engine about 1" to get the Turbo valve covers off.

Heaven must look like this.

Click to view attachment

Here is my garage. It has very good headroom and ventilation. It is also
subject to flooding and mosquito swarms.

Click to view attachment

I did not want any practical considerations getting in the way of my obsession.

John

Isn't it easier to "just" pull the engine to adjust the valves?

There is usually a few other items that might need to be attended to "while you are there".

Eddie

ROFL !!!!

I've adjusted the valves in the car and have dropped the engine to do them. I prefer to drop the engine now, it also lets me clean things up a bit.

Yes, this is my typical method of doing a valve adjustment as well.

However, with the recent relocation in process, I no longer have my tools and equipment where my car currently resides, so I was looking for a less labor intensive method if it can actually be done with the engine in the car.

I will probably bite the bullet, get some of my tools here, and drop the engine. I need to reseal the timing chain housings as well, but was wanting to put that off until I have a real space (and my lift) to drop the engine. I may just drop the engine and adjust valves and leave the re-seal for later. I would need to reset the cam timing if I take the chain housings off to reseal them, and I don't want to rush that job. I prefer to get the cam timing dead nuts, and I don't feel like doing the job in this primitive location.

Thank You! You guys reminded me why I was so insistent on getting a 95 engine with hydraulic lifters.

Don't laugh.....One thing that can really help you is learning how to adjust without the feeler gauge. THIS IS NOT FOR EVERYONE!!! If you have worked around these engines before you would be surprised how well you can set the valves without a feeler gauge. Set the easiest first using the feeler gauge and note how much the rocker moves as a reference by rocking at the elephant foot. Adjust the others accordingly. Believe it or not, there is a huge difference in motion when you are off .001. Try it! Set one at .005 and note how much more motion there is. I can easily tell if it's at .005 or .004

Once you get rid of the feeler gauge hassle the job goes to minutes instead of hours. I would be willing to bet that many shops use this method (but would not tell you) When I do my 911, I use this method and always double check a few. They are always spot on but I have been a machinist most of my life. Again, it's not for everyone and discouraged for some......I also use a remote starter switch while under the car. I always make sure to rotate the engine so that for every valve adjustment the heal of the cam lobe is in the proper position. Overkill but it gives me piece of mind and assures no mistakes. If you can't tell the difference between .004 or .005 clearance, I would use a feeler gauge.YMMV.....

Last weekend I did get my valve covers off and adjusted my valves.

I had to move the engine sideways to get each of the lower covers off. Now that they are off, I will grind them so I can do this job easier in the future.

I did notice that it is impossible to see the notches on the pulley (I now have a mirror).

I will also mark my flywheel with notches so that these marks can be seen from the bottom of the flywheel the way I always did with 4-cyl cars.

I figure removing the material from the ribs on the lower valve covers won't make them too much weaker or more prone to leaking and it will definitely make future valve adjustments that much easier.

Thanks for your help guys.

Now that I'm homeless, I need to concentrate on buying a new home with a large shop. I have my sights on a couple, and will see how willing they are to negotiate.

There's not nearly enough oil in those pictures...

Oh, it's there but that's what brake clean is for I also put my car up every time I drive and wipe it as clean as I can.

I removed material from the lower valve covers and they slipped into place. I got everything buttoned up and even repaired my trunk lock, then I found my battery was dead.

It's charging now.

I'm re-learning how to work on cars without all my equipment and lift. It's painful.

I haven't worked without a lift for about 15 years. They really spoil you.

Tomorrow I spend all day house (and garage) hunting........

nice work. Now go find that garage of your dreams.... er... house, I meant house

I got rid of the studs and replaced them with flange headed bolts. Lower cover doesn't need grinding then. Use the back side method as per Waynes tech article. It's foolproof.