When do you know you need to adjust a valve?
You can only properly adjust the valvetrain after removing and closely scrutinizing each of the rocker arms, pushrods and valve stems (the cylinder heads do not need to come off at this point). If the lash on one valve seems excessively loose or tight, that is a red flag that there is something wrong.
How do you adjust the valve on a hydraulic lifter?
When adjusting the valves on an engine with hydraulic lifters, you are not really setting the lash or clearance–you’re actually setting the preload on the lifter through the pushrod and rocker arm. The traditional adjustment on a hydraulic lifter is zero lash, followed by a predetermined amount of turns on the hold-down nut.
What to do if you have a valve problem in your car?
Valve problems are something you should not ignore because they can turn into even more serious and expensive problems down the road. However, they are easy to prevent, or at least delay, with proper engine maintenance. Have your oil changed regularly, and fix any other engine problems promptly.
Do you need a feeler gauge to adjust a valve?
An engine equipped with a hydraulic cam does not require a feeler gauge. When adjusting the valves on an engine with hydraulic lifters, you are not really setting the lash or clearance–you’re actually setting the preload on the lifter through the pushrod and rocker arm.
What do you do when you adjust the valve on a VW?
Keeping the valves adjusted will make your VW run forever (well, almost). What you are doing when you “adjust the valves” is adjusting the clearance between the rocker arms and the valve stems.
What does it mean to adjust the clearance of a valve?
The term “valve adjustment†is an oxymoron. What is actually being adjusted is the clearance between the linkage of the camshaft and the valve. It is most often called the valve lash. This system that links the camshaft to the valve comes in many designs.