Solution!!! found 10mm swivel foot adjusters for type 4 rock

[Busstom]

Yes, there is some "slop."

I'd estimate it to be approximately 0.020" or so.

I am not concerned about it. After all, I do want oil to freely flow in and out of the sockets and have the tips rotate at will, or whatever it is that they would like to do as they tap away for the rest of their lives.

The valves will be adjusted at 0.006" and presumably, this will take up the play in the sockets during the valve adjustment process.

Edit: I just measured some, it is in fact 20 thou. Damn, I still got it after all these years
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My name's Steve and it's pronounced "Bust 'em" (cuz people think I'm Tom) 😏

[Amskeptic]

My Heiko 10mm swivelfoot adjusters now have 26,667 miles since installing them.
I ground the undersides of the rocker arms for clearance, about .060", and polished all radii and sharp edges to help maintain strength:

I countersunk the screw holes on undersides of the rockers about three threads up using the conical grinding stone in my Dremel kit. Washed everything very thoroughly.

I have two problem swivelfoot adjusters. At 15,000 miles, I removed each one to see how the feet were swiveling and to see if there was any outlier with too much ball/socket play.

One of the adjusters had lousy rotation with a gritty "catch" at the same place when I rotated it. This was not dirt, it was a machining error and I was unable to eradicate the catch even as I reduced the gritty feel somewhat.

The other still has a mad clackiness that comes in and out. I have added a step to my valve adjustments where I "pre-load" the ball and socket by opening the valve with the adjustment screw, then backing off to the required .006" clearance. This ensures that all inadvertent play or slop is truly pressed out of the valve train. Still, I get this in-and-out clackclackclack on the right side of the engine.

I do hope that it is not a ball/socket anomaly, but at this point, the engine has run fine through some horrific temperatures (535* from a towel in the cooling fan/ steady 434* CHT outside of Baker CA in July/ long hill climbs), and I have had not a speck of concern for valves or seats. So clack away, but I ask it to please don't drop a foot clean off the adjusting screw ball end.
Colin
(now at the body shop at 67,750 miles)

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www.itinerant-air-cooled.com

[SGKent]

Reading Colin's thread, I believe Heinko should sell individual units so defective ones can be replaced. I am afraid to use them now if each time one fails I have to order a full set. Its like Christmas tree lights - why buy a set if when one bulb fails I have to replace the whole set. That means each person who buys a set must buy two sets so they have spares. That doubles the cost - that or price and ship say 12 in a set so there are 4 spares.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[airschooled]

Excellent idea. I think selling singles would be fine, as that kind of mileage is not reasonable in that kind of time frame for most...
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[Amskeptic]

[airschooled]

[SBD]

[Amskeptic]

[SGKent]

Ah - The River of Blood, StarTrek 29.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[Amskeptic]

[heiko910]

Hey guys,
I checked out thesamba and my topics in the forum. I noticed that there was an ongoing dicussion about the swivel foot adjusters and I never got any notification from tbesamba. WTH?

I assure you I will be selling you individual adjusters. $20 including shipping sounds good to me.
I just placed an order with the mamufacturer and they should get here soon. I will first help you guys who already use the adjuster that you bought from me before i send out anymore sets.
Please PM me with how many you need. As soon as I get them I will then get back to you and ask for money

Greetings,
Heiko

[heiko910]

Alright guys,
I took delivery of a small batch of swivel foot adjusters. I will set aside one set to sell individual adjusters. If you like a single or multiple adjusters but not a whole set let me know. The single adjuster will be $20 that includes shiping. If you buy more than one the price goes down to $15 each, also including shipping or still a whole set for $85.
Please send me PM through the TheSamba.com system.
Stock is limited.
Greetings,
Heiko

[CarlosZ]

To those of you who've purchase these, would you recommend them? Thanks.

[Wildthings]

[heiko910]

Hey guys,
I had a batch of swivel foot adjusters that just sold out but no worries. There are more where those cam from.
I am already working on the next bulk order. Give it a couple of weeks.
,Heiko

[heiko910]

Hey guys,
i just placed an order for the next small batch.
They should be here in a couple of weeks.
Greetings,
Heiko

[Hoody]

For the life of me I can't figure out why anyone with an even remotely sane mind would trust a phlegling company with ZERO background with type 4 motors with one of THE most critical parts in the build? Buy the Genuine Porsche ones and be done with it. I have sat back and commically watched these newly found swivel feet adjusters ....fail. And fail again. Pay once....cry once.

[heiko910]

I respect your opinion.
But there is one problem with your statement. The Porsche swivel foot adjusters don't fit into the rockers of a 1.8 or 2.0 type 4 engine. They have M8 thread whereas the rocker of said engines have M10 thread. Buy Porsche parts and be done with it... it isn't quite that simple.
So, if one wants to do the mod with Genuine Porsche parts they have to first find a complete, serviceable rocker assembly out of a Porsche type 4 or a 1.7 VW type 4 to be able to do it.

The swivel foot adjusters that I order from a German manufacturer are of good quality but of course you may have your doubts.

Vdub guys like to tinker. That is what we do. BTW I am not just selling those, I also run them in my own type 4 motor.
You don't have to like it and you can do everything your way but don't expect everyone to do the same.

Greetings,
Heiko

[Amskeptic]

[Hoody]

So Colin for 189,000 miles you had zero issues with Genuine Porsche swivel feet. But after only 15,000 miles 2 of the 8 were not up to snuff? That's a 25%
failure rate in my book. I am well aware of what needs to be done to 1.7 rockers. My Ham heads just cannot be guinea pigs for an untested unknown supplier of swivel feet. Regardless of where they are produced. Unless they are produced by Wizeman who is the producer for these Genuine Porsche adjusters....I am not willing to gamble my entirely new engine to save 200 bucks. I am sure you will find many buyers for these though. And I am not knocking you in any way for dicovering these and making them available. To each his own. If you want to talk tinkering...virtually no one on this site can replace their valve stems once they are destroyed. So yeah...tinker away. And btw I don't give a flying fuck what anyone else decides to do with their engine build. I don't expect anyone to do their homework nor do I care. There is a sucker born every day.