Stupid random valve questions

[Johnny Martin]

Im wondering how long should I let my bug cool before doing a valve adjustment? Ive never done it myself before, do you really need a guy to rotate the motor wile your on the ground waiting to see the valves open and close?? If your alone can you just open the dist cap and turn your engine till your rotor is perfectly pointing at 1st cylinder and then just lay on the ground and adj with the gauge? and of corse repeat for 2 3 and 4 cyl.
Now yesterday my intake manifold cracked horriably on me. So now Im in the middle of getting a new intake shipped to me. Ill probally realistically get it on in about 10 days or so Id imagine with shipping and a day or two to get the part on. The crack wasnt bad enough to make the car run like shit or for me to feel suction pulling into it, but still a huge cause for concern. So I got some 4min epoxy and some JB quick and I filled the crack with the epoxy and coated all that with the JB quick so my car is technically running fine\but yet technically in serious need of attention. So now that Im extra paranoid today I noticed that comming from the valve area on the drivers side (cyl 3 and 4 if im not mistaken) it slightly runs a little louder than if I put my head behind the pass tire and listen to the passenger side valves their much more quiet. Im sure I just have to do a adj. its not rotten sounding or anything. But my ques is, that crack actually goes in the direction of the driver side valves so is it the crack doing that or the actuall valves?? Either way I plan to adj them but should I do it now or wait till the new intake is on? If they need adjustment Id rather just do it now but would the new intake make me have to do it again? Ive always had other people do my valves for me thats why I sound like a idiot on this. Thanx for reading this.
_________________
1971 SUPER BEETLE
AE489501 carb Solex 30 pict-2 with dist 0 231 137 021
113 905 205 M

[Rob Timmons]

The rule of thumb is to let the engine sit overnight so it has a chance to cool down. I see you are in NY too so it maybe not as long if it's outside. Just make sure the car is where you plan on adjusting them without starting it before adjustment.
You can adjust them alone. I make a mark 180 dgrees off of TDC on pulley and turn 180 each time for cylinder working from number 1. Pull off distributor cap to verify your on the right cylinder.

[marchanel]

You can find TDC by watching the intake open and then close while rotating the engine clockwise. At that point the engine is coming to TDC on the compression stroke which is where the valves are adjusted. Both valves should be loose. Hopefully you have a mark on your pulley at TDC. Let it sit overnight before adjusting valves.

[Johnny Martin]

Yeah I have a TDC mark. Ive heard sometimes the timing is set at 7.5 degrees. Is there any truth to that? Everyone Ive ever talked to told me to adj valves at TDC no matter what and not to listen to that crap. Ive got myself a ride to work for the week so Ill let er sit for a day before I do this. I also got myself some nice valve cover gaskets. If you want to check your valves on a regular basis just to stay on top of things can you just simply pop off the cover, check valves and pop the cover back on or will you have to change the gasket everytime??
_________________
1971 SUPER BEETLE
AE489501 carb Solex 30 pict-2 with dist 0 231 137 021
113 905 205 M

[ashman40]

[schadenfreude]

[schadenfreude]

Mr Martin. (AC engines)
the air cooled motor has a ORDER. (all machines do)
that order is:
1: fresh clean oil to the top of DIP, and not leaking at 1quart per day on ground.
2: good oil pressure. check it with a real gauge. at idle and 3000 rpm
3: The fan spins (belt not loose) and cylinder fins(and head) not blocked with debris. "LOOK"
4: Set the valve lash (do not trust dizzy rotor direction until proven)
on old motors set it to 6 thou. (stock worn motors, not racing motors)
5: insure there are no induction leaks.
6: insure the dizzy timing is correct and that advance works correctly from 1000 to 3000 rpm
7: make sure the total advance is not too much or risk the ravages of detonation. ( yes, you need to buy a $20 HF timing light)near free...?

8: tune the Carb, so AFR is correct from idle to 3000 RPM and that the accelerator pump works and so does the choke. (last )

ask for help on any of the 8.

[marchanel]

I am able to lay under the car and watch the rocker arms while reaching up and turning the engine with a wrench on the crank bolt. I find TDC by sticking something down the spark plug hole. Some people say not to do this but this is how I have always found TDC on an engine. When you find TDC on the compression stroke on cylinder #1 mark the crank pulley and proceed from there.

[ashman40]

[schadenfreude]

no need to do that. (sparks out) but works... sure.
is there a true need to do blueprinting before a lash?,
if you don't believe me?, then.
1: put a dial indicator in the #1 rocker
JOG the crank about the TDC, at the pulley, see dial stay steady.?
then see how far from center it takes to get movement.
a long ways, (the cam heels are long )

the next moment is the ,early opening of the exh near BTC.
the instigation of the EXHAUST STROKE.
that be a real long way. (read cam card for data)


all pulleys are marked well enough to see TDC !
paint that with Liquid paper paint.
then
with a ruler
span across the pulley and lay down BTC (the video was clear there)

it don't have to be exact, because you are on the HEELS of the cam lobe.

you are setting lash, not ignition timing. (or timing a racing cam)
look at the cam heels... see that broad area,, it don't care about exact at all. (on the back side !)

see the video. (for the correct way (not my video, just my link)

some years the bottom tin blocks the crank pulley bolt from bottom access. so , YMMV on that. I run all stock tins as do many.

more on blue printing.?
they degree the cam for 3 reasons.
1 to see the crank pulley error ( and to correct it) (if important to you)
2 to see if cam center line is correct per the cam card and if off, correct card error. (and adjust adv. per corrections)
3 and to set the cam timing per their racing rules. (advanced , x amount)
to race you need to document exactly where you were and how much you changed it. (if not , it's all a waste) but we are not racing here...

not one of those effects the lash. it's on the heels.

IMO.

[schadenfreude]

btw , i should say, i have the pro tool for checking TDC actual.

and i do validate all my crank pulleys. 1 time.
but that is so when i find the ping point , i know for sure where it was.


you can also , remove the pulley
and make sure its not off by measuring the key from left and right to TDC mark.
then do the pistonstop tool check and if 0 is off
you now know who is off?, the crank key is cut wrong.?
and id bet you will not find that..fine German crank cut wrong.

mine crank (no puns) is out and already checked that. (both)
after market parts?, who knows what you got.
so many aftermarket parts, really. but yes, check it.

[CarlIseminger]

OK, I am still curiouse about the OP question about waiting till the engine cools? How did they do it at the dealership when you brought your car in to have the oil changed, valves adjusted, etc and you sat in the waiting room for them to do it. One didn't wait overnight for the vechile. So how long to you have to wait? I usually do it on an overnight engine anyway, but am curious.

[schadenfreude]

there are posts on this topic, how does dealer set lash on a hot engine.?
He doesn't.

they used a shop floor FAN.

they moved the huge fan to the engine bay.
and when the temperature dropped on the engine below a VW stated
point, they then did the service. (on other service points too)

do you need this temperature?
why not just do it, cold and avoid all that hassle.?

finding that is hard , cooling fan, will give 1mill false positive's here.

but IIRC it is the regular air temp, found on a hot Arizona day.
like 120F.
i think they attempt to reach (drop)to the hottest day on earth.
or about.

[CarlIseminger]

I don't "need" this temp at all. Just am curious. And I am sorry, but I haven't seen all those posts, and one time I tried searching and didn't find anything. Thank you for your answer.

[Johnny Martin]

You guys are awsome thanx alot!!!
_________________
1971 SUPER BEETLE
AE489501 carb Solex 30 pict-2 with dist 0 231 137 021
113 905 205 M

[schadenfreude]

no problem, don't worry
if you go to vw now with that car ,they may have forgotten all this....
many that did, are retired .
20yo, mech in 1970 is 62 now, like me, and am retired.

some one here has the old books the dealers used.
with all those sordid, antique facts


in 1970 i actually took car in to 70 VW for a valve set. (was required and free the first time,so did it 1 time there..)
and dang, i cant remember what they did.. (to cool it,but i did cool heels)

[zombiebug]

[vwfanatic67]

If you are concerned wether your distributor is in right you can always know you are on tdc of #1 by making sure that #2 exhuast valve is pushed in.
_________________
"white trash but worth every cent"

SBS #74
52 Split Beetle
60 Panel
65 Notchback
More if my wife would let me!

[schadenfreude]

before starting it is important to know
1,4,3,2 is the firing order CW rotation of crank.

we could make huge list of how to find TDC.
1: split case and look.
2: walk the cam (turn crank look see #1 firing ? "the action tells you"
3: stick a pencil down #1 spark hole (plastic soda straws are safer)
while noticing the cam on #1 is not moving valves on this TDC #1 firing.

4: use the pulley and believe it, after making sure its number on 1 and
not number 3 firing ( the pulley mark denotes 1 or 3 firing so it is up to you
to discover which that might be.
5; use the disty to tell you where #1 is firing. (bad) (unless you validate the DIZZY first)

6: you can use a piston top and now you can be the first person
with TDC mark better than .01% accuracy. why ?, not sure ,but is done.

the video shows the shop manual way, if not clear, ask .


http://ac-vw-remove.com/LASH.html

[schadenfreude]

i forgot to say

if you spin the crank 2 times.
and the #1 valves never go loose, you need to not drive car.
and fix that pronto.

on DOHC cars, we can set lash buy just looking at the cam in our faces.
its there, you set them on the heels and is done. mindlessly easy.
on VW the cam is hidden.

so you must watch the rockers, instead.
that be it.