Valve adjustment/feeler guage feel

[Frodge]

Can anyone explain what the correct feel is like when you’re pulling the guage through the valves? I know practice makes perfect, but there has got to be some way to explain how much tension it should feel like.

[TDCTDI]

That happy little area between too tight & too lose is where the blade can be pushed & pulled with a bit of drag & just barely reinserted if it slides out.
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[Pruneman99]

It should slide through, with just a tiny bit of drag. If you think your feeler is going to get scratched, it's too tight.

[iowegian]

I don't think this discussion is going to end well.

[windfish]

A set of go-no-go feeler gauges makes it easy, they have a .002" step.
When you have a slight drag on the lower section and the upper wont fit you're good.

[Randy in Maine]

[Towel Rail]

I suppose everyone has a slightly different technique. For me, if I have to force the feeler gauge between the valve and rocker, it's too tight. If wiggling the rocker makes a clacking noise with the blade in place, it's too loose. I find this makes for pretty fast checks.
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1974 Thing -- under the knife
1967 Beetle -- spring/summer/fall driver
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049 > 070 > 053 > 009

[Zundfolge1432]

[Frodge]

[60ragtop]

buy a mic, set it to .006 and fiddle with it and the feeler gauge till you get a feel for what it should be
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Certified Mechanic by the State of Michigan in 1977
ASA certified in 1987
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[Tim Donahoe]

This is not a difficult procedure. If the .006 blade passes through with a “slight” drag—and, subsequently, your .007 blade won’t fit—unless you force the shit out of it—then you’re where you want to be.

If one can’t fathom the concept of what “slight” means, then you also may have trouble with the legal term “reasonable doubt”. In this case, please don’t show up for jury duty. Just pay the fine.

Tim
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[Frodge]

[busman78]

Personal I like a .006-.008 go-no-go, as for what is snug, what is slight, what is loose, the silly .001 that makes the difference is irrelevant to the longevity of the engine. Course an easy although expensive cure is buy a set of steel Manley push rods set to zero lash, oh darn that creates a problem with what is and when does "zero" lash happen.

You will know when the .006 or whatever gap you use is too loose or too tight, just practice setting loose, then tight, back and forth, the right fit will become apparent. As far as I know nobody was born with micrometer fingers with built in gauging.

[Zundfolge1432]

easiest way if your not sure I’d bribe a competent ASE certified Mech using charm, cold drinks, food etc to show you. Also maybe visit local vo tech take a class in auto repair. John Muir has a good description in his book. The absolute best would be finding and befriending an older retired person who would take the time to teach you, there is no substitute for apprenticeship training.

[Frodge]

Thanks guys. I have the Bentley and the John Muir book. I’ll re-read.

[Randy in Maine]

I picked one a "go-no go" feeler gauge up at a AutoBone for less than $10 a few years ago when I was helping a young lady with her 70 beetle. I actually bought 2 and kept one for me. She got the hang of it in a couple of times.

http://www.lislecorp.com/divisions/products/?product=396

[ashman40]

I don't have no "fancy" no-go feeler gauges....

I adjust the valve with the 0.006" feeler until there is a slight drag. Lock the nut down and make sure the 0.006" STILL fits (go gauge) AND the 0.007" feeler WONT'T FIT (no-go) between the valve and the rocker arm (or 0.007" is clearly too tight to slide thru w/o "gouging" the gauge -- be gentle). Done. Move on to the next valve.

If the 0.007" fits between, then the adjuster moved while you were locking the nut, or you didn't adjust the gap correctly.. .try again. After you doing this for all 8 valves a few times you will get the feel for it. Easy enough you can do it every oil change (3-months)!
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AshMan40
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'67 Beetle #1 {project car that never made it to the road }
'75 Beetle 1200LS (RHD Japan model) {junked due to frame rot}
'67 Beetle #2 {2019 project car - Wish me luck!}

[mark tucker]

snug. in reality it matters little as long as there all adjusted the same.... but the way many people adjust their valves it dose not matter any way.