Valve adjustment and tire question.

[Technut27]

Our little 74 hasn't seen much action in a couple years with a little one running around but we have high hopes for this summer. I rebuilt the brakes last year and ruptured a fuel line in the summer and that was about it until last week.

I noticed a bit of a clicking last year so the Thing got some new fuel lines last week and I did my first valve adjustment tonight. Went great except I can't find my new gaskets, no big deal they are on the way. The valves were tight almost all around, .004 did make it through but I opened them all up to .006. It started and ran fine before but it felt like it hit its idle sweet spot faster tonight.

I may have found the clicking, cylinder #2 is missing the spring washer on the end of the rocker (muffler side) and there is play side to side. Never being in there before there is also a bit of carbon deposits near it.

- Since I have to open it up again for the gaskets and spring washer is it worth the time to clean the deposits out? Does anyone have a favorite product to do that? Brake cleaner?

- Some of the adjustment screw slots are in bad shape, does it require a compression tool to replace those or is it as simple as backing the old one out and replacing them?

- Regarding tires, we put new whitewalls on a couple years ago. The whitewall stripes are near impossible to keep white. They get dingy just sitting in the garage. I've tried most of the cleaning products I have and with a lot of elbow grease I can get them more white but nothing close to the bright white from when they were put on. 3M magic erasers seem to work OK and the next best thing has been mineral spirits but its only temporary.

I've read a lot of posts suggesting replacing the rocker arms with modern replacements, I'm not quite there yet. Last things on the list for now are a spring plate adjustment, a flaky left turn signal and the odometer light is out, baby steps.

As usual between this site and the infinite videos on youtube the VW community is awesome.

[YDBD]

[74 Thing]

This product (Belch White) with a stiff brush, spray, let dwell, then agitate and rinse.

It used to work well. Not sure if the formula has changed since I last used it.

https://www.target.com/p/black-magic-automotive-po...lsrc=aw.ds

[Technut27]

I'll definitely try those out, keeping them clean seemed harder than it should have been. They aren't just dusty from storage they need scrubbed, almost like oxidation.

Now that I see how simple it is to remove the rockers they are going to get cleaned up. I guess I didn't realize its just two bolts and the rods simply pull out.

If I get the turn signal switch in the right position the left hand one will work, the rear left light is simply out and its not the bulb. I was in the dash a while back pulling out mystery wires, I'll double check the connections on the relay.

[Nitramrebrab72]

That 'THING' needs new engine oil(correct with high zddp) and driving, it's so full of crung your oil orifices will be so riduced it's quite bad but an easy fix, maybe I say maybe try a good internal engine cleaner additive before your next oil change, but first new engine oil don't forget to check the strainer.

[Zundfolge1432]

So called engine cleaners when added to the oil can and will plug the oil cooler then you burn up the engine. Just drain the oil and add new oil drive it and change it again. Do a search on cleaners here you’ll see similar stories. Do not use engine flush

[Nitramrebrab72]

I said maybe a flush, but I think that might be too aggressive as the gentleman said earlier, possibly a diesel engine oil would be a good compromise it has slightly more detergent than regular engine oil and they tend to have more Zddp, then back to regular engine oil with high zddp.

[Technut27]

I've changed the oil a couple times but its due again. I doubt the car has has 3k put on it since I bought it honestly. The first couple changes were dirty, I wouldn't be surprised if there is still some build up on the bottom of the pan. I'll clean the rockers/valves up the next time I'm in there so I'll at least know if its new deposits or not going forward. The inside of the valve cover was nice and clean.

Thanks all for the advice as always.

[Wildthings]

My guess is that your valve stems are loose in their guides letting exhaust gases into the rocker box. Running a synthetic oil will slowly clean the insides of an engine up.

Here is one of the heads on my bus when it had 200,000+ miles on it, it had been run with synthetic oil for the last 100K miles at this point.

Make sure your crankcase ventilation is working as well as it can.

[Technut27]

Great tip about looking for a loose ground, found a loose wire in the quick connect, snugged that up and its working again.

That led me to a bunch old splices for the tail lights held together with crunchy electrical tape, added those to my to-do list but I re-taped them for now.