Hydraulic or not Hydraulic, how do I tell.

[Slowroller63]

Thank you for reading this, I hope it in the right section.

I have a 73 bus with a 2.0 GB motor that was rebuilt 10 years ago with no records.
Trying to adjust valves.
TDC #1 cylinder after adjusting to .006 I can pull the lifter away another 1/4 inch and it will snap back once I let go.
It feels like a Hydraulic lifter.
Rotating the motor 180* CLW #2 after setting to .006 they don't budge when trying to pull the lifter away.

A reliable source recommended I should adjust the ones that spring back like a hydraulic lifter and the ones that don't move I should adjust like the standard ones.

What do you think?

Grateful for any input even if it's sarcasm.

Thank you for any help.

[Wildthings]

Sounds like they are hydraulic to me. Determining the point of contact can be tricky and can feel very different from one valve to another, and can even feel very different if you adjust the same valve twice. You need to turn the adjusting screw only with your fingers, back it off two+ turns to start with and then without applying pressure against the lifter slowly turn the screw in using only your fingers feeling carefully for the point of contact, which can be very subtle or very firm. Once you are sure that you have found the point of contact, turn the screw in another two turns or whatever amount someone else has convinced you has the correct mojo. It can help to do the two valve on one side and then running the engine a bit so those two valve can self adjust before doing to two valve on the other head.

The engine doesn't need to be either cold or hot to adjust hydraulic lifters, just at a temperature you won't burn yourself.

[timvw7476]

the true hydraulic VW set up features a spacer on the rocker pivots, can't miss it, that tells you if it's factory hydraulics. also, just pop a valve cover, engine cold, pop the distributor cap, rotate the alternator pulley nut till the rotor points at where the #1 tower on the cap should be. Check the #1 valves. If they are both .006" loose, that's a solid lifter engine.

You can't touch the lifters with the engine assembled, that's the rocker arm you are manipulating. : ) good luck with it.

Were it mine, I'd take the lazy path. Park it for two-three weeks, no starts. Then go out & start it up, if you hear lifter clatter for 40-300 seconds, it's a hydro lifter engine. They bleed done pretty bad. <<not sarcasm.

[Wildthings]

[Abscate]

[mikewire]

It's fairly easy to check and verify.

Grab a set of Viton pushrod seals. Pull the valve cover, rocker assembly, one pushrod and pull the pushrod tube out. Grab a magnetic wand a fish out the lifter and you'll be able to verify and check the condition.
_________________
-Mike

@countdowngarage
@bigskyeuro

1972 VW Kombi 9 Passenger Deluxe w/ 2.0L F.I. VWAC swap
1965 VW Beetle Deluxe Bahama Blue

[Slowroller63]

Thank you all, they are Hydraulic.
The loud knocking is gone, the last guy that adjusted them must have thought they were standard.
I'm on the road tomorrow starting in Iowa heading to Calif.

Someone said there was form here that I could reach out to some help if I break down.
If you know please leave a link.

Thanks again for your emails.

joe

[SGKent]