Weird valve behavior

[cdm]

I inherited a 1776 engine, no idea who built it. According to the people I got it from, who got it from someone else, it never ran right so was mothballed. The heads look new and there is no carbon on the pistons. Here's the zinger; when I adjust the valves going clockwise and finishing on #2, #4 will have a huge gap, like 1/4". When I go around again one of the others will develop the large gap. No matter what I do this gap will occur.


I suspect the cam is not synced with the crank. Sound logical? Any other thoughts before I split the case? Thanks much.

[nogoodwithusernames]

You 100% sure you are on TDC of the compression stroke not the exhaust stroke?
I've never had a motor with cam clocked wrong but I would imagine something like that would happen if it were.
Watch a YouTube video on cam degree-ing and see if you can do that and post here for the many guys way more experienced than I to decipher.
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71 Squareback, 1.7l T4 w/ crank trigger fuel and spark
(Conversion thread https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=732508&highlight= or https://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=151375&sid=f0542d44a322d290c29d6609fac7f215 )
74 914, 2.0L w/ D-Jet

-Derek

[VW_Jimbo]

I had a car come in on a hook with poor drivability issues. I tried adjusting the valves first. Same issue you are having. This car had excessively worn cam bearings. EXCESSIVE! Wish cell phones had been around back then! If it had gone any further, the case would have been scrapped metal!

The adjusting of the valve would allow the cam to move from side to side. Like it was fluid, in a sense. I remember thinking, this adjuster feels weird! Got me looking.
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Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[SGKent]

since this is a type 1 engine it should be easy to find TDC. The crankshaft rotates twice for every time the cam rotates once. If you are on TDC of #1, going backwards 180 degrees will put you on #2, going backwards another 180 degrees will put you on #3, and another 180 will put you on #4. Another 180 will take you back to #1. Thus the crank will have rotated twice and the cam once. If you go in the same direction the engine spins when it runs then the TDC at compression firing order every 180 degrees will be 1 - 4 - 3 - 2, which should be stamped on the original generator stand in German, or if a replacement alternator stand probably in English. Photos from gallery.

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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

[wagen19]