Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (June 2007, week 4)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Thu, 28 Jun 2007 17:58:49 -0400
Reply-To:     Mike S <mikes@FLATSURFACE.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike S <mikes@FLATSURFACE.COM>
Subject:      Re: Hydraulic Lifter Adjustments
Comments: To: vanagonvw <vanagonvw@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <46842378.8000303@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 05:09 PM 6/28/2007, vanagonvw wrote... When you say that if I turn the screw, it won't open the valve, yet is >surely does, as the leak test shows that with zero lash, I am fine, >but >half a turn in, and the valve pushes open, and the test is a >failure..... I have the clyinder pumped to 90psi, it leaks down to >80psi >with zero lash. Half a turn down, and the leak goes to 20psi which I >guess means I opened the valve <shrug> Since I think you are right, >and >I am blanking out, any way to explain what I am seeing?

It may be that the lifter is defective, and is stuck.

With a properly operating lifter, you could open up the adjustment leaving a big air gap, wait some undefined amount of time (maybe hours), and the lifter would expand to its maximum length. You would then adjust to contact plus a turn or two. That might open the valve until the lifter again adjusted to the new setting (maybe hours). The lifter may have sucked in air to expand, so then you might need to drive around for some undefined amount of time (maybe days) to get the air replaced with oil. *** If you then went to adjust, "contact" might seem to be the current adjustment, going 1 in might open the valve. Waiting an undefined amount of time (maybe hours), the lifter would compress and the valve would close. If you repeated this process from the *** above, eventually you would run out of adjustment range and the valve would never close. It is possible you have a good lifter, and that's where you are.

AIR, you started with an open valve, and adjusted to contact. You may simply have the lifter which is fully compressed and at the end of its adjustment range.

Test: Adjust it to a known gap (maybe 2 turns _out_ from contact, better yet use a feeler gauge), let it sit overnight, and see if the gap gets smaller. If it gets smaller, wait some more and check again. If it completely takes up the gap, do it again until it doesn't. Be patient, and wait until the lifter expands fully. Then adjust to contact plus a turn or two.

If your lifter is stuck, then it's acting like a solid lifter, and no matter what you do, the adjustment is going to stay about the same (except due to a change in temperature or wear).


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.