Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:01:58 -0500
Reply-To: Jerry <jbvelo@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jerry <jbvelo@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Subject: Re: Lifter adjustment... How can I tell if they are really
hydraulics?
In-Reply-To: <49C8107B.9020201@pottsfamily.ca>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Surely you have hydraulic lifters in your WBX.
When you adjust your lifters the lifters require time
to bleed down to your adjustment (or self adjust).
You can't compress a liquid so give your lifters time
to compensate with the adjustment you make.
Basically you should have the piston at TDC(top dead center)
on the compression stroke to adjust that cylinders lifters.
As you know there is a notch in the front pulley which
places the #1 piston at TDC. You should also place a distinguishable
mark 180 degrees from the notch on the pulley. This will establish
TDC for the next piston (#4 Piston) in the firing order(1432).
Adjust your lifters to 1/2 turn.
Read this article from Bob Donalds (RIP).
http://tinyurl.com/d8bxnf
JB 88GL Guido
On 3/23/09 5:43 PM, "Greg Potts" <greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA> wrote:
> Hi Volks,
>
> Here we go again; I'm in the throes of another "Vanagon Experience".
> Headlight adjusters; slave cylinder... speedometer, headlight switch,
> etc. Up to now I thought I would miss out on starting my own "Hydraulic
> Lifter" thread. But apparently that is not the case....
>
> I tried adjusting the valves on my WBX this weekend. First time I have
> done hydraulics; though I have been doing solids for many years now.
>
> I turned the cold engine to TDC#1, and backed off the valves on #1
> cylinder until they were sloppy loose. Then I tightened them up to the
> point of contact, and went two full turns beyond that, and tightened
> down the lock nut.
>
> Then I did a compression test, and got NOTHING. Zero. Zilch. Nada.
>
> Tried again at 1.5 turns, same result.
>
> So then asked my daughter to turn the key while I watched the rockers.
> Everything is moving correctly, so I backed off to the point of contact,
> and the compression came back up to normal. I had this experience on #1
> and #4 cylinder. Didn't try #2 or #3; I want to find out what's going on
> before I mess with it further.
>
> Now I am wondering if I have a collapsed lifter, or does this engine
> have solids in it? Is there a way to tell without pulling it apart?
>
> It doesn't clatter like it would with a bad lifter.
>
> I know it SHOULD have hydraulics in it, but then again it's already a
> weird setup with a 1.9L block using 2.1 FI and cooling and a 1.9 exhaust
> welded together from tip to tail. Solid lifters wouldn't really surprise me.
>
> I drove it about 20 miles today, and it ran fine the whole time.
>
> If they are solids, I guess I need to readjust at .006 clearance. Sigh.
>
> Happy Trails,
>
> Greg Potts
> 1973/74/79 Westfakia "Bob the Tomato"
> 1987 Wolfsburg Weekender Hardtop
> www.busesofthecorn.com
> www.pottsfamily.ca
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