Date: Wed, 23 May 2012 11:07:22 -0700
Reply-To: Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: hydraulic lifter adjustment questions (sorry)
In-Reply-To: <CA+n284NQTWeG2jn8KfguETW-We4oDhXFuy+4KOnrrzmMKVpK6g@mail.gmail.com>
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Right. If the lash (gap) is too big, the valve doesn't open far enough and
you get poor running and valve clatter. BTW, on old V-8s and some other
engines with the cam in the block you could adjust the hydraulic valves
while the engine was running. The adjusting nut was in the center of the
rocker arm. You really needed a cut-out valve cover though on V engines.
Stuart
'85 Westy
From: pickle vanagon [mailto:greenvanagon@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 3:16 AM
To: Stuart MacMillan
Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
Subject: Re: hydraulic lifter adjustment questions (sorry)
This is when they're adjusted too far *in*, right? (Maybe I am referring to
the direction incorrectly?)
If the adjustment is too far out, what happens? Is it possible to have a
problem from this that isn't accompanied by lifer noise?
On Tue, May 22, 2012 at 10:35 PM, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@gmail.com>
wrote:
Probably, but the valves will not close completely, giving you a very poorly
running engine and low compression. If you go too far you could bend a
valve.
Stuart
From: pickle vanagon [mailto:greenvanagon@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 1:21 PM
To: Stuart MacMillan
Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
Subject: Re: hydraulic lifter adjustment questions (sorry)
Ok this makes sense. So, even if they're pumped up and not soft, when you
back off the adjuster screws they should expand a bit more. I think now I
remember this happening when I did it way back when.
But what about the other question... can I be adjusted too far out without
having lifter noise?
I.e., should I just wait for noise before bothering to adjust the lifters,
or are there negative consequences of too-far-out adjustment which don't
carry lifter noise?
On Tue, May 22, 2012 at 2:50 PM, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@gmail.com>
wrote:
There is an internal spring. That's what you are compressing a bit when you
do however many turns in you decide to do!
Stuart
Wes Wrote:
Something I've remained confused about despite years of seeing threads on
this adjustment issue is this:
When you adjust the lifters to some number of turns in, how do you know the
lifters were already pumped to their full length before you did the
adjustment? Isn't the whole point of the lifters (assuming they work as
they were intended) that they can pump up to a partial length? It almost
seems to me that you would have to adjust them way out, run the engine to
pump them up, and then adjust them in. Why isn't that necessary?
Thanks for any insights!!
Wes
