[DML] Re: Valve adjustment? (In response to DMC Joe and David T)

["Matt Spittle" <supermatty@xxxxxxx>]

Both responses I have received in asking how to adjust the valves 
have been of the tone "Find someone who knows how to do it."  If 
this would have been the type of advice I'd followed on my car since 
I purchased it about a year ago, I unnecessarily would have easily 
spent THOUSANDS of dollars on it in labor alone.  

The reason I post here asking for advice, is because ***I*** want to 
do the procedure.  So many times on this list, individuals are given 
advice that they should find someone else who knows how to do 
something.  Find someone to change your clutch, find someone to 
adjust your torsion bars, and now find someone who knows how to 
adjust valves.  It's ridiculous, and yes, I've done all of the said 
procedures above myself (except adjusting the valves), correctly, 
with no one helping me except the occasional friend (who is also not 
a mechanic).  Auto mechanics is NOT rocket science, and providing 
you have the tools and literature, ANYONE CAN DO IT.  The biggest 
joke being the torsion bar adjustment.  After doing it with my 
friend and taking about 10 minutes total, I really don't know why 
anyone makes such a fuss about it.  The only reason I can think of, 
is that there's some kind of conspiracy to keep garages in 
business.  

Now, my car has 30,000 miles on it, I currently have the timing gear 
cover, and both valve covers removed to powdercoat them (MYSELF), 
and I'm going to adjust the valves now that it's convenient.  Yes, 
***I'm*** going to adjust them.  Now, if anyone can offer some 
reasonable advice that doesn't follow the path of "find someone else 
to do it," I'm all ears. 

After a bit of research care of Google, I've already purchased my 
feeler gauge, and I've rotated the engine to 0 degrees TDC for 
cylinder #1 on the firing stroke.  I'm about to check the tolerances 
on the workshop manual's indicated valves before I rotate the engine 
360 degrees and check the other indicated valves.  Why on earth 
would I pay someone $50/hour to do such a simple thing?  The only 
question that remains in my mind is how easily I should be able to 
slide the feeler gauge in between the valve lobe and the rocker 
arm.  

Matt "D.I.Y." Spittle
#1604








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