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

["David Teitelbaum" <jtrealty@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Since you are determined to try this then here goes;
When you are CERTAIN the valve you are checking is closed (and the
best way is to see the other valve in the cylinder is full open) you
insert the proper size feeler gauge in between the rocker arm
adjusting screw and the valve stem. You should feel a slight drag. It
should not fly through and neither be hard to slide or even not fit.
It certainly can't hurt to check the clearances. I find that out of
the 12 valves to check you may have to actually adjust 1 or 2
slightly. Before attempting to actually adjust any valves you should
practice by checking all of them first to try to develop a "feel" for
what the proper fit of the feeler gauge is. Once you think you know
what the proper drag (or feel) is you will know if any need
adjustment. Now go back to any that you think you want to adjust. Keep
in mind that when you tighten the locking nut after adjusting the
screw it WILL change the clearance. You will have to go back several
times until you can set the clearance to the proper spot so that when
you tighten the lock nut and it changes the clearance it will be the
exact setting you wanted. My opinion is you may not get the adjustment
any better than it is without a lot of patience and practice so you
are probably better off leaving it alone. If you have to make any
large adjustments you are doing something wrong like trying to adjust
an opening valve or the wrong valve with the wrong gauge. A TINY
amount of movement on the adjusting screw is a large change of
clearance. This is not Rocket Science but it does take an experienced
hand. There are just some things it doesn't pay to do. I just had to
pay $100 to have a windshield installed. I don't do alignments, tire
repair, mounting, or balancing. I won't paint cars anymore (too
messy). There is no conspiracy at work here. It is just that I know
what things can get you into BIG trouble especailly if you are honest
and say you have never done this kind if thing before. Door adjustment
in particular can be a DANGEROUS  procedure if things go wrong like
the head of the torsion bar splits, you can't get the anchor bracket
loose, the threads on the bolts for the anchor brackets is stripped,
you don't have the right tools, etc. Any money saved is not worth your
health, never mind the back glass. I never said to spend *MONEY* on
adjusting the valves, just try to get someone to help you that has
done this before. Adjusting the valves on a Delorean is easy, just not
easy to do yourself the first time without help. This is something you
really can't explain well in this medium or in a book. It takes some
practice to do it right. I started out on lawnmowers. There were only
2 valves and they were easy to get to and do. If you are doing the
30,000 mile service you are supposed to also replace the O2 sensor and
reset the Lambda counter. Let the list know how things turn out. It
might be a good idea to do a compression test before and after you
adjust the valves. This way you can see if you got any improvement or
if you really screwed the whole thing up! You actually need two feeler
gauges, one for the intake (.005) and one for the exhaust (.010). See
A:02:01 DO NOT MIX THEM UP. The exhaust is always a larger clearance
because they run hotter and expand more. I usually do all the intakes
first and them do all the exhausts together but that's just me. You
can find your own order to do it, just be sure which valve (intake or
exhaust) that you are adjusting and that it is CLOSED. It also should
be mentioned that the motor must be COLD ie, not run for at least 8
hours before. Try not to drop any dirt, parts, tools, etc into the
motor with the valve covers off. It is good practice to do an oil
change soon after doing a valve adjustment to flush out any dirt that
may have gotten inside, like pieces of gasket.
David Teitelbaum
vin 10757  


--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Matt Spittle" <supermatty@xxxx> wrote:
> 
> 
> 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.  
> 









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