Valve clearance adjusting

[EPnick22]

how do I do it? top end is a little rattly and needs sorting out, I know about measuring the clearances but I need to know how to adjust it, Ive read that you use a tool to do it but dont know how

[AdamB]

Yeah its called a micrometer and feeler blades. You need to rotate the cam so that the lobe base is at the bottom, slip your feeler gauge in and check to see if it has the correct clearance. If not measure the shim with a micrometer and alter the size or buy more shims to give you the correct clearance.

[EPnick22]

thats what I wasnt sure about how to actually adjust it, I know how to check it but is buying shims the only way?

[ryan lang]

yep, only way fella. most machine shops can make the up for you if you take your old ones in and tell them how thick you need them

[triple j]

Where your cams out, if so did u retention cam gear when u refit them.

[EPnick22]

yeah cams were out, re-tension'd it

[Flaminsam]

Go to scrap yard and find a load of efe engines. Remove cams, remove shims and repeat on the next engine. ;-) thats what I had to do when I was rebuilding charls fte.

[EPnick22]

never seen a starlet of any type in any of the breakers round mine lol

[Flaminsam]

Oh dear. Can have a look next time i pop to the scrap yard if you want. Any ideas what sizes do you need?

[morgey]

Machinist or scrappy is your best bet. Don't even need to be a 4efe just take a tappet with you and check loads of different cars if it fits snug its usuable.

I think Toyota want like £8 a shim or something mad considering its a bit of metal ground to a certain thickness. :/

[EPnick22]

I saw one there a few days ago didnt really think about it at the time I was looking for things for my golf lol might pop down there today

Does it matter what bucket sits over what valve? when i did my rebuild I numbered each one in a box for each valve, and it never tapped before? whats changed? I put them all back in the same order

Edited November 4, 2013 by EPnick22

[turbo Grant]

Most of the time you can just swap the shims/ buckets rounds. But shims from other cars fit. Our head uses the save size shims and a zetec engines. And the valve guides are the same lol

[EPnick22]

so how comes when I first stripped it and numbered all the buckets/shims then when I rebuilt it in the same order it tapped? it didnt before

[turbo Grant]

Sure your not just hearing piston slap then?

[shorty]

Did you lock the timing gear up? Its a tensioned gear so if not it gets clicky once you refit it. Cant damage nout just an anoying sound.

[EPnick22]

sorry when you say lock the timing gear do you mean putting the service bolt through the cam gear on the inlet cam?

[shorty]

Yes i do mate.

[EPnick22]

yeah i kept the bolt in there until everything was tightened to the correct torque settings then took the service bolt out, what do you suggest?

[The Toffinator]

I have a simliar problem, no tappin before it was removed, back in the correct order etc as well so why are the clearances loose now?

[EPnick22]

I think i might know what the tapping was, after my engine started knocking the other week, got the sump off last night, spun a big end shell on crank journal no.1, I think i didnt take out enough when I notched the block and the rod was skimming the bore, full fresh rebuild now to flush it all