Valve clearances: not using Torque wrench?

Lakesailor said:
I loathed those. As the adjustment was effected by a nut on the stud that located the pressed steel rocker, if you used a socket it could press on the side of the rocker and give you a false reading.
After setting them all you could go back through them and find half of them still wrong. probably why so may Vivas had clattery valve gear. At least noisy tappets don't burn out valves.
Click to expand...

I had a Chevette he says very quietly. IIRC that was a later Viva engine (HC ??) and the tappets had to be adjusted while it was running!
 
Last edited:
RichardS said:
Presumably you are joking Vic? How could you hold the feeler gauge and then the screwdriver / ring spanner in place with the rocker arm jiggling up and down like a mad thing?

Richard
Click to expand...
Setting the tappets while the Viva/Chevette engine was running was possible as the pedestal nut was stationary and an interference fit, no lock nut. When I was in the trade, I got the timing chain and tensioner change down to a fine art, so common. The clatter of the chain was the noise..
 
macd said:
I just got a mental picture of a mechanic sat on the wing of a Chevette, spanner in hand and cool as you like, doing 70 in the fast lane...
Click to expand...

RichardS said:
Presumably you are joking Vic? How could you hold the feeler gauge and then the screwdriver / ring spanner in place with the rocker arm jiggling up and down like a mad thing?

Richard
Click to expand...

NickRobinson said:
Setting the tappets while the Viva/Chevette engine was running was possible as the pedestal nut was stationary and an interference fit, no lock nut.
Click to expand...

Could not remember that for sure. ....but it did the feeler gauges no favours!
 
Back to torque wrenches - in my youth we could afford neither mechanics nor torque wrenches. When replacing the cylinder head I recall that to tighten the nuts you swung off the spanner until the skin on your knuckles started to turn white. Seemed to work for us.
 
My 2008 Volvo D1-30b manual says to do a valve adjustment at 500h.
I am near that number but motor works fine.
Should I spend the money? or just wait?
I do not want to do this myself.
 
solar said:
My 2008 Volvo D1-30b manual says to do a valve adjustment at 500h.
I am near that number but motor works fine.
Should I spend the money? or just wait?
I do not want to do this myself.
Click to expand...
Just have a look At your manual in trouble shooting' see how many times valve clearances pops up and make your own decision.
 
solar said:
My 2008 Volvo D1-30b manual says to do a valve adjustment at 500h.
I am near that number but motor works fine.
Should I spend the money? or just wait?
I do not want to do this myself.
Click to expand...

The truth is that it is so easy to just check the clearances yourself that you really should do it. Not much more difficult than changing a mains plug or a diesel filter.

You will probably find they are within the tolerance range and don't need to do anything further. If they are out of spec, and I wouldn't worry unless they more than 25% out from the range mid-point, you can always then have the clearances adjusted professionally.

Richard

Richard
 
solar said:
My 2008 Volvo D1-30b manual says to do a valve adjustment at 500h.
I am near that number but motor works fine.
Should I spend the money? or just wait?
I do not want to do this myself.
Click to expand...

Its not the sort of thing that will be terribly noticeable, esp on a diesel engine where you wont hear them if they are loose, If well out of adjustment they will affect the engine performance though.

It is however one of the easy DIY jobs. A bit fiddly until you discover a few dodges to make life easier perhaps but something that those of us who serviced / maintained our old cars with push rod valve gear can do in our sleep almost.

Id not panic about the magic number approaching but don't forget it entirely and do it/ get it done at the next routine service .
 
RichardS said:
Presumably you are joking Vic? How could you hold the feeler gauge and then the screwdriver / ring spanner in place with the rocker arm jiggling up and down like a mad thing?

Richard
Click to expand...
read my post. The Vauxhall engine didn't need spanner and screw driver. There was no locking nut.
 
Lakesailor said:
read my post. The Vauxhall engine didn't need spanner and screw driver. There was no locking nut.
Click to expand...

I have no idea what you're referring to.

VicS posted a comment specifically about the Chevette / Viva HC engine needing to be set whilst running. I commented that it must be difficult. Up to that time there had been no discussion about the Chevette / Viva HC engine so I don't see how any of your earlier posts have any relevance.

You did refer to a different Viva HA engine but there was no reference to that engine needing to be set whilst running and you did not say that there was no locking nut.

Richard
 
RichardS said:
I have no idea what you're referring to.

VicS posted a comment specifically about the Chevette / Viva HC engine needing to be set whilst running. I commented that it must be difficult. Up to that time there had been no discussion about the Chevette / Viva HC engine so I don't see how any of your earlier posts have any relevance.

You did refer to a different Viva HA engine but there was no reference to that engine needing to be set whilst running and you did not say that there was no locking nut.

Richard
Click to expand...

The Vauxhall 1057cc, 1159cc and 1256cc engines were all the same thing, just progressively enlarged. They were used in the HA, HB and HC as well as the Chevette. I admit that I didn't mention the lack of a locking nut as I was answering VicMallow who had already mentioned adjusting the valve clearances on that engine, so he would have known that. It wasn't until later that Vic S mentioned doing them whilst running. although many people didn't bother, as the oil sprayed all over the place.

They were a horrible engine. The Delco Remy ignition was also awful to set and gave an enormous amount of trouble, usually condensers or cracked distributor caps. Added to the musical timing chain, already mentioned, there wasn't much else that could go wrong. Oh, the early HBs also had a habit of developing a hole inside the inlet manifold which caused weak mixture problems and was a real mystery until you found it.. I could never understand why they persevered using that engine for so long.

The only upside was that you could change a clutch in about 40 minutes.
 
Last edited:
Lakesailor said:
The Vauxhall 1057cc, 1159cc and 1256cc engines were all the same thing, just progressively enlarged. They were used in the HA, HB and HC as well as the Chevette. I admit that I didn't mention the lack of a locking nut as I was answering VicMallow who had already mentioned adjusting the valve clearances on that engine, so he would have known that. It wasn't until later that Vic S mentioned doing them whilst running. although many people didn't bother, as the oil sprayed all over the place.

They were a horrible engine. The Delco Remy ignition was also awful to set and gave an enormous amount of trouble, usually condensers or cracked distributor caps. Added to the musical timing chain, already mentioned, there wasn't much else that could go wrong. Oh, the early HBs also had a habit of developing a hole inside the inlet manifold which caused weak mixture problems and was a real mystery until you found it.. I could never understand why they persevered using that engine for so long.

The only upside was that you could change a clutch in about 40 minutes.
Click to expand...

They were a brilliant engine..... mine did over 100K .... and I only had to rebuild it twice :( , and fit an exchange gearbox because I could not get the parts I need to fix it and would have cost more than the exchange box.

The rest of a Chevette was an old style Opel Kadet......... only car I've owned that needed two sets of spanners Imperial AF for the engine, metric for the rest.

Stupid crank case breathing system too .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top