Valve adjustment (Aircooled)

Post by **Therunner** » 26 Feb 2008, 19:07

Hi

First of all, thanks to everyone who's answered previous posts - mostly from Kate while I was outside scratching my head or something! cheers guys

Now I may be being a bit dumb here, tho I think not as I've done this before on 3 previous Aircooled engines!

We have a 1.6CT non running engine. We now have sparks and fuel where we want them but still got sluggish starter motor, petrol spits back out of the carb when turning engine over

and still it won't start

So, set about adjusting the valve clearances - ran out of other things to try! - climb under to do no.1 and can't find a gap on either exhaust or intake, not even with the thinest blade! Have a look at all the others and no gaps to be found, turned engine back to position for no. 2 and still the same, all round.

I can see that the valves appear to open and close at the proper time when Kate rotates the engine for me and I've felt no. 1 piston moving when manually checking for TDC.

Everything looks the same as when I've done this in the past, so wondering if;

a - I'm not looking for the gap in quite the right spot!!!
b - Valves are all seized shut - can that happen and everything still seem to be turning over ok?

I'm thinking it may be time to look for another engine, and feel a bit like They do on those medical dramas where they have to accept, after trying everything they could, that the patient is unsaveable

So any suggestions gratefully received, before I start putting out wanted posts all over the show!

Cheers

Melvin

Post by **camper** » 26 Feb 2008, 19:30

Undo the rocker valve adjustment nuts.Then re set them to the correct gap a haynes manual will provide how to do this.

Post by **Therunner** » 26 Feb 2008, 19:38

I tried this, undid retaining nut backed of screwtype bit and still no gap

admittedly I didn't have long this morning before the need to come to work interupted me, but I checked no.1 twice and no.2 once (and all 4 each time as well in case something was drastically awry!)
I should spend a little more time tomorrow morning in case I'm missing something obvious!

Cheers

Melvin

Post by **badger** » 26 Feb 2008, 19:46

1.6 CT engine doesn't have valve clearance, it's got hydraulic lifters.

I had a similar problem with my 1.6 a couple of years back. Check that you have compression on No1 cylinder and simultaneously check the rotor arm position to make sure it's looking at No1 lead in the dissy cap. If you have fuel, compression and a spark, it should run (of a fashion).

From memory, if you have already gone and set the valves up with clearance, follow the same process but instead of gapping the rocker, screw the adjuster in until the "slack" is taken up, then screw in another full turn to preload the lifter.

Post by **Therunner** » 26 Feb 2008, 19:52

Really? So there's no adjustment I can make?
It all looks exactly the same as the others I've done (Bay1600, split1500 and bug 1600)

So, on the positive side, engine may not be dead after all and I can scratch my head - or whatever - a bit more and seek out new things to try and breathe some life back into it

Cheers

Melvin

Post by **Therunner** » 26 Feb 2008, 19:58

ooops didn't finish reading!

I'll be needing to buy/borrow a compression tester thing.

The dizzy is, oddly, a bit a*** about face - in that no. 1 is sort of at 1 o'clock instead of at 5 o'clock where I would have expected it to be - if that makes sense!
We changed the dizzy for a points and condensor setup and found that it will only sit that way round anyway.
As I understand it, this shouldn't matter as long as the leads are positioned 1 4 3 2 clockwise?

Cheers

Melvin

Post by **badger** » 26 Feb 2008, 20:15

Therunner wrote:ooops didn't finish reading!

You did - I edited it a few minutes later. I wouldn't bother with a compresion tester just yet; just take the plug out of No1 and check the compression with your thumb (obviously turn the crank by hand here!).

Post by **Therunner** » 26 Feb 2008, 20:20

Cool, I'll try it first thing in the morning (about 10.00 or 11.00am - I am on lates this week!

)

Cheers again

Melvin

Post by **Therunner** » 27 Feb 2008, 15:48

Ok, so this morning I've tried checking the compression as described with my thumb, but couldn't be sure I was feeling any pressure - it's not easy to keep your thumb over the plug hole and rotate the engine (both the plug hole and the means to rotate the engine both being on the right and I'm right handed and not a contortionist!)

Anyway I did notice more resistance when turning the engine over with the plug back in, so that means I have some compression, right?

Also read up a bit about hydraulic tappets and went round the engine re-setting them as described. Unfortunately the battery was too low (under 8.9v) and it was time to come to work again! Batteries on charge and we'll try jumping it off the bug in the morning!

After that, I think we need to look at the ignition switch and probably have a another, closer look at the solenoid/starter again.

Still, if we'd got it running as soon as we got it home I wouldn't have learned any of the new stuff we've gone over in the last few weeks