How bad is this answer?!?!?

[Monza_dh]

When I asked the seller about valve adjustments on his '86 Carrera with 128K miles:

"I have put about 12000 miles on the car in 5 years, and have never had the valves adjusted - never thought of it."

[Jgordon]

Aren't valve adjustments a 12k or 15k maintenance item?

I'd be more worried about what this answer means for the way he treated the car in general - abuse, hard driving on a cold engine, oil changes, etc.

[Shuie]

it could have been worse. Substitute 'oil changed' for 'valves adjusted' in that statement.

[on-ramp]

i've been daily driving my 911sc for over 5 year, put on about 100K miles and only had valves adjusted once!

should i be worried? car runs like a horse.

[Scott R]

When I purchased my SC the PO had never done it and had owned the car fro about 20K miles, in fact his statement was, "I did not even know they had to be done." So when I first brought the car home and dropped the motor I did my first valve adjust, imagine my dismay when they sounded like hell after my adjustment, I thought I was big trouble, then cursed myself for messing with it in the first place.

Long story short, I posted a few questions, got some great advice as I have always over the years from this site, and it now runs quite, and like clockwork. So I am left to assume that even after 20k the valves were still set pretty darn close to correct.

Now the other list of 1000 things he neglected is another story, like leaving the chain ramp in the bottom of the chain box.

[porschenut]

I have an 86 Carrera and the owners manual says the valve clearance should be checked every 15,000 miles and adjusted if necessary.

That's for a car that is driven normally. If you track the car and routinely rev it way up high, the clearances should be checked more often.

hey, that's post # 1000 for me!!!

[HFR_Racer]

I've been thinking of adjusting my valves as well. I'm not sure the last time they were checked but it runs like a top so I'm not sure that I'm going to mess with it either.

[bigchillcar]

haven't adjusted mine in nearly 4 years..and mine's a daily driver..that's about 40k miles and still purring, no tapping noise like the last time i adjusted. for what it's worth, i plan to do this summer..car still pulls strong and uses little oil..not sure why i'm getting away with it..
ryan

[Monza_dh]

Thanks for the input! I guess I was taken aback for a moment since he was pretty casual about it and after another vague answer about the paint.

At first I thought the valves would have been adjusted at a lower interval. I still may pass on this one.

Thanks again!

[ZOA NOM]

I'll chime in with the others who "check but not necessarily adjust". I mention it every time I stop by my mechanic's, and he listens to it for a bit and sez, "sounds great, leave it alone". 178k and counting. Strong like bull. I did the last adjustment two summers ago when I dropped the motor, and I drive it daily.

[Zeke]

Originally posted by on-ramp
i've been daily driving my 911sc for over 5 year, put on about 100K miles and only had valves adjusted once!

should i be worried? car runs like a horse.

Might run like a thoroughbred if you adjusted them.

[bigchillcar]

zeke,
what's the main concern if some of us are driving on valves that haven't been adjusted in a long time? last time i adjusted it was due to the fact that the tapping was telling me something..i adjusted and not only did the tapping practically go away (not totally), but i COULD tell an improvement in performance. my odometer has been broken a few years, but i know i drive about 10k per year..i think the general agreement has been to adjust every 10k, but i've been waiting..and waiting..and waiting..and the tapping is only just now becoming more noticeable. is there serious risk here..or is there simply some 'ponies' we're not getting without a fresh adjustment? appreciate your thoughts..
ryan

[Hugh R]

Its when you don't hear them that you should worry. The valves recede into the head over time and close the clearances keeping the valves slightly open which can burn them. I'm certainly not a pcar expert, but this is true of all valve trains with solid lifters, as compared to hydraulic. Porsche wouldn't recommend 15K if they thought 40K was appropriate.

[rnln]

I have talked to at least several owner don't even know what service is beside oil changes.

I also experience "don't break" but turn into hell after valve adjustment myself :lol: not a P though.

Is it ok if you don't adjust valves untill something sounds... make you feel like you should?
Thanks.

[real550A]

Hugh-
I agree. The purpose of valve adjustment is to achieve proper clearance, not just remove "ticking".
The ones that are too tight (under .004) are the ones to worry about.

[JR_NYC]

When the check engine light comes on I get out of the car, lift up the hood and check it. "Yep, still there.", then close hood.

Oil? Valves? What?

[ianc]

Hugh R and real550A are right on. It's not the loose noisy ones you're worried about, it's the quiet tight ones. Seems like I could have taken my own advice with some past GF's, but...

I check\adjust mine twice a year whether they need it not.

ianc

[ZOA NOM]

Originally posted by ianc
I check\adjust mine twice a year whether they need it not.

You adjust them if they don't need it?


No one said to ignore them. They also don't tend to tighten with wear, so checking them for looseness and adjusting if needed is sufficient.

[Scott R]

Originally posted by ianc
Hugh R and real550A are right on. It's not the loose noisy ones you're worried about, it's the quiet tight ones. Seems like I could have taken my own advice with some past GF's, but...

I check\adjust mine twice a year whether they need it not.

ianc

I agree with this now, ever since I obtained a positive result with some trial and error, and a few posts here I will be doing mine on at least an annual basis.

[ianc]

You adjust them if they don't need it?

No, hence the check\adjust stipulation.

ianc