Worst auto task in 30 years...
 

(I'm in the midst of my first valve adjustment. I'm hot, thirsty, mosquito bitten, annoyed, and needing to vent.)

The worst automotive task I've encountered over the last 30 years is adjusting the valves on a 911.

• Suspension rebuilds
• Engine rebuilds
• Transmission rebuilds
• Painting cars
• Welding & fabrication

All the above pail in comparison to trying to adjust the valves on a 911. It does not matter if you favor the backside or traditional method. Both suck. There's no room. Half the time you can't see what you're doing. The slightest turn of the adjsuting screw results in a significance clearance delta.

...How I yearn for the easy valve train access of a V8.

I agree, I never do mine anymore on the 911. On my old 912 I had but regret it. A cheap enough job that I leave it to the pro's.

Guilty by association.....!

Are you jacking the car up a bit? I put mine up on the T-bars and remove the rear wheels. Remove the air cleaner housing, and heater tube on top, and I seem to have all the room I need. I use both the backside (to adjust) and normal (to verify) methods, and it takes only a few hours. For the adjustment, I removed the two feeler gauges that I need (.0025 & .0030) from the tool they come on, and fit the .0025 into place with the lock nut loose, and tighten the adjuster down onto it. Then I tighten the lock nut and pull on the feeler blade to remove it. If I got it too tight, it won't come out. If it slides out with any resistance, I'm done. I really like this feature of the backside method.

about a 2 on a 10 scale. you don't have to see them really, it's just feel. once the covers are off, it takes about 20 minutes when you get used to doing it. have several beers and get into it tomorrow.

Valve Adjustment Made Easy.......
 

Rob,

Whether it's your first time or a veteran in valve adjustments with the motor in the car, accessibility in performing this task is inconvenient and awkward. With the motor out from the car, valve adjustment is very convenient.

So when ever I do my valve adjustment with the motor in the car, simply remove the metal sheets around the engine block held by several 6 mm bolts. PRESTO!!! It will look a totally different world. The lower and upper valves are all exposed and easy to reach from below.

Once you tried this method, you'll never make a valve adjustment (motor installed) without removing these metals sheets. The ergometric for valve adjustment for cylinders #1 and #4 is very poor. People with bad back will swear to do this task.

I'm sure the're other folks who have done this method and please chime in. With this accessibility, it does not take long to adjust the feeler gauge drag and should be completed under an hour including re-checking the clearance for the second time around. My very first valve clearance adjustment took me more than 8 hours to complete and seal back the covers.

Tony

This job is not that hard if you have the right tool. You can't use a regular feeler gauge worth a damn on a 911 valves. You need one like this one that Pelican sells for $5.00.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/...alves_P213.JPG
http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/ksearch/PEL_search.cgi?command=show_part_page&please_wait= N&make=POR&model=PORS&section=PTOOLS&page=5&bookma rk=25&part_number=PEL-TOL-P213

I use regular feeler gauges like these using the backside method:
http://www.fiscodirect.com/images/ca...ler_Gauges.jpg

and it works great.

I don't remember it being that bad.

It's not bad at all, really. First I buy a case of beer, watch my friend put the car on the lift, drink the beer; and voila! it's done. Not going to do that stuff myself...Then we go for a good steak.

Done it twice, once with the engine in the car, a pain, and one out, easy as pie. Next time, I'm going to try the backside method just for kicks. The exhausts are a piece of cake, except I have to remove the cat. to get the left bottom valve cover off.

+1 remove the tin. Gives access to both sets of valves from the bottom! No need to remove cat.

Capt. Carrera,
Yeah. I just did only 3 exhaust valves on mine and don't like it, and didn't do a good job either.
You said you rebuilt engine? Didn't you need to adjust valves too?
How much the shop would charge for this task by the way?

I have a special tool I've never seen anywhere else that I got recently - makes 911 valve adjustments easy. It's really old and not made any more, I'm thinking of reproducing it...

-Wayne

Wayne, are you talking about Island's adjustment tool? Use to be made by Baum I believe?

Wayne, I think it would be a great idea to make that tool, I would definately buy one, or two, what does it look like?

Adjusting valves is my favorite DIY project. It is a drag to remove all the stuff to gain access, but the actual adjusting with the feeler gauge is great fun. In fact I think it adds an extra bonus that I have to do the fine tuning only by feel and no visual help. If it was not plain stupid, I would adjust valves every other month or so.

OK, I might be exaggerating slightly..

BTW, I use the factory feeler gauge that seems to differ somewhat from what many of you use in US. Can´t see why the European gauge would be different, but I posted a pic of it a year ago and it did not look exactly the same as those used by many here on the forum.

It takes some time on a 930, but it's not that bad and it feels good when you're done.
Intercooler, aircleaner, and recirulation diverter housing come off.
The airpump and all it's plumbing came off the first time and never went back on.
The exhaust rockers are the easier ones to get at and I don't remove the wastegate, just work around it.

Be patient, take your time and if you get pissed at it... walk away from it for a few hours so you do a good job on it when you resume.

If the adjuster nuts are tweaked from overtightening and do not turn smoothly and easily on the elephant foot threads then replace the nut with a new correct one.
If the elephant foot threads are damaged, remove the rocker shaft and rocker arm to replace it with a new one.

I woke up really early so I'd miss the heat later on, and gave it another go. Things went better. You know how it is, having a modicum of experience really helped. I adjusted them all from the front. Then I checked them using the backside method. Six were loose, five were too tight, and one was right.

I'll wait until I run the car before its official, but so far I'm a backside fan. It just suits my personality better.

So, I just got done with my first one... worst automotive maintenance task ever. Around 9 hours - what a lousy wasted vacation day! The rainy weather stopped Saturday, so I took it for a drive. Looks like I'll be doing my second valve adjustment very soon. Car sounds OK when cold, but lots of clatter when hot. Also seems a bit down on power.

Are there any caveats to re-using the nylocks & sealing washers? Pelican can't get them here before next Monday, and I'd like to get to work before then. Also curious on any strategies to avoid wasting 3 gallons of oil? I'm disinclined to use the oil pan, since it sits on the garage floor and accumulates grime and grit.