Realistic valve adjustment level of difficulty?
 

Where would you rank the level of difficulty for a valve adjustment with the engine in the car compared to the following projects I’ve already tackled? It’s the last thing on my list to get the car up to date on the basic stuff (and the one I’ve been most avoiding). It’s simple in concept but the execution is what scares me. After my latest fiasco trying to replace a seemly simple crush washer on my oil pressure relief valve, I can see the simple valve adjustment going all bad once it's started.

Oil / filter change
Transaxle fluid change
Air filter
Replaced fuel filter
Replaced spark plugs
Replaced the cap / rotor
Rebuilt the brake calipers
Replaced the master cylinder
Replaced the brake lines
New brake pads
Bled the brake fluid an ungodly number of times
Installed a cat bypass
Adjusted the pedal box linkages
Front blower fan replacement

I'm very familiar with adjusting valves based on my experience with air-cooled VWs (or so I thought). The Porsche procedure sounded similar enough that I just went all for it. While I completed it with no issues, the mechanics are different enough that I found myself second guessing my measurements more than once, and spending the time to verify. I wouldn't worry about the job, but be sure and give yourself plenty of time to not rush it. Once you are in there it's the nuances that make it difficult, the actual adjustment is easy. If the list in your post is what you have performed, give it a shot. If nothing else, you can simply check/measure the clearance and if you do not feel comfortable button it back up to have a shop perform it.

DIY really is one of the true rewards of owning a p car " study the procedure
Use the right tools and have at it " you will be fine . I prefers the backside method
For speed ' but my wife or neighbor turn the crank for me so I don't have to keep getting out
From under the car. If you don't have a turner helper it just means your going in and out .

Go for it,, it's a Porsche motor not a F-16 And as a bonus you" ll get to paint your valve covers and shine things up....

Maybe like rebuilding the brake calipers. It is really not that difficult. It's just hard to get to it and to have the right feel for the feeler gauge. You have to go through it once or twice and it becomes a routine maintenance thing.

my words of advice....

give yourself a week - then you will think you are fast!
dont be afraid to start over once you get done and "know how"

check BEFORE adjusting - some if not most wont need any adjustment

it took me 40 minutes to do exhaust valve #1 the first time....and I got to re-do it before I started the motor - that CAT is really in the way

after a few times, I can do the whole thing now in about 40 minutes to an hour...becomes a LOT easier really quick.

DO NOT over tighten the jam nuts, it will stretch the adjuster threads

it is pretty easy while the engine is out because you can see what you're doing and have room. i suggest waiting until the engine is out for something else. once you do it with the engine out it should be easier to do it with engine in because you will have the feel and confidence.

I have done all of the jobs on your list many times, and undoubtedly, checking/adjusting the valve lash is far more difficult and time consuming than any of them (by a wide margin). The key, as ivengene said, is to take your time.

Worth repeating. You can get an idea for the feel of the correct drag before you even touch the nut.

Do it on your own phase.........
 

Chris,

Last year, 2012, I rebuilt three (3) SC engines and successfully turned then over to their owners. Then last week, I did a valve adjustment for a fellow Pelican with the engine installed. It took me more than 3 hours to complete the adjustment and I haven't installed the gaskets and valve covers. My back was so sore and stiff that I had to take an extended break from work.

Even if you have sufficient experience in valve adjustment (engine on stand), doing it while it is in the car is a totally different scenario. The key is do it on your phase. Relax and enjoy the experience. Check and double check your work. This type of work requires precision measurement not speed.

None of the above projects you have done so far could be compared to the precision and attention needed for valve adjustment. The satisfaction you'll get after achieving this new task is exhilarating and would boost your confidence to do more challenging projects.

Tony

I just completed the job last night while the engine is on a stand. The hardest part was using the tool I bought from Pelican. It seems a bit too wide to slip and maneuver adjacent to the valve stem end. I can't imagine doing it from under the car but I will do that eventually, and try to be Gumby.

Who has the best feeler gage tool and maybe a picture of it?

Maybe because of the technical nature of what I do for a living, I didn't find it all that difficult. However, it does take time. My first (combined with a couple other maintenance items) took me 8 - 9 hours. My last one was about two or three hours. I couldn't get the feeler under the elephant foot to check adjustment beforehand, so I just loosened the screws and adjusted all of them anyway. Some things (like the cat) are difficult to work around, but have a selection of screw drivers and you'll figure out your own procedure that works for you, whether its backside, traditional or a combination of both.

As said by others, take your time and don't be afraid to do it again if you're unsure of anything. It IS a confidence booster when you're done and the car actually starts and everything works and sounds like it should.

I'll wait and decide what to do at my next oil change... a local good P-shop charges $500-$600 to do it which didn't seem too bad.

I'm not ruling out doing it myself since this is my "fun" 2nd car but given the other stuff I've done with the engine in the car, not sure my patience would last trying to reach all the intake valves.

Tinkering is part of the fun and reason I bought it. I could jack it up and leave as is for a while and it probably would be more fun to do and learn as I go.

I would listen to boyt911sc, as he seems to be our local "master" here in the Philadelphia area.

I agree with his recommendation to do it at your own pace. Just take a couple of weekends, and enjoy the process.

I don't think you will run into any serious issues.

And we can all talk you through should you get stuck.

It's really only the intakes that are difficult to do in the car, if you remove the cat/premuffler to do the exhaust side. The exhaust side has more room to maneuver the feeler gauge do to the oil return.

The intake side, especially 3 and 6, are a reach, and you typically have to remove more stuff to get at the intake side, especially if you have A/C.

Just another DIY'er..........
 

Chris,

Thanks for the compliment and I'm not as good as you think. Just an ordinary DIY'er like you who wants to own 911 but could not afford to pay someone do the repair. I still would charge you $10 per hour for an engine rebuild. Correction: Management (family) decided to change the rate effective January 2013 to $20 per hour to cover the utilities, tool expenses, supplies, and the use of garage that gives my wife a right to claim her share for any income generated from it.

BTW, you are a few minutes away from me and you are more than welcome to use my lift or tools if you would need it.

Tony

It's doable, depending on your skill level.

But IMO it's harder than most people think, to do it, and do it RIGHT.

It requires a level of dexterity and feel (and attention to detail and patience) that I think many don't really have.

Tony...Good move with the rate bump my friend. Got to keep the boss happy. My valve adjustment tool seemed very bulky for the intake valves. You will have to show me your feeler gage when I drop off you tools.

Easy is relative...if the engine is out of the car in a warm dry garage with music playing it could be easy. I did it in a dark cold garage with poor light, laying on my back with oil dripping down my arm...not easy.

My big mistake was not talking to an experienced mechanic Porsche before setting the clearance. It must be set with a firm clearance feel...how do I know... it had to be redone because it was too loose. Make sure you understand loose from tight. Then buy more than 4 feeler strips from Pelican because they will get bent up or break. I removed the CAT and heat shields which greatly helped and had no real deadline for finishing. I also fixed some other items while I was there ( a good time to get injectors cleaned or ignition parts cleaned like distributor) which you should also figure into the project.

Need a test drive.......
 

Bill,

I need to test drive the red cabriolet when I get home this weekend. PM me your address and I'll swing by with my assortment of feeler gauges. I still have not damaged or ruined a single feeler blade in twenty years of tinkering and on my 11th engine rebuild. BTW, after my 3+ hours of valve adjustment last week, which I was very disappointed, forced me to look in the procedure. And found a better way to efficiently perform a valve adjustment with the engine installed.

I'll take some pictures to document it. The last time we spoke, the rate was $10 per hour. My children told me that they pay their cleaning ladies more than $20 per hour doing mopping, vacuuming, and cleaning their toilets. So I was immediately convinced to make the change.

As a matter of fact, you have been affected too. I had no intention of collecting rental fee to the engine stand and yoke I loaned you earlier. But under pressure from management (wife & kids), I contacted you early this week about my predicament and you generously volunteer to offer me something in return.

Tony

Tony,
I was going to compensate you anyway for your generousity! Bring that Cab by. I am about 45 minutes from King of Prussia and will PM you the address.

I just researched the "backside" method to adjust the valves and it seems to be all about simple geometry and best access....a no=brainer unless you are Gumby. I like the backside method and will dabble with it for confirmation while the engine is on the stand.

Chris....check it out in the technical section.