Valve Adjustment '88 911

[hcoles]

I didn't know about Snapgap. I like it, might use in the future. I learned the old fashion way with feeler gage and combination of screwdrivers and 13mm wrenches I had. Soon I discovered the feeler gage holders and shortened feeler gages to make it easier to get them in and out. I think this is the right-of-passage method as mentioned above.

[Pedro '84 Coupe]

Another fan of SnapGap. I think I could've done it the old-school way with feeler gauges etc but SnapGap made it quick and easy. I had enough room on the drivers side so didn't need to loosen or remove the exhaust.

[911obgyn]

I use the long, 8”-10”,feeler guage.
Clean the surfaces well dont scratch the aluminum on either side, i use Dow 111 or similar grease on both sides of the gasket and dont overtorque the nuts.

[Tobydog61]

Originally Posted by Pedro '84 Coupe

Another fan of SnapGap. I think I could've done it the old-school way with feeler gauges etc but SnapGap made it quick and easy. I had enough room on the drivers side so didn't need to loosen or remove the exhaust.

Were you able to work around the A/C compressor without removing it as well?

[Pedro '84 Coupe]

No, I removed the 3 bolts that secure the compressor and set it aside.

[Tremelune]

Does anyone have a bad review of SnapGap? I had a terrible time with various feeler gauges. The Kirkland tool was nifty, but still pretty fiddly. SnapGap was very simple, and all my rockers have the same "click" feeling.

"Right of passage" is masochism, and 40-year-old cars have enough character to go around...

[Reiver]

Originally Posted by Tremelune

Does anyone have a bad review of SnapGap? I had a terrible time with various feeler gauges. The Kirkland tool was nifty, but still pretty fiddly. SnapGap was very simple, and all my rockers have the same "click" feeling.

"Right of passage" is masochism, and 40-year-old cars have enough character to go around...

This....I've done the old fashioned way, even used a Kirk tool once, and have had it done professionally by a great Indy shop.

With the snap gap (done 2 weeks ago) it has never idled this smoothly or sounded so uniform when running. I doubt, in my experience as noted above, that the lash have all been so closely set in tolerance and that makes a difference.

[Canada Kev]

Originally Posted by Tobydog61

Were you able to work around the A/C compressor without removing it as well?

It's easy to just remove the bolts holding it on - some are saying three, but mine has four bolts holding it on, actually three bolts and one nut, all 13mm - Then pull its wire connector from near the oil tank and then flip it over and set it on top of the intake manifold. Done in less than five minutes. Do NOT disconnect any of the hoses. It also makes it easier to remove the air box cover with the AC hoses kinda out of the way, too.

[john walker's workshop]

You must be taking the lower sliding mount off with 3 bolts and one nut, along with the compressor, instead of just the 3 long bolts holding the compressor to the sliding mount. Harder that way.

[Canada Kev]

I might be.

I for sure will take a closer look when I head out to the garage, tomorrow. I've got a trick worked out to get that nut back on with no swearing required and it still only takes a couple minutes to put the compressor back on and snugged up, but easier is usually better.

Thanks, John.

[rokemester]

I adjusted my valves while the engine was out for a suspension refresh. My first time with a 911. Previous valve adjustment experience a VW Beetle, easy peasy. Even with engine out of the car easy access I found this job to be very fussy. I vowed that if I ever have to do an in car adjustment I’ll use SnapGap (which I’ve purchased and have on the shelf), and I’ll need to move AC compressor and catalytic converter.

[thetorch]

I have used feeler gauges and the Stomski tool. The Stomski tool is far, far easier, and 100% repeatable and consistent. I will never go back to the feeler gauge for this.

[Tobydog61]

Thanks to all for the replies. I too get a kick out of the feeling that one must suffer through doing the valves the hard way before using what sounds like a great solution that gives very precise results. I’ve adjusted many valves in my day and always struggled with the feeling that it’s just to vague of a process and not as accurate as it should be.

[Bill Douglas]

Jeff, it's a good game plan to give it an Italian tune first. Burn the carbon off the valve seats and valves. If you adjust it with carbon on the valve seating area the valve will never close and you'll burn out a valve.

I take the covers off, rotate the engine as per the instructions and feel each valve's subtle click. In 25 years of doing my own SC's valves I've only had to adjust half a dozen. They really don't wear out or get out of adjustment much. If the valve doesn't have the subtle click, adjust it then. But there is no point in unscrewing the lot of them and resetting them.

If someone's engine needs a whole lot adjusted I think there is something badly wrong with the engine and that needs to be addressed first.

[winders]

Originally Posted by Tobydog61

Thanks to all for the replies. I too get a kick out of the feeling that one must suffer through doing the valves the hard way before using what sounds like a great solution that gives very precise results. I’ve adjusted many valves in my day and always struggled with the feeling that it’s just to vague of a process and not as accurate as it should be.

It doesn't really need to be that accurate. The spec is 0.004", (+/-) 0.002".

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by winders

It doesn't really need to be that accurate. The spec is 0.004", (+/-) 0.002".

Yep, the idea of the gap is so the valve really does close. So better more gap than less gap if there is going to be a degree of error.

[winders]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Yep, the idea of the gap is so the valve really does close. So better more gap than less gap if there is going to be a degree of error.

It's +/- .002" because anything from .002" to .006" is just fine. The idea being that if you use a .004" feeler gauge and adjust the lash so it just slides in the gap between the rocker foot and valve stem, you are good to go!

[proporsche]

toby..by now you know how to go about it..but..one thing is very important..do not remove you spark plugs before adjusting the valves..it will be a little harder to turn the engine ..but not that much..the reason is..if you remove them some little carbon could fall into the valve seat and valve would not close all the way so leave them in ..

Ivan

[Tobydog61]

Originally Posted by proporsche

toby..by now you know how to go about it..but..one thing is very important..do not remove you spark plugs before adjusting the valves..it will be a little harder to turn the engine ..but not that much..the reason is..if you remove them some little carbon could fall into the valve seat and valve would not close all the way so leave them in ..

Ivan

Great advice, thanks.