hello, the other day I took off my head and when i put it back on I couldn't figure out how to adjust the valves. I loosened the valve adjusting bolts and I rotated the engine to TDC by lining up the marks on the flywheel. I couldn't get a gap between the rocker arm and the valve, so i rotated the engine 360 degrees and still no gap. It just doesn't make sense. anyways, any information would be much appreciated, thanx in advance, -Jesse

I didn't have the heads removed when I adjusted my valves. I was just doing a valve cover re-seal. (assuming that you have the timing gears set up right) I had the cap off of the disty. I turned flywheel to TDC and looked at the rotor to make sure that it was lined up to the #1 position. The rest I did according to the Chilton manual. Hope that helps.

Well, I dont know what type of vehicle you have. Need more details than just 85GL.

 

 

Nor am I a mechanic- I have a 1986 Subaru - and it had self-adjusting valves.

 

Just a thought.

I took off the cap and even ligned up the timing marks on the flywheel. It's an 88 GL Hatchback. If anyone knows why i can't get slack inbetween the rockers and the valves, please post a message. thanx, -Jesse

If you have the original engine in your hatchback then it will have hydraulic lifters. The adjustment procedure is completely different then the older EA81s with solid tappets.

If you have the original engine in your hatchback then it will have hydraulic lifters. The adjustment procedure is completely different then the older EA81s with solid tappets.

hmmm....I took off the valve assembly by sliding those bolts through the holes in the frame. Then when i pulled out the push rods, they were about 8 inches long and solid as can be. I don't think they are self adjusting because the adjustment bolt has a nut and a washer that bends up and locks the adjustment screw, so idunno, i just can't figure it out. -jesse

The lock tab is an indicator of hydralic valves. You wouldnt have needed to adjust them. Now you do and I know its not simple to do but haven't done it. Do you have access to a FSM?

I don't think it does have the hydrolic ones, I took off the head and the valve assembly was romoved from the head, I haddn't loosened the adjustment screw when i tried to put the head back on, i just put the whole assembly against the head and I started to torque down the bolts to the head and the valve assembly wouldn't get snug against the head, so i loosened to adjustment screw just so i could get the head bolts torqued to the proper specs. dunno, mabee i just needed to rotate the engine, but now how do i adjust em? Whats an FSM?

A FSM is a factory service manual

 

They reason why the rocker assembly wouldn't sit flush against the head is that when the head was removed, the push rods no longer applied any force against the hydraulic lifter. This allowed the lifter to expand and suck in some oil. When you went an place the rocker assembly back on to the head, you were then re applying the pressure back on to the lifters.

 

Now to make 100% sure that you have hydraulic lifters, you need to check and see which style of push rods you. This picture here gives a good illustration.

Http://home.comcast.net/~c.moe/lifter01.jpg

The next two pictures are from my FSM showing the the procedure to adjust the hydraulic lifters. Please read them a couple of times before doing it.

 

Http://home.comcast.net/~c.moe/lifter02.jpg

Http://home.comcast.net/~c.moe/lifter03.jpg

sweet man, I DO have the hydrolic lifters, thats gatta be it then, in the morning, i'm going to try it out, thanx a million man, I just went from doing a motor swap to an easy valve adjusting. -Jesse

ok, that was part of the problem but i also had the timming off 180 so i had it at TDC on the wrong cyllinder. the valves were partially open i think when i adjusted em last.

I just did a search and came up with this post. I've got a heck of a tick on my hatch, sounds like they do when there a bout a qrt and a half low on oil. So I'm thinking of doing a valve adjustment. Hydro EA81 with about 10k on it from CCR. I've printed the pages listed above, but does anyone have any more insite before I tear into this thing??? Thanks, Tim.

IF the valves were adjusted properly to begin with, they shouldn't need adjusting. In this case your problem may be low oil pressure or stuck lifters.

 

They may not have been adjusted properly, like mine. Im having trouble with finding the "zero point". (see my post on that).

Replacing the oil pump would be alot easier, but then again why would it go out in 10k??? The guage shows just over the 25 mark when cold and it drops to just above zero when warm and idleing. Thanks, Tim

GL Craig,

 

You still around ? Doing the heads of my 85 Brat EA81 and you links no longer work?

 

Thanks,

John