Look at the crankshaft pulley too to make sure you're at TDC, the
distributor might have been installed wrong.  Your valves should both be
closed at TDC so they should appear even with the valve cover off.  I'm not
sold on the .006 setting but 2 turns past contact point seems excessive the
other way. Try turning it 1 turn tighter after contact.  It seems to work
fine for me with no lifter noise. Make sure your doing cylinder #1 too (I
know this sounds stupid) and turn the engine backwards 180 degrees to get to
#2 etc.

Hotch
Richard Hotchkiss
http://www.hotstrings-inc.com

> From: John Schaper <JSchaper@SCHSA.ORG>
> Reply-To: John Schaper <JSchaper@SCHSA.ORG>
> Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2003 07:30:02 -0700
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Valve adjusting--What am I doing wrong?
>
> 1.9L WBX. Engine is cold. Align distributor rotor with line on distributor.
> Go to cylinder 1. Loosen the nut, take a screwdriver to loosen the valve.
> Insert feeler gauge (.006). It won't slip in. Loosen it a whole bunch--still
> won't slip in. (Seems the spring side moves out as I loosen the screw)
> Recheck TDC; distributor rotor hasn't moved. Look at other cylinders--no
> slack or movement, with rotor still pointing at line, go to cylinder 3--same
> problem. I've read, re-read, researched how to adjust, but it's not working
> out for me. Any advise? Also, while I was going to adjust them anyway,
> yesterday, the van stalled, lost power a block from my house. I had it towed
> with my diagnosis being maladjusted valves, since I have been steadily
> loosing power.
>