well I seemed to win battle after battle with this head job, but now that
I'm at the point of getting her running I have a sinking feeling that I've
lost the war.

The van starts up fine but the valve clicking has not gone away.  I know the
archives/Boston Bob's web site says that it can take up to 15 minutes or so,
but there are other things that concern me.  I seem to be getting some white
smoke out the tailpipe, something I never really noticed before.  The
exhaust valve on cylinder #1 (the valve most forward on the engine on the
passenger side) seems messed up.  I can't get a .006 feeler gauge in there
at TDC.  For all the other cylinders and the intake on #1 when you push down
on the rocker arm to act on the pushrod you get the rod to compress the
hydraulic lifter and the lifter pushes back after you release it.  #1
exhaust is rock hard at TDC with no give from the hydraulic lifter.
Additionally when the van is running there are some unusual ticks and clunks
every once in a while from inside the engine.  I also detect a burning
smell, although I can't rule out the antifreeze or oil that has spilled on
the exhaust system during my attempts at bleeding/valve adjustment.  At any
rate I have this sinking feeling that there is something seriously wrong
with the engine and am thinking of having it towed or risking driving it to
a repair station that has worked on it in the past.
Any good souls out there have any peals of wisdom for me???
I am feeling like the last week's worth of work was all in vain...

--
Dan Erlandson
Flemington, NJ
> danoer1@eclipse.net
91 VW Vanagon GL 170,000 mi
99 VW Passat 107,000 mi