What Tom says *is* true.  You cannot get a feeler gauge in there because
hydraulic lifters maintain zero lash when adjusted correctly. To fully
explain would take pictures and drawings and I can't seem to find any in
cyberspace....

Trust us on this one...  Properly adjusted hydraulic lifters will have
no clearance between the rocker and the valve. Run the engine.

Jim

Dan Erlandson wrote:

>>That "rock hard" effect is exactly what you want.  The fact that the others
>>are compressing indicates they haven't pumped up yet.  I once redid the
>>heads on my Vanagon and it was probably a week before all the clacking went
>>away.  Drive on.
>>
>>
>
>Thanks for the reply Tom... I've been searching the archives on engine
>noises and there was your reply!
>
>But if what you say is true then why can't I get a .006 feeler gauge in
>between the top of the valve and the screw on the rocker arm??  Is the valve
>damaged??  One of your earlier emails had said that you can tell TDC by
>looking for both valves being closed, meaning that when I look at the rocker
>arms at TDC there should be flexibility there, no?  The pushrods should be
>retracted somewhat, allowing the valve spring to expand up, away from the
>cylinder, i.e valve closed, right?  This is not what I see at TDC for
>cylinder #1 exhaust.  The pushrod seems extended a bit, enough that I can't
>get a feeler gauge in there...  All of the other cylinders seem to be as I
>would expect for the valves closed... rocker arm flexible and pushrod
>retracted, thus I can get a feeler gauge in there.
>
>Help!!
>
>
>--
>Dan Erlandson
>Flemington, NJ
>
>
>>danoer1@eclipse.net
>>
>>
>91 VW Vanagon GL 170,000 mi
>99 VW Passat 107,000 mi
>
>.
>
>
>