I did 17 Vanagon engine in the past 6 months...more than anyone here am
pretty sure.

This is a precision job...most lifter will get soft very fast, now, here is
where you need to be precise, make sure to unscrew that adj. screw till the
rocker is free/moving slighly, now go easy on that screw when going IN, very
easy, 1/8 per 1/8 turn IN until it touch the valve...check for loose but be
gentle. When you are sure that the screw is touching the valve tip and the
other end is touching the pushrod....go for that 1.5 to 2 turn IN.

Anyway, if your no sure...just start the van, drive it a wile until the
lifter get fully pump up, they will be hard as steel... check them again,
adjust them a t 1.5 to 2 turn in.

Cheers, Ben
http://www.benplace.com/vanagon_engine6.htm
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So I've read all the archived stuff about hydraulic valve adjustment since
2002. Read Bob Donalds' page.

Putting my new-head-gaskets engine back together. I tried to adjust my
valves to one turn past contact but I can't decide where contact is! I push
even lightly on the bottom (pushrod side) of the rocker arm to preload it,
then tighten the adjusting screw. Even pushing lightly, I'm compressing the
lifter a bit I think.

Do I just have to guess at it, then wait till I can run the engine a while
to pump up the lifters, or is there some way of doing the adjustment with
the engine on the stand where it is now?