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Subject:squishy rocker arm? / adjusting hydro valves
From:chris
Date:Tue, 1 Aug 2006 21:54:30 -0700

adjusting hydraulic valves on aircooled 81, motor was recent rebuilt,
now has about 500 miles on it.

I did the exhaust and intake on #1, then turned 180 and did the intake
on #2, but when I got to the exhaust valve on #2, it was sorta hard to
find that 'just touching' point.

if I place my thumb on the rocker arm, after loosening the adjuster a
bit, I can press down. it feels squishy.

if I keep backing the #2 exhaust valve adjustment screw out, it keeps
feeling like its 'just touching' from that spot.
when I press down on the rocker arm with my thumb again, then its far
apart from the valve.

what I did (for now) was press and hold the rocker arm down firmly and
keept it in that position as tightly as I could, while (somehow)
tightening the adjuster screw back in (while holding the nut in place,
so it didnt tighen up yet) until it was 'just touching' in this position.
of course if I take my thumb off the rocker arm, now it is well past the
'just touching' point.

so I ended up adjusting the #2 exhaust valve this way, with my thumb
holding the rocker arm inward and going my 1 turn past this particular
'just touching' point.

im just not sure about this particular one, so im holding off on the 3/4
side until I know if I should be worried or need to make different
adjustments to get this right.

did I adjust it from the correct point, or should I keep my thumbs away
from the rocker arm and adjust it based on that 'just touching' position
instead?

Thanks for any tips, suggestions, or misc tomfoolery.

chris

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