As important as it is for the lifters to pump up to lift the vlaves quietly,
they also have to bleed down to be self adjusting. They also need to pass
oil to the rocker which is done through the push rod.

Lifter test!
Set the cylinder to top dead center, valves closed. Use screw driver to
lever vlave slighty open. Lifter should expand and take up slack, hold valve
open slightly. Watch valve. In a minute or two it should let valve close. If
it doesn't something is wrong. If valve never closes, than the slack valve
adjustement will cover for the faulty lifter or weak valve springs.

Dennis

>From: Jake Beaulieu <jbeaulie@ND.EDU>
>Reply-To: Jake Beaulieu <jbeaulie@ND.EDU>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: Compression, Valve Adjusting
>Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2007 08:46:39 -0400
>
>On Mon, 18 Jun 2007 14:18:00 -0400, Jonathan Poole <jfpoolio@GMAIL.COM>
>wrote:
>
>A recent discussion on the list encouraged me to
> >change the adjustment to 0 turns in with the engine at operating temp.
>
>Hey John,
>
>I have also been screwing around with the valve adjustment on my 1982 air
>cooled westy.  I have found that setting the adjustment to 0 turns when
>warm results in good compression, but poor performance (barely keeps
>running at cold idle, very low gas mileage, low manifold vacuum 11-12in
>Hg).  If I set the valves to 1-2 turns in (per the Bentley) it runs like
>absolute dog crap.  Only by setting the valves to 0.006 in of clearence
>does it run well and generate decent manifold vacuum (17 in Hg).
>
>Frankly, I don't understand why the factory reccomended settings don't
>work on this motor.  Wish I had a better idea of what was happening here.
>
>jake