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Subject:Re: Hydraulic Lifter Adjustments
From:vanagonvw
Date:Thu, 28 Jun 2007 15:12:11 -0600

David Kao wrote:
> Setting lifter adjustment to 0 turn the lifter will not be able to self adjust
> to take up the valve clearance when the valve train components wear over time.
> Eventually you will hear valve tappet noise and you will want to re-adjust the
> valve again. You may need to do that every 3-5k miles. Essentially you are not
> taking the advantage of the hydraulic lifter's self-adjust feature.
>
> If 1 turn of adjustment screw pushes the lifter plunger down by 1 mm you are
> giving the lifter 1 mm of room for self- adjustment. The valve train can wear out
> a total of 1 mm of length the lifter can still self-adjust to eliminate valve
> tappet noise.
>
> If you set 0 turn you are using your hydraulic lifter almost as a solid lifter.
> Occasionally your "solid lifter" will collaps which will take 1/2 hour to be
> fully pumped back up.
>

Good explanation. I see it. Can't see how I missed it, but this is what
I am talking about. I am wandering in circles, and need to get back in
the right line.

I am just stuck, in my mind, at how I can push open the valve, with the
adjustment, as I mentioned in the other email.

Based on what you said, I can understand the design, and it ought to
work just fine at 1 turn, and if I had not poisoned my approach by doing
the leak test, I may not have ever noticed. I just have to get over this
bump, to continue and feel good about what I have done...

Thanks again.