Before you get into pulling anything.... Please try this first... go to your
local FLAPs and buy a can of..... Wynn's engine tune-up.... pour it into
your oil... run your engine for 10 mins and see if it makes a lot less
noise.....those hyd lifters always get clogged and need cleaning.... I have
put this stuff into every (4) VW camper I have owned..... not because I
wanted to... because it asked for it... and it really works...here is
another important... tip...use fuel injector cleaner OFTEN....and use it
like this.... wait until your tank is down to 1/4 or less... then put in the
whole bottle and run it for at least 50 miles or until you almost run our of
gas (which ever is safest)... this not only cleans the injectors but cleans
the valves.... I can't stress this point enough.... JUST DO IT.

Rob
87 Westy SyncroGL.....Cynosure (slip&drip)

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard O'Halloran <ohalloran@IATRONET.NET>
To: <vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Date: Saturday, October 31, 1998 1:24 AM
Subject: How do I remove valve covers in 90 Vanagon?

>Subject line says it all.  Should that wire bail that holds the valve
covers
>be pulled up or down?  And how?  Do I just lever it down?  And then
>replacing??  I think I could get it off OK but not so sure about putting it
>back on.  Bentley doesn't give any advice on this.
>
>My beloved Westy is making a noise that sounds like the valves need
>adjusting but they're hydraulic so it's not as simple as that.  I did a
>compression test and got 125 on #1 cyl, 165 on #2, 140 on #3 and 180 on #4.
>So now I need to pull off the valve covers and see what's going on.  I'm
low
>on #1 and #3 so I guess this may mean something with the valve train as I'm
>looking at a problem with the cylinders facing each other.  I dunno.  : (
>
>Thanx for this.  This list is just fantastic.
>
>Rich
>