adjusting the tappets?

[m3mpower]

hi, will adjusting the tappets reduce fuel consumption, will it also improve performance, and finally how difficult is it to do it?
thanks

[BreadBin]

If they are badly out of adjustment then economy and power will be affected. There's a really good write-up here Click me

[m3mpower]

ok, thanks mate..

[Brianmoooore]

It's not a difficult job at all in absolute terms, but how difficult it is for you depends on your level of mechanical competance, which I can't judge from here.
Having just been confronted by someone by someone who has driven a Corsa with the red ignition light on untill it died, the level of some peoples lack of knowledge of things mechanical no longer surprises me.

[racecar]

v.simple job - did it yesterday - clearance you want on m20=10 thou - mine averaged 13-15 b4 adjustment - sounded awful - first time i have checked since building new engine 2k miles ago - gets rid of annoying noise and makes the top end quieter - only problem is that you become more aware of injectors ticking away..and any anomalies between them
also i realised that dicking around adjusting vernier for cam timing is irrelevant without attacking basics first

[m3mpower]

i am mechanically minded but i just wanted to make sure it wasn't a difficult job, anyway, i suppose iwould need a rocker cover gasket, and will i need gasket sealant or do i just put the gasket on??
also, i'm thinking to remove the throttle body to clean it, is there a gasket in there?

[Brianmoooore]

Rocker cover gasket doesn't need replacing every time the rocker cover comes off, and doesn't require sealant. Whether or not it has to be replaced, of course, depends on what condition the existing one is in. Throttle body has a gasket which will need replaceing, or be reassembled with sealant, but it's easy enough to clean with carb cleaner without removing it.

[m3mpower]

so i can just clean the throttle body from one side only while it is still fitted on the car...

[Brianmoooore]

so i can just clean the throttle body from one side only while it is still fitted on the car...

Yes, take the big air hose off, open the throttle by hand and squirt the cleaner in.
Take the idle control valve off while the air hose is off and clean that out with carb cleaner as well.

[m3mpower]

thats what i've done today, i've cleaned the throttle body, the idle valve, and i have changed the air filter with a K&N high flow air filter, and i was impressed with the difference, the only thing that annoys me is the tappets and also the fan which are making some noise..

[Brianmoooore]

thats what i've done today, i've cleaned the throttle body, the idle valve, and i have changed the air filter with a K&N high flow air filter, and i was impressed with the difference, the only thing that annoys me is the tappets and also the fan which are making some noise..

There may well be a difference, but no perceptable part of it is down to the K&N. If the E30 needed a better breathing air filter, then BMW would have fitted one.

[m3mpower]

are you saying that k&n air filter or standard air filter are the same??

[Brianmoooore]

are you saying that k&n air filter or standard air filter are the same??

They are not physically the same, but a clean OE filter will flow quite sufficient air for an unmodded or lightly modded E30 engine, and will actually clean the air.