Valves Adjusting on touring E30 1988 325i

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nicomacario
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Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:00 pm

Post Sat Apr 22, 2006 1:50 am

Hi there, Ihad last week a mad game with the idling but finalz I won, I think. Took all the throtle bodz and the Idlevalve off, cleanit verz well, seal with silicone the joints of air that come from the valve to the inlet and it now works a treat.

Now I need to do the valves , quite not adjusted. Any one know what is the best or only way to do that?

Thanks for your help.
Nicolas
handpaper
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Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: Newport, South Wales

Post Sat Apr 22, 2006 3:14 am

Valve clearances on M20s are fairly easy. You'll need a 10mm spanner, a .25mm feeler gauge, and a 3mm allen key or small screwdriver. It's also a good idea to replace the valve cover gasket at the same time - they're very cheap and it will save you doing it after you discover the oil leak :)
Pull off the valve cover breather tube and remove the inlet manifold support bracket before unbolting the valve cover. If it doesn't come free by itself, tap it sideways with a rubber mallet or block of wood.
Once it's off, you'll be able to see the valvegear. There is an official order in which they should be adjusted, but it's not vital. Start with whichever pair of valves is in the right place, ie completely closed. The rockers for these valves should be resting on the base circle of the cam, with the cam lobes (pointy bits) pointing downwards.
IMPORTANT - CHECK CLEARANCES BEFORE ADJUSTING THEM. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
To check, slide the feeler gauge between the valve top and the tip of the rocker arm. If the clearance is correct, it should move with slight resistance. If you can't get it in at all, the clearance is too tight (or the cam is in the wrong position - check this); if it moves easily, it's too loose.
If the gap is wrong, you'll need to adjust it. On the side of the rocker tip is a 10mm nut. Slacken this a little (DON'T TAKE IT OFF - if it falls into the engine you're in a world of grief!) to free up the eccentric adjuster. This is the thing that looks like a very fat washer, which forms the tip of the rocker and rests on the valve top. It has a small hole in it into which you can put your allen key or screwdriver to rotate it.
Open the gap out by rotating the eccentric adjuster, and insert the feeler gauge into the gap. Rotate the adjuster back until the gap is correct (feeler moves with slight resistance), then retighten the nut to lock it in place. Check again before moving on to the next one.
To turn the engine over so as to bring the next pair of valves into the proper position, you can either use a spanner on the end of the crankshaft, or put the car in gear and push it slowly. Either way is much easier if you first remove the spark plugs :)
When they're all done, check you've tightened all the locknuts and that you haven't left any tools behind (it happens :) ), and refit the valve cover, inlet manifold support and breather pipe (forgetting the breather will cause your engine to run horribly lean and cover it in oil - ask me how I know :) )
Hope this helps.