valve clearance adjustment tool

[wengr]

I see a two pronged valve clearance adustment tool offered by the usual suspects? am I correct to assume that you simply insert this tool, depress the valve, and pop in the correct shim? without disturbing the cams?

[ventura ace]

The method that works for me is to rotate the camshaft to depress valve, insert tool, then back off the camshaft to release pressure and move the cam lobe out of the way (rotating the cam lobe toward the center of the engine and on up out of the way). To use this method, make sure that your timing belt tensioner is properly tightened and secured, because you will be rotating the engine backward during part of this exercise, and can cause the timing belt to slip a tooth if the timing belt is not properly tensioned.

Another method is to use a spatula type tool to wedge between the cam lobe and shim to depress the shim, and allow insertion of the valve adjust two-pronged tool. I don't have one of these spatula tools, and don't want to risk messing up shims or cam lobes by trying to improvise, so I use the rotation method described above.

A

[wengr]

thanks for the info, just to be able to adjust valves without removing the cams is good news to me. I wonder if it would be easier to turn the engine until all pistons are approximately at mid stroke, remove the belt, and then turn the cams to depress and release valves as needed?

[ventura ace]

That's certainly a good way, but more trouble IMHO. I find it easy to turn the engine. I turn the alternator pulley nut with a ractchet.

A