Valve adjustment tips?

[Digitalwave]

I tried doing a valve adjustment on my car and now it sounds frickin 2x worse, and I thought they were bad before. I don't know what I did wrong, I read like 3 articles on doing it and followed them correctly. Does anybody have any tips for doing it correctly? I can't stand my tick tick tick anymore.

[Brian 89 325i]

Get a piece of welding rod Bend it to whatever shape you preferr and use that to adjust them. Also, a nice remote starter switch works nicely. Then an angled feeler guage and another pair of hands. Also Do it dead cold. Like, when you get up in the morning before you even start the car. Ive done this 3 times. ITS A SHITTY JOB. HTH

Brian

[318daily]

I had to do mine 2x the first time also. Local E30 guys are saying it takes a couple tries before you get the hang of it.

What I did was tighten the eccentric down on the feeler gauge, then just let off a bit until you can move the gauge and set it there.

It really helped when i got the angled type feeler gauges.

[Digitalwave]

I didn't have angled feelers but I bent it so it'd work. I did it dead cold. I did it tight and then enough to move the gauge.

Did you guys use .010 or .012 feelers? My manual says .012 for cold, but 2 articles I read online said .010 so I did .010.

[Jordan]

.010 ran like SHIT on my engine. I ran a tight (difficult to pull out feeler) .012 and it runs like a champ and is as quiet as a m20 can be.

[318daily]

.010 sounds familiar (or .25mm). something like that. .012 doesn't sound right, but i'd need to check my gauge when i get home.

[bddog]

Prior to adjustment on an old engine, plan on there being a few worn out eccentrics.
These are inexpensive parts, easily replaced during adjustment, buy a few beforhand.
$3 apiece , buy new bolts at sixty cents also.
When you are adjusting the valves, always go through them twice.
There will be one or more worn eccentrics, unless the valves have been well maintained.
The valves that you have problems with, i. e. (that , after rolling the engine through a few cycles loose their adjustment or are hard to adjust -- need new eccentrics.-They are easily worn when the valves are out of adjustment.) Plan on replacing the plugs and pull them for easy adjustment.
I never adjust valves using anything but a socket(on crank) with ratchet or breaker bar.
Always dead cold , at .10. Look in the Bentley , there is an order to quickly accomplish this.
If you replace the worn eccentrics while adjusting your valves, it will not only sound and run better, you will have complete confidence in the job--Run and rev harder!
Steve

[Chris325/325i]

I found it hard to keep it at .010, after tightening down the nut it always moved some.

The best method I found is use the .012 feeler in there and apply light pressure to the adjuster (use a small allen wrench) while tightening down the nut. When the nut is tight it should be fairly hard to pull out the .012 feeler. Now check with the .010, it should be just about right.

A loose .010 is best, the .010 feeler should slide in there with light resistance while you should not able able to get the .012 feeler back in without a lot of pressure.

[Digitalwave]

I did it exactly as Chris said, tight .012. It quieted the car at idle but I still have a wicked ticking when I hit the gas. My spark plugs looked shot so I am replacing them today and seeing what effect that has. It sounds like a metal on metal click but it could be detonation.

[nando]

I've done my car at .010 three times so far, it seems fairly quiet. I don't think you can ever expect these motors to be 100% silent though. I tend to do it on the loose side of .010, so I can pull the feeler gauge out with a moderate amount of resistance.

[Digitalwave]

I don't know what the deal is. I did the valve job again at a tight .012 like I said, and its so frickin loud. At idle its quiet, but from 1,500 RPM and up its horrendous. I don't know what I am doing wrong.

[Digitalwave]

Is it important to adjust the valves in the order that the firing order is? I read that in my friend's Bentley, and I just adjusted them straight across the board. Could that possibly be my problem?

[EverWiser]

Valve adjustment order...

You need to start the adjustment with the crank at the top of its compression stroke on the first cylinder (line up the TDC timing marks) in the firing order. Do that set of valves first then rotate the crank 120 degrees; this will put the next cylinder in the firing order at the top of its compression stroke. Be sure to rotate the crank in its normal direction of rotation while adjusting the valves. Do this for every cylinder in the firing order. After two complete crank revolutions you should be back to the first cylinder in the order (and your timing marks will be lined up again). At this time recheck each cylinder's valve clearance, in turn. Readjust if needed. Go through this routine until none of the valves need readjusted. To make this easier it's best to pull the spark plugs so you don't have to overcome the engine's compression to turn the crank. Also, while you have the plugs out, you can use a small piece of stiff tubing through the spark plug hole to find TDC. You do this by putting the tubing into the spark plug hole of the next cylinder in the order until it hits the top of the piston. Now, turn the crank until the tubing stops moving "out" of the hole. This will be the top of the compression stroke. I hope this helps... :)

[StereoInstaller1]

1. If you find a pinout of your diagnostic connector, you will find there is both a "starter" wire and a "power" wire...if you touch the two together, the starter runs. This makes it really easy to bump the motor over to get the cam into position.
2. The cam is NOT some bizarre 720 degree thing, so pay no attention to any issue of compression stroke or whatever...just make damn sure the follower is NOT on ANY part of the cams' lift ramp. As long as the valve is completely closed, all is good.
3. Use a drill bit, welding rod, dental pick, whatever to put into the little hole to rotate your adjuster. You should have a sticker on your left front shock tower saying what to use for valve lash. Jordan runs .012, I use .010...his is WAY quieter, but he has a beef cam, I have stock. His has like a few months of time on his motor, mine has 230,000 poorly maintained miles. I sure hear a LOT of e30's with quiet motors, so I know it is possible. Check your settings with the next size thinner and thicker feelers.
4. Get a high zinc oil additive. Zinc levels have dropped to less than 10% of what they were when our engines were built. Zinc is a great barrier of metal to metal contact, especially when we are talking about a "hamering" type of movement vs. a "sliding" type movement. Unfortunately, the EPA has targeted zinc as a major pollutant (because it is stick as hell) so the oil companies have been forced to cut back...wonder if all of the cars in the junkyard are less of a pollutant? Oh well...just find that additive!
Hang in there, you will get it.
Hope this helps,
Luke

[Digitalwave]

I adjusted them again, paying as close attention as I could, and set them to a moderate tight .010. They car runs good now and that extra loud noise is gone. Thanks for all your help guys.