Hi all, was just about to check the valve clearances for the first time, odviously confidence was low as I've never done this before.....watched the how to vids and read up on it, all seems pretty straight forward until I read this section in another article in a different mag .... .." NOTE: 1978 and 79 buses have non-adjustable hydraulic valves, so you can skip this bit. " ....... .....so now I'm unsure what to do as the 2ltr engine was from a 78 bus and has had HYD printed on it by the guy that put the engine in!.... so does this mean that the engine has the non adjustable hydraulic valves ? can anyone help as i want to check the tappets as the bus had new cylinder heads fitted when the engine was changed and have not been checked since they first went on. HELP would post a pic but dont know how since site changed? cheers Lee
I could say if it's got thin steel rods it's hydraulic, fat ali it's adjustable. That might not help. Get it set on No.1 firing stroke TDC. see if there are gaps - grab and pull push the rocker. If not it's hydraulic OR it's badly set. Loosen lock nut, unscrew adjuster - if it goes loose almost straight away chances are you have badly set adjustable. If it takes 1 1/2 - 2 turns, screw it back in, they're hydraulic. This assumes the last person to set them knew what they were doing. OR look down the tube with a torch, you can see the spring clip that holds the hydraulic follower together if they're hydraulic. Check Haynes supplimentary info near the back for a picture.
Hi Z, long time no speak, hope you are well. Hopefully the guy that put the heads on knew what he was doing but he couldn't get it running properly and by this point had lost interest in getting our bus finished so to cut a long story sort I had to get the bus from there....hey ho, nothing goes smoothly does it. Obviously he ste them when the heads went on but did say that they would need checking when the heads had been run in so to speak, we finally got Bertie on the road late August last year and have not done many miles since, but do feel that I need to make sure everything is as it should be. As I said I was all set this morning to get out there and have a go, then I read that article and it confused me...arghhhhh
You're wise to look. I have one in the garage that wasn't running well. The timing was set at 40 degs BTC at tickover and the hydraulic tappets were all set with gaps. It's a T25 engine, installed by a VW air-cooled specialist that usually does Beetles. The only way you can be sure what you have and how to set it up is have a look and see for yourself. There are builders that for whatever reason remove hydraulic followers and fit solid ones.
This slightly irrelevant to your bus: you have to check to see what you've got, but I've had 2 '79 bays, both with the original engine and both have had solid lifters. Could it be US spec buses that got hydraulics?
