I am curious at what point do you know and how do you know you should get your 911's valve's adj?
I am curious at what point do you know and how do you know you should get your 911's valve's adj?
1976 Carrera 2.7 MFI
Ferrari 308
'66 Hertz Shelby 350H
'68 Shelby 500KR
'68 Dodge Charger
TR 6
450 SL
MC40
G35
Porsche used to call for a major service (including valve adjustment) every 6000 miles, then sometime in the early eighties due to EPA requirements it became every 15,000 miles (including valve adjustment) So with no changes Porsche decreed that valve adjustment was suddenly good for over twice their original schedule. So I guess you could say 15,000 miles eh! On my own cars which I generally try to do at 7 to 8,000 miles I rarely have to make any significant adjustments. Customer cars that we see regularly
and so we know we were the last ones making the adjustments, generally follow the same pattern of needing of not needing any significant adjustments. So how often do you do yours, and when you do are they requiring much change. Based on what we see on customer cars when in for the first time is that usually the gaps were set too loose.
Early S Registry member #90
R Gruppe member #138
Fort Worth Tx.
Hi Ed, how often would you recommend checking mechanical chain tensioners on a street car?
I don't know, because I won't use them, but judging from a couple cars I've seen over the years that did have them, they weren't checked often enough, as the chains were so loose that it had (inadvertant) variable cam timing! I have read someplace that Porsche had used them on some race motors but I would expect that they were checked after every race. I think I would check them no less than every valve adjustment check or at 6,000 miles.
Early S Registry member #90
R Gruppe member #138
Fort Worth Tx.
Ed, what's your recommendation for re-torquing the camshaft housing/heads?
John Schiavone
Connecticut
356 Cab, 66 911, 914-6, 550-Beck, 981 Cayman, 54 MV Agusta Dustbid
I have never retorqued the camshaft housing, during the era of the infamous 2.7 engines we always checked head nut torque. Generally engines with cast iron or biral cylinders I don't bother checking head nut torque,,,they don't seem to need it. Generally I don't bother with torque check on SC engines. Engines with ARP or any other aftermarket stud such as Henry's 'Super stud" I will check torque because sometimes they will need a little tightening.
Early S Registry member #90
R Gruppe member #138
Fort Worth Tx.
I like to adjust the valves and check the rocker shaft torque at least an hour before one of rocker shafts comes loose and does a walk-about.
I missed that appointment once and I was very lucky.
If an exhaust valve shaft comes loose and takes a nap in the bottom of the cam box it is an inconvenience. One leaving home on the top and dancing with the camshaft can be character-building.
If you consider silicone valve cover gaskets you can take a look inside every other time you change the oil and reuse the gasket.
There are a few different ways and tools for adjusting the valves- maybe try them all.
You'll likely come back to the little j shaped gauge.
Adjusting the valves gives you an opportunity to see a lot of whats going on inside. Within reason you cannot do it too often.
Recently had one bank of heads rebuilt due to spring failure. Do I need to have valves adjusted xxxx miles later. Engine is 2.7 RS clone with older rebuild.
1969 911S Targa
1970 911S Coupe
1973 911T w 3.2
1972 Alfa GTV 2000
I bought a car years back and the rpms would drop really fast and couldn't figure out why. I asked a old timer and he said my valves were to tight so I adjusted them and it improved it so much
Early S Registry member #90
R Gruppe member #138
Fort Worth Tx.