INTRO: To avoid bumping ancient threads, I decided to create a new one to ask for more detail into the subject. Information on the process and specs are from these previous threads from various forums are as follows :

Link #1
Link #2

Story: I blew my head gasket, and decided to rebuild the engine myself. Have experience with working on cars, but not so much fine tuning engines like this. Just want to ask and be sure. Have already had catastrophic disasters with this car. I'm using original parts that came from the factory. I'm only replacing the seals and head bolts.

Going to break this up into a couple of questions.

Question #1: How good of a feeler gauge is recommend? I have a flat 26 blade set that has an increment of around .025mm around the required clearances and tolerances. Is that sufficient? I wish they would sell gauges in stores that are primarily metric.

Question #2: What "feel" should I aim for? This is my main concern. With such precision required, what amount of tug or any tug should I feel for? I've measured 3 times, and my results tend to vary and blend together. A lot of my numbers are same, but I have many different sized tappets to use. I feel like this is why. Would lubrication be a good idea? or would that increase the reading too much? Hard to tell when the gaps get wider and forcing the gauge blade to bend to the curve of the tappet becomes harder.

Question #3: To what degree is precision actually needed? Note that the specs on the clearance is .2mm+-.03 for the intake valves and .4mm+-.03 for the exhaust valves. The factory tappets that I currently have vary in 9 different sizes. The ones I have range from 15.98 to 16.14, and I have every single increment of .02 in between. The whole engine could be setup with 3 sizes. Should I really take it to the extreme the factory did? It's just a daily driver. Light work load on the engine.

Question #4: How much would it cost to have a professional do the adjustments? I'm your typical poor college student, so money is an issue. Also, around where I live, I doubt I could find many shops besides the dealership willing to do it. So I assume to pay the high end of the prices. The only shop around that I would of trusted to do job, bidded the entire process at over $3500. Just seemed to be too much money to not do it myself.

Tried to be as thorough as possible. Really appreciate any advice.

 

So you're not just replacing the head gasket?

 

Originally, yes. Long story short; when I sent my head to be resurfaced, the mechanic took my valves apart. I put them back together. He had a worker pack the lifters, and the guy "is pretty sure" that he knows the order of them. So I'm left to adjust them myself. Kind of got into with them over it. Didn't do a very good job cleaning it either. Oh well.

Just having to adjust the valves to continue on with the head gasket replacement.

 

Ah, gotcha.

The feeler gauges I use are angled and I would recommend using an angled set. I use the .178 mm, .203 mm and .229 mm, which is .007", .008" and .009". For exhaust I use .381 mm, .406 mm and .432 mm which is .015", .016" and .017".

The drag is hard to describe. Its just a slight drag. You shouldn't have to struggle getting the gauge in and out. If you have slight drag and it's within tolerance, it's fine.

You may need to buy some new lifters if they decked the head. A machine shop can adjust them by grinding the valves or lifters. At a dealer, we would probably charge at least 1.5 hours.

 

I'm away from my set, but I think I had the same sizes. Just not the angled. Okay. I'll trust the it more. Just wouldn't be fun to hear a tick, or worse, after putting the entire engine back together. How much would a hour and half cost at a dealership? Not sure what the going rate is.

Really appreciate the advice though.

 

Labor rates vary from dealer to dealer and region. An hour could be anyowhere from $90 or so to over $150.

 

Trust yourself. Get a cheap angled feeler gauge set from the local parts house and go for it. Just follow the specs and you will be fine. You may have to switch some shims around to get all within tolerance.

When using the feeler gauge it's like gaping the spark plugs. A bit of drag to indicate the gauge is touching both sides. You are not forcing the gauge in so that the valve opens. And you need the slight drag to indicate the gauge is touching. Trust yourself.