I went to do the adjustment and found that I couldn't turn the crankshaft and watch the rocker arms at the same time to see which valve was open. I needed either a 41mm or a 1 5/8" socket to fit the bolt on the front pully. I looked locally and no one had one in 1/2" drive(or 3/4 for that matter) but they could order one.
I went onliue and got one(1 5/8) off Amazon. Took 3 days to get here but only cost $18 with shipping.
So today I adjusted the valves. As you are probably aware nothing goes easy with this car!
Case in point was the inability to see the tappets move. My solution was to grind down the end of a handcrank into a square 1/2" drive. This inserted in the socket and supported by a bungee at the bumper allowed me to do the job. It isn't easy like the same system on the 2.25 but it worked!
I started with book in hand at #8 valve fully open and adjusted #1 tappet and then moved thru the list. When I got to setting #8 tappet with #1 valve fully open is when the fun started.
There was a HUGE gap from the rocker arm to the valve stem. I measured it with my feeler guages===fully a quarter of an inch! What was supposed to be .008 was actually .250!! WTF??
As I went to adjust the tappet I found the thread on the adjuster buggered up and not allowing the adjuster to move down enough to make the proper adjustment. So after some fumbling around I took off the locknut and tried to screw the adjuster out. Then I had to pry the tappet over and pull out the pushrod. Well, the adjuster wouldn't screw out due to the threads. I had hoped that removing the nut would have "fixed" them. So then I took the nut and found the thread size(metric 8x1.25). I then took my die and with a rag under it I ran it down the adjuster threads. It then came out easily!
I tried to match it to some 2.25 petrol bits I have but the pushrods are longer and the adjuster was SAE. The adjuster was the same size though. So it had to go back in. I put it on with out the locknut on just to have somewhere to start.
Starting over at #8 open and adjusting #1 I went thru the order. Numbers 4 and 6 also had about 1/8" gaps. All the locknuts were tight nothing had slipped even on #8. When I got back around to doing #8 tappet it was loose and as I tightened down the adjuster I began to run out of thread! ???
Soooo, I went thru the whole adjustment schedule again. I had to replace the locknut on #7 because I couldn't get a spanner on it to begin with. This is what I ended up with on the adjuster screw.
I thought it was good now so I put on the valve cover and hooked up the breather. I tried to start it but it was no go. Glow plugs, turns over, fuel, all checked but no go.......
Back out and take off the valve cover and go thru the valve adjustment again. Things WERE different some were too tight, some OK. Put the cover back on, hook up the breather. Climb back inside and it starts right up.
Now I don't know whether to trust the #7 or #8 locknut.
On the bright side even with it running so bad I got 20mpg on the first tank of fuel!
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