22-05-2023, 05:37 PM
Thank you, gentlemen, for your comments.
Chris. Setting tappets on the car is not my favourite job either! Not only are you bent into a most unnatural position, with your head upside down (which presents problems if, like me, you wear glasses), but there isn't that much room to wield spanners in there. That is probably why it is not on my list of service items, being a job (almost) of last resort.
It is entirely possible that the block to crankcase gasket has settled over time. It was a paper gasket liberally covered with silicon gasket cement and the nuts have been checked for security and tightened as required on several occasions.
John, yes, I too use the 'rule of nine' to set the tappets on a four cylinder engine It appears that you set your tappets as per Doug Woodrow's recommendation. if memory serves me correctly, the factory setting was 4 thou all round. I should perhaps mention that I trained as a motor mechanic before I retrained as a legal exec, and I recall that, with my first Seven, my them boss always thought that 4 thou was a bit tight for exhaust valves and used to suggest that 6 thou was better. He also taught me that tappet settings should be an easy fit, more generous being better than not.
Chris. Setting tappets on the car is not my favourite job either! Not only are you bent into a most unnatural position, with your head upside down (which presents problems if, like me, you wear glasses), but there isn't that much room to wield spanners in there. That is probably why it is not on my list of service items, being a job (almost) of last resort.
It is entirely possible that the block to crankcase gasket has settled over time. It was a paper gasket liberally covered with silicon gasket cement and the nuts have been checked for security and tightened as required on several occasions.
John, yes, I too use the 'rule of nine' to set the tappets on a four cylinder engine It appears that you set your tappets as per Doug Woodrow's recommendation. if memory serves me correctly, the factory setting was 4 thou all round. I should perhaps mention that I trained as a motor mechanic before I retrained as a legal exec, and I recall that, with my first Seven, my them boss always thought that 4 thou was a bit tight for exhaust valves and used to suggest that 6 thou was better. He also taught me that tappet settings should be an easy fit, more generous being better than not.