Hiya guys, just looking at trying to check/adjust the valve clearance's on my 1.3 MPI felicia. How do I go about turning the engine without moving the car (I'm in a hilly area so rocking the car to move the engine might be a bad idea) ? Also when haynes says adjust valve 1 when valve 8 is fully open - how do I know its fully open and not half open and can more than one valve be fully open at a time ?

As a last thing I get the impression its better to do the adjustments without a feeler gauge, can anyone explain how to do that ?

Sorry for all the questions, never really played with engines much.

Rob

If you can jack up one front wheel you can turn that to turn the engine.

If you can jack up one front wheel you can turn that to turn the engine.

correct, with the car in 3rd gear just be sure the ignition is off during this point lol

feeler gauge is critical to ensure correct tolerances.

Another way to turn over the engine is to take out the spark plugs, thus eliminating compression, and turn the engine with a spanner or socket on the crankshaft pulley centre bolt. Make sure the handbrake's well on first if you'e on a hill!Definately use a feeler gauge, otherwise you're only guessing at the clearances and check them at the specified engine temperature (hot or cold). Valve clearances change as the engine warms up.Hope this helps.

I can't remember the details, but I've seen some discussion on setting clearances using the thread pitch as the guide rather than feeler guages on this site. As I see it, you'd have to know when you've got no clearence ti make that technique work, so feelers are probably the best method for most people.

Another way to turn over the engine is to take out the spark plugs, thus eliminating compression, and turn the engine with a spanner or socket on the crankshaft pulley centre bolt. Make sure the handbrake's well on first if you'e on a hill!Definately use a feeler gauge, otherwise you're only guessing at the clearances and check them at the specified engine temperature (hot or cold). Valve clearances change as the engine warms up.Hope this helps.

This sounds like the method a friend described to me and was how I was intending to tturn the engine. At the risk of sounding very stupid, I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for but couldn't find a large bolt to twist that didn't look like I was going to make something fall off. At the risk of sounding cheeky, any change of a picture ?

Thanks Ken, I was thinking that if I fully tightened the screws I could get a zero clearance then work outwards using something like that as that would then account for worn tappets wouldn't it ?

Can a valve be partially open or is it all or nothing ? Just to confirm when the valve is open the spring is compressed ?

Thank you all for taking the time to reply. Much appriciated.

I don't have a picture, but if you can find the crankshaft pulley (near the bottom of the engine, opposite end to the gearbox, normally the car's right except on Hondas) then that's the bolt you want. It's done up tight enough that the engine will turn before it loosens or tightens any further unless you deliberately lock the crankshaft.

On the feelerless tappet adjustment method, this only works if you know the pitch of the tappet adjustment screws (a number like "M8 x 1.2"). A set of feeler gauges is only a couple of quid and will last forever.

And yes a valve can be partially open; turn the engine over by hand and watch them.

To find the crankshaft pulley, follow the fanbelt (or whatever they call it these days) down to the lowest, and normally biggest, pulley. This is the crankshaft pulley. There will be a bolt head at the centre of the pulley and this is what you want to turn with your spanner or socket set ratchet drive. Don't do what I once did and start the engine after forgetting to take the socket and ratchet off first! You should have heard the noise of the ratchet spinning (thankfully in the idling direction)!

Thanks for all the info guys, doesn't look like I have access to the crankshaft pulley in my 1.3MPI but I'll try with the jack and wheel method.

Your advice is much appriciated