Party Wagon head gasket thread

How-to's and repair secrets for your 4WD can be found here. Have a question? Ask it in here!
User avatar
irowiki
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 3463
Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2013 10:02 am
Location: Farmington, NM

Re: Party Wagon head gasket thread

Post by irowiki »

Hey Peter, interesting info for us as I didn't know that was valve noise! Do you still hear the valve chatter when the engine is warm?

http://youtu.be/IZZ0PtHe4d8

(I actually hear something I didn't hear while listening to the car while taking the video, it is higher pitched like metal tapping, is that the valves?)

We were actually thinking of that, at the 500 mile mark when we re torqued the head gasket, to adjust the valves while we were in there so it was done.
Former Tercel Enthusiast (not a practical family car anymore but they still have a place in my heart)

Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!

87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
User avatar
Mark
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 883
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2013 9:49 pm
My tercel:: 1984 Automatic, 1981 sedan
Location: Victoria, B.C.

Re: Party Wagon head gasket thread

Post by Mark »

About a year ago I decided to check/adjust the valve clearances on my wagon just because I felt like I should. Since the engine was warm I used the "hot" specs from the manual (intake=.008mm, exhaust=.012mm). Afterwards, I heard that clatter when the engine was running (I didn't hear it before I adjusted the clearances). Today I figured I'd try it again. I used the hot specs and they were still good, but I adjusted the gap slightly smaller than spec to try and get rid of the clatter. I put the feeler gauge in the gap and screwed in the adjuster until there was a good "grab" on the feeler gauge. To properly do it, you're supposed to just feel "slight drag" on the feeler gauge. Anyway, there's still the clatter, but not as bad as before. Maybe my feeler gauges are cheap and defective. I'm afraid to adjust the valves too close and risk damaging them. I'll just live with a bit of clatter for now.
User avatar
Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Party Wagon head gasket thread

Post by Petros »

usually if adjusted correctly you can hear the valves, not not notice any particularly loud one over the rest. it is particularly noticeable when one is out and clicking louder over the others. That is what I heard on the video clip.

I have never found using the cold settings worked, I always had noticeable valve chatter. But using the hot specs, with the engine as hot as I can stand to work on it (right after shut down), you get quite valves. but yes, be very careful you do have NOT too small a gap, particularly on the exhaust valves, if they get hot and do not seat, you will overheat the valve and it will break off inside the engine and do a lot of expensive damage.

Sometimes worn out valve stems will cause chatter even if adjusted properly, not much you can do about those. the valve noise does not harm a thing, it is just annoying. My old volvo 122s had a push rod engine with .022 valve clearance, it always had noisy valves because of it. You can hear the valves tapping away from across the street!
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
Post Reply