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valve adjustment

Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 8:35 am
by sh0rtlife
ive got a spec sitting here for .089 on the valves but was wondering is that hot or cold...i would asume hot but have no way of knowing for sure...83 gtv-6 2.5..
anyone got the spec's for the non adjustable side(requireing shims) figured id check it too while im in there...

yes im doing a full tune on the car

Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 10:09 am
by Barry
Normaly specs are for a cold engine..
V6 is pretty much the same as for the old Nord motor..I personally like to go for the smaller side of the spec..sometimes Id even run a tight as 0.35mm on the intakes and a loose 0.25mm on the exhaust..By loose ,the feeler gauge should be pretty loose when measuring,not too much drag on it..Too tight exhaust on the v6 and you loose power..very easy to do with the rocker that moves.. :!:

Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 10:20 am
by sh0rtlife
hmmm cold adjustment eh...cool that makes this that much easyer

Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 10:59 am
by sh0rtlife
thats measured at the valve right?...not the lifter on the cam

dont mind me im just used to my cams being inside of the engine not mounted to the head LOL

Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 1:20 am
by zambon
I have got some noisey valves on my 3.0. Are they adjustable or do they need special shims? I have a mechanic who would help me, but I need to know if I need special Alfa parts first.

Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 2:22 am
by Mats
Must be at the cam, 0.25 is seriously tight for being at the valve.

Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 2:59 am
by Murray
Zambon when it comes to Alfas "noisy" is good quiet is bad.If you don't hear some "ticking" ,chances are your clearances are to tight which is not good.
When you check your clearances, 9 times out of 10 you'll only need to adjust the exhaust side as the intake side are less likely to change.The good thing is that the exhaust side adjustment requires no parts.All you need to do is loosen a nut and rotate the pushrod as required.If the intake side needs adjustment then you have to remove the camshaft and replace shims.Unless you have a complete set of shims on hand you have to order the correct shims based on the existing shim thickness - existing clearance and desired clearance.
Follow this link for a good "How to" from European Car Magazine.
http://alfagtv6.com/pdf/euro_nov_95.pdf

Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 9:42 am
by zambon
Thanks Murray. I know these engines like to tick more than most. This one ticks even more than my others, so I am guessing the exhaust valves might need a bit of attention.

Re: valve adjustment

Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 4:17 am
by darryl longley
just checked my exhaust valve clearance
most are are .25mm but ive got one at .20
is this too tight

Re: valve adjustment

Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 6:40 am
by darryl longley
set it to .25
no noticeable difference

Re: valve adjustment

Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 3:58 am
by darryl longley
hi all
my gtv6 valve noise is nice and quiet on start up but once warm sound a little more tappy than id expect
form around 40 on the temperature gauge is when the tapping seems to a bit louder
ive checked all the clearances and on the intake seems around 0.5mm which I believe is a little tight but on the exhaust side are set at .25mm
previous posts suggest the engine is more valve tappy than most engines but I still feel its a bit too much
Ive had the engine years and bought it from a guy who thought it may have different cams in but I never investigated
I also have no sound proofing on the bulkhead (firewall) so maybe I'm getting a bit of extra acoustics in the cabin
the engine is 3.0 12 valve
the car pulls like a train and roars beautifully after 4000rpm and ive checked the cams and they have no pitting or wear
I'm thinking of maybe adjusting the exhaust gap to either 0.20mm or 0.22mm
What do you guys reckon
Many thanks

Re: valve adjustment

Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 4:07 pm
by Murray
Yeah darryl if you tighten up to around 0,22 on the exhaust you should be alright.
I'd also advise you to do a little research on the topic of ZDDP and flat tappet engines.
For years I ran Castrol 20/50 and fortunately I found out that they'd dramatically reduced this component (ZDDP) which acts as a cushion between the cam and the tappet or rod in the case of exhaust side.I switched to Valvoline Racing VR1 which has lots of ZDDP,So far all my trees are alive and animals aren't dying on my lawn.Valvetrain is good.

Re: valve adjustment

Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 12:26 am
by darryl longley
thanks you
I had a guy on alfabb who reckoned going a bit tighter to .20mm was better
What are your thoughts

Re: valve adjustment

Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 1:49 pm
by Murray
Darryl
If it was mine I wouldn't go to .20mm, guess that makes me a nervous ninny.I love and protect my cams and going overly tight might be a litte harsh on the lobes.
Why don't you warm her up and record some sound.Post it here and we'll all pontificate.