Valve adjustments

[Rabbit TD]

On these mechanical lifter 1.6's am I right in understanding that as time goes by that the valve clearance decreases other than increases and do the clearances increase or decrease when warmed up.  I'm thinking possibly this could maby be one of my slow starting issues possibly but runs great otherwise.  This is a new top-line head I put on last winter, I haven't checked the clearances since then, about 8,500 mi., they were in spec. then but on the snug side of it though.

[maxfax]

Theoretically I woudl think clearances decrease when warm..  Some other engines specifically state to adjust the valves with it hot because of this...  8500 miles doesn;t seem like enough to need a valve adjustment... Although if they were snug to begin with that could make sense..   I generally only check my valves at 60K when I change timing belts and have yet to need adjustment...

AS you mentioned in the other thread all these starting issue popping up are kind of interesting... Not all are from noobs, and not in a similar geograpic locations...

[Rabbit TD]

Theoretically I woudl think clearances decrease when warm..  Some other engines specifically state to adjust the valves with it hot because of this...  8500 miles doesn;t seem like enough to need a valve adjustment... Although if they were snug to begin with that could make sense..   I generally only check my valves at 60K when I change timing belts and have yet to need adjustment...

AS you mentioned in the other thread all these starting issue popping up are kind of interesting... Not all are from noobs, and not in a similar geograpic locations...

That's what has got me wondering too if it isn't something added to or taken away from the fuel lately.  Usualy though with diesel fuel if it isn't quite right you get smoke on a pull where you didn't before.  But there will definately be more smoke after it starts if it has had to crank for a while from the extra fuel in the cylinder weather it's good or not.  With me 2 weeks ago it was 40 degrees here in Md. and no matter how many times I cycled the plugs the motor wouldn't start so I gave it a little shot of ether and it lit off.  I did find today though that I had 3 dead plugs which none of had the slightest sign of erosion but they were Champions which were in the old head when I built this engine, they were good then 8,500 mi ago.  Today I took the Bosch ones out of the old N/A engine I had been using and put them in after cleaning up and testing.  They seem to work fine but the damn car cranks for a lot longer to start now even 10 min after I shut it off and I don't have a fuel leak anywhere from removing the injector lines.  I've only put about 30 mi. on it since I changed the plugs,  so that's 4 or 5 starts but they all were way longer than before with just a bump of the key.  Nothing but the injector lines was  removed and the return line hose that went through the lines to make acess easier