How often are you supposed to shim the valves?

[shwak23]

How often should I be checking the shims or replacing them in my 1.6 idi?

[theman53]

only on mechanical heads about every 15,000 miles is what I have been told.

On hydro heads the oil should do the job.

[shwak23]

Every 15k?! Good lord. That's way to often. How irritating. Isn't it a fairly involved job? Requiring expensive special tools? Why have you done this to me VW?! WHY!?

[theman53]

Just what I have heard. The same guy that told me that also said that usually after the first adjustment they last 60,000 miles before being too far off to adjust.
But VW being VW they have a spec for everything.

[shwak23]

Just what I have heard. The same guy that told me that also said that usually after the first adjustment they last 60,000 miles before being too far off to adjust.
But VW being VW they have a spec for everything.

Ah well 60k sounds a little more reasonable. I drive a lot and ***ing with the valves every 15k miles sounds miserable.

[ToddA1]

The same guy that told me that also said that usually after the first adjustment they last 60,000 miles before being too far off to adjust.

I don't quite understand what that means.... 

Anyhow, I usually do them once a year; I don't usually go by milage, but the 15k sounds about right.  Not really too bad a job. 

-Todd

[vanagonturbo]

I have always gone with 20-25k. I havent seen any sort of major adjustment needed at that interval. Maybe a tenth at best.

[R.O.R-2.0]

they start to clackity clack pretty good when they are out of adjustment... you can even hear them over the normal engine noise when they need adjustment..

[R.O.R-2.0]

i just thought my head needed to have the shims adjusted, maybe that was something else that sounded like lifter tick..

[wdkingery]

  A little shot of compressed air at the edge of the shim pops them out easily (and make a bit of a mess...).   

oh libby where were you two months ago.. it took me four hours to think that idea up! and without doin that, i only managed to lift ONE shim~!

[CRSMP5]

back in the day.. 30k IF you set them to spec dead nutz if not dead nutz then 15k... reality for me back then.. simple.. when the vc gasket needed changed once a year before the roddo rubber came out..

i had access to the proper tools then and like stated simple enough if you got them..

[R.O.R-2.0]

  A little shot of compressed air at the edge of the shim pops them out easily (and make a bit of a mess...).   

oh libby where were you two months ago.. it took me four hours to think that idea up! and without doin that, i only managed to lift ONE shim~!

lol, ive been using this trick for ages..

a blast of air right at one of the notches in the lifter, and then POP, the disk is out.

[rabbitman]

Yeah I've found that at 15K nothing has worn enough to need much adjustment unless you're really picky.

[theman53]

My guy says the first 2 adjustments he makes at 15,000 after that they don't change much. It is when everything is fresh I guess. That is why he said 15,000 and usually no changes major changes until 60,000.