-nick

I just went through them all yesterday. I don't think that the car has had a valve adjust in at least 20k miles. I was amazed that they were all dead-on (using the feeler gauge method). Save two: There was one exhaust that I tightened by ~2 degrees of a turn of the screw, and one intake that I loosened by about the same. I think they were both probably within +/- tolerance, but now they are perfectly consistent with the others.

My question is: what is the reason for the valve adjustment frequency on the 3.6? Seems that I could have gone another 20k. And it would have been nice not to disturb my perfectly dry valve covers. Is there more metal expansion / contraction in these engines to throw the valve spec off more readily?

Cheers,
nick

cpace3

what year is your 946 car??
thanks , Nick

pete000

Mine had over 20K on them and they too were almost all spot on. I tweaked them, but I think like yours they were just fine.

-nick

1991 C4, just approaching 70k miles on the odo

cpace3

from all the reading i have been doing about this subject it seemed like somthiong that needs to be done on these cars on reg intervals . my car may or may not have had a valve adjust once but there is no way for me to tell . It drives very well and does not seem to need adjusting. the question is how do u tell when u need to do this ??
thanks
Nick

springer3

I have similar experience. They all needed adjustment in 2003 when I did the first adjustment. I think that was because the previous mechanic was slipshod. I have gone back in in 2005, 2007, and 2009. I use a dial indicator on every valve except for one where I can't get the dial to reach. Every time only one or two that needed very minor adjustments.

I think of the adjustment interval is more of a surveillance interval. Regular inspections let you find a failing valve before it has a chance to break off and seriously damage the engine.

pete000

It is worth inspecting.
If the valves are too tight that can be a big problem.

race911

All depends on how hard the cars are driven, right? Only been 7K since I've had RSA #2, but probably 5K of those miles have been on the track. Now that it's been recommissioned as a street car for awhile I checked things out and they were off here and there. Not really that much, though.