I've just cobbled together a 30BHP engine from parts offered up by various short and long blocks I have collected recently, and I'm happy to say that it is running well enough to get my car back on the road and hopefully up to Stanford Hall next month.

It's a long time since I rebuilt a 30 horser and I did it mostly from memory, I set the valves to 6 thou which I seemed to think was about right but after the event I checked my Bently Manual which gives 4 thou as the specified clearance.

6 thou seems to me to be a safer option and in the deepest recesses of my memory I seem to think that the larger clearance was also adopted by VW to avoid valve damage, is that right or am I imagining it? Should I be setting them to 4 thou and enjoying slightly quieter running and an imperceptable increase in power or is 6 thou the way to go?

What do you guys go with?

Mike

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Hi Mike,
I have always set mine to 4 thou. Not heard of the 6 thou setting.
The clearence does not stay at 4 thou for long anyway quickly turns into 5 or 6 with a bit of running.

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I always set mine to 6 Thou to decrease the risk of burnt valves, I am especially careful with No 3 exhaust valve, having a dropped one on a 65 bug I had once :roll:

Cheers
Kev

Thanks for the responses. On balance, I think I shall leave them at 6 thou in the hope that it'll prolong the life of the valves.

Mike :wink:

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