Whats the best method for adjusting the valve gap in a T1. Should you measure the gap of both valves when the piston is at top dead center on the firing stroke or measure the inlet valve when the exhaust valve is open and vice versa.
I spent an age yesterday carefully adjusting my valve gaps using the Top Dead Centre method but still have a rattly one somewhere.
Any advice??

Yes, adjust them at TDC, two at once - to 6 thou. As for the rattle; are you sure it's valve noise (about the only thing that could cause this after adjustment is a burnt or bent valve - you'll have to pull the head,) if it's more of a rattle it could be a number of things?

I'm pretty sure you put the engine on top dead centre of firing stroke of no 1(when standing at the back of engine its its on the right at the back ) 3 1
4 2

you can check this by pulling of the distributor cap and seeing if the rotor button is pointing to that lead)
then adjust valves to 6 thou(0.15mm)
the firing order is 1-4-3-2

one thing did you adjust the valves when the engine was cold ussually best to do it in morning after having sat all night
marcel:thumb

More of a metallic tap tap tap sound at idle. It was there before I did the adjusting, still there now. Not worse, just there.
Motor runs fine no missing or anything to suggest a valve problem.
Maybe I'll just have to put up with it.

Yeah Marcel the motor was stone cold. And firing order was followed with dissy cap off.

I track down rogue tappets using a length of garden hose stuck in my earhole. It works fine on a conventional engine but I haven't done it on a VW yet.
Find out which side it is, remove the rocker cover & then move the hose over each tappet. The noise really magnifies via the hose. Once identified, you can investigate more closely- uneven tips on the valve stems have been a common reason for me.

What size motor is it ??

Its a 1600 Single Port. Prefix AD from memory.

The hose ideas a good one. I usually use one of those carpenters screwdrivers (really long handle type) to listen to the engine noises.

Hey, Grey 57,

Instead of adjusting each cylinder, one by one, try this approach, it's far easier.

Move the crank to TDC on the flywheel and remove the distributor cap. If the rotor is pointing to No. 1 then adjust the front three valves on the driver side and the backmost valve on the passenger side.

Then move the crank 360 degrees so that again it's at TDC, the rotor will then be pointing to No. 3. Then adjust the other 4 valves, the front three on the passenger side and the rearmost on the driver side.

Just two steps and you're all done.

Thanks for all the info guys, I think I have found the problem. Was partly due to too big a gap on No3 Exhaust valve and partly due to small leak in the No3 heat exchanger (were it joins on to the muffler).
Re-adjust no3 and a new gasket and all should be quiet or as quiet as a VW motor gets.

As with Bugdriver, I do the "one turn method". It is extremely simple and means you can adjust every tappet in two simple steps.

1. With the engine at TDC for cylinder 1, adjust tappets as follows:
Cylinder 1 exhaust and inlet,
clylinder 2 inlet,
cylinder 4 exhaust.

2. Turn the engine so it is at TDC for cylinder 3, adjust tappets as follows:
Cylinder 3 exhaust and inlet,
clylinder 4 inlet,
cylinder 2 exhaust.

It is very simple and quick. Get onto it.

Cheers
Tnate