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Vintage Volvo 164 Tapping

JohnMc said:
I guess you can't to the 'rule of opposites' on a B30, that sure lets you rotate a B20 around a lot less while adjusting valves.
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Wasn't it also the "rule of nines"?

But I don't remember what the hell that meant.
Something like adjust the two valves that add up to nine. Like the #1 & #8; then #2 & #7 etc.
 
alschnertz said:
Wasn't it also the "rule of nines"?

But I don't remember what the hell that meant.
Something like adjust the two valves that add up to nine. Like the #1 & #8; then #2 & #7 etc.
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Yeah, but if you do them in order, you end up turning the motor around more than you need to. Just split it down the middle, whenever one valve is open, do its 'mirror opposite'.

Same pairing, but no need to do them in order.
 
JohnMc said:
Yeah, but if you do them in order, you end up turning the motor around more than you need to. Just split it down the middle, whenever one valve is open, do its 'mirror opposite'.

Same pairing, but no need to do them in order.
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Factory method allows a quartet (or sextet) of valves to be done at a time, with only one complete revolution of the crank (TDC to TDC) between adjustments...

I never saw the point of any additional complexity, nor did Volvo.
 
I guess if the base circle isn't even all the way around when not on the lobe, then some fine degree of adjustment isn't going to help that.
 
JohnMc said:
I guess if the base circle isn't even all the way around when not on the lobe, then some fine degree of adjustment isn't going to help that.
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Sounds right, tho? quite tolerant of a little sloppiness...

BTW according to original Volvo parts manual, regarding fiber vs. metal cam gear:

B30A used same fiber gear set as B18/20 (e.g. 276294);
B30E/F used metal set (273309).
 
I know what the parts manual says but after years of busting B30 timing covers open with a hammer in the junk yard (it takes too long to pull the cover) the only 164's I've found steel gears in were '75? models which can be identified by the wider 264 style tail lights and 240/260 rear suspension.

While the valve cover is off you should have someone crank the engine with the starter (preferably with the spark plugs out so it turns faster) and observe how far down each valve goes. Worn cam lobes are common and can cause some top end noise. Another thing to look for is a loose valve guide.

I'm not a fan of adjusting half the valves at the same time. I've done it that way and had inconsistent results. When I rechecked each cylinder at TDC they weren't where I set them previously. Volvo used to recommend adjusting half of them at a time but later issued a Service Bulletin to use the "rock" method.

http://hiperformanceautoservice.com/images/SB_15_2_ValveAdjustment.pdf
 
From sitting a long time. These engines can develop a bit of corrosion in the bore between the lifter and it's hole. That makes for a steady tapping sound. We had a rebuilt engine in our 75 245 which had the sticky cam follower making a tapping noise. It happened a couple of times as we let the car sit. Eventually we put the engine in our 69 145 and it had the tapping. It seemed to go away as it ran and had a couple of oil changes.
 
Perhaps the OP has grown up with Honda Ks or cars equipped with hydraulic lifters. The noise they are now hearing may be normal Volvo OHV racket. Of course, without getting caught up in the debate over which procedure to follow, a valve lash check is still a relatively simple procedure to rule out excess lash as the source of the noise.
 
dl242gt said:
Gotta love that sewing machine sound from the OHV engines. A smooth running OHV valve train is still much noisier than an OHC engine.
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Definitely true. I thought the valvetrain noise and piston slap on my B230 was bad. I've just now gotten used to what the "healthy" ticking sounds like on my B20.

There isn't a lot going on inside and not too many things to check. I did end up with lifter tick the first couple times I fired up the car's original B18 because it had sat for two years. An oil change and it was fine.
 
And a quiet OHV engine isn't a good thing. That means tight valves, and tight valves might end up being burned valves.
 
When you change the oil use something like Shell Rotella 15/40. It has vitamins that your cam/lifters need.
 
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