Hello Folks,

I have a question concerning a valve adj. that was done on a B230F engine when it had 250,000KM on it. The dealer said that the engine had worn valve guides and the shims were at the maximum limit. They claimed that this was the reason that the engine was still noisy after their adj. work was completed.

Is this a plausible answer for an engine of this mileage or was this dealership just not completing the work properly and giving me a line(I have various reasons for questioning their integrity and will not be returing there, ever).

I ask, as I will have to shell out $100 for another party to confirm or disprove the dealers claim (the valve train noise is driving me crazy!!). Thanks in advance and maybe there is a way that you can help me save some money!

Sincerely,

Tim

Depending how the car was cared for since new, it is quite plausible. Usually the exhaust valves will run out of shim sizes first. Camshaft may be worn too, but not as likely. I've got a car with your situation at 200,000 mi, two exhaust valves have the thinnest shims. Unlessy your guides are so worn that you're getting blue smoke under heavy load, just live with it. Of course, it is a good excuse for an engine overhaul, oversized valves, high lift cam, .030" over on the cylinders.

I would think that for something less than $100 you could just have a second mechanic measure the valve lash and at least tell you if they're shimmed to the right tolerance or not. Or you could probably do it yourself fairly easily.

Here's a link to the 700/900 FAQ's for a procedure to measure the gaps:

http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/EngineMechanical.htm#ValveAdjustmentB230Series