Mikes elephant foot adjusters wft?

RFLIVES

RFLIVES

Resident Sidecar nut
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Check out these pic's I thought these plastic retainers were suspect from the get go. After 10 miles of shake down runs's I have a tapping no problem just need to reset the valve lash i think to my self. Three of them had lost the plastic ring on them. Adjustment is still pretty close not way off. Think i'm good with leaving them be? swaping them means pulling the motor as you cant just back them out.:banghead:

E509101A.jpg

EECBE821.jpg


also check out the shavings in the filter left over debris from the # 4 starter gear grinding away. I did a 2nd over bore with new pistons and new cam and rockers

78659C2E.jpg
 
The reports on those adjusters are not good. What happened to yours is apparently common. The true elephant's foot adjuster that most of us use doesn't look like that at all. It resembles the little foot on the end of a c-clamp screw. I have the VW ones but I guess they're pretty much the same as the Porsche item, cheaper though. They require some grinding of the rocker to fit them but seem to work well and last. Mine have been installed 4 or 5 seasons now.

ElephantsFootandStock.jpg
 
Easy to find on the net. The longer adjuster screw is good if you have a hot cam, Mike's only really work on stock cams or very mild grinds, and questionable at that.
 
A couple of my valves have VW adjusters from a '70 era Beetle. They're identical to the stock adjusters except that the top has a screw slot. Screw out through the top like stock. A VW builder told me old ones are better than what you can get new.
 
Not being able to get it out without taking the motor apart is a high price - it needs to really provide some great benefit!
 
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I think I will cut the plastic off the last one get them back in spec and run em'. The only reason I went to them was my rockers where toast and I could not find a decent used set at the time.
 
They are long gone one was melted to the inside of the rocker cover. I thought they were suspect when I was installing them but could not find any bad reviews on them. Now I get to pull the motor and spend about $ 50 bucks in parts to replace em. I just want to ride this thing
 
Just a heads up on the socket cap tappets from MikesXS if you decide to buy them. They're shorter than the original parts by a little bit.
 
If the plastic part is that poor it wouldn't surprise me if the metal crumbled too.
 
The reason you need to grind is the foot portion won't allow you to loosen the adjusters enough for assembly/disassembly. The rockers for one cylinder will still be exerting pressure on and holding open some valves. The top cover won't fit down on completely and would need to be "pulled" down with the mounting bolts. You run the risk of possibly warping it.
 
You might be able to get them out without a motor pull if you use the old valve seal change in frame trick. If you were to remove the valve keeper, drop the valve some, there might be room. I know it is a bit of woork too but might be easier then pulling the motor and splitting the top end open. try searching the forum for that job and it might shed light.
 

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