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Danny Faye · Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2001 3:12 pm Post subject: Valves

Hi can someone help me???
When i last did the valve clearences on my 87 535i..I discovered that the inlet valves were st at twelve thou..but the exhaust at ten..The book says ten to twelve for both...and i presume that means both inlet and exhaust valves set the same ,.Can somone tell me if this is wrong or why someone has set the exhaust and the inlet at different clearences??

edjack · Joined: 04 Feb 2002 Posts: 3887 Location: San Jose, CA

It is probably the way in which the last person set the valves. The engine MUST be cold, not run since yesterday.

I use a go-no go feeler gauge; it helps to get them spot-on. The feeler gauge will slip into the gap when at 0.010, but the step in the gauge (at 0.012) will not slip in.

Practically speaking, there is not much difference between 0.010 and 0.012 in performance.