Technical Where do you Get Valve Shims from?

[andyr]

Just wondering where you buy Valve shims from for Mk1 Punto 8v 1242cc ?

Do you have to get them from Fiat Main Dealer only or can they be obtained from normal motor factors? And when you do get them do you get them in a selection of sizes or do you have to state what sizes you actually need?

or does anyone have any tips/secrets to 'modifying' the existing shims? - someone suggested cutting up bits of feeler gauges and putting the pieces underneath the original shims but anyone else got any other ideas?

Thanks.

 

[Oldschool]

or does anyone have any tips/secrets to 'modifying' the existing shims? - someone suggested cutting up bits of feeler gauges and putting the pieces underneath the original shims but anyone else got any other ideas?

This is a very bad suggestion.

Measure the clearances, take the shims out and and or subtract (depending whether to big or too small) the clearance difference and buy them individually. You can buy a complete shim kit, but it will set you back several hundred of pounds. Usually the Fiat dealers are slow to get them. You can also get them from Ford. Tell them it is for a 1800 Diesel.

 

[dave]

some you maybe able to swap around, ones that are too fat can also be ground to size with a shim grinder at an engineering shop, (no you cant use an an angle or bench grinder)

 

[KeithT]

Just wondering where you buy Valve shims from for Mk1 Punto 8v 1242cc ?

Do you have to get them from Fiat Main Dealer only or can they be obtained from normal motor factors? And when you do get them do you get them in a selection of sizes or do you have to state what sizes you actually need?

or does anyone have any tips/secrets to 'modifying' the existing shims? - someone suggested cutting up bits of feeler gauges and putting the pieces underneath the original shims but anyone else got any other ideas?

Thanks.

Some Volvo engines also use the same size shims, It's possible to use a surface grinder from a machine shop but dont use the ground face against the cam it will wear the cam lobe very quickly!

 

[HP]

My local dealer have a fairly good selection on the shelf. They didn't have exactly the sizes I wanted, but had ones close enough to shim up within tolerance.

Think they were only about £3-£4 each.

 

[dave]

only £3-£4 that a lot of money if you need a few, my engineering shop just say put a bit of change in the biscuit money pot

 

[HP]

I dunno about you Dave, but I've only needed to change one or two at most - never really seen much wear on the head. Didn't even have to change one when I did the 75 cam swap.

 

[faster4_tec]

just nick some random shims from older (redblock are easiest to get out) volvo engines, usually in 240's and 740's etc!

TBH if a scrapyard charges you more than a quid you are having a bad day or they are...

 

[andyr]

I dunno about you Dave, but I've only needed to change one or two at most - never really seen much wear on the head. Didn't even have to change one when I did the 75 cam swap.

I went out and checked the shims by feeler gauge today Inlet were supposed to be 0.40 and exhaust were meant to be 0.50 and on cylinder number 3 (valves 5&6) the feeler gauges passed straight through with no bite but on some of the others especially inlet valves I could not even get a 0.10 to pass through!

I checked the numbers on the shims some ranged from 3.98 to 4.14 and on one (valve number2) the number weren't there at all.

What i did do was swap some of the thicker shims with valve number 5&6 (cyl number3). Had to do it by taking out the whole camshaft because I could not however much I tried (and with Haynes manual saying you could) remove the shims with the camshaft fitted - they were a bugger to come out.

I put camshaft back in and timing belt back on, started up first crank and although idling is still not perfect and I still got chuggy noise coming out of the rear of the exhaust I am sure it is idling better after swapping over the shims like that.

I am gonna try and investigate it a bit more tomorrow if I get time.

Cheers for all the replies everyone.

 

[dave]

I dunno about you Dave, but I've only needed to change one or two at most - never really seen much wear on the head. Didn't even have to change one when I did the 75 cam swap.

i had to change loads on some, and none on others.
a tip if you have no numbers on them, and no way to measure them the thickness, pop them in an envelope, mark it with cylinder number, what gap you have, and what gap you need, take to engineers shop and they (if they nice) will make shim right thickness and pop it back in the envelope, you then take them home and pop them back in, job done