How and why to adjust the valves on the VAZ-2103

Many car owners of Soviet VAZ cars are faced with the need for periodic repair and adjustment of the power unit and, in particular, the timing mechanism. As a result of wear of parts, the thermal clearance of the valves increases, which disrupts the correct operation of the motor and can lead to serious problems. Since the adjustment procedure is not complicated, it can be performed with simple tools in a garage environment.

The purpose of the valves in the VAZ 2103 engine

Valves are an important structural element in the gas distribution unit of the power unit. On the VAZ-2103, the timing mechanism has 8 valves (2 per cylinder), which are designed to properly distribute gases in the cylinders. Valves supply a mixture of air and gasoline through the intake manifold and remove exhaust gases through the exhaust. If there is a problem with one of the valves, the functioning of the engine is disrupted.

Valve adjustment on the VAZ 2103

Since the operation of the engine is based on the constant combustion of the fuel-air mixture in the cylinders, the cylinder-piston group heats up quite strongly, which leads to the expansion of the metal.

Structurally, the valve mechanism has special levers, which are also called rockers. They are installed between the camshaft and the end of the valve stem. In other words, the camshaft cam acts on the valve through the rocker, and the gap is adjusted between it and the cam itself. Due to the expansion of the metal, it becomes necessary to fit.

If there was no such gap, the operation of the engine would be incorrect or completely impossible due to a violation of the valve timing.

Adjustment of the thermal clearance of the valves is carried out between the camshaft cam and a special lever

When and why adjustments are made

Valve adjustment is one of the important activities when servicing the engine on cars of the VAZ family. First of all, the need for such a process is associated with the design of the valve mechanism. During the operation of the assembly, wear is formed on the contact surfaces of the lever, the end of the valve and the camshaft cams, which affects the increase in the gap. Due to the fact that the design of the mechanism is quite simple, adjustment without much difficulty can be done on your own.

The need to set the correct clearance arises in the following situations:

• when repairing the timing mechanism;
• noise is heard from the cylinder head area;
• mileage after the last adjustment is more than 15 thousand km .;
• decreased engine power;
• increased fuel consumption.

After repair work with the timing mechanism, it is mandatory to adjust the valves

The decrease in dynamics may also be associated with the carburetor. If the adjustment of this unit did not give any results, the next thing to pay attention to is the valve.

Adjustment tools

Adjustment of the thermal gap is carried out using materials and tools that should be in the arsenal of every owner of the "classics":

• a set of socket and open-end wrenches (must have open-end wrenches for "13" and "17");
• probe for measuring the gap;
• screwdriver;
• rags.

Separately, you should focus on the probe, since the usual flat tool for this procedure will not work. You will need a wide probe 0,15 mm thick.

To adjust the thermal gap, you will need a special wide probe 0,15 mm thick

Preparatory work

In addition to the fact that the adjustment is carried out on a cold engine, partial dismantling of some of its elements will be required:

1. We unscrew the nuts and remove the air filter cover, removing the filter element itself.
   

   We remove the air filter, after which we dismantle the case itself
2. We disconnect the hoses going to the filter housing, after which we unscrew the fasteners.
3. Using a screwdriver, unscrew the suction cable fastening, then dismantle the throttle rod.
   

   The dismantling of the valve cover will interfere with the suction cable, unscrew the screws of its fastening and remove the part to the side
4. Using a socket wrench to "10", unscrew the nuts securing the cylinder head cover and remove it.
   

   To adjust the valves, you will need to remove the valve cover, for which we unscrew the fastening nuts
5. We dismantle the cover of the distributor.

After the done actions, using a special key, you will need to set the piston of the fourth cylinder to TDC. The crankshaft pulley in this case should be installed opposite the length of the mark on the cylinder block, the camshaft gear - opposite the ebb on the bearing cap, the distributor slider - correspond to the wire of the fourth cylinder.

Before starting the adjustment, install the crankshaft and camshaft according to the corresponding marks

Valve Adjustment Procedure

After all the marks are set, we proceed to check or adjust the gap, which should be 0,15 mm:

1. We start work with valves 6 and 8, counting from the side of the timing chain. We insert a probe between the camshaft cam and the rocker and, if it enters equally tight, then there is no need to adjust.
   

   Use a feeler gauge to check the clearance and adjust if necessary.
2. If the probe enters freely or with difficulty, the gap will need to be adjusted. To do this, with the key on "13" we hold the head of the bolt, and with the key on "17" we loosen the lock nut. We insert the probe and set the desired position by rotating the bolt, after which we tighten the lock nut and, for control, check whether the gap has changed.
   

   To adjust the clearance, hold the head of the bolt with the key at “13”, and loosen the lock nut with the key at “17”.
3. The gap on the remaining valves is set in the same way. To do this, turn the crankshaft half a turn and adjust valves 4 and 7.
   

   After valves 6 and 8, turning the crankshaft half a turn, we adjust valves 4 and 7
4. We turn the crankshaft by another 180˚ and adjust valves 1 and 3.
   

   To adjust the valves of other cylinders, turn the crankshaft with a special key
5. Lastly, we check and, if necessary, adjust valves 2 and 5.

The probe on all valves must be removed with the same force. At the same time, it is important to know and remember that a small thermal gap will be worse than a large one, and this can lead to burnout of the valves.

Video: valve adjustment on VAZ 2101-07 cars

Valve stem seals

Valve stem seals, also called valve seals, are designed to remove oil from the valves and prevent excess oil from entering the motor. Due to the fact that the caps are made of rubber, over time this part simply wears out and begins to let oil through, as a result of which its consumption increases.

What are oil seals for?

For proper operation of the camshaft, the assembly needs constant lubrication. However, its entry into the cylinders of the power unit is an undesirable phenomenon. This is exactly what oil caps were designed for. If the stuffing box does not perform its function, oil enters the combustion chamber along the valve stem, which leads to the formation of a single mixture with fuel and air. During the combustion of oil, carbon deposits are formed both on the valve seat and on the part of the valve adjacent to it. As a result, the part does not close normally.

In addition, carbon deposits accumulate on the cylinder walls, on the upper surface of the piston, and also on the piston rings. All this affects both the operation of the motor and its resource. For example, idle turns become unstable, compression decreases. In addition, oil entering the combustion chamber leads to a deterioration in the ignition characteristics of the fuel-air mixture. This suggests that valve stem seals perform an important function and special attention should be paid to their performance.

What caps to install on the VAZ-2103

Faced with the need to replace and select valve seals, they choose exactly those products that are suitable for a particular engine model. Since domestic manufacturers are inferior in quality to imported ones, preference should be given to such well-known brands as Elring, Glazer, Goetze.

Valve stem seals are used to remove oil from valves.

Signs of wear on oil seals

You can judge that the service life of the caps has come to an end by the following main signs:

• the appearance of bluish smoke from the exhaust system;
• increased oil consumption (about 1 liter per 1 thousand km);
• the appearance of soot on spark plugs.

On average, valve seals "walk" about 100 thousand km.

How to replace valve stem seals on a VAZ 2103

In order to replace the valve seals, you will need to prepare the following tool:

• desiccant;
• tweezers;
• a rod of tin solder (d = 8 mm or so);
• a hammer;
• long nippers.

To replace the valve stem seals, you will need to prepare a certain set of tools

After that, you can get to work:

1. We remove the negative terminal from the battery, the filter element, its housing and valve cover.
   

   We begin the work on replacing the valve stem seals by dismantling the housing with the filter and the valve cover
2. We set the crankshaft to TDC 1 and 4 cylinders.
   

   In order not to disturb the valve timing, we set the 1st and 4th pistons to TDC
3. Slightly loosen the camshaft sprocket mounting bolt by unbending the lock washer.
4. Having unscrewed the chain tensioner nut half a turn, we wring out the shoe with a screwdriver, release the tension and tighten the nut back, i.e. we loosen the chain.
   

   To remove the sprocket, you will need to loosen the timing chain, for which the chain tensioner nut is loosened
5. We completely unscrew the bolt fixing the sprocket and dismantle it, while keeping the chain from falling. To avoid falling, it is fixed with a wire to the vest with an asterisk.
   

   After loosening the chain, unscrew the bolt securing the camshaft gear and remove it
6. We unscrew the nuts securing the bearing housing.
   

   To dismantle the bearing housing, unscrew the fastening nuts
7. We turn out the candle of the first cylinder and insert a tin rod. Its end must be placed between the piston and the valve.
8. With the help of a cracker, we compress the springs of the first valve, after which we take out crackers with long-nose pliers.
   

   To dismantle the valve stem seals, we compress the springs with a cracker and take out the crackers with long-nose pliers
9. We remove the tool and valve plate with springs.
   

   After removing the crackers, remove the tool and springs
10. We put a puller on the cap and remove it from the valve.
    

    To remove the caps, you will need a special puller that is put on the valve
11. To put on a new element, we first moisten it in engine oil and press it into place with a puller.
12. We carry out similar actions with 4 valves.
13. We turn the crankshaft 180˚, which will make it possible to dry out valves 2 and 3. We perform the procedure in the same sequence.
14. By rotating the crankshaft, we change the seals on the remaining valves in the same way.

Having returned the crankshaft to its original position, it remains to adjust the valve clearances and install the dismantled elements in place.

Video: replacing valve stem seals on the "classic"

How to replace valve stem seals on a VAZ without removing the head

Valve lid

Cars of the VAZ family are characterized by oil leakage from under the valve cover, which leads to contamination of the entire engine. The problem is actually solved quite simply: just replace the gasket.

Replacing the valve cover gasket

To replace the seal, you will need the following list of tools and materials:

• socket head on "10";
• small extension cord;
• vorotok or rattle;
• dry rag.

We perform the work in the following sequence:

1. We dismantle the air filter with the housing, then remove the carburetor throttle control rod.
   

   After dismantling the filter and housing, remove the carburetor throttle control rod
2. We unscrew the nuts securing the valve cover, removing all the washers.
   

   To dismantle the valve cover, you will need to unscrew all the nuts and remove the washers
3. To replace the gasket, remove the old one, wipe the surface of the head and cover with a rag.
   

   After removing the old gasket, wipe the surface on the cover and cylinder head with a clean rag and install a new seal
4. We install a new seal, put on the cover and fix it.
5. We put all the dismantled elements in the reverse order.

Valve cover tightening order

To properly tighten the valve cover, the procedure must be carried out in a certain sequence, as shown in the figure below. Masters advise to perform this operation, starting with the middle bolts and ending with the extreme ones.

In order for the valve cover to be installed, a rule must follow a certain tightening order.

By setting the thermal gap correctly, it will be possible to reduce not only the noise of the engine, but also to achieve maximum power output and reduce fuel consumption. To obtain and maintain high performance of the power unit, it is recommended that valve adjustment be performed in a timely manner.