Checking the valve guides

When carrying out repair work on an engine with leaking valves, it is not enough to treat or replace the valves. Be sure to check the wear of the valve guides. It is especially important to check on engines with high mileage. If the wear is great, it is necessary to replace either the guide rods (factory work) or cylinder head.

1. Remove combustion products with cleaning foam.

2. Install a new valve. The bottom of the valve stem must rest against the guide.

Attention! Due to the difference in stem sizes and poppet diameters, insert only the intake valve into the intake valve guide and the exhaust valve into the exhaust valve guide.

3. Measure the gap. For this, VW factories use a special tool VW387. Inlet valve wear limit: 1.0 mm; exhaust valve: 1.3 mm.

4. If the gap is too large, the guides must be replaced at the factory.