Shims on a Upper 60k

[boat]

I am wondering about something...

How often do shims actually wear out on the 3.2L? I have limited resources and I can get spark plugs and the valve cover gaskets w/plug well seals, but can't really afford the shim kit rental. I realize the shims are there to protect the cams from wearing out.

The motor has had the piston rings changed and the rod bearings about 40k ago, not sure if that has any bearing on the shims wearing or not???

Is it okay to do the seals, gaskets, and plugs, then do the plug wires and intake stuff later? I realize I may not get the best benefit right off the bat, but it would take care of my oil leakage and this funny gurgling noise I get when I start the car, sometimes. I have been informed this "gurgling" is from my plug wells having oil in them.

Money is just tight right now...Thanks

 

[boat]

I know

I put this in the wrong area of the forum, sorry!

 

[Phoenix]

I have a theory that its the cams that wears out before the shims , just because I never saw a dome'd shape shim , or never saw any shim that are thinner then the size written on it. The material on the shims seems to me harder then the cams.

Alot of people thinks it's the other way around. I've yet to know which one is true.

Adjusting shims is not THAT mandatory of your money is tight. It allows the valves to be opened at their max and its maybe better for the cams for long term wear (lobe hitting harder on shim).

Consider it the dessert of your maintenance , do all your oil leaks , plugs before that.

 

[93rev2sev]

Just check their clearances first thing when you get your valve covers off. If any of them are really bad, you can worry about it then.

FWIW, individual shims are less than 5 bucks each.

 

[rubydist]

There are 2 issues w/ shims.

The more minor one is the gap - if its too large, the engine is a little more noisy and the valve doesn't open quite as far - no one would really care about that unless you are trying to squeeze the last tiny bit of torque out of the engine. If the gap is too small, its possible to overheat the valve and burn it, but if its out of spec its much more likely to be too loose.

The more major issue is that the shims can wear 'rough' and if they do, they will wear the lobe off the cam. This is unlikely, but has happened, so its important to look at the shims and visually confirm a flat, smooth surface that rides on the cam.

 

[ScottyDsntKno]

Yeah but finding certain sizes is kind of difficult sometimes. Honestly if you can't afford the rental, check your clearnaces when you pull the VCs off to do the VC gasket and the donut gaskets(or whatever they're called). If they're all within spec I'd just leave it alone.