$240?!

The cost of valve adjustment depends on the prevailing labor rates in the area, the number of valves, the method for adjusting valve lash, and how much time it takes to access the valves.

The Corolla has shim type valve adjustment, and if the valves are not making noise, I wouldn't bother unless you are going to keep the car for over 300,000 miles.

A valve adjustment on what vehicle? What did they bill you for (I mean what parts)?

Jeff

Mama Bear wrote in news:Xns98E383A00A68BMama@216.196.97.142:

Who said you need one?

Shim-type valve adjustments last practically forever if you change your oil frequently. But they take forever to adjust if you do in fact need adjustment done, hence the cost.

Your $75 price would be in line for locknut-type adjusters. We're going back to 1982 for that though...

The reason I'm concerned is because I have 142,000 on it now and there seems to be a little clackety noise from them.

I would have someone who is knowledgeable about your Corolla listen to the engine first. Some year Corollas have a fairly noisy valve train.

I was just checking pricing, haven't done it yet.

93 Corolla 1.8 liter EFI.

Ok, I guess I don't know what's involved.

It's a 93 Corolla 1.8 liter EFI.

Oh ok. I also wasn't aware about the shim type valves lasting so long.

I've changed the oil every 3000 miles since getting the car at 45,000 when it was barely out of warranty.

Go to a different mechanic and get a second opinion.

Jeff

I have absolutely NO idea if this relates at all, but when my '82 Tercel had

180k miles, my mechanic finished an oil change and commented that the engine sounded so quiet that it seemed weird for a car with so many miles. For his own amusement (and no charge to me), he checked the compression and said it was damned near perfect, according to specs for a new engine.

Nope. Just a thought.

I'd spend that money on snow tires instead of a valve lash adjustment ;-)

Well if like some people said here, it depends on some kind of shim system, it may indeed take 3 hours to do it. And it may not really need it. These valves may have been clackety from the start, I don't recall.

This engine still passes emissions tests with about half, or less, of the allowed emissions.

Now now. :)

LOL I get oil changes that are $75.

Idiot.

dizzy wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Your oil changes are $75? Who's the idiot here?

Amazing, isn't it? Meanwhile, drive behind a 5 year old Chrysler mini-van, and you need to wear a haz-mat suit. :-) Do you know that in the U.S., Chrysler & Ford use much of the same machining equipment as Toyota's American factories? The American manufacturers program the equipment to produce a lower quality chunk of metal.

Dizzy,

I'll change your oil with up to 6 quarts of API SM oil and OEM, Mobil 1, or Farm oil filters, inspect your air filter, check your automatic transmission fluid, and adjust the air pressure in your tires for $70. ;-)