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Autopapyrus · Ford Fiesta 1.4 Duratec SPJA (2012)
https://autopapyrus.com/guides/ford/fiesta/valve-clearance-adjustment-by-shim-selection/
Compiled automatically from service literature and owner experience. Specs are for the typical configuration — check them against your exact car before you start.

Ford Fiesta 1.4 Duratec SPJA (2012): Valve Clearance Adjustment by Shim Selection

The 1.4 Duratec has no hydraulic lash adjusters. Valve clearances are adjusted by selecting shims in the tappet buckets. To replace a shim, you need to remove the camshafts or press down the tappets with a special tool. As a rough guide, check the clearances every 90,000-100,000 km, or sooner if you notice ticking, loss of power or hard starting. The timing drive is a chain, but the valve timing must be preserved when the camshafts are removed.

Difficulty: Hard Time: 4-7 hours Steps: 10 Tools: socket set and ratchet, torque wrench, feeler gauge set 0.05-0.50 mm, micrometer, magnet or tweezers for shims, tappet hold-down tool, camshaft locking tools, sealant for the valve cover, container for draining coolant and engine oil (if needed)

Part

  • 🔩 set of tappet adjustment shims of the required thickness (selected based on measurements). Valve cover gasket, spark plug well seals
There's a full repair manual for this car Every system, wiring diagrams and torque specs — not just this job. Haynes and 20 more. See manuals →

Step by step

10 steps
  1. The engine must be completely cold (after sitting overnight). Disconnect the negative battery terminal. Remove the engine cover and the ignition coils and unplug their connectors. Remove any cables and hoses that block access to the valve cover.
  2. Remove the fasteners and take off the valve cover. Clean the area around it so no dirt gets into the engine. Inspect the gasket and the spark plug well seals, and replace them if they are hardened or cracked.
  3. Turn the crankshaft by the pulley bolt in the normal direction of rotation (never turn it backward). Set cylinder 1 to TDC on the compression stroke using the timing marks. Check that the cam lobes of cylinder 1 point upward.
  4. Use a feeler gauge to measure the clearance between the cam lobe and the shim surface at each valve, when the lobe points straight up away from the tappet. Typical values for this engine family are: intake about 0.17-0.23 mm, exhaust about 0.27-0.33 mm (check the values on the label or in the service data for your engine version). Record the result for each of the 16 valves, turning the crankshaft to the required angles for each cylinder.
  5. For any valve out of tolerance, calculate the required shim: new thickness = current thickness + measured clearance - target clearance (the middle of the tolerance range). Check the thickness of the old shims with a micrometer, because the markings on them may be worn off.
  6. Press down the tappet with the tool and remove the shim with a magnet, or remove the camshafts. If you remove the camshafts: mark the timing marks and the chain position, label the bearing caps with their order and direction, and loosen the bolts evenly in a spiral pattern. Do not let the chain jump teeth on the sprockets.
  7. Install the selected shims with the marking facing down. Lubricate the cam lobes and journals with engine oil. When installing the camshafts, tighten the bearing caps evenly. The torque values for this assembly are low (about 8-12 N·m (6-9 lb-ft), exact value per Ford specification), so a torque wrench is essential.
  8. Turn the crankshaft two full revolutions, recheck the timing marks, and measure all the adjusted clearances again.
  9. Apply sealant at the joints, install the gasket and the valve cover, and tighten the bolts evenly with low torque (approximately 8-10 N·m (6-7 lb-ft)). Reconnect the coils, hoses and battery.
  10. Start the engine and let it run. Check for oil leaks, unusual noises and Check Engine codes.

Common mistakes and warnings

  • If you need to remove the camshafts, a chain that has slipped a tooth or incorrectly installed camshafts can cause the pistons to hit the valves, which is an expensive repair. Do not turn the crankshaft until the camshafts are set to the marks and the caps are tightened. If you have no experience, leave the job to a repair shop. Small shims are easy to lose inside the engine, so cover the oil passages with a rag. Check the exact clearance tolerances and torque values against the manufacturer's specification for your engine version.