How do you adjust the valve clearance on the 1998 Ford Ka Endura engine? Follow the procedure below. If in doubt, check the detailed video at the bottom of the page and leave your comment on YouTube.
Good luck and happy maintenance!
Prerequisites
Before starting:
- Valve cover removed and a new gasket ready for reassembly (Paulo recommends Taranto — inexpensive and durable)
- Access to turn the engine via the pulley or—as Paulo does in this video—put the car in fifth gear and push the front wheel on the jack to turn the engine
- Feeler gauge, 11 mm wrench, and flathead screwdriver
- Engine cold
Clearance specification (cold engine)
Ford manual — Endura 1.0 engine
- Intake: 0,20 mm
- Exhaust: 0,50 mm
⚠ Values vary slightly depending on the year of the manual edition. Check what Paulo used in the video or consult your service manual.
Procedure (the 'on the rock' method)
The Endura is an inline 4-cylinder engine. The sequence follows this rule: 'adjust the cylinder whose valve is closed while the opposite cylinder is rocking'.
- With 5th gear engaged, push the car from the front until cylinder 4 is rocking (one valve moving down, the other moving up — the rocker arms line up)
- With cylinder 4 rocking, adjust cylinder 1: loosen the locknut with the 11 mm wrench, turn the adjustment screw until the feeler gauge at the correct value slides in snugly (it should drag slightly, not slide loosely or be forced in), hold the screw with the flathead screwdriver, and tighten the locknut
- Check the clearance again with the gauge. If it is too tight, don't be lazy: loosen it and do it again. This is the time to get it right.
- Turn the engine until cylinder 3 is rocking, then adjust cylinder 2
- Turn it until cylinder 2 is rocking, then adjust cylinder 3
- Turn it until cylinder 1 is rocking, then adjust cylinder 4
- Adjustment sequence: 1, 2, 3, 4 (with cylinders 4, 3, 2, and 1 rocking, respectively)
- Reinstall the valve cover with a new gasket, applying a thin film of oil to both sides of the gasket (no sealant)
Full video from the channel
👉 Or open it directly on the site: How to adjust valve clearance on the Endura engine — [4K]
Same procedure on other cars featured on the channel
- Valve Clearance Adjustment — Honda Fit 1.4
- Valve Clearance Adjustment — Honda CR-V (R20A)
- Valve Clearance Adjustment — VW Brasília (air-cooled engine)
👉 See the dedicated page for the Ford Ka on the site with all 172 channel videos organized by system.