whats this please? valve spring washer

[HORCH]

I'm refitting the head on my 3B S2 but the problem is I didnt take it off so dont know where these go, theres 20 of them with an octagon hole in the middle are they shims? cheers and sorry if this has been spoken about before, I've searched but couldnt find anything

[s2_bo]

Yeah, they are the valve set shims, they go under the valve spring assembly, basically one side touches the head the other the lower spring retainer.

The valve guide pokes though the middle.

[HORCH]

ahhhh, cheers for that, I can go back in the garage now

[s2_bo]

if the new valve guides have a wider perch you may have to increase the size of that octagonal hole.
Depends on what valve guides where used. IIRC the 16v mk4 golf ones have a larger perch, when i fitted mine i had to use a dermal with a diamond coated grinder rod to increase the size of the holes on the shims.

Good luck, reassembling the valve gear in the head can be tricky but some grease and a telescopic magnet can be of good help..

[HORCH]

ahh right, it has had new guides in but I think they're just standard? the shims fit over just nice and I've managed to get a couple of valves in, are the golf ones used for bigger valves or just a replacement?

your right it is tricky, I've had to cut a quater section out of a spark plug socket to put under the forks on my old valve spring compressor to get the depth to be able to get the collets in using a pair of long nosed pliers and a finger, I'll have to make somthing better incase I have to do it again sometime,

and I thought to myself before reading your reply I wish I knew where my magnet was because a collet or two kept falling out into the socket as I was putting the other one in haha thanks for the advice