Micrometer Selection

[Caddyman]

If you are going to rebuild the engine, a few more measurement tools may be needed…But if this job will be limited to replacing the valve-stem seals (is it burning THAT much oil?) you can easily get by with the $25 calipers…A visual inspection of the camshafts will reveal any abnormal wear, no micrometer needed…Just carefully inspect the tops of the cam lobes…They should be smooth, polished, with no pits or drag marks. That’s it, move on…Don’t worry about the “dimensions”…Once you start down that road, you might as well just buy a factory long-block and be done with it…If the valve clearance is set with shims, those shims will be marked as to their thickness…You can swap them around as needed, then, at the end buy the few you may need…You will need a set of feeler gauges to check that clearance…They usually make a tool to depress the valve and change a shim with the cam in place…