How do you adjust the valves and rockers in a '95 Mitsubishi Mirage 1.5 litre?

Question

First of all, I'm not a mechanic. Know just enough to be dangerous and don't mind admitting it. #4 cylinder in my daughters car was dead (no difference in rpm's when you remove plug wire). Decided I was going to take off the valve cover and check the valves and rockers. #4 seemed to have alot of play in the rockers. When I went to get the tools, a friend who was helping bumped the ignition and changed the cylinder position. I didn't look and loosened the rockers to adjust. Anyway, car would not start again. Adjusted back to where I thought they had been originally and got it to start, but dies or almost dies when you put it in gear. What is the spacing on the rockers when they are open? Any ideas why cylinder would be dead? New plugs, wires, cap and rotor. Even tried turning distributor to advance/retard. Still nothing. Just want to get it to where it's driveable again without dying if you stop. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

Ok first thing you need is a compression test in #4 if its below
100 it could be the valves are to tight,so If I remember right that has a overhead cam.take the cover off tap the ign,so the lobe is pointed up on #4 cylinder.You need two thickness gauges one for the intake valve and one for the exhaust.The intake will be somewhere around .010 if you look at the intake manifold where it goes against the head that will be the intake valve,the other will be the exhaust valve and the exhaust manifold will go up against the head where that lobe is.The adjustment of that one will be about .014 with the engine hot,so if the engine is cold reduce the setting .002,so the intake would be like .008 and the exhaust .012
now if you do a compression test and its 0-60 you may have burned valve.email me for more information [e-mail]

Answer 2

This was asked and responded to 10 minutes before this posting. BR549 gave a very good answer.