Rep Power: 0

My 2001 Dx coupe is idling a little rough and has a tick.
Do I need a valve adjustment?
Can I do it Myself?
How?
There is 105k on it.
Help???????????
thanks

 
Rep Power: 319

yes you can do a vavle adjustment your self. There is a DIY on it.

All the Honda's I've owned (7 of them now) have devloped a valve tick as they age. I found that Honda uses a valve seal in the heads that hardens with time, as the engine gets older it gets harder and eventually starts making noise when the valves close. In other words a little tick on an older Honda is nothing to worry about. But a valve adjustment is probably needed if you have never done one to the car. I think it is part of the 110k tune up.

 
Rep Power: 453

http://www.7thgencivic.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=114243

yes you can do it yourself, but I highly recommend taking it to a shop if you dont have any mechanical knowledge or experience. Because messing up your valve train can cause serious damage.

 
Rep Power: 812

is there any harm in not adjusting?

 
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Yes. A properly adjusted valve contacts the seat evenly, thus dissipating heat back to the head. If it is left out of adjustment for a long time, the exhaust valve can burn since it can't conduct the heat back to the head by contact.

 
Rep Power: 812

oh thanks. but its not necessary unless they start to tick?

 
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Go by the service interval for your vehicle. Its actually fairly maintenance free for the first few years. Otherwise if you're really nitpicky, you can adjust it anytime you need to remove the valve cover for servicing or if there is substantial ticking. They don't need to be adjusted as frequently as people think they do. That being said, its not a very difficult job either. It takes some knowledge and skill to do it proplerly however.

 
Rep Power: 319

you MUST have a torque wrench to do this. This is an important part of the engine and if a bolt comes off, you will be replacing the engine because it will fly off, and plug the oil flow from the heads to the bottom of the engine (I know this first hand )

 
Rep Power: 812

lol. well i hear different things. manual says every 15k, some others say adjust when noisy, some say waiting til they're noisy is too late to fix it. Other people say wait til 100k miles. So I'm lost.

 
Rep Power: 453

Best bet would be to possibly pull the valve cover and measure the clearances. If they are fine, dont worry about it, if they are out of clearance, adjust them. I say check them when doing your timing belt or when they become noisy. Besides when you do the timing belt, the valve cover will be off so might as well check them at the same time. The manaul suggests every 110K but the manaul never is always correct.

 
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I don't know where you get the 15k number from. That's not correct. Way too frequent. Service schedule is 110,000 mi or 176,000km, otherwise adjust if noisy. It's not true that it is too late to fix if it is noisy, that is a bunch of garbage. It has to be out of adjustment or improperly adjusted for a long time for there to be irreversible damage.

 
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Valve adjustment is required when the clearance gap has increased to a point outside the specification range. This is usually due to friction wear over time between the cam and the valve stem. Following interval in the manual will be adequate.

A smaller valve clearance = larger valve opening.
A larger valve clearance = smaller valve opening.

Some people try to make the clearance as small as possible, thinking they will make the valve open further to get more power. However, there is a down side to this. If the clearance is too small, when the engine heats up, the metal expansition causes the gap to get even smaller, sometimes to a point where the valve does not close completely. That is why Honda gives a lower and upper range in the specification. Follow it!

Of course if the clearance is too large, your valves will not be opening enough and you'll probably not produce the rated HP of the engine.

 
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I did mine at 40,000 m on a EX that has been driven hard. My buddy is a Honda tech and he told we the clearances were way, way off he was sureprized, i'm glad I did it, engine running 100x better.

 
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I'd be surprised as well. Did he check to see if you have a lubrication problem? Maybe oil isn't getting to the lifters. What viscosity of oil are you using? It sounds like some premature wear is going on.

 
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me too with my 98 nissan 200sx, POS. 58000 miles and it went on me.