i've adjusted my valves today..

not sure if it was worth it.. but i did it anyway..

i had a hard time using the feeler gauge, so i've discovered a simple solution.

a good way to adjust it is to loosen the locknut then stick a feeler gauge in there and screw the adjustment until you can't move the gauge. then unscrew the adjustment just a tad until you can move the feeler gauge with slight resistance.

otherwise i've found it too hard to get something i was confortable with.

anyway.. i think i've stripped a stud on the cover.. the nut just keeps spinning..

but luckily its tight enough.. i haven't tried to unscrew it.. anyone knows how to fix that? is it likely that the nut is messed up or the stud?


thanks

 

That's similar to the procedure I've used. I've found adjusting valves to be a collosal waste of time. I've driven an Accord over 100K miles and never found any signifiant valve gap error. It will not make one whit of performance difference if the valve is slightly loose, say 2-3 mils, however if you get the valve a little too tight, the valve may not seat fully and you'll burn a valve by allowing hot gas to erode the seat. Unless valve noise is persistent after warmup, this is a job best left undone, IMO.

Regarding your stripped stud, simply try a new acorn nut. If you have a spare 10mm nut (doesn't have to be an acorn nut) try this to see if it will hold. Hopefully, the nut was damaged. If the stud is damaged, you replace the stud by removing the valve cover and using a wrench to back the stud out of the head. There's a nut boss on the base of the stud. A new one from Acura is best option. A salvage yard is not interested in selling one stud from a head that renders head less valuable.

good luck

 

i totally agree there, a waste of time..
i've noticed there that couple of springs and the areas around them were darker than the rest
so i guess the seals there are going bad..

texas, ever replaced them?

basically i am annoyed how loud my car is.. but i think its all the accessory stuff.. maybe the belts.. it has been 2 years..

thanks.

 

I've never had any valve stem seals go bad on Honda or Acura. Why do you suspect the stem seals are bad? It's difficult to see the stem seals since they are inside the valve spring and I doubt external appearance has much to do w/ their condition. All valve assys look brown and oil stained in my experience.

I once had a Plymouth Voyager 3L Mitsubishi engine that developed bad stem seals at about 100K miles. Symptoms are pretty obvious. The car would run clean at steady speed, but begin to puff oil smoke during an extended idle, and emitted a significant but brief cloud of smoke on acceleration after an extended idle. I did not replace the stem seals since the car was only using about 1qt/1000 miles. I drove to 140K and sold. No perceptible change in performance, and there shouldn't be. Stem seal leaks allow oil to be sucked into the combustion area when negative pressure exists in the chamber.

good luck