DIY - 98-02 Accord Valve Adjustment (4 cylinder, VTEC specific)

ka7end

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quick question, theres no way to do it if you cant get the timing belt cover off? do you have to use a swivel to remove the bolt near the dipstick, on the cover?
 

finch13

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There's no way to accurately do it without the cover off. I have the most trouble with the middle bolt in the cover... I usually use a one inch 1/4" extension on the 10mm socket. Get 'em loose and just put the socket on by itself to spin the bolt out.

I think you have to remove the bolt on the dipstick to get the other bolt out... just pull the dipstick tube out and toss it to the side.
 

mnorton

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Hello AFAccord,

Thank you for the additional pictures – much appreciated.

It sounds to me as though I have a “noise maker” in my valve train. The valves have been adjusted by the dealer however the tick, tick, tick (which is more pronounced at idle and disappears by 1500 RPM) continues.

In the old days of working with Chevy Small Blocks and mechanical cams, if we suspected a valve train problem we would start the car with the valve pan cover off (lots of old blankets around the engine bay to catch some dribbling oil) to see if all the valves were behaving in the same way. Usually we could spot the culprit - bad rocker, rounded lob, etc.

My question is, can I do the same on my F23A1 or will I have an oil gusher hitting the bottom side of the hood?

Again, the purpose of doing this would be to see if any of the valve train are looking and/or sounding different than the others.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Matt
 

F23A1AT

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Yeah this may have been covered already, but how is TDC achieved, I need to do this and so many things require TDC, to get anything done so how is TDC found.
 

finch13

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@mnorton, you'll probably have a gusher. Hondas usually have quite a bit of valve noise at idle and especially when cold, before the tappets and valve stems expnd and reduce the clearance between them. If you think the shop did bad work, bring it back and tell them to fix it!

@F23A1AT, remove the spark plugs and turn the crank with a 19mm socket counterclockwise. With the valve cover off, you'll see an arrow that says UP and two lines on the edge of the cam gear. The UP must be pointed up and the lines on the gear should be flush with the top of the cylinder head. Remember, the engine tilts about 5º towards the firewall, so the marks won't be level with the ground or anything. When you've got everything lined up, cyl. #1 (farthest driver's side) is at TDC and you can start the adjustment.
 

F23A1AT

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Thank you Brandon, that is the simplest explanation I have gotten for that yet, reps for joo. Does it matter if it is the TDC for exhaust or intake?
 

finch13

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No, it's the piston that's at TDC on the compression stroke, so this is when both intake and exhaust valves are closed at the same time and you can make the adjustments.

Your welcome! The actual work isn't too difficult, it's wrapping your brain around the theory that can make it seem hard.
 

mnorton

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Hello finch13,

As I thought - thanks for the info.

Matt



@mnorton, you'll probably have a gusher. Hondas usually have quite a bit of valve noise at idle and especially when cold, before the tappets and valve stems expnd and reduce the clearance between them. If you think the shop did bad work, bring it back and tell them to fix it!
 
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