alfaaay

This morning, I decided to do a valve adjustment on my car to see if it would clear up the lopey idle and ticking that I've been having lately.

I think I may have adjusted them to be too tight though. I have Toda A cams, and the Toda website says to use .2mm lash all around, which is roughly .008". I measured lash using .008" and .009" feeler gauges that I bent to get a better angle. When adjusting the lash on each valve, I made it so that quite a bit of force and wiggling of the .008" feeler gauge had to be done to get it to fit between the lobe/rocker. The .009" could not fit at all.

Everything seemed to go okay, but the car still ticks (seems even louder) and has a lopey idle. I read in an archived post that the loping could come from too tight of lash. This is where I get confused, because I thought "slight drag" was what I was doing. From my description, does it sound like I made the lash too tight?

I took the car out for several runs to redline, and it seemed to behave a lot better than before, but the symptoms I've been getting are really bugging me.

I'm going to try it again tomorrow since the car needs to sit overnight. I hope it's not a more serious problem

Also, my cam gears are both set at zero, and I measured TDC by using little holes near the teeth of the cam gears. I assumed that "up" was the side with the adjustment markings, is this right?

Fobtions

sounds to me like you werent turning the crank, and just adjusting all of em in one shot across the board.

Rory Breaker

Right. Are you sure you were turning the crank correctly and adjusting the right set of valves at the right time?

The way you described it sounds right to me...I mean, you shouldnt have to fight to get the guage in, but it definitely shouldnt slide right in and out easily.

alfaaay

I was turning the crank...

Started on cylinder one with the tick marks on the gears facing "up" and the holes both aligned with each other (exhaust hole at 3 o'clock, intake at 9). Rotated the crank 90 degrees to do cylinder three, then another 90 to do cylinder 4, then another 90 to do cylinder 2.

alfaaay

grrr... just did it apparently wrong AGAIN.

Is there some type of trick to using these gauges? I wanted to get real angled feeler guages, but I can't find them anywhere. Also, would ticking indicate the valves being too loose? What sounds tell if the valves are too tight? This is so frustrating...

I have to drive the car around so I won't be able to do it again until tomorrow morning... in the mean time, someone give me some tips, please!

Quitripin

I went through the same problem last year tuning my integra (95 gsr). I followed the OEM service manual and spent a good couple of hours and ended up with the same symptom.

This might not sound right but it is. Don't listen to it's vavle adjustment (OEM manual). The manual said that you should do a adjust on the valve for every 90 degree, don't listen to it.

Here's the secrect! Make sure you have a paper and pen to remember which cylinder (intake and exhaust) that you did your valve lash on.

When you began to do a valve lash on no.1 cylinder. Look at cylinder no, 2 and 3. On cylinder 2 and 3 (on TDC) you can see that intake cam and the exhaust cam is touching the rocker arm the cam that isn't touching the rocker arm that's the one you do a valve lash on. This is where the pen and paper comes in. you need to write down which one you did. Believe it or not you just complete half of the adjustment. You got to remember on the Four stroke cycle you complete the valve lash when the lobes are not touching each other. You should still be on TDC (crank pulley is on the timing mark). At this point, you should rotate the crank pulley to 180 degree. This is where you began your No. 4 cylinder valve lash, when you complete this look at cylinder No. 2 and 3 on your paper. Finsh doing No. 2 and 3 that the cams lobes did not touch on the rocker arm. It's the opposite one when you complete No. 1 cylinder. At this point you are done.

Now about that oem service manual, you can check your work valve lash with that 90 degree turns with the cylinder. This works! The noise (tap/ticking) should be gone. Let me know if you encounter and problems

FastSS

or you could just do it by the book... although I guess those crazy japanese engineers that made this **** have no idea what they are doing... ticking and lope sounds like bent valves to me...

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by alfaaay &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Also, my cam gears are both set at zero, and I measured TDC by using little holes near the teeth of the cam gears. I assumed that "up" was the side with the adjustment markings, is this right?</TD></TR></TABLE><TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Quitripin &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I went through the same problem last year tuning my integra (95 gsr). I followed the OEM service manual and spent a good couple of hours and ended up with the same symptom. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yea... when #1 is at TDC, looking at the cams from the driver fender, #1 cam lobes: exaust should point up left and intake should point up right

alfaaay

I used the helms (got a copy online), an instructional thing from team-integra, c-speedracing, and advice from here. I was scared that I had bent valves... I can't think of any other reason it's acting the way it is, and since I don't know how properly adjusted Toda A cams sound, it's hard to tell if my car is just making normal sounds. I'm going to rent a compression tester from Schucks tomorrow and see what result pop up...

Realistically speaking, my car is messed up probably, AGAIN. Tomorrow I have to drive about 75 miles on it before I can even do the test. Grrrr I'm pissed...

zilverz

I just did my Valve Adjustment on friday. Crower Cams and Aftermarket Gears.

Totally disregaurd any markings on the cam gears.

Take out your spark plugs

Take several long ratchet extenstions put them together and slide it into the cylider where it rests on top of the piston

Turn the crank to TDC

The Extension should be at max hieght. The Valves you are going to adjust will be the ones with the lobes are NOT depressing the valves down. The intake lobe should be facing straight ahead and the exhaust lobe should be facing towards you.

I had to use a non-angeled feeler also. Make sure you measure it from a side angle .. and not directly over the rocker

my crower cams were .006 int .008 ex

Rotate crank 180 degrees

the next set of valves you are going to adjust will be either #2 or #3.. but it will be the one with the cam lobes NOT depressing the valves down.

Keep turning the crank for the rest of the adjustments


My adjustment turned out with good results

KDKane

Your higher lift cams will cause more noise, PM me if you are still having problems. I live in Marysville and work in Lynnwood (Acura tech)

hashpipe623

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by zilverz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Totally disregaurd any markings on the cam gears.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

This is the key. I didnt adjust properly becuase i followed the book. but with aftermarket cams, and possible cam gear adjustments, the marks on the gears are best used only as a point of reference. Remove the spark plugs and insert a wooden dowel or something of the sort and crank until the dowel is at maximum height to determin TDC