scubacamper

1993 Accord LX

During timing belt change, I removed the rocker arm assembly to inspect the cam seal.

I forgot to leave the bolts in the rocker assembly and as such, the ends fell off, causing 1 arm on each side to also fall off.

I re-assembled as best I could, but now when I gingerly place the assembly back down on the head, I can't seem to get the holes to line up - they're just barely off on the left side.

I can finger-thread the majority of the bolts, except the 2 left sets (12mm bolts for the first 2 columns from L to R)

The 10mm bolt started threading, but with resistance and I backed it out as soon as I could - looked in there, and there's just a little bit of filings in there from where the bolt was beginning to cross-thread.

Could I have warped the assembly when I was loosening it, or could my re-assembly of the assembly need adjustments in order to get everything to line-up?

hondamark35

these assemblies suck to get back right when they come apart, but it's possible.

try this first:

get as many bolts threaded as you can by hand. then use a mallet or similar to nudge the misaligned holes back in place. it may take a few tries but it usually works.

the alternative is to completely disassemble it, clean everything really well so it doesn't stick together then reassemble with some clean oil. do this as a last resort. the risk of getting something put back in the wrong place or something is high.

scubacamper

I'm thinking one of the washers between the arm and end might be missing - would this be a dealer-only item?

hondamark35

they're called "wave washers" in some circles/industries. you could try to find something that would fit. measure one of the others then check places like McMaster-Carr or Grainger and see if they have something that matches.

if they're still available from the dealer parts department, that would be the best match. however, expect to pay $3 each. that's a lot for such a small, simple part.

another option is to go to a self-serve salvage yard (pull-a-part, u-pick u-pull, ect.) and get some used ones. most yards I've been to won't charge you for small fasteners or washers if you also get something bigger (door panel, P/S pump, intake manifold... whatever else you think you'll need for a 20 year old car).

scubacamper

Thanks for the tips!

scubacamper

Update:

I was able to get the assembly reinstalled! (yay!) - I basically just held the assembly above where it sits and began threading the bolts in, little-by-little, until it was ready for the assembly to be dropped into place. Then, it fell right into place and I torqued it all down. What a relief!

One thing though: On the left side, it looks like who ever worked on this car before me left out a wave washer on the no.4 intake rocker arm, between the arm and the end-cap (distributor side). I say I think it was the prior tech because I don't remember seeing it when the assembly fell apart and after about an hour of looking in every nook & cranny and fingering the wells underneath the cam shaft, I could not find it.

Before I put the valve cover back on, should I put a new wave washer in there, or do you think it will be fine without it? (I really don't want to take the assembly back off since it was such a PITA to reinstall, but if it's completely imperative, I'll do it).