Valve Lash Adjustment Issues
 

Hey guys,

I have an internally stock b18c1 gsr motor in my DA with bolt-ons (header, cat, exhaust, intake, throttle body, intake manifold, IMG). The car was tuned last year by Xenocron on ECtune and made 170whp and felt awesome. This past week, I got maintence performed by a trusted Honda mechanic and got a new oem timing belt kit installed and the valve lash adjusted because my valvetrain was very noisy.

When the valve lash was adjusted it was EXTREMELY loose and basically every valve was adjusted and tightened to spec. After this the car would barely start because the idle was much lower (under 500) and when I would give it gas in order to start it the idle was shaky. I drove home and adjusted the idle at the throttle body and it is now able to hold a better idle but the car is definitely LACKING POWER. The mechanic explained that my tuned ECU will not learn like a stock ECU, and the fact that the valves were so out of spec that now being adjusted is throwing off the tune causing it to act this way.

Is it SAFE to be driving this car this way until I can get a re-tune, and can adjusting the valves really throw the tune off this much to change the drivablility and idle? Thanks

Re: Valve Lash Adjustment Issues
 

I have heard of instances just as you described, and the end result was the lash adjustment was not done correctly.

Also, most of the times I heard of this happening, it wasn't even the valve lash causing the noisy valvetrain, it was the lma's.

He may be a trusted mechanic, but can it be possible he dropped the ball a Lil on the adjustment? It is a very meticulous task.

Re: Valve Lash Adjustment Issues
 

Anything is possible... By doing incorrectly do you mean the valves were tightened too tight? If so, is it safe to drive if the valve lash was not done correctly