Injector tick?
#1
Injector tick?
94 Prelude - H23
I’ll get a video up some time this week
On the first start of the day, there is this tick from the engine. The only way I can describe it, is that it sounds like a spark plug firing. Like an arc of electricity. I made sure all the coils were plugged in. Revving the engine makes it go away, and once it warms up, it goes away. I think it’s an injector but am new to these engines so I have no idea
If it is in fact an injector, what’s a way I can single it out?
I’ll get a video up some time this week
On the first start of the day, there is this tick from the engine. The only way I can describe it, is that it sounds like a spark plug firing. Like an arc of electricity. I made sure all the coils were plugged in. Revving the engine makes it go away, and once it warms up, it goes away. I think it’s an injector but am new to these engines so I have no idea
If it is in fact an injector, what’s a way I can single it out?
#3
Honda-Tech Member
Re: Injector tick?
yup, that sounds to me like it needs a valve lash adjustment. It's supposed to be done every 20k miles, so I would just go straight to doing that before anything. I'm sure it needs it
#5
Re: Injector tick?
It doesn't take that long, and is a good thing to do if you don't know how long it has been. I would be concerned that if everything is starting to loosen up, you could actually have something come apart in the head, and that would cause catastrophic damage.
You want to hear a bad injector tick, listen to a BMW twin turbo V8 engine.
You want to hear a bad injector tick, listen to a BMW twin turbo V8 engine.
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#9
Re: Injector tick?
I’m pretty confident it’s not rod knock. It goes away eventually and is coming from the top of the engine. Now that I think about it, I did just replace the PCV valve, and I could definitely see the noise being the valve thing bouncing around like crazy. I’ll pull out the valve and start it and see if the noise goes away
But I bought the car 2 weeks ago and the oil was full, so I can’t speak for the past 24 years. But on the test drive, I never heard it. Which makes me believe it’s the PCV valve
But I bought the car 2 weeks ago and the oil was full, so I can’t speak for the past 24 years. But on the test drive, I never heard it. Which makes me believe it’s the PCV valve
#10
Re: Injector tick?
Pulled out the PCV valve and it’s still ticking. Guess I’ll be doing a valve adjustment on Thursday. Kind of nervous because I could f*ck the whole thing up, but it seems pretty straight forward
#11
Re: Injector tick?
One question about the valve adjustment:
I cannot find a detailed video for an H23. There’s plenty of H22’s, but can’t find a good one for my engine. My question is, when you loosen the lock but, do you stick the feeler gauge underneath the cam lobe, or underneath where the lock nut is?
I cannot find a detailed video for an H23. There’s plenty of H22’s, but can’t find a good one for my engine. My question is, when you loosen the lock but, do you stick the feeler gauge underneath the cam lobe, or underneath where the lock nut is?
#13
Honda-Tech Member
Re: Injector tick?
It's an h23, has to be at the cam lobe. Can't do it under the screw because it's a ball pivot. And can't do it over the valve stem because the rocker has lips wrapping around.
Here's a video for doing it on a 88-91 prelude. It's exactly the same for an h23:
Here's a video for doing it on a 88-91 prelude. It's exactly the same for an h23:
#14
Honda-Tech Member
Re: Injector tick?
And buy a new valve cover gasket set with grommets. Don't try re-using the old one. Felpro gasket set from any parts store is perfectly fine.
In the video he rotates the motor with the power steering pulley. DO NOT do this! Only turn the motor via the crank bolt.
The way he measures in the video is also not a good method. He's going according to how much drag there is on the feelers. Do not do this either. The best way is the go/no-go method. That means if the spec is 0.003"-0.005" (intake) you want 0.003" gauge to slide in easily, but 0.005" should not slide in at all. That means it's bigger than 0.003" and smaller than 0.005"
And lastly, You don't need to have the motor at perfect TDC or any other perfect position. As long as the cam lobes are pointing away from the rocker pads you can measure and adjust that pair of rockers. I like to do all the intakes first, then do all the exhausts.
In the video he rotates the motor with the power steering pulley. DO NOT do this! Only turn the motor via the crank bolt.
The way he measures in the video is also not a good method. He's going according to how much drag there is on the feelers. Do not do this either. The best way is the go/no-go method. That means if the spec is 0.003"-0.005" (intake) you want 0.003" gauge to slide in easily, but 0.005" should not slide in at all. That means it's bigger than 0.003" and smaller than 0.005"
And lastly, You don't need to have the motor at perfect TDC or any other perfect position. As long as the cam lobes are pointing away from the rocker pads you can measure and adjust that pair of rockers. I like to do all the intakes first, then do all the exhausts.
#15
Re: Injector tick?
Thanks for the tips!
I bought a VC gasket set yesterday after finding oil in the cylinder 2 spark plug tube
How come turning the engine over by the P/S pump is a no no? All the videos I’ve watched by EricTheCarGuy shows him using the P/S pump
I bought a VC gasket set yesterday after finding oil in the cylinder 2 spark plug tube
How come turning the engine over by the P/S pump is a no no? All the videos I’ve watched by EricTheCarGuy shows him using the P/S pump
#16
Honda-Tech Member
Re: Injector tick?
There's no reason you can't use the PS pump to spin the motor over, it's a hell of a lot more convenient. Just make sure you take the plugs out like he did so you're not fighting the compression stroke.
#17
Re: Injector tick?
It's an h23, has to be at the cam lobe. Can't do it under the screw because it's a ball pivot. And can't do it over the valve stem because the rocker has lips wrapping around.
Here's a video for doing it on a 88-91 prelude. It's exactly the same for an h23:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKWTwkXk7Bw
Here's a video for doing it on a 88-91 prelude. It's exactly the same for an h23:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKWTwkXk7Bw
OP, these tools work great
https://www.amazon.com/10mm-Honda-Valve-Adjustment-Tool/dp/B004QK2APS/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1524734465&sr=8-2-fkmr2&keywords=lisle+valve+adjustment+honda
https://www.autozone.com/clamps-and-...ges/466520_0_0
same one here
#19
Honda-Tech Member
Re: Injector tick?
Interesting, never did valve adjustment on an h23, only f series and h22's. Crazy how the locknut is on the inside instead of the outside.
OP, these tools work great
https://www.amazon.com/10mm-Honda-Valve-Adjustment-Tool/dp/B004QK2APS/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1524734465&sr=8-2-fkmr2&keywords=lisle+valve+adjustment+honda
https://www.autozone.com/clamps-and-...ges/466520_0_0
same one here
https://www.amazon.com/Great-25349-Offset-Feeler-16-Blade/dp/B00TW28WLG/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1524734719&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=25349+oem+feeler+gauge
OP, these tools work great
https://www.amazon.com/10mm-Honda-Valve-Adjustment-Tool/dp/B004QK2APS/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1524734465&sr=8-2-fkmr2&keywords=lisle+valve+adjustment+honda
https://www.autozone.com/clamps-and-...ges/466520_0_0
same one here
https://www.amazon.com/Great-25349-Offset-Feeler-16-Blade/dp/B00TW28WLG/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1524734719&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=25349+oem+feeler+gauge
Also, none of those adjuster tools work with the h23. The locknut is 12mm on h23. All the tools are for 10mm like h22/f/b/d motors. You don't need a tool either, there is plenty of room for access with a standard 12mm wrench and flathead screwdriver
#21
Honda-Tech Member
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Re: Injector tick?
And buy a new valve cover gasket set with grommets. Don't try re-using the old one. Felpro gasket set from any parts store is perfectly fine.
In the video he rotates the motor with the power steering pulley. DO NOT do this! Only turn the motor via the crank bolt.
The way he measures in the video is also not a good method. He's going according to how much drag there is on the feelers. Do not do this either. The best way is the go/no-go method. That means if the spec is 0.003"-0.005" (intake) you want 0.003" gauge to slide in easily, but 0.005" should not slide in at all. That means it's bigger than 0.003" and smaller than 0.005"
And lastly, You don't need to have the motor at perfect TDC or any other perfect position. As long as the cam lobes are pointing away from the rocker pads you can measure and adjust that pair of rockers. I like to do all the intakes first, then do all the exhausts.
In the video he rotates the motor with the power steering pulley. DO NOT do this! Only turn the motor via the crank bolt.
The way he measures in the video is also not a good method. He's going according to how much drag there is on the feelers. Do not do this either. The best way is the go/no-go method. That means if the spec is 0.003"-0.005" (intake) you want 0.003" gauge to slide in easily, but 0.005" should not slide in at all. That means it's bigger than 0.003" and smaller than 0.005"
And lastly, You don't need to have the motor at perfect TDC or any other perfect position. As long as the cam lobes are pointing away from the rocker pads you can measure and adjust that pair of rockers. I like to do all the intakes first, then do all the exhausts.
#22
Re: Injector tick?
Good point, maybe I should tighten the screw down with .004 in there and then see if .003 will fit, but .005 won’t
#23
#24
Re: Injector tick?
Wait, after thinking about this, no it wouldn’t leave you out of spec. .003 is the tightest the gap can be, so if the gap is at .003, then .002 would fit since it’s smaller. However, if anything higher than .005 fit, that would be an issue. So I’m gonna do his method, making sure .005 doesn’t fit, but .003 does. Meaning the gap is probably somewhere near .004
#25
Re: Injector tick?
whatever the spec range is, you set it to the bottom range because as it wears it will open up to the top of the range of spec
if the next feeler gauge fits then it's too loose, adjust and recheck
after torquing to spec, you must recheck cause it will move
if the next feeler gauge fits then it's too loose, adjust and recheck
after torquing to spec, you must recheck cause it will move