I have a 2001 Honda Civic LX, 120000kms. When the engine is cold everything sounds great, as the engine warms - 3-5mins. I can hear a ticking noise, faster when I rev the engine. The noise becomes quite loud as the engine warms. While driving it seems that there is a "sweet spot" that is a little quiter. I cannot pinpoint this sweetspot as it is always changing. I have spoke to a few mechanics and they said that it sounded like a valve adjustment was needed but not sure if the civic had adjustable valves. Is this a difficult job and where can i find the specs. Please Help

 

They are adjustable, it's not hydraulic lifters. Get a valve adjustment, you're overdue.

 

any other data on this stuff. i'm lost. i don't know how to know u're overdue or how to do it, or possibly what it kinda is.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by oddmut &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">any other data on this stuff. i'm lost. i don't know how to know u're overdue or how to do it, or possibly what it kinda is.</TD></TR></TABLE>

http://www.centuryperformance....t.asp

I'm not sure the exact service interval when a valve adjustment is due, I searched my OwnerLink briefly but didn't see anything.

Most cars need adjustments every 60,000 miles.

If it's ticking, it's definitely due.

 

It's time to cut the Girbles nails, they are clicking on the wheel he spins to make your car move, cut his nails down and the ticking noise will go away.

 

they always tick, its when they get loud you gotta check it. You need a crank pulley tool or a 19mm socket, take the valve cover off. TDC the motor to each cylnder (1-3-4-2) and check the rocker/valve head clearance with a feeler gauge. Clearances are on a sticker on the bottom of the hood. its something like .009" intake, .011 exhaust. Adjust them until they're right, replace the valve cover gasket, put RTV on each square corner by where the cam caps pass through the valve cover and go.

 

What does TDC mean?

 

TDC =Top Dead Centre

*Or

-Torpedo Data Computer

-Total Delivery Cost

-Tristan da Chunha

-Theta Delta Chi

-Texas Department of Corrections (now referred to as Texas Department of Criminal Justice)

-Training Detective Constable

-To Dumb to Comprehend (my personal favorite)

 

Is there anywhere online that I can read up on a step by step procedure in doing a valve adjustment. I am a little nervous about taking the topend apart on my car. I have rebuilt small 2-stroke engines but never a 4-stroke. Any help or direction would be appreciated.

*** Perhaps I have TDC
Too Dumb to Comprehend

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by thinknology &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">TDC =Top Dead Centre

*Or

-Torpedo Data Computer

-Total Delivery Cost

-Tristan da Chunha

-Theta Delta Chi

-Texas Department of Corrections (now referred to as Texas Department of Criminal Justice)

-Training Detective Constable

-To Dumb to Comprehend (my personal favorite)</TD></TR></TABLE>

lol

 

ahahahahhaha, thats great stuff

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MartyPike &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Is there anywhere online that I can read up on a step by step procedure in doing a valve adjustment. I am a little nervous about taking the topend apart on my car. I have rebuilt small 2-stroke engines but never a 4-stroke. Any help or direction would be appreciated.

*** Perhaps I have TDC
Too Dumb to Comprehend
</TD></TR></TABLE>

The best help for you is to take it to a shop. You dont want to take on a job that is too big and confusing if you have never done it before, and asking for interenet directions? your working on your car not a model bro. and if you do decide to do it yourself make sure that when you get the valve cover off you pet the Girble or he will be really pissed!!!

 

"TAKE IT TO A SHOP" I thought that this was a TECHNICAL resource. The problem with taking it to a shop is that the nearest shop is 1000kms away. Is this site here for help or just for mechanics to poke fun at the unknowing. I WILL do the valve job myself with or without help from here.

Boilermaker1 - I appreciate your help, Can you please elaborate a little on your post.
Thanks.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MartyPike &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">"TAKE IT TO A SHOP" I thought that this was a TECHNICAL resource. The problem with taking it to a shop is that the nearest shop is 1000kms away. Is this site here for help or just for mechanics to poke fun at the unknowing. I WILL do the valve job myself with or without help from here.

Boilermaker1 - I appreciate your help, Can you please elaborate a little on your post.
Thanks.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The peeps here poke fun, but really what it comes down to is that their perception from the kind of questions you're asking is that you are a little too inexperienced to just jump into a job like this. Hence why they are saying to take it to a shop.

If you'd come in here only asking for the valve clearances for the intake and exhaust valves, none of the regulars would have flipped you any ****, you would have just recieved the clearances.

But since you haven't worked on one of these engines before, I highly recommend that you either 1) take it to a reputable shop or 2) get a friend that has some experience with a d-series engine show you whats up.

Regardless of how good of a walkthrough someone gives you on here, its best to learn first hand with a real person, not a bunch of random people on the net.

All of that said, this is not a hard task to complete, it just has some details that are hard to explain and easy to screw up.


Modified by mucter at 2:36 PM 9/11/2007

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MartyPike &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">"TAKE IT TO A SHOP" I thought that this was a TECHNICAL resource. The problem with taking it to a shop is that the nearest shop is 1000kms away. Is this site here for help or just for mechanics to poke fun at the unknowing. I WILL do the valve job myself with or without help from here.

Boilermaker1 - I appreciate your help, Can you please elaborate a little on your post.
Thanks.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I really suggest you either get someone who has some engine overhaul experience or take it to a good shop, starting a big job like this for your first time can be very overwhelming and frustrating, you could also do more damage to the engine if you are not carefull as well. Also are you sure your are just not down on some oil? because if you are a little low then try adding some or even if the oil is at the right viscosity as in oil weight use the recommended oil. Also how LOUD is the ticking as well, all of our cars tick a little once they are cold, due to the fact of gravity pulling oil out of the engine and putting it into the pan, when the engine warms up does the ticking go away or stay the same? On here you have to be really specific because we can only diagnose what you type too.

 

What I said is basically how to do it. Each rocker has an adjuster on it, loosen the locknut and you adjust the clearance. If its not understandable, then you need to have someone else do it. Loose valves or tight valves both create major problems. The job is easy, but messing around in the motor is risky business if you dont know what you're doing.

 

As the car warms the ticking becomes louder. I have checked the oil - good. Changed the oil/filter with the recomended 5W-20. I have a mechanic friend but is not familiar with imports, and wasnt sure if the valves were adjustable(you have cleared this up for me). He said that if I got the spec and pulled the top off, he would adjust for me if adjustable. He also said that 20w-40 would quiet it down but make it alot harder to start. I prefer to adjust the valves and CORRECT the problem, not hide it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MartyPike &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">As the car warms the ticking becomes louder. I have checked the oil - good. Changed the oil/filter with the recomended 5W-20. I have a mechanic friend but is not familiar with imports, and wasnt sure if the valves were adjustable(you have cleared this up for me). He said that if I got the spec and pulled the top off, he would adjust for me if adjustable. He also said that 20w-40 would quiet it down but make it alot harder to start. I prefer to adjust the valves and CORRECT the problem, not hide it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

yes you should have him help you correct it. Don't put that heavy of weight oil in your car. These engines should use the 5w-20 that you put in, not so much for starting issues, but more for gas mileage, horsepower, and resistance to sludge buildup.

remember, adjust it with the engine completely cold.

another source of ticking on hondas is the injectors, they are very noisy and also get noisier with age. Have you done the screw driver trick to listen for the precise source of the ticking?

 

Yessss the old screw driver trick, find yourself a long straight screwdriver with a plastic end to it, when the engine is runing place the metal end of the screwdrive up on the valve cover to hear the valves lifting and moving about, if you hear nothing abnormal move the screwdriver around, it might not be all of the valves only one or two but might as well fix all of them, and also it could be your injectors as well, how many miles are on your car again? Just remember place the metal end of the drive on the motor and your ear against the plastic handle.

 

srew driver trick?

 

yea, the screw driver acts as a listening amp. lol. It amplifies the noise from the engine through the vibration in the screw driver. something like a stethascope (not sure on the spelling , lol) but you get the point.