i went to adjust the valves on my girlriends 97 Accord using the guide found in the FAQ. however it seems the valves are already within spec. I couldnt quite slide the feeler gauge in when i first started. is there some kind of tolerable limit these can be adjusted to? i understand that the accepted values are .010 and .012. but is it acceptable to take it further?

 

If this is the F23 VTEC engine they are just noisy. My dad's still sounded like a diesel even after the valve lash was set to spec. Make sure there is oil in it

 

I don't think the OP's girlfriend has a F23A VTEC. It's either a F22B1 or B2. And the lash given by the OP are correct.

 

give us some more info; is the engine a vtec? how many miles on it?

 

i'm sorry no the engine is not a VTEC. it has 142k on it. completely stock engine. oil changed every 3k since we bought it about a year ago. very clean car well maintained. i did the timing belt this past Saturday and figured i'd adjust the valves while i was at it. They have been clicking since we bought it. car runs fine and doesnt use oil.