This is my first post - thanks in advance. I've got a 1999 Accord EX 4 cyl VTEC with 214K miles. When I was adjusting the valve height after a head rebuild I noticed that on each cylinder, the intake valve with the timing plate/spring seemed to have preload so that even with the adjuster screw all the way out, there is still no gap for the gauge. The cam side of the same rocker is over the base side of the cam lobe with a gap on that side. Is this normal? I was able to set the lash by gently levering against the rocker preload until the cam side of the rocker touched the lobe base and opened a gap on the valve side. Is this the proper procedure?

 

Update: test drive after cylinder head rebuild/valve adjustment went very well. I pulled in to the local auto parts store and put it in park and my first thought was that the engine had stalled. I glanced at the tach and it was reading around 700. The engine was running so smoothly that I couldn't tell that it was running! I even walked around back and held my hand by the tailpipe to make sure

 

Nice, glad to hear it went well for you. Sorry I didn't have any answers about the procedure, different engine than mine (although on mine there did seem to be a similar sort of "play" rocking back and forth between the cam lobe and the valve, and that play seemed to be basically what I was adjusting by moving the screw, sounds like more or less the same thing.)
Anyway, good job!