Hi,
So my ITR build is chronically in need of a valve adjustment. Before I go into details here are the specs on the valve train:
99 JDM ITR
Supertech valves, springs, retainers, and seals
Skunk2 Stage 1 Cams
Valve Lash is set to the Skunk recommended:
.007" Intake
.008" Exhaust
Valve adjustment nuts torqued to 14 lb/ft

After adjusting the valves everything is smooth as butter, but after a few hundred miles it begins to tap when cold. My last adjustment a few hundred miles ago I noticed the lash is opening up and the gap is increasing. After it warms up the tap subsides. I'm thinking the adjustment screws may need to be replaced. The valve lash is very temperamental in this motor, if it's off by .001 it taps. I've adjusted the valves 3 times in the last 2000 miles. There is no consistent valve that is out of spec, it's across the board and random each time I adjust them.

My adjustment technique does not implore the special Honda tools, so I basically measure the gap, tighten the nut, remeasure the gap, and repeat until it's correct.

I'm thinking this is leading to me pulling the rocker arm assembly off to see wtf is going on, which will not be fun.

Anyone have any thoughts?

 

What supertech kit did you get?

 

OEM style Nitride coated dish
Titanium retainers and springs
Brass guides

 

They got 2 different kits, what's the specs? For your cams, you running pro 1 or tuner 1?

 

Oh you mean Skunk's kit? Tuner stage 1

 

And the supertech.

But let's just skip these parts. Inspect head for wear. I wonder if you're getting excessive wear for the gap between the springs and the cams. You know what ST spring you are using? Why did you upgrade the springs for tuner 1 cams?

 

Cause I'm an idiot There is some benefit from lighter springs. Looking back knowing what I know now I should have kept the ITR cams and springs, but what's done is done.

I bought the ST kit from a vendor on HT a couple years ago

This is what was on the invoice, it doesn't specify a ST kit:
Supertech Valve Springs + Retainers
Supertech Valve Seals
Supertech Bronze Valve Guides
Supertech Black nitride coated Dish Valves
Skunk2 Stage Tuner Stage 1 Camshafts

 

Well all you can do now is inspect the head. Pull the part number from the ST box so you can look up the specs. Then you can do the maths. My guess is overly stiff springs, but maybe it's something else. That's the best I can do in the position I am in.

 

Fair enough, I'm still leaning toward the valve adjustment nuts being stretched or something because my dumb *** torqued them (a long while back) to the B18B1 spec 18 lb/ft not thinking, which I quickly fixed before running the car...

The top end has been running strong for almost 2 years now. I think I am now paying for my over torquing of the nuts by 4 lb/ft.

 

And Honda want's $4 a piece for them...

 

I usually get all my Honda bolts and nuts from the junk yard for free. I just say that it goes with whatever part I pulled. Plus majority of the time they wont even question you about them. But you do that at your own risk. It's paid off for me in the long run since honda charges ridiculous prices for bolts and nuts.

 

Indeed, I've got a small collection going already just in case something goes wrong. But not enough to cover all the valves. A motor head going to a junk yard is equivalent to women going to the mall