Continued from above.....

Now look at the end of the camshaft sprocket and look at the alignment mark. There are three flat lines on the sprocket, one of them has a "1" stamped under it. This is the reference for cyl number 1. The line should be level with the top of the engine surface. If you don't see the line with the "1" under it at this point rotate the crank 360 degrees and look at it again.

Once the white line on the crank pulley is lined up with the pointer and the flat line on the sprocket with the "1" under it is level with the top of the engine you are ready to check the valves on the number 1 cylinder.

The valve specs are:
Intake Clearance - 0.007 - 0.009 in
Exhaust Clearance is 0.008 - 0.010 in

I like to set my clearance at the bottom of the range, so we will be aiming for .007 for the intake valves and .008 for the exhaust valves.

Below is a close up of the valve adjustment screws. The 10mm nut is the jam nut and you use a flat bladed screw driver to turn the adjuster screw and make the adjustment.

Here I'm checking the clearance on one of the exhaust valves on cylinder number 1. The intake valves are the ones on the front side of the engine, the exhaust valves are the rear ones.

This is where you take the measurement at. The feeler gauge should slide through with a slight resistance, if it's to tight it will drag to much and if its to loose it will slide through with no resistance. Make sure that the feeler is level with the valve head as you push it through so you will get a accurate feel with it, if it's on a angle it can give you a false reading.

If you are unfamiliar with using a feeler gauge there is a simple way to double check yourself. If you are setting a valve to say .007" and you think you have about the right feel with the gauge (slight resistance) then try the feeler gauge above and below .007" to double check your work. A .006" feeler should be to loose and a .008" feeler should be to tight.

Cylinder number 1 had all 4 valves at the correct setting and none of them required adjustment. Now on to the next Cylinder.

The next cylinder that will be adjusted will be cylinder number 3, the one closest to the drivers side of the car. You will need to rotate the cam sprocket 120 deg (240 deg rotation on the crank pulley) to get the next flat line up mark on the cam sprocket to match up horizontal with the top of the engine again.

So rotate the crankshaft pulley in a clockwise direction again until the next flat line up mark appears as pictured below. At this point cylinder number 3 will be ready to adjust. (I like to double check by wiggling the rocker arms at this point. Cylinder number three should have a slight bit of play in the rocker arms at this point. Just grab them at the valve end of the rocker arm and wiggle them up and down, you should feel a very slight amount of play. This is just a double verification that this cylinder is ready to adjust.

Continued again below........

 

Continued from above....

We checked the valve clearances on cyl number 3 and found that both Intake valves were at .008" (still in the allowable range but we re-adjusted them to .007").

In this picture you can see us adjusting the intake valves on cylinder number 3. When you make an adjustment you have to allow a little for the stretch of the adjustment shaft when you tighten the jam nut back down. Once you make an adjustment and tighten the jam nut then re-check the clearance again. It may take a couple times to get it right.

The Torque specs for the jam nuts are:

14 ft-lbs on the Intake
10 ft-lbs on the Exhaust

I tightened the jam nuts by feel......

After Cylinder number 3 is completed then it's just the same procedure to check/adjust cylinder number 2 (the middle cylinder). Rotate the crank pulley until the next flat alignment mark on the camshaft sprocket lines up (120 Degrees of camshaft rotation). Then check and adjust the valves.

The number two cylinder on my uncles Insight had .009" exhaust measurements and .008" Intake measurements. We reset them to .008" and .007".

I like to record my as found and as left readings when adjusting valves so we wrote them down in the small book my uncle keeps for maint. on the car.

After all the cylinders have been checked and adjusted then just reverse the process to button the engine back up and your finished. If you have never completed a valve adjustment then plan on and hour or so worth of time to finish the job, it will go a lot faster after you have completed it once before.

Here's one last overall shot of the engine with the valve cover removed.

Hope this helps.



Hodakaguy

 

Hope this helps.

15 years later... and it is still helpful.

 

Dude, you're sick! I have been meaning to do a valve adjustment for some time but was just going to take it to the shop. After seeing this, I will be doing it myself. These instructions are very thorough and the pictures are top notch. Congrats!

I have been hearing a loud ticking and even a knocking under load since owning the car and hope this fixes the problem. Thanks!

 

Nice work!

I've done mine twice an total time now is about 15 minutes from tools out to tools back in toolbox. It is VERY easy, takes moments, needs very few tools or expertise to do, and saves a lot of $$$.

Question, what program did you use to detail your pics? I would have liked to do that same post with the valves and the tranny/ISB replacement...
Thanks

 

Thanks for the great post Hodakaguy! This will come in handy for me quite soon.

Question, what program did you use to detail your pics?

You should give the Gimp a try for simple editing, it's free and pretty easy to use. Also powerful enough to do some stuff people think only photoshop can do. GIMP - The GNU Image Manipulation Program

 

Thanks...I'm glad that the write up can help someone out. I really HATE taking any vehicle of mine to the shop, I just don't trust them. If I do it myself I know its done the way that I want it done, Time is money for a shop...they won't spend the extra time on your vehicle that you will to make sure everything is perfect.

For editing the photo's and inserting the arrows ect I just use MSPaint that comes with any PC, not the greatest but its free Just right click on your thumbnailed pics and click "open with"...then click MSPaint.

Hodakaguy

 

When putting the gasket on the valve cover, do you have to use any kind of sealant?

 

No..the gasket is a rubber type gasket and will re-seal as long as it's not damaged, just check it over carefully for nicks ect.
Hodakaguy

 

Excellent thread and nice pics. Thanks for posting.

 

Very nicely done......

 

So did the adjustment suppress the loud ticking when cold?

 

I talked to my uncle after he drove it and he said it was noticably quieter than it was before. Since checking/adjusting the valves is so easy and quick to do it's worth it just for my piece of mind that they are correct. I'll be doing mine soon as well.

I think I'm also going to clean the EGR plate just to make sure it's fully clean, I'll take some pictures of that process as well.

Hodakaguy

 

Not to change the subject...but... is the VTEC piston "thingy" visible in any of these pictures? I have a P1259 code that reoccurs infrequently & I would like to find the location if it,the oil pressure switch, and related VTEC components. Thanks.

 

I didn't know it was that easy to do a valve adjustment on an Insight. The last valve adjustment I did was on a car without the adjustment nut/jam nut setup. I had to use special tools to hold the valve assembly open and fish a valve shim out after checking the gap against spec and swap it with a valve shim that was the proper thickness so the gap would be correct. When you aren't the first owner of the car and you don't know if the shims are standard size or not, they need to be measured and then cross referenced with either math or the chart that indicates which size shim to replace it with along with the part code. My buddy had a 'shim kit' that had a bunch of shims, I don't know if that was standard or something everyone normally needs but he is a mechanic and has that sort of thing around.

I did find out when I had the valve cover off that my 95 Prizm at nearly 200,000 miles at the time was spotless inside and had been running conventional oil for 10's of thousands of miles before the cover came off.

 

I didn't know it was that easy to do a valve adjustment on an Insight. The last valve adjustment I did was on a car without the adjustment nut/jam nut setup. I had to use special tools to hold the valve assembly open and fish a valve shim out after checking the gap against spec and swap it with a valve shim that was the proper thickness so the gap would be correct. When you aren't the first owner of the car and you don't know if the shims are standard size or not, they need to be measured and then cross referenced with either math or the chart that indicates which size shim to replace it with along with the part code. My buddy had a 'shim kit' that had a bunch of shims, I don't know if that was standard or something everyone normally needs but he is a mechanic and has that sort of thing around.

Hoo boy, does that bring back memories!! I had an Alfa Romeo that had shim-under-bucket adjustment. You had to measure all the clearances; remove the cams (there were two), hopefully without changing the valve timing; measure the shims; figure out which shims you needed; get them and install them; replace the cams; check the clearances; and check the valve timing when you were done.

There were many pitfalls:
- the tops of the valve stems would dimple the insides of the shims, so the micrometer would measure the ORIGINAL thickness of the shim rather than its effective thickness, and you had to allow for that
- some shops would grind shims, but I was told that could soften them, so I always got fresh ones
- you could not pull the plugs before doing this, because removing plugs (to make it easier to turn over the engine) could drop bits of crud onto the sealing surfaces on top of the valves, which would keep them from seating completely and throw off the measured clearances
- you had to stuff the valve chain housing (and any other openings) with clean rags so you didn't drop bits such as valve cap washers or nuts down into the engine (I did this once)

After the first few times I kept a record of what shims were in the engine so I'd have a starting point at least.

 

Great post and good job on the pics too. We need more guys like you to do such a work so we all learn.
Thank you

 

Thanks, How to Articles are fun to write up and can be pretty handy when you're working on something you have never done before. I really hate letting shops touch my cars, you as the owner of the car will always give it more care and detail than any shop will...you end up knowing the job was done right at the end of the day.

I need to get the gaskets ordered for the EGR plate cleaning (not a must but that's a critical area so I'll pop for the new gaskets)...then I'll do up another article on that.

Hodakaguy

 

Well, I'm going to attempt to do the valve adjustement this saturday. Wish me luck as I even take the car in for oil changes... lol

 

Just take your time and you should be fine. I just did my own car this morning. I'm going to change the coolant and transmission oil this weekend also.

I'll PM ya my number...if you have any questions or get stuck give me a call.

Hodakaguy

 

Hey! Thanks for the offer! I will be having my father helping me as he has at least some experience with engines.

As far as the tranny oil, I just had mine flushed a month ago but I had the shop do it (I supplied the fluids as I always do. You can't be too carefull).

 

Well, I did the adjustment today. It wasn't off by much but I brought it back down to the lower end of the spec. Unfortunatly it didn't solve the ticking sound. I did find a good amount of play in the rocker arms of cylinder 3. The play is side to side and is maybe 1/32 - 1/16". Is this normal?

Tom, your write-up was masterful, but do you mind if I make one seemingly obvious addition to your steps to prevent serious frustration in the first few minutes? If you have a manual tranny, be sure to apply the e-brake and take the car out of gear before attempting to turn the crank pully. Like I said, it seems obvious but not all of us are real engine savoy.

 

If you have a manual tranny, be sure to apply the e-brake and take the car out of gear before attempting to turn the crank pully. Like I said, it seems obvious but not all of us are real engine savoy.

Ooops, yeah that is an important step. Thanks for the heads up! I'll edit my first post and add that step in, kinda hard to turn the engine over by hand when it's in gear

As far as the ticking noise still being present that's normal to some extent, with a manually adjusted valve train (The type our Insights have) that's adjusted properly you should hear some ticking...especially when cold. The trick is knowing when it's to loud.

With a hydraulic lifter system the lifter unit automatically compensates for growth in the valve train do to heat as the engine warms up, It always keeps the proper clearance between the rocker arm and the valve stem, so they can be quiet when cold or hot...but they take a slight amount of engine HP to operate, where the manual systems don't.

With a manual system like ours you have to allow for the growth in the valve train from the start. The engineers have calculated how much everything will grow and how much clearance will be lost between the rocker arm and the valve stem after the engine is up to operating temp. So they have you set them at a certain spec cold knowing that when the engine is up to operating temperature you will have proper valve clearance. Because of this your valves have an increased amount of clearance when the engine is cold. The "ticking" sound that you hear from the valve train will be louder when cold because of the increased clearance, as the engine warms up and the clearances get less the noise will go down.

So some ticking is normal...if you hear something that's louder than it normally is then I would look into it and check your clearances again just to make sure everything is good. The fuel injectors will also make a ticking sound that will add to the noise level.

Hodakaguy

 

Me too, I just finished doing mine, no change, ticking still remains. Good call on the putting in neutral thing, I realized I was still in gear when I couldn't turn crank pulley. Everything looks clean inside, I guess the ticking sound is normal? Can someone who bought the car brand new confirm this?

 

Good call on the putting in neutral thing, I realized I was still in gear when I couldn't turn crank pulley.

lol, yeah. I was wondering just how much force it took to turn it over. It started out easy and then quickly grew very difficult and would snap back if I released pressure. I am just laying there thinking "WTF?!". Then it dawns on me and I felt really stupid! lmao! I had the e-brake on and was parked on an incline so the car didn't move as I tried to force the crank...

Still, after that little problem, everything went as smooth as could be. Great write-up! Thanks Tom!

 

Hi I've been doing this on my Honda insight and civic for years just a few points I find the insight to be one of the harder Honda's to get spot on, i would always torque up the jam nuts, its very hard to do this by feel, the insights jam nuts spin quite easily, if your aiming for the tight side of the spec its a very good idea to spin the motor and recheck the specs they nearly allways go a little tight of this spec, its quite good to try one size over and under on the recheck if your fussy like me.

over tighting the valves can cause real problems from uneven running to EX valve burning problems.

I don't agree this is easy to do well. its not worth any guess work the insight loves as even a set-up as possible.

all the best

p

P.S for those that have eudm workshop CD, MY2000 CD, the procedure in mine is wrong on the firing order to TDC so just use the cam ramps

 

over tighting the valves can cause real problems from uneven running to EX valve burning problems.

I don't agree this is easy to do well. its not worth any guess work the insight loves as even a set-up as possible.
QUOTE]

I would agree that you don't want to run the valves to tight, I like to set all mine right at the bottom spec...but not under it and I also like to make all the valves as even as possible (all set the exact same). Like you mentioned it's a good idea to double check the clearance with a feeler gauge above and below to check your work...especially if your not familiar with using a feeler gauge.

I would still say this is about as easy as it gets for doing a valve adjustment. If you take your time and make sure they are all set correctly there shouldn't be any issues.

Hodakaguy

 

FWIW in motorcycle circles we're taught that when valves wear they tend to get tight instead of loose; for this reason we adjust to the middle or loose end of the specification instead of the tight end.

The valve to rocker arm contact doesn't tend to wear so much as the valve head pounds itself into the surface of the head.

Tight, quiet valves cause damage; noisy valves are happy valves.

 

Yep, you defiantly don't want tight valves...I agree that loose is better than tight when it comes to valve clearance. I always set my valves at the bottom of the specs (not below them) if a range is given...but I also tend to check my valves quite often and can catch a valve if it starts going tight. Like you mentioned If you don't check your valves often then the middle range of the specs might be a better choice giving you more room before you would run into a tight valve situation. I also like to keep a log of each valve check with clearances found/left so I know if a certain valve is receding into the head ect.

Hodakaguy

 

Thanks for the write-up, just what I've been looking for, especially the specs.

I did the adjustment two times on the NSX (with the Honda valve adj. tool ) and I feel saver going with the upper specs. I agree that going with the lower specs requires more frequent adjustment. After what miles do you do it?
The NSX exhaust valve clearance tends to get looser, the inlet tighter. What is the general observation with the Insight engine? After what miles does Honda recommends a valve adjustment?

 

What is the general observation with the Insight engine? After what miles does Honda recommends a valve adjustment?

The first valve adjustment is scheduled after driving 105,000 mi/168,000 km.

 

Just bought my Insight at 105k - going to do it this weekend and it looks SIMPLE!

Thanks so much for the write up!

 

Update - I adjusted to the middle of the spec (incase I don't check often enough or if my measurements were slightly off). Most of the intake valves were good, but most of the exhaust valves had to be tightened one step (.010 t0 .009).

It wasn't hard, per se, but to you guys who can do it in 15 mins... hats off to you!

 

Update - I adjusted to the middle of the spec.

It wasn't hard, per se, but to you guys who can do it in 15 mins... hats off to you!

Same for me. It's quite different than in the NSX as there is always a small amount of drag in the valve clearance in the Insight. Time to think different. The exhaust valves were ok. The intake ones a tad too tight. My car only has 35k miles.

 

For those two set their valvetrain on the middle or looser end of the specs, how is the valvetrain noise at the middle of the spec?

I've got a pretty heavy amount of valvetrain noise from my engine at 112k miles right now. The previous owner had a Honda dealer adjust it "not too long ago" and they told him that they all are like this. I'm thinking that they must have either not had a completely cold engine or didn't know what they were doing, or something.

My valvetrain is quieter when the engine is hot but it still sounds like there is too much slack. I'm going to pop it open and adjust the clearance, I'm expecting things to be very loose. When I try to show people the IMA start as being quiet, I always get negative comments over it sounding like a sewing machine, even when the engine is warm. When I get on the highway leaving work, there is a large uphill section and in order to get up to speed I must drive the car to 4k RPM or higher to merge with traffic to avoid flooring it in a lower gear and burning a large amount of battery power, it sounds horrendous when cold. I sounds like I'm ripping apart the valvetrain when I'm doing this. I'm going to be taking the cover off and adjusting the valves and after seeing where they are making a decision on where I'd like to adjust them, I'm leaning on the tighter end of the range at this point, but how does it sound slightly looser?

 

Mine have only 60k and sound like this when cold for 5 minutes. They all sound like this. I check all my valves clearances and it was on specs.

 

...but is yours still audible when its warmed up? I've read through every valvetrain, ticking, clicking, sewing machine noise thread here and most of them say that it goes away when things are warmed up. I've driven the car for an hour on the highway and I'm still getting it. It's quieter but it seems more along the lines of what I would expect once the car is in the process of warming up. I'm really hoping that my valves are out of spec when I adjust them.

 

ok ok

No after 5 minutes it run like an electric motor. But first 5 minutes, it is very noisy. I hate that noise.