[Drew03Accord]

So the old girl hit 110K this past weekend. I treated her to an oil change (Mobil 1 full syn) and tranny drain-n-fill with Z1 fluid. This morning she chattered a bit more than usual upon startup and though the sound leveled off after warm up, with her mileage and all, I think it's time for a valve adjust.

My question are... how many of you have had this performed? How many whipped out their feeler gauges and did it themself? How many took it to the dealer and what did it cost? What results did you notice?

Please discuss...

 

[undftd_182]

I bought my '05 V6 sedan lastyear with about 85000km and it was making a slight "ticking" noise. Actually sounded like it was coming from one of the belts. Took it to the local stealership and they told me it needed a valve adjustment. Cost about $350(cad) and the sound was gone.

 

[mitchigan]

what viscousity engine oil did you use? it could be piston slap because you just performed an oil change and it usually goes away with warm up...

 

[Drew03Accord]

what viscousity engine oil did you use? it could be piston slap because you just performed an oil change and it usually goes away with warm up...

Same 5W-20 that I drained out. The chattering is what you'd normally hear from a cold morning start, but the intensity was as if the car had been sitting for a week. I'll switch to 5W-30 or a mix of both for the warmer months on my next drain n fill.

 

[sy272004]

you can switch to 10W-30 for summer month. you might loose some mpgs and 1-2hp but it will make engine last little longer. in winter month 5W-30 is good

 

[toomanyaccords]

Oil breaks down (shears?) with use. It's not unusual to notice the engine working harder than normal with fresh oil.

I've had a dealer do a valve clearance inspection on a 7th gen 4 cyl Accord at 50K about three years ago. The dealer charged an hour of labor for the adjust. Typically they adjust rather than inspect. Unless you ask for it and pay for it, a tech won't make any measurements or record anything. They will select a feeler at the center of the clearance spec, loosen the adjusting nut, insert the feeler to establish the gap, then tighten the adjusting nut with the feeler in the gap, then check the gap.

I take 4-5 hours to do the job myself, but I spend a lot of time measuring, messing around, and cleaning parts. The job is not difficult if you have a factory service manual and watch youtube videos.

The engine should be cold. Usually that means letting it sit overnight. I also think if it is too cold outside, the clearances are skewed and for certain RTV sealant takes forever to cure. So do the job when air temps are in the 65 to 85 range.

Amazon sells a handy tool which makes tightening the adjuster (while maintaining the gap) a lot easier. I could find a link...

Because of the now famous issues with the 1st gen CRV, I check clearances first at 50K and then every 30K. Some of the clearances have been tight but within spec. I always center them. Never notice any difference in noise or driveability or economy.

I called some local dealers a few weeks ago for quotes on an inspection/adjust. The results were all over the map. I'll try to post that info later.

 

[Drew03Accord]

you can switch to 10W-30 for summer month. you might loose some mpgs and 1-2hp but it will make engine last little longer. in winter month 5W-30 is good

Didn't want to turn this into an oil discussion but I can't say I agree with 10W-30 making the engine last longer. An oil that much thicker will resist flowing through the smaller orifices and around the tighter bearing tolerances for which 5W-20 is recommended, hence impeding oil flow. 5W-30 I can live with.

Thx for that info Toomanyaccords.

 

[AMAN1]

V6 or 4-cylinder? They're both due for a valve adjustment anyways, but apparently the 4-cylinders can get away with waiting a bit longer.

If you have a V6, you need to worry about the timing belt and water pump, which is $$$

 

[Drew03Accord]

V6 or 4-cylinder? They're both due for a valve adjustment anyways, but apparently the 4-cylinders can get away with waiting a bit longer.

If you have a V6, you need to worry about the timing belt and water pump, which is $$$

I4 so I have timing chain. Water pump is still a concern, I believe.

 

[slotlessman]

It sure would be nice if people would mention what motor they have when they post or in their sig. :dunno:

The V6 is not an hour job it's more like 4-5. The 4 cylinder could be an hour, I don't know, never owned one.

 

[Ilovemy06VtecV6]

you can switch to 10W-30 for summer month. you might loose some mpgs and 1-2hp but it will make engine last little longer. in winter month 5W-30 is good

10w-30 and 5w-30 are mostly the same "30 weight" in the summer. The 10w and 5w are "winter" designations hence the "w" after 5w and 10w and so mostly they are both the same 30 weight in summer, actual statistics outstanding. Little point in dickering over whether to use 5w or 10w since those are for winter(cold) temperatures and besides it's better, easier and more comfotable for most people to use what it says on the cap.

The point is to find a ELITE oil that will protect you from heat in the summer and cold in the winter and that is why semi-synthetics or synthetic blends are best at. A good all-around performer is usually a semi-synthetic because then you don't have to worry about switching from "heavier" synthetic in the summer to protect from searing heat(enemy of engine to "lighter" dinos in the winter barring EXTREME weather conditions found out EAST and Midwest.

 

[BLCKFLSH]

Wouldn't happen to have a link to one of those valve adjustment videos (V6)? I have the service manual, but it would be nice to actually see someone doing it. I'm thinking about getting one of those tools, but was sceptical that it would actually prevent the clearance from changing when I tighten the nut. I hear stories about the rear bank, and I can imagine it's tough to reach back there. I only have 84k miles, but I'm itching to check the valve clearances. Too soon? I use Mobil 1 5w20, but I don't have any engine noises. How long do you go between changes?

 

[Drew03Accord]

It sure would be nice if people would mention what motor they have when they post or in their sig. :dunno:

Slotless... my bad and you're right. I took your advice and created a sig.

 

[Fredsvt]

The valves in all Hondas get tighter when they are cold, so there should be no noise until it warms up if they are out of spec.

The most common issue with most Honda motors is the exhaust valves tighten, and can cause rough running, stalling or misfires until they get warm. I've never heard a Honda with valve train noise on cold starts unless someone has set them horribly loose, and then then click/clack terribly once warm.

The J engine is known to tighten the exhaust valves. The K doesn't, but they can have cam issues.

Are you sure you're not hearing piston slap? It will sound similar to a diesel on light throttle acceleration. And it goes away once a small amount of heat gets into the pistons.

The I4 has piston slap issues, my mom's '03 clatters quite loudly even at 45k when cold.

On the I4, you can have VTC or timing chain slop causing clatter on startup, but on the gen 7s, it's not that common.

I'd not use 10w30, for the exact reasons you mention along with the fact that all 10w30s are based on much cheaper base stocks. These cars all have extremely low tension piston rings which require a very thin oil to keep them properly lubed and cooled.

 

[Drew03Accord]

Are you sure you're not hearing piston slap? It will sound similar to a diesel on light throttle acceleration. And it goes away once a small amount of heat gets into the pistons.

The I4 has piston slap issues, my mom's '03 clatters quite loudly even at 45k when cold. .

Possible... sounds more like a ticking which subsides after a minute. It was noticeable this morning, but not so much this evening after work. I park underground so the car may have been warmer than in my garage. As mentioned, I changed the oil last weekend and am using an OEM filter. I'm not worried but I like being proactive.

 

[Fredsvt]

When you hear the ticking, is it any louder if you briefly blip the throttle? Or just faster?

 

[axipher]

I'm down in Pittsburgh for work from the Great White North so I don't have access to any tools or a garage to do this myself.

I got the Honda Plus Extended warranty included for free when I bought the car and I'm just coming to the end of that. Any chance of getting this done under warranty at a dealership?

If not, are there any members around the area that could give me a hand?

 

[gone_fishing]

This guy does a valve adjustment on an Element's 4 cylinder (basically same K24 that's in the Accord):

 

[axipher]

This guy does a valve adjustment on an Element's 4 cylinder (basically same K24 that's in the Accord)

Thanks for the link mate

I'll check it out tonight after work

 

[mc1114]

I just did it on my 06 6-6. There are a couple very helpful videos on YouTube on 7G valve adjustment for those who are considering doing it themselves. For those mechanically inclined, you might realize just how easy it is after watching them. All it takes is basic tools and the feeler gauges. I reused all the gaskets