jhholloway

in short:
I have a b20 there the valves keep come out of adjustment. I have readjust them manytimes (6 time in the past 48 hours). Each time they are out of adjustment. I have used lock tight and that was not good. Still they are coming out of adjustment. this last time I notice that they were coming out as I turned the crank by hand. ex #1 #3 moved from .006 to .011 in two revolutions. What could be causing this?

Longer with more details:

alright, so as many of you know I just put a b20 into my 93 del Sol. I have 403 cams in a stock head. I adjusted the valves before putting the engine in the car. i adjusted them to 6 and 8 thousandths COLD- just like the cam card said. I got the engine in and running then realized that i never degreed in the cams. When and got that done then got it tuned. it ran just fine not tapping that i remember. I drove the car for a day or two, then one night when I was almost home I accelerated hard in 1st. I thought it felt odd, so i rolled the rest of the way to my drive way. popped the hood and reved it in hopes of hearing something. Sure enough, the valves are tapping. i adjust them all back to spec then started it up, and it still sounded like a did not adjust them right. I did this three times til I was furious and late for work. Came home then my dad came over and I had him look at it. (he's a mechanic) Well, it did not make the noise. Drove the car to the gas station, and on the way it started tapping again. Took the car home and readjust them for the 4th time. (every time they have been out). At this point started it up, and some tapping sound. I waited til the next day and called Crower and told them, and asked b/c I noticed that my cam card was different than the one on the web site. One card said .006 and .008 COLD and the other said HOT. So since I had been doing mine cold, i thought this made since. So this morning I ran the car got it nice in hot and readjusted them. Sure enough the same thing tap tap tap... took everything back apart readjust them this time taking a lot of time and taking off the lock nut and wiping the stud clean and applying the blue service removable lock tight then using the new COLD specs I got from Crower .004 and .006 i adjust them. I only did the exhaust side and notice that they were coming out of adjustment as i turned the crank by hand. I made 2 full revolution and #3 #1 were already at .011. What can cause my valves to keep coming out of adjustment like this? I torques them down at 14 lbs then 20lbs in hopes that e the extra 30% of torque would help

jhholloway

any thoughts anyone?

kanadaa

How often did you adjust the valves before you put the cams in?

Edit: Was there a problem before the cams went in and it just was not as often?

jhholloway

I have done a lot of research and know that b20s have a valve problem. (they tighten over time, and honda said you don't have to check them til 105k by then it's too late). I bought the motor with 120k on it and was told it has low compression. I rebuild the whole thing. #3 valve was crack thus making the bad compression numbers.

Sorry, I adjusted the valves 1st before putting the MOTOR in the car, not before the cams in the motor. Yeah that would make it difficult to adjust the lash with no cams.

kawgomoo

if the valves are getting sucked into the head, they will get tighter not looser.

i think there is a very good chance you dont know how to properly lash your valves.

jhholloway

i readjusted them today; they worked fine. After I put the valve cover back on, I took it down the road. all good was good. Then later drove about 10 more miles and back home. By the time I got home they are tapping again. Sure it COULD be possible that I am going to wrong, but this is not a complected adjustment. it's a feeler gauge, a screw driver, 12mm wrench, and a torque wrench. All, you have to do it turn the engine over tighten the stud to specs, then lock it down with the nut, torque it, remeasure specs with the feeler gauge. turn the crank and move on to the rest of them.

kawgomoo

yes, i know the procedure.

But theres no way your engine is wearing the much in a short amount of time.

Either your adjusters are coming loose, or you are lashing the valves with the cams in the wrong position.

You are visually verifying the lifter is sitting on the base circle of the cam and not the ramp correct?

whichever pair of valves you are adjusting, the lobes should be pointing away from them. if the lobes are 90 degrees out..pointed up or down instead of away from the valves you arent doing something right.

also, if your spec is .007 make sure a .008 feeler WILL NOT FIT and the .006 is sloppy. for those with bad feel, this is an easy go/no-go way to measure lash.

specialblend154

glad to see a productive thread on VAdriven instead of just shit talking.

jhholloway

yeah, not trying to be smart. I am grateful for the help.


I can't figure out how they can go from not tapping to tapping SO fast. It does not make since, and it's all mechanical so the ecu is not trying to change anything there are no sensor to be screwed up. It's either me or it. Like you said. lol

So what you are saying is that the exhaust side should be pointing to the radiator and the intake side should point to the firewall, Right? or I am stupid and doing it backwards?
I have been checking that they have been laying horizontal. like an egg laying on a table. I am just trying to make sure I am understanding what you are saying. "base circle of the cam and not the ramp correct" you are referring to the flatter spots on the sides of the cams, where one would place a caliper if he were to measure the cams.

marlinspike

Actually...
OP, how do your cam lobes look?
The unhardened flat tappet cam guys learned with the new oil rules just how quickly the cam/rocker can wear.