5th gen valve clearance & related maintenance.

[Azamat]

I just checked my valve clearance, and everything is in spec. Most of the intakes are .007 in., a couple are .005. The exhausts are all on the tight side, mostly .011 and none over .012. My question is, can these tolerances cause a very slight valve tick when the engine is fully warmed up? Should I be anal about it and get everything to .006 and .012 on the dot? Should I use heavier oil in the summer months? What is your experience?

The bike has just under 30k miles. I bought it last spring with about 7k miles, and this is the first time I've pulled off the valve covers.

While they're off, I think I'll change the spark plugs too. Are the ones that Honda dealerships sell any different from something I could buy at Checker? I'm not gonna put some crap plugs in to save $10, but I am curious if any of you have experimented with this.

Also on the agenda, steering head bearings. Tips and advice are welcome; I've taken a couple crappy pics on my cell phone camera; I'm a n00b mechanic, but I can provide some higher quality pics if they will be of any help to the VFR community..

Oh yeah, what do you guys recommend for scraping off the old sealant? I find these valve covers are easily scratched.

thanks,
Azamat

[Lgn001]

Every engine I have owned with a mechanical valvetrain had it's own associated noises, even when things were right where they should be. As long as the "tick" did not turn into a "tack", I eventually stopped worrying about it.

You might have a noisy fuel injector; they sound a lot like a loose valve clearance. Does it tick when it is cold, or just warm?

I stick with Denso or NGK spark plugs, preferably Denso. That's just me, though.

For gasket and sealant removal, I use a normal scraping tool. What does make a big difference is keeping the scraping edge as flat and polished as possible, so that the scraping edges are really sharp. A wide, fine drystone works pretty well to maintain the cutting edge.

[Azamat]

I only notice the tick when the engine is warmed up; wouldn't an injector tick from startup? If it is the injectors, does that mean they're reaching their life expectancy?

The valve cover has a groove for the gasket, so that's why I'm having a hard time removing all the old sealant. Razor blade worked okay for the edges, but the groove is a different story. I'm thinking of picking up some chemical gasket remover after work, but I'm not sure if it might react with the alloy of the valve cover (is it magnesium?)

Anyways, thanks for the reply Lgn001!


Azamat

Originally Posted by Lgn001

Every engine I have owned with a mechanical valvetrain had it's own associated noises, even when things were right where they should be. As long as the "tick" did not turn into a "tack", I eventually stopped worrying about it.

You might have a noisy fuel injector; they sound a lot like a loose valve clearance. Does it tick when it is cold, or just warm?

I stick with Denso or NGK spark plugs, preferably Denso. That's just me, though.

For gasket and sealant removal, I use a normal scraping tool. What does make a big difference is keeping the scraping edge as flat and polished as possible, so that the scraping edges are really sharp. A wide, fine drystone works pretty well to maintain the cutting edge.

[Lgn001]

If it only ticks when warm, it is probably not an injector. If "Dizzy" reads this post, he would have a better idea of what it might be, as he has been a technician for quite some time (25+ years, I think). It sounds like a slightly loose clearance to me, but again, all of my bikes have had their strange little noises.

For cleaning grooves, try using a drill bit that is about the right diameter. Wrap some tape around the cutting portion, and use the end that would normally go into the drill to scrape the groove. I've also used cut off toothpicks before, but they only seem to work well for old silicone.

I've never used the chemical remover. I know some of my bikes had a clear coat over the aluminum finish, so that might be something to be careful about.

[Sye]

I use a copper wire wheel attachment on the Dremel. Does the job in no time at the slowest speed and doesnt scratch the alloy.

[Azamat]

Whoops--I tried a brass brush, which seems to be harder than the valve cover, a plastic brush, which didn't do squat, then the chemical gasket remover, which worked like a charm, but also ate into the gold coating on the back cylinder valve cover. (the front one looks like straight aluminum, while the back one has a plasticky golden finish for....heat insulation? Is yours the same, or has one of my valve covers been replaced in the past?)

Moreover, after wiping the chemical off, I touched the wet rag with my bare skin and it burned like a mofo. So, Permatex gasket remover gets a thumbs down on general principle. I'm guessing you'd do equally well with hydrochloric acid.

I switched the plugs with NGK ones, $7 a piece from Honda Town.

Now I'm waiting on gaskets and bearings from Motoprimo. It's sunny out, and I'm starting to regret starting this job unprepared just for feeling useless on a Sunday morning.

Cheers,
Azamat

[Lgn001]

Originally Posted by Azamat

Now I'm waiting on gaskets and bearings from Motoprimo. It's sunny out, and I'm starting to regret starting this job unprepared just for feeling useless on a Sunday morning.

Yeah, but it will be DONE, and then you won't have to worry about it for quite a while!

[Azamat]

Originally Posted by Lgn001

Yeah, but it will be DONE, and then you won't have to worry about it for quite a while!

Very true, and I'll be glad for it. But it would've been easy to figure out what new parts I needed in advance, buy them and have the job done in a couple of days, instead of spending a week commuting on four wheels. Bah, humbug.

Keep the rubber on the road!