Valve lash DIY
I am not responsible for any damage you cause to the engine or yourself during this procedure.
Alright, after seeing enough threads on here about adjusting the valve lash, ive decided to go ahead and make a diy thread for it.
Here are the tools that will be needed:
1.)10mm wrench
2.)Flathead screwdriver
3.)10mm socket (not needed, but recommended to speed up process of valve cover removal)
4.)17mm deep socket
5.)Large sized ratchet to bar engine over
6.)Feeler gauges that include .007” and .009”
7.)Phillips screwdriver
8.)Spark plug deep socket remover and extension
9.)Piece of durable wire, a straw, chop sticks, coat hanger (with no sharp edges)
10.)Patience and a strong back!!
Here is a list of what NEEDS to be done in order for the best lash adjustment possible:
1.)Feeler gauge clearances need to be checked between the rocker arm tip and the end of the valve, see picture for reference.
2.)All valves lashes need to be adjusted at TDC of the targeted cylinder
3.)Get to know your feeler gauge. As dumb as that may sound, you’ll thank yourself because a lot of times people go in there and don’t know what to look for when using the feeler gauge.
4.)When using the feeler gauge, you need to have a nice drag on it between the rocker arm and the top of the valve. You don’t want to yank it out and you don’t want to be able to pull it out with no resistance at all, just a real nice drag.
5.)Firing order of the engine is 1-3-4-2. This will be referenced to later
Lets get started:
First, we want to remove plug wires out of spark plugs, but not out of the distributor cap!!
Next, we want to remove the valve cover. It consists of 5 10mm bolts that are easily removed. Remove the bolts and remove the valve cover. I like to take the gasket with it and that will be explained later when you reinstall it.
Alright, now that the valve cover is removed, here is your working environment. Don’t get intimidated, it’s not hard at all. The cylinders are labeled and numbered for your reference. On this particular motor (d16z6), there are 16 valves total. Most d series are like this, which means you will adjust 4 valves on each cylinder. 2 intake and 2 exhaust.
Now remove the distributor cap (do not remove plug wires from the cap). This is done by removing the three phillips screws.
Once removed, you will see the rotor, which is pictured here. The metal piece on the arc of the rotor is going to be our reference. The piece is about ¾” long, so just use the middle of it. What I did was mark each cylinders plug wire so I could easily verify which cylinder I was on.
Once everything on the rotor is situated and ready to go, you can now remove the spark plugs. I highly recommend removing the plugs because it will release the compression and make the engine a lot easier to bar over.
I am not responsible for any damage you cause to the engine or yourself during this procedure.
Alright, after seeing enough threads on here about adjusting the valve lash, ive decided to go ahead and make a diy thread for it.
Here are the tools that will be needed:
1.)10mm wrench
2.)Flathead screwdriver
3.)10mm socket (not needed, but recommended to speed up process of valve cover removal)
4.)17mm deep socket
5.)Large sized ratchet to bar engine over
6.)Feeler gauges that include .007” and .009”
7.)Phillips screwdriver
8.)Spark plug deep socket remover and extension
9.)Piece of durable wire, a straw, chop sticks, coat hanger (with no sharp edges)
10.)Patience and a strong back!!
Here is a list of what NEEDS to be done in order for the best lash adjustment possible:
1.)Feeler gauge clearances need to be checked between the rocker arm tip and the end of the valve, see picture for reference.
2.)All valves lashes need to be adjusted at TDC of the targeted cylinder
3.)Get to know your feeler gauge. As dumb as that may sound, you’ll thank yourself because a lot of times people go in there and don’t know what to look for when using the feeler gauge.
4.)When using the feeler gauge, you need to have a nice drag on it between the rocker arm and the top of the valve. You don’t want to yank it out and you don’t want to be able to pull it out with no resistance at all, just a real nice drag.
5.)Firing order of the engine is 1-3-4-2. This will be referenced to later
Lets get started:
First, we want to remove plug wires out of spark plugs, but not out of the distributor cap!!
Next, we want to remove the valve cover. It consists of 5 10mm bolts that are easily removed. Remove the bolts and remove the valve cover. I like to take the gasket with it and that will be explained later when you reinstall it.
Alright, now that the valve cover is removed, here is your working environment. Don’t get intimidated, it’s not hard at all. The cylinders are labeled and numbered for your reference. On this particular motor (d16z6), there are 16 valves total. Most d series are like this, which means you will adjust 4 valves on each cylinder. 2 intake and 2 exhaust.
Now remove the distributor cap (do not remove plug wires from the cap). This is done by removing the three phillips screws.
Once removed, you will see the rotor, which is pictured here. The metal piece on the arc of the rotor is going to be our reference. The piece is about ¾” long, so just use the middle of it. What I did was mark each cylinders plug wire so I could easily verify which cylinder I was on.
Once everything on the rotor is situated and ready to go, you can now remove the spark plugs. I highly recommend removing the plugs because it will release the compression and make the engine a lot easier to bar over.