DIY Valve adjustment (2007 CRV) with gasket replacement

[AlexRTS]

I apologize for not having pictures all the way through, but I do have pictures documenting the most difficult parts

Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any damage to your vehicle, yourself, or anything else. I assume no responsibility for your actions or improper repair procedures, whether following my instructions or not.

Here are the steps that I followed: (valve adjustment, gasket and tube seal replacement)


You'll need:
a 10mm socket wrench with extension
a spark plug removal tool
a set of feeler gauges - refer to the owner's manual or under hood sticker for appropriate size - I picked up a set for $6 at O'Reilley's.
a flathead screwdriver
a bungee cord or string to hold up the power steering inlet hose (you have to remove the power steering hose in order to lift the valve cover gasket off). You don't want fluid leaking out everywhere. It may not be a bad idea to have a bottle of Honda power steering fluid handy, as if you are not quick, you will lose some fluid.


Remove the valve cover
This can be a daunting task for some. It looks intimidating at first, but this is not a difficult task.

Step 1: Turn the wheels all the way to the right (you'll thank me later!) Disconnect all of the coil pack wires. Also disconnect the wires directly in front of the exhaust manifold. Use the 10mm socket wrench to remove the bolts holding the coil packs in place. Remove the coil packs. At this point, you should be able to pull away the harness that the coil pack wires are attached to. Move this out of the way to make some more room. Use the 10mm socket to remove the two bolts holding the bracket on the left side of the engine (it will be on your right). Disconnect any sensor wires that will get in the way. Use a pair of pliers to remove the hose clamp connecting the PCV hose to the valve cover. Use the socket wrench, extension, and spark plug removal tool to unscrew and remove the spark plugs. It is a good idea to get a towel or something to cover up the empty spark plug wells so that you don't drop anything down there.

Step 2: Remove the oil dipstick. Remove all of the grommets located on top of the valve cover. There should be 6 or 7 of these. You'll need to use the 10mm socket to remove the nut, and then gently pry up with a flathead to remove the metal washer, and finally the rubber grommet. Be gentle with these!

Step 3: Get your bungee cord or string ready. Locate the power steering pump and the power steering pump inlet hose. Loop one end of the bungee cord through one of the screw holes on the power steering hose bracket. Connect the other to an empty hole on the underside of the hood. This is just to get the hose up and out of the way while we pull the valve cover off. Get a towel to absorb any leaking power steering fluid that will seep out of the top of the pump.

The valve cover should now be able to lift straight up and off. You may have to do a bit of pulling. Be sure you pull straight up, and be careful not to hit the timing chain pulley with the edge of the valve cover. You won't have a whole lot of room to work with, so just take it slow and be careful.

Set the valve cover aside, and immediately reconnect the power steering hose. You don't need to screw in both bolts, just make sure that there isn't any fluid leaking out. Wipe down any spilled power steering fluid, making sure none has made contact with the belt.

Inspect valve clearances
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT VALVE ADJUSTMENTS
If you do not know what you are doing, or feel uncomfortable, DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS PROCEDURE. Incorrect valve adjustments can cause costly repairs and damage to your engine. The exhaust valves are located towards the rear of the vehicle near the exhaust manifold, and the intake valves are located towards the front of the vehicle near where the intake manifold is. Do not get these mixed up!

The manufacturer's specifications for the 2007 CRV is as follows (2008-2011 CRV specs may be the same, but double check before doing this - Don't just assume!)
Intake clearance: 0.008" to 0.010" (Equal to 0.21mm to 0.25mm)
Exhaust clearance: 0.011" to 0.013" (Equal to 0.28mm to 0.32mm)

The exhaust valves will tend to be tight, and the intake valves may tend to be slightly loose. Just an FYI.

If the engine has not cooled yet, you're going to want to let it sit. DO NOT PERFORM A VALVE ADJUSTMENT ON A HONDA WHILE THE ENGINE IS HOT. Now would be a good time to inspect the tube seals and valve cover gaskets, especially if any of your spark plugs or spark plug wells show signs of oil contamination. (Read about the spark plug well seals and valve gasket replacements below the valve adjustment guide).


Here's what the #4 spark plug looked like on my CRV. You can clearly see oil in the threads.




Step 1: Inside of the passenger's side front wheel well, you'll see a small hole in front of the crank pulley. You'll use your socket wrench and appropriate socket (I forgot what size I used, I'll try to find out) to manually turn over the engine. This may seem daunting, but just go step-by-step and you should be fine. You're trying to find TDC or top dead center for each cylinder. You won't be able to adjust the valves unless you are at top dead center on the cylinder you are adjusting. Each cylinder has four valves: two intake valves, and two exhaust valves. I will be focusing on the exhaust valves in my images, as they tend to become tight over time. To find top dead center, you're looking for an arrow on the timing chain pulley to line up with the key on the engine block.

This arrow is on the engine block, directly next to the timing chain pulley.




You're trying to line the arrow on the timing chain pulley up with the arrow on the engine block. (I know it's hard to see, but you'll be able to see it better when you're turning the engine over manually using the socket wrench) Remember, you are using these arrows as a guide only, and will confirm TDC with the position of the cam lobe!!!




The firing order for the 2007 CRV is 1-3-4-2 USE THIS KNOWLEDGE FOR REFERENCE ONLY! Once you have lined up the top of the timing chain pulley the the arrow, double check that you are at top dead center for cylinder #1. You'll be able to tell if you are because the cam lobe will be at a position that is furthest away from the end of the rocker arm, indicating that you are indeed at TDC. Repeat this procedure very carefully for each cylinder you perform valve adjustments on!

Step 2: Use the feeler gauge to inspect the exhaust valve clearance. You put the feeler gauge between the end of the rocker arm, and the top of the valve stem. You will be able to tell if the amount of clearance is correct or not by the amount of drag when sliding the feeler gauge around. You're looking for a little bit of resistance when moving the gauge around. Refer to the sticker located on the underside of your hood to find appropriate valve clearance specs. Then use the appropriate gauge size.

You can see here where the feeler gauge goes, in between the valve stem and rocker arm. Notice the 10mm locker nut and the flathead adjustment screw.



Step 3: Adjust the valves, if needed. This is a somewhat challenging procedure. You will likely not succeed the first time, meaning that after you tighten the locker nut and re-inspect the clearance, you will have to readjust. The procedure for this is to loosen the locker nut using the 10mm socket. Use a flathead screwdriver to adjust the clearance. Stick the end of the feeler gauge between the valve stem and rocker arm. You're feeling for a slight amount of drag when moving the end of the gauge around. Once you have found the appropriate amount of resistance, lock the nut into place. I did not have the special valve adjustment tool, so instead I removed the 10mm socket from my socket wrench, stuck the flathead screwdriver through it, and held the adjustment screw into place while hand-tightening the locker nut. Chances are, you will have to re-do a few. The locker nut and the adjustment screw like to stick together sometimes, and will tighten the actual adjustment screw when you are only trying to tighten the locker nut. Always re-inspect the clearances before moving on to the next cylinder. Ensure that you have properly torqued the locker nut. DOUBLE CHECK YOUR WORK.

Step 4: Once you have adjusted all valves on the first cylinder, move on to the next. Remember, the firing order is 1-3-4-2 (2007 CRV). Turn the crank pulley 90 degrees clockwise. You'll be able to see the 3rd cylinder cam lobe reach TDC. Likewise, the arrow on the timing chain pulley will be at a 90 degree angle from the key at the top of the block. Repeat step 3, remembering to double check that the valve clearances remain in spec after tightening the locker nut. Turn an additional 90 degrees clockwise to adjust on the 4th cylinder, and an additional 90 degrees after that to adjust the 2nd. Always verify TDC visually with the position of the cam lobe, and not just knowledge of the firing order and position of the arrow alone.

[Continued on next post]

[AlexRTS]

Step 5: Use the 10mm socket to double check proper torque on the locker nuts.

Replacing valve cover gaskets and tube seals

While this is not a maintenance item, it did happen to our '07 CRV at 82,000 miles. Most will not have to perform this next step, but it is a good idea to inspect the seals especially if you are at a mileage where you are performing a valve adjustment.

Here are the tube seals, which sit underneath the valve cover. As I had noted towards the beginning of my second post, I was having trouble with the #4 cylinder.



These tube seals are supposed to sit flush with the aluminum surface, as seen here



These tube seals have aluminum inside of them, meaning you will have to essentially pry them out of their housing. DO NOT ATTEMPT IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE DOING SO.
I used a flathead screwdriver and a small rubber mallet to remove the tube seals. Be extremely careful not to damage the aluminum valve cover - damaging it is very easy to do, so be gentle. Do not use a prying motion to remove the seals, rather pull towards you with the screwdriver pointing straight down so that you don't damage the aluminum. This is the method that I used, so I cannot comment on the success of other methods that you may want to use.

Here is what the cover will look like with the tube seal removed.




Before replacing the seal, moisten the entire seal with motor oil. Don't soak it in oil, rather take your finger (you may want to wear gloves) and lubricate the seal to ensure a tight bond.

To replace the tube seal, make sure it is oriented correctly on top of the hole. You will want some sort of flat hard surface, like a small block of wood to hammer the seals into place. Do not use a hammer directly on the seals themselves, as you may damage the aluminum of the valve cover. I wrapped a wood block in a towel and applied the hammer to that. Use a light-moderate hammering force, checking the position of the seal frequently. The seal should sit flush with the valve cover.

To replace the valve cover gasket, simply pull the gasket off. It should come off in one piece. Should it not, make sure you are extra diligent when cleaning the perimeter of the valve cover where the seal was sitting. Clean the seal track of any debris, making sure there are no chunks of the old seal left. Clean any seal bond from the valve cover and the surface where the valve cover sits on the engine block. Replace with the new valve cover gasket after lightly lubricating the seal with engine oil.

Here is the finished product:



Carefully replace the valve cover, reassembling in reverse order. Remember to cover up the spark plug wells with a towel, as it is very easy to drop something down there.


It may be a good idea to use a bit of Honda-Bond on the "corners" of the valve cover gasket if your gasket does not have "nubs" holding it into place.


Check your power steering fluid level. Replace fluid if below the "fill" line.

Now, you're probably wondering how you would know if you did something wrong. Firstly, after you're sure that everything is connected, sealed, and tightened, start the engine up. Listen closely for any abnormal sounds and make sure there isn't fluid of some sort spewing out of the engine bay. A slight ticking noise is okay, as that means that the valves are properly adjusted. A loud tapping noise indicates that you may have neglected to tighten the locker nut - shut down immediately!. Be observant in changes in the way the engine idles. It should idle smoothly, but may not necessarily be undetectable. Take it for a spin once you feel confident enough that you have reassembled properly. Remember, maladjusted valves typically show up most while the engine is in the process of warming up.

If you feel that you need to adjust the valves or check clearances again, you must wait until the engine cools off. You may, however, remove the valve cover to quicken the cooling process.

[Carbuff2]

Thanks for posting! Nice DIY.

[Carbuff2]

In the other Topic, you noted:

I am very curious if not moderately concerned as to why the tube seal was deformed like that.

The only obvious explanation is that the seals were deformed when the # 3 and 4 coil-packs were replaced? Unless it happened at the factory?

FWIW, I've removed the valve cover on my K24 engine twice to do valve adjustments. The gaskets have never been replaced. I have always used a bit of RTV in the 90 degree corners as specified in the shop manual.

[AlexRTS]

I'm not sure why replacing the coil packs would have deformed the tube seal... They didn't seem to struggle at all when I removed them. Although I wouldn't say that's not a possibility. I was thinking it was much more likely that the engine got too hot on one side, perhaps due to bad coil packs or spark plugs. All four plugs were replaced with the two coil packs with NGK iridium plugs as recommended.

[Blue12EXL]

Nice job, just one note on a 2007 the intake valves are at the front of the car and the exhaust valves toward the rear of the car.

[AlexRTS]

Nice job, just one note on a 2007 the intake valves are at the front of the car and the exhaust valves toward the rear of the car.

Oops, I corrected that now. Fortunately it was just a typo, and not an actual mix-up.

[chivas1]

Thanks AlexRTS for this write up. It is very helpful. I've never done a valve job but have done other maintenance items myself. My 07 CRV is at 75k and although the valves are sounding ok, I will inspect the valves soon for piece of mind

Do you or anyone know if it's better to get the valve adjustment tool as listed in the service manual (Part #s Adjuster 07MAA-PR70110 and locknut wrench 07MAA-PR70120) or is the one selling in amazon.com good to use? (http://www.amazon.com/Alltrade-64882...ent+tool+honda)

[chivas1]

a bungee cord or string to hold up the power steering inlet hose (you have to remove the power steering hose in order to lift the valve cover gasket off). You don't want fluid leaking out everywhere. It may not be a bad idea to have a bottle of Honda power steering fluid handy, as if you are not quick, you will lose some fluid.

I was just checking the service manual process to remove cylinder head cover and this was never mentioned. It is necessary to remove the PS hose? or will just removing the hose clamp that holds the hose be sufficient? I'm thinking I might have to follow your steps but just wondering why service manual never mentions it. Thanks.

[Carbuff2]

Chivas:

That removal tool from Amazon would make the job easier and isn't too expensive, but I've never used one in my 25+ years of adjusting valves on Hondas.

I use an offset box wrench and a plain screwdriver. (Metric screwdriver, of course. LOL) I note which way the slot is oriented before I loosen, and move it just a little bit in the direction I need, verifying that the slot hasn't moved after I tighten. (Righty-Tighty, Left-Loosey).



Offset box wrenches look like this:





++++++++++++++++++

The power steering hose SUPPORT BRACKET needs to be unbolted from the Valve Cover, but it doesn't need to be removed. (Don't lose the bolt) Then, you can wiggle the VC off.


The more frustrating thing is that on the K24 engine, the hose from the VC to the engine air filter housing needs to come off, AND YOU CAN'T GET IT OFF THE VC itself. Instead, just remove the coolant hoses off the "hoop" in the middle of the hose, and take the VC off along with the top of the air filter housing.