when are u suppose to have your valves adjusted and how much does it usually cost?

 

~30K miles, it'll cost you ~$100 at honda...cheaper from some other shops. You could do it yourself, its not that hard.

 

On a semi-related note, anybody know where I can get some good valve shims? And I don't mean the little circular ones but the ones that flip out like a pocket-knife?

And Joeballz, like LT said I try to do mine every 30k miles and it's really easy to do yourself, doesn't even take much time.

 

I bought mine at a Kragen store.

With a GS-R, the spacing is very tight: 0.06, 0.07, 0.08.

Advice from searching said that the shims that are bent (at the ends) are better for the job. But the bent shim set at Kragen did not have the right thickness values. So I went with the unbent pocket-knife set; there must be about 20 blades. I did not have a problem with the unbent shims, as the shims are already really thin and bendable.

 

I work on them for a living so I bought Mac feeler gauges, the kind I like for most honda/acura engines are these,
http://www.mactools.com/ProductDetai...?ItemNum=FG10S

Mac makes another type that are straight and about 6-7 inches long, perfect for Vtec motors cause they kinda bent around that upper valve train oiler assembly. I didn't find them on the web site though.

I think a $100 is a good deal for a valve adjustment at the dealer if they replace the valve cover gasket. I would leave it to somebody that knows how to do it properly, it takes some experience to get the proper "feel" even with go no go gauges like the one's in the url above. I've seen plenty honda/acura's come into the shop with idle problems and dying at stop light complaints while cold after the customer tried doing the valve adjustment themselfs. 1st gen. CRV's get like this if you never adjust the valves, I guess the valve seats are pretty soft ..

 

how do you adjust the valves yourself? i mean i know a decent amount but im not sure how to do that

 

http://www.c-speedracing.com/howto/v...alveadjust.php

 

It is not difficult, but it does take a few times to get the feel. Dont be surprised if you do it once, fire her up and go "damn its still ticking!"

You just cant take the term "slight drag" literally. The guage has to be snug.

You can get the good angled feeler guages at Sears for like $8 or something.