If you do all the maintenance regularly, and i might say adjust the valve gaps even more frequently than recommended by Honda, these engines will last a long long time unless you are beating the crap out of it. Don't let it run out of oil (applies to any engine), and keep the valve gaps properly adjusted. Personally, I would not attempt to rebuild the bottom end. Given my age and the amount and type of driving I do, I expect my motor will be running like a top with a ton of life left when I finally go to the grave.

 

How intensive is this valve adjustment? Can a regular Joe Honda mechanic do the job competently?

 

It's not hard, just tedious, you're better off doing it yourself.

 

Tedious describes it well. Full instructions to include photos in the library (here). Bent feeler gauges (you'll snap break the straight) and the are really all you need that you probably don't have and the special tool is just for convenience. Complete set of valve cover gaskets are available as a set.

Because you'll be bending over for quite some time putting the car on jackstands will minimize back strain. Removing the spark plugs makes positioning the pistons easier. If it's been a while since you changed the plugs you can do now conveniently.

Engine has to be cold.

(Everything above should be in of the photo essays)

Do it with a buddy. The second car will take less than half the time.

-- Chuck

 

As far as valve adj jobs go, easy! Beats shim over bucket any day! Buy yourself the $15 nut holding tool and some bent tip feeler guages and good to go. Spin the motor to tdc/ and then 180degree to where all the cams are at thier pinical point and check/adjust away.

 

A motorcycle shop will be very familiar with the process. Identical to many Honda bikes, especially the V4's from the 80's. An independent bike shop may be happy to take this job, especially during their slow season.

If you can use a feeler gauge, and remove the valve cover, you can diy this.

One trick, throw out the manual, and use 180 away method. Where people mess this job up is aligning timing marks TDC, and counting degrees of rotation to adjust the next valve. So don't bother with any of that.

180 away is faster, easier, virtually mistake proof.

Turn engine until a cam lobe is pointing up, 180 degrees away from its follower. Adjust that valve. Repeat until all valves adjusted.

All the timing marks and counting engine rotation is doing is trying to make sure cam lobe is where it needs to be.

So long as valve is fully closed, its clearance can be adjusted. There is no level of precision required for lobe being exactly 180 away. The precision part is the actual setting of the clearance. The feeler gauge. So just eyeball the cam lobe up, carefully adjust clearance, go to next.

btw, only ever turn engine clockwise. Never go backwards.

Remove plugs so its way easier to turn engine by hand.

 

In my opinion adjusting valve gaps is something that you can do if you have worked on cars and you have a basic understanding of how an internal combustion engine works. I agree with the others that if you fit in that category, (I think I do), you can certainly do a valve adjustment and do a good job. It sounds to me from your post that you certainly do have the skills needed. If you know how to do a compression test you should be fine. Just go slow, step by step, and then be sure to check all the gaps again before you put everything back together. I have done maybe a dozen valve adjustments on maybe 4 different cars including the S. I am no expert. I just take my time with it. After you have done it once or twice it gets quicker. But, be sure to check each gap a second time when you are all done and before you button everything up.

Considering that others may read this thread, I should say that In my opinion if working on cars is not something that you have done in your life, and If the descriptions about how to do the job don't make sense to you, I would leave valve adjustments on this car to someone who has more experience. I have to say that if an average home mechanic, like myself, can do a valve adjustment, (and I think they certainly can), then any decent mechanic should be able to do it just fine. I agree that motorcycle mechanics generally will be very familiar with the process.

For what its worth, I agree 100% with Car Analogy about the method to use. He calls it the 180 degree away method. You absolutely do not have to worry about determining TDC. Just make sure each vavle is fully closed when you set the gap for that valve. The way to do this is to turn the engine until the cam lobe for the valve you are adjusting is pointing up. If you see the lobe is pointing up you are good to go. Its that simple. Make the adjustment and then move to the next valve. When you have the cover off this is very easy to see. If the cam is pointing down then the valve under that cam will be open - you don't want that. This method makes the process much simpler and reduces errors.

Last thing, especially if you have a DBW model year, search for Billman valve gap recommendations and adjustment frequency recommendations. It turns out that especially the DBW car may experience gradual tightening of valve gaps sooner than the Honda recommended valve adjustment intervals, and a number of these cars have ended up with out of spec gaps and burned valves. My understanding is that the valves need dwell time when closed against the valve seats to dissipate heat. Out of spec tight gaps reduce the dwell time when the valve is closed against the seat. Billman spells it all out in a few threads somewhere here on this forum. Find his recommendations and if it were me I would follow them. I have an Ap1, and the Ap1 cars don't exhibit this problem, so I don't remember his recommendations for the DBW Ap2 motors.

Second last thing I recommend measuring the gap for each valve both before and after your adjustment and right it down.

Third last thing if you remove the manifold heat shield it is a lot easier to get good gap measurements on the exhaust side. You don't have to remove it, I suspect most don't, but I find it make it easier to do the job accurately, so I take the time to pull it off.

 

Is there a video showing how this is done? Never taken off a valve cover before, I am just mentally blocked against doing any engine work, most other stuff I can do, excluding electrical. I will ask my "friendly" Honda dealer how much they charge for the job. luckily they sold the S2000 locally, although the 2.0 litre engine model until the very end.

Is there a Youtube video showing how its done? Would one need a new head gasket?

 

Honda motorcycle dealer/mechanic may know how to to this but few car dealers. Rare car out of production since 2008-9.

You won't be touching the cylinder head so you won't need a cylinder head gasket! Depending on the condition of the valve cover gasket (yes,nomenclature is vital) you can probably re-use the original. Spark plug gaskets seem to turn to concrete so get a set of those as well.

One (of dozens) link:
https://s2000.club/OM/DIY%20Valve%20...0%20Forums.pdf

-- Chuck

 

Rob's site has tons of useful info - including valve adjustments. No video, but nice pics and he has links to the specialty tools.

https://robrobinette.com/S2000ValveAdjust.htm