Valve Adjuster lock nut damage/overtorque

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Apr 10, 2020 | 11:34 AM

#41

twitchyzero

Registered User

Joined: Apr 2020

Posts: 13

Likes: 1

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billman250

Every 2006-2009 with 15k miles or more is due for a valve adjustment.

i know dbw is more prone to issues, how often do you recommend an AP1 that only sees a handful of track events and barely street driven?

the shop that sees a lot of tracked vehicles recommended before each season

Apr 10, 2020 | 02:45 PM

#42

cosmomiller

Joined: Aug 2012

Posts: 7,904

Likes: 3,435

From: Foothills East of Sacramento

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slowcrash_101

Frankly you shouldn't even use a torque wrench on those jam nuts. Just get them snug, the jam nut tool is strong enough to strip the crap out of the jam nut. You can tell the torque spec by the grunting noise you make tightening it, these guys don't take more than a sharp exhale. If you full on grunt you done made an oopsie and not just in your pants.

True. You do get a feel for a pretty good ballpark proper torque if you do it enough. I am sure Billman can do it in his sleep. I do happen to use that dual screwdriver and nut combo unit you can get on Amazon. Works great.

I tossed out the idea for that torque unit as I have wondered if that would be decent for getting an idea of how tight my two torque wrenches are.

Apr 10, 2020 | 04:42 PM

#43

jyeung528

Registered User

Joined: Apr 2003

Posts: 8,595

Likes: 54

From: Temple City

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slowcrash_101

I went through this. Had to end up replacing a few rockers like 5 years ago. My cylinder 4 exhaust jam nut and screw were seized on the rocker at .012" clearance. I could loosen it but not tighten beyond that. It locked in place so I just left it. Worked fine until cylinder 2 went down.

did you use an oversized wrench, or just grunted too much?

Apr 10, 2020 | 07:45 PM

#44

zeroptzero

Joined: Oct 2009

Posts: 29,875

Likes: 5,425

From: Ontario Canada

A lot of people use torque wrenches improperly, I've seen wheel studs broken like that with properly sized wrenches and people just use them wrong. I swore by my 3/8ths torque wrench on Honda locknuts my entire life and never came close to stripping one.

Apr 10, 2020 | 08:33 PM

#45

windhund116

Joined: Sep 2014

Posts: 11,359

Likes: 1,795

I use a short offset end-wrench to do tighten these kinds of nuts and bolts. Easier to access hard-to-get-into places. Plus, harder to snap bolts and round nut heads.

http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/HuYAAO...ew/s-l1600.jpg

Apr 12, 2020 | 03:36 AM

#46

Slowcrash_101

Joined: Jul 2013

Posts: 5,731

Likes: 632

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyeung528

did you use an oversized wrench, or just grunted too much?

Tim from Home Improvement type grunt.

Apr 12, 2020 | 05:41 AM

#47

Car Analogy

Joined: Aug 2012

Posts: 8,755

Likes: 1,858

Quote:

Originally Posted by analogbubbles

Side note: I did my first valve adjustment today on my stock 2007 with 65K. I'm sure I'm the first person in there based on how stuck together everything was. My valves were WAY out of adjustment; on about half I could only get the smallest feeler gauge in there (.127).The other half I couldn't get anything through. There was a distinct change in engine sound, and I noticed an occasion metallic rattling noise was gone. This sound only occurred at high RPM; like 6k+. Pretty sure this noise thing isn't placebo. Any idea what that sound was, and is it possible to damage the motor with valves that tight?

Don't worry about added noise. Valves that are too tight are very quiet. Properly adjusted valves make some noise. Its very common for people to get a little freaked out after a valve adjustment when it makes noise that wasn't there before. Totally normal.

Obviously there are abnormal noises that can occur if you really screwed it up, but what you are describing sounds normal.

Apr 12, 2020 | 05:59 AM

#48

Car Analogy

Joined: Aug 2012

Posts: 8,755

Likes: 1,858

As for torque wrenches, avoid using it with settings on the lower end of its scale. Use the next size wrench down if the one you are using would need to be set in that range. Doing this will generally avoid using a tool too big for the job.