lifter noise at idle. worry?

My 98 Civic, 1.6L vtec, does the same thing at idle. It started at about 80,000. I have 86,000 on it now. This spring, I'll be taking it in to have it combed over for anything that needs done. Timing belt will be the most assured expense I bet.

As for the tick at idle, I don't think it's a lifter, as OHC/DOHC engines don't have lifters. See here for a neat article on the topic of engines and configurations.


OHV:



OHC:



DOHC:



I'm not certain what the tick is, but if you find out before me, let me know. I will be taking mine in soon, so if I hear something, I'll post up.

Bottom line: I think it's most likely valve clearance, partly due to age, climate, and oil temperature/consistency.



Hope this helps.

Hondas (especially the early ones) are kinda known for needing periodic valve lash adjustments. It's pretty easy to do, which is a good thing seeing as they recommend doing it like every 15k miles, but it'll cost you a valve cover gasket every time. Grab a Chilton manual and it'll give you the how-to on it, as well as listing the valve lash specs.

fiveoho said:

i feel like a idiot now

i didnt know they didnt have lifters, obviously. but thanks for not making fun of me . you could have reamed me for that

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No point in making fun of anyone, mate. We are all here to help and learn--that's what makes this place great.
The real idiots are the ones that sit in silence and make the mistake of not learning.

fiveoho said:

so you have the same "tick" as well. it seems to make more noise when the car is up to operating temps. i dont feel completely dumb as that others have referred to lifter noise as well. i've seen a few posts on forums. heres one ...
http://www.vtec.net/forums/one-message?message_id=736966&page_number=1

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As for the post you linked above, I think you found some newbies. When they have join dates and mileage figures so new, their respective tech is subject to question. I'll stick with solid mechanical theory before I start listening to someone who just picked up a brand new car from the dealership this month.

fiveoho said:

do you think its time for a valve adjustment?

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I think it's something to sonsider.

fiveoho said:

thanks for the post and help

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You are most welcome. Hope you (we) figure something out.

Darkwriter77 said:

Hondas (especially the early ones) are kinda known for needing periodic valve lash adjustments. It's pretty easy to do, which is a good thing seeing as they recommend doing it like every 15k miles, but it'll cost you a valve cover gasket every time. Grab a Chilton manual and it'll give you the how-to on it, as well as listing the valve lash specs.

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Yepper.
I have an old 50cc 4-stroke Honda dirtbike that I've had since childhood. Back then, we had to adjust valve lash when the ticking noises increased. The resulting adjustment removed the noises and actually boosted performance on a minor level.

Other (than standard / metric) tools to consider would be a nice set of feeler gauges to assess the lash adjustments.