DIY: Adjusting GPX Tappets

bigpitty1 · Post by **bigpitty1** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 5:07 pm

Hey everyone done my tappets on my GPX just yesterday, took me about 2 - 2.5 hours to do, now my engine is nice and quiet.

Also this is NOT a job for amatuers... you need a reasonably sound knowledge of mechanics to get this right or you could make things worse.

Tools:
10mm socket
12mm socket
22mm socket
10mm ring spanner
12mm ring spanner
Ratchet with extension bar
philips screw driver
feeler gauges
vice grips
Modified 10mm ring spanner

Step 1:
Remove the 5 x 10mm screws than hold down the engine cover.

Step 2:
remove the leads from the coils and the connectors, then remove the 6 x 10mm bolts that hold down the coils and remove them.

Step 3:
remove the 9 x 10mm bolts that hold down the rocker cover, they sit in a rubber grommit, they don't have to come out all the way.
Also remove the PCV hose and breather hose.

Step4:
remove the 4 x 10mm bolts that hold the timing cove on.

Step5:
you should be able to remove the rocker cover off, it might be abit hard because it might of not been taken off for a couple of years, probably the best way is to give the rocker cover a few taps with a rubber mallet and hold on to the oil cap and pull it off.

Now with the cover off you should be able to see the tappets.

undoing the lock nuts on the tappets can be a bit of a bitch as they sit under the cam, so basically you can't get a socket or a spanner in there, I ended up modifing a 10mm ring spanner, bent it and then got the vice grip to use as a lever.

alright now we are up to the part where you adjust the tappet, the clearance is .10mm for intake and .13mm for exhaust when cold and .16mm intake and .21mm exhaust when engine is hot, I did mine when it was cold.
you get your modified 10mm spanner and loosen the lock nut (don't take it off) in the middle of that nut is a screw, that screw adjusts the clearance.
put the feeler gauge between the rocker and valve, its a bit tricky but it would be easier if you had small hands as you got to get your fingers in there.
Adjust the screw so the feeler gauge fits in the gap nice and snug, it shouldn't be too tight or too loose, you should be able to move it around in the gap with a bit of resistance, then you tighten up the lock nut and then recheck the clearance.
remember that the cam lobe should be facing up so it is not puching the valve open, get the 22mm socket and ratchet on the crank so you can rotate the engine.
in the pic I got the spanner, screw driver and feeler gauges in there at the same time, you will work a rythm of getting them done.

basically that is it one down and 23 to go, also when putting the rocker cover back on you don't really have to tighten the bolts up real tight, only nip them up, its a rubber gasket make sure it seals probably or it will leak,
thats basially th front, the rear it the same but you have to remove the intake manifold.

Post by **Bennoz** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 7:40 pm

Sensational Bitgpitty

Moved into DIY

mxysxy · Post by **mxysxy** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 8:41 pm

Great work!
I would love to see more photos in action though.

Few questions;

there are 2 locknuts, one for intake and the other for exhaust. is this correct? which one is which?
Also there are two lobes. The narrower one is low-speed cam, hence the one getting adjusted, correct?

I am lost at this photo
The nut and the bolt is OK, but why the filler gauge is on the right, I cant understand. As far as I understand the thickness gauge needs to be inserted between the narrow cam and roller, which seems to be the other side of the cam. I cant understand what the gauge is measuring at the photo.
How to understand the top dead centre position of the cam? This is via looking at timing marks, is that correct?
I wish we had a better pic then above which might explain more
Need bit more information on the actual adjustment steps
It seems to go bit too quick

Take it easy on me, never opened a rocker cover before

mrx · Post by **mrx** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 10:50 pm

It's not the most difficult thing to do in the world - but trying to get some of the lock-nuts undone on the rear bank is a f%#king nightmare!

Good work on the DIY!

bigpitty1 · Post by **bigpitty1** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 11:35 pm

Few questions;

there are 2 locknuts, one for intake and the other for exhaust. is this correct? which one is which?
Also there are two lobes. The narrower one is low-speed cam, hence the one getting adjusted, correct?

In that pic those 2 locknuts are for the intake only, basically when you look at the engine with the rocker cover off, you got 2 valves near the intake manifold upper bit of the engine, bottom near the exhaust manifold is the exhaust valve, its sorta hard to explane.

I am lost at this photo
The nut and the bolt is OK, but why the filler gauge is on the right, I cant understand. As far as I understand the thickness gauge needs to be inserted between the narrow cam and roller, which seems to be the other side of the cam. I cant understand what the gauge is measuring at the photo.
How to understand the top dead centre position of the cam? This is via looking at timing marks, is that correct?
I wish we had a better pic then above which might explain more
Need bit more information on the actual adjustment steps
It seems to go bit too quick

The feeler gauge is not inserted between the rollers, under the locknut is where you insert the feeler gauge, basically you measure the gap between the valve and rocker, not rocker and cam lobe.
in that pic the feeler gauge is twisted because I wasn't holding it.

you don't have to worry about the top dead centre position of the cam lobe, you just got to make sure that the cam lobe is not pushing the valve down, easiest way is to have the lobe facing up so you know that it is off the valve.

spetz · Post by **spetz** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 4:02 am

EXCELLENT!!!!!!

Really good work there!!

How does the car run/sound/perform after the adjustment??

bigpitty1 · Post by **bigpitty1** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 11:45 pm

Quiet, no ticking noise at all, performance haven't really felt a difference but it does run smoother at idle.

khunjeng · Post by **khunjeng** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:20 am

sensational!!! will use that as I guide when mine get noisy again!! nice work on the ring spanner setup...

Storm · Post by **Storm** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 9:28 pm

I had major difficulties with the lock nuts, especially the exhaust ones as they rend to get a bit welded on. Therefore I made up a more sturdy tool by grinding back a long reach 10mm socket, thus

Which is better for loosening said nuts.

Then I use my bent spanner to retighten whilst holding adjuster with a screwdriver.

Pain in the ass but worth it in the long run.

Arashi

bigpitty1 · Post by **bigpitty1** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 11:12 pm

Good Job, That is how the mitsubishi workshop tool looks like, basically the mitsubishi workshop tool is basically a tube spanner with a part of the side missing and the screwdriver goes down the middle of it to hold the adjuster while you tighten the nut.

mr-charisma · Post by **mr-charisma** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 1:06 am

this is an awesome guide

good work

I don't know how I didn't come across this in my searches ... I'm not sure if i'll be game enough to try it, Would love to learn how to do it myself, but i think i might get a mech that knows what they're doing to work on them instead.

Thanks.

bigpitty1 · Post by **bigpitty1** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 1:29 pm

If you lived near me I would of done them for you, coz I'm starting to become a gun at doing them,

bigpitty1 · Post by **bigpitty1** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:59 pm

My tappets have gone noisy again so I thought I would adjust them again, this time I adjusted them the way found in the work shop manual, the previous time I put the feeler gauge between the valve and the adjuster, this time I put the feeler gauge between the low speed cam lobe and roller on the rocker as in the service manual.

This time around was a lot more easier and quicker, its a lot more easier putting the feeler gauge between the cam and roller than between the valve and adjuster, also I found that one of my adjuster in the rear bank is broken well the little plastic collet that holds the little pad and I only had just replaced on in the front bank 6 months ago.

also i modified a 10mm deep socket to get to the lock nuts this time same as Storms tool.

this time around I checked to see if any of the hydrolic piston to activate mivec were seized, I just used a screw to hold on to it and pulled it up, it should move freely with a little tension as there is a spring to keep it deactived.

here is a pic of the adjusters, you can see the lock nut and the adjuster in the middle to adjust the valve clearance, the one on the left I replaced a while ago.

a pic of the feeler gauge between the low speed cam lobe and roller on the the rocker.
When you have the feeler gauge in (you may have to loosen the adjusters) then you get a screw drive to tighten the adjuster, have it tight enough so you can move still move the feeler gauge between the cam and rocker but must have some resistance.

just another pic I felt like throwing in.

mxysxy · Post by **mxysxy** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 12:12 am

excellent work!

mosti · Post by **mosti** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 1:21 pm

I do want to give this a shot but I'm sh*t scared.

I remember my brother pulled his engine to bits a couple of years ago when he had is honda. When he put it back together the car was all messed up. 3 Honda specialists, a new ecu and $2000 later, the car was still rooted.

In the end dad put it in the garage and fixed it himself...like he usually does with everything when he can be bothered and has the time

As for me, my mechanical experience consists of putting on my extractors (without a hoist might i add!). And doing minor services such as oil/filter etc and i've done tranny fluid (piece of piss).

Too inexperience to tackle this? haha

spetz · Post by **spetz** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 2:48 pm

You gotta learn somewhere...
Personally if you need your car though and you cannot afford downtime I wouldn't do something I wasn't comfortable with. I like to feel safe and say "if I can't do it today, no problem, I still have another car"

Alternatively, if you follow the instructions it shouldn't be too hard

mosti · Post by **mosti** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 12:33 pm

bigpitty1 wrote:
Few questions;

there are 2 locknuts, one for intake and the other for exhaust. is this correct? which one is which?
Also there are two lobes. The narrower one is low-speed cam, hence the one getting adjusted, correct?
In that pic those 2 locknuts are for the intake only, basically when you look at the engine with the rocker cover off, you got 2 valves near the intake manifold upper bit of the engine, bottom near the exhaust manifold is the exhaust valve, its sorta hard to explane.

Can someone please elaborate on this? I can't tell which is for intake and which for exhaust :s haha

Storm · Post by **Storm** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 1:56 am

mosti wrote:
bigpitty1 wrote:
Few questions;

there are 2 locknuts, one for intake and the other for exhaust. is this correct? which one is which?
Also there are two lobes. The narrower one is low-speed cam, hence the one getting adjusted, correct?
In that pic those 2 locknuts are for the intake only, basically when you look at the engine with the rocker cover off, you got 2 valves near the intake manifold upper bit of the engine, bottom near the exhaust manifold is the exhaust valve, its sorta hard to explane.

Can someone please elaborate on this? I can't tell which is for intake and which for exhaust :s haha

Intakes are on the inner sides of the head. Outlets are on the outside of the heads, where the exhausts are

mosti · Post by **mosti** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 2:20 pm

cheers man, that was the exact answer i was looking for in the other thread.... lol.

Anyways, there's no need to mod a rin spanner if you have one of these......
Idk what u call them. Flexible ratchet spanner? haha. Bends to 50 degrees so it's pretty handy!

Oh and i grinded back a deep 10mm socket. It's a 3/8 drive though so im not sure if there's gona be much room for a screwdriver in there. Just gotta clean the edges up so i don't rape my precious fingers

spetz · Post by **spetz** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 2:36 pm

Post back and let us know how these tools work out for you Mosti

FTO AUSTRALIA