So my 2000 Accord LX, 2.3L 4 Cyl Auto, had a blown head gasket. I decided to remove the head myself, have it machined and had them do a valve job on it since I had it off.

Everything, including the head, came off without issue. After the machine shop, the head came home pressure checked, looking brand new with a brand new set of valves. I replaced the entire gasket set from the head gasket up. Timing belts were replaced and I performed a great deal of general clean-up and maintenance. Everything went back together without issue, right up until I put the rocker arm assembly back on and tried to adjust the valves (as is required after a valve job.)

On every cylinder I am having this same issue: Three of the four rocker arms adjust, and one won't. Both rocker arms on the exhaust side adjust fine, also the rocker arm closest to the passenger side on the intake side adjusts without issue. However, again, on each cylinder, the rocker arm closest to the driver side on the intake half cannot be adjusted far enough out to slide the feeler gauge in. Essentially, on all four cylinders, I will adjust this rocker arm all the way out and it will just continue to go lower and lower, always maintaining contact with the top of the valve. If I press on the other half of the rocker arm I can elevate it enough to slide the feeler gauge in there. It feels as there is some spring putting tension on the rocker arm, but I can't figure out where it may be. (Again, three of the rocker arms adjust fine, this issue is only found on each cylinder on the intake side rocker arm closest to the driver side.)

I have looked closely at the mating/mounting surfaces between the head and the rocker arm assembley, everything is tight, flush and torqued to spec. The camshaft is sitting appropriately in its location. The timing belt checks out and appears to be installed correctly.

Below are pictures I took earlier today.
The first is a top down view of the rocker arms for cylinders 1&2
The second is a shot from the front, showing that the mating surface is flush.
The third is an angled shot of cylinder 1, you can see that the rocker arm closest is adjusted all the way out.
The fourth is a side view of cylinder 1, you can see that the same valve on each cylinder is all the way out.
The last is an angled shot where you can see the closest rocker arm on cylinder 1 is sitting lower than the other rocker arm on that same cylinder (which was adjusted correctly in that picture.)

Any advice would be appreciated. I really want to get this sucker back together. My wife and I are sharing a car, which is awful....

 

Sounds like something may be out of line when you installed the rocker assembly. I'd suggest removing the rocker assembly then re-install.

Here is a good video on installation.

 

PAhonda, thank you for the response. I originally thought something wasn't seated right, but I now doubt that is it. I have removed the rocker arm assembly twice, each time it mounts back in the same way with the same issue. I have also checked all the mating surfaces, down to the block and everything is flush.

Last night I actually took the whole head off again (forgot the damned cylinder head dowel pins... ) and put it back together again with the exact same results.

At first I felt that I must have something out of alignment as well, but after tearing it down and putting it back together several times, I just don't think that is the case.

It seems as though there is something adding downward force to that specific rocker arm on each cylinder. If I can figure out what might cause that force to a single valve, common across all cylinders, I would likely find the culprit

 

After wasting hours of time that I should be working, I think I am narrowing down the likely excuse. So the specific rocker arm I am having trouble with is named the "primary rocker arm" and I will refer to it as such from now on. The primary rocker arm has a small plate on the top of it called a timing plate (item #13 in the first picture below.) That timing plate has a small spring (item 14 below) that is positioned such that (on my car) it is exerting downward force on the timing plate, which is then transfered to the primary rocker arm itself.

My best guess is that I somehow screwed up the positioning of the timing spring such that it is either positioning force in the wrong direction (ie it should be holding the timing plate UP rather than forcing it DOWN) or I have it wound too tightly, such that it is exherting too much downward force. Anyone know the propper positioning of this spring/plate? That seems to be the thing that could be responsible for that sort of downward force on each cylinder (and if I screwed it up for one, chances are I screwed it up for all...)

 

Success!! I wanted to post a final update to this thread so anyone who has a similar problem gets the resolution.

As the diagram above showed, the little hook on the bottom of the timing plate needed to be in front of the post coming off the mounting bracket. So when I went back and took the rocker arm assembly off the car, I found that I had assembled each of the timing plates such that the hook was BEHIND that post, and thus not held back from pushing the primary rocker arm down to the valve. The first picture below indicates the WRONG way to have the timing plates positioned.

The second picture below shows the propper way to position the timing plate.

Notice that the hook on the timing plate is held back by the same post that holds the timing spring. That little post keeps the timing plate from pushing your primary rocker arm down too far onto the valve, thereby preventing valve adjustment. Once I restrained the timing plates like correctly, everything fit together just right and I was able to adjust everything.

Hope this helps someone else avoid the two days I spent banging my head against the wall on this.

 

In Pic 1 the lug appears to be solid, but Pic 2 the hook appears to penetrate the lug. Optical illusion?

Optical fooled me. I see now the arm is arrested by the lug.

thanks

 

@walsead thank you for this post, i think this is exactly what happened when i did my rebuild. i just got a full engine (valve cover down to block) rebuilt and put together. when i went to do the valve lash adjustment, i noticed that cylinders 1 and 4, there was one rocker arm each that was "stuck" and could not move. i also noticed that the tabs (i think you called it a timing plate) for both those cylinders could not spring upwards like 2 and 3. i need to take off the rocker arm assembly ("raa") and check for this now and then reinstall. question i have now is if you remove the raa do you have to retime? would the cam (with the belt already on and timed) flip out because there is pressure from the belt on one side of the cam? i'll message you directly as well as always good to connect with accord folks and this is an old a$$ thread...

 

Did this fix your problem? I知 gonna try this later today because I happen to be having the same exact problem. I知 glad I知 not the only one going through this lol.

 

so after going back and readjusting the timing plates I was able to do a proper valve adjustment. I had the same problem as the other guy.