I had a loud ticking noise coming from my #4 cylinder on my 2008 acura tl. The dealership wanted $600 to adjust the valves. I watched both parts of this video and adjusted them myself. The noise is gone! Thank you for making these videos!

Anyone else point to cylinder 5 when Eric asked "Where's cylinder number 5?" He even said well done for getting the answer right. ;)

I love torque specs. Makes me feel like I did something important. I think it's fun to take out a torque wrench, it's the pride of my tool box.

This is another great video from Eric on the Honda/Acura V6 J series engine. I am told by my dealer that they adjusted my valve lashes at 60K but I had suspicion that they didn't. The reason is the engine valve covers are still dusty as they were when they completed the job and as we can see here, at least there has to be some finger prints or glove marks on the valve covers when Eric pulled them off. I'd say if the engine does not make excessive valve noise, leave them alone. This is obviously necessary when the car reach 100K miles on the odo or when you hear that noisy valve sounds from the engine bay. This is delicate work and if you don't know what you are doing, you will make it worse.

This is such a timeless video - thanks for uploading! Going to be referring to this in a couple months when it comes time to do the same thing to the Odyssey. Thanks Eric!

Thank you Eric for another great video. This gave me the confidence to go in there and smooth out the rough idle my car had for over a year. Thank you! :)

I know this video is old but thank you so much Eric. This is an amazing video. The way you explained this Even an inexperienced person can do this so long as they follow the steps EXACTLY how youve done it. I have a 3.0 litre 2004 Honda Accord coupe that I'm going to do this on

I think I speak for everyone when I say... WE LOVE YOU!

My '98 Civic has been needing this done badly for a while now. It has the D16Y7 engine, far simpler to do than the J series it looks like! Glad i came across this video, now I feel a bit more confident in attempting to to it myself on my smaller and easier 4-banger. (easier meaning much less stuff in the way to remove.) Thanks again for another awesome tutorial.

I been working on cars for 20+ years. I definatly torque head bolts in sequence, rod and main caps, cam caps, but really dont anything else, just have a feel for it like you and never, ever had a problem. great vid Eric

Thanks Eric. Great video. I have a 2007 Accord V6 with J30A engine and the cam belt broke causing 3 bent exhaust valves on cylinders 2 and 5 so I removed the heads, skimmed them and replaced four valves, lapped and placed the heads back on the block. Then I did the valve clearance. The rockers had been removed for the head skims and with the four new valves there was a bit more work to do to get the clearances correct. Put it all back together and yep....a noisy tappet!! So I will have to pull it all apart again and start over. (Minor in comparison to the whole head job I just completed but still a PITA!) I think the problem I had was actually the feelers themselves. It is really tight to get around these valves and I had to bend the feeler into the gap. I think this provided some false readings especially on those back exhaust valves which are harder to get to. I notice you had some special feeler gauges that were pre-bent? I will look for some of those or bend up the ones I have to see if I can get a more accurate reading. Thanks Eric. Love your honesty in these vids too about torques etc especially around these 16 ft-lb 10mms. Sometimes seems far too much. I prefer to just feel my way like you did and I know when its getting tight. Waiting for a click on a torque wrench is like waiting for the cork to pop on a champagne bottle LOL! PS. The cam belt broke because of a third party water pump . The bush that holds the cam belt tensioner is bolted to the water pump and is supposed to torque up in the provided thread. But, the thread hole on this badly cast water pump was too short and the bush bolt just stopped on the bottom of the thread housing and torqued on that. The result was the bolt wound itself out a couple of threads after 50,000km. The cam belt tensioner came loose and this resulted in a misaligned belt. The belt was running 20- 25% off the running surfaces and created a longitudinal crease in the belt which eventually ripped it apart. Immediate CMP sensor light (CaMshaft Position sensor) , VSA light (Vehicle Stability Assistance, which illuminates to show the circuit has been shut down by the PCM), and of course the Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI) circuit shut down and the engine stopped. The J30A and perhaps most Honda V6 engines of this ilk are interference engines. That is to say that without the cambelt to keep the crankshaft and camshafts timed, then valves and pistons will compete for the same combustion chamber space and invariably cause expensive, if not fatal damage to the engine. Despite all of that, there was surprisingly little damage other than a few slightly bent valves. In fact, I didn't even see those until I noticed a couple of valves wouldn't lap all the way around. So lady luck was standing beside me that day! Moral of the story. Pay this many $$$ instead of this many $ for your timing belt replacement kit and you won't have to eat humble pie and look at Eric's Honda V6 valve clearance video's telling you what you should have done instead of what you actually did! :) PPS! Sorry one more thing Eric. Thanks for pointing out the timing mark on the camshaft sprocket cover. I had never seen that (probably because it is on the inside of the cover), and always wondered why that inspection hole existed when you could only ever see the one timing mark for each cylinder with nothing to line it up with? Now we all know!!! 😁 Terry

Excellent! Super camera work and editing! Doing one today. Yeah this one turns clockwise. Nice tips on the cylinder numbers on cam sprocket.

I enjoy listening to Eric, very educational for non-mechanics as car technology changes fast. A year ago my Honda Dealer mechanic said my '04 Odyssey needed valve adjustment at 103000 miles, never before touched. Had I got a quote, I may not have done it! But I said to go ahead. I had noticed a loss of power, otherwise, still ran well. I keep good gas records. I gained 2 miles per gallon local driving, and it has a noticeable power gain. I was very surprised. Expensive, but Honda Dealers & mechanics over the years have done a professional job. I am not saying that every dealer has good service, I did leave one for another. You always need to be aware.

Simply fantastic your teaching on how to deal with those detailed steps for this car!!!! congrats on your videos!!! greets from Brazil!!!

Thanks for this! Your videos have helped me a lot: big things, small things. Little things like your tip for removing stuck wheels with a sledge hammer blow for example: I've needed that a lot, lol. I put a couple of 2x4's behind, to protect the rubber a bit though.I've done a lot of 4 cyl Honda valve adjustments over the years, and was considering doing a 2010 Pilot valve adjustment, which I gather would be similar. I've found a pdf of the Shop Manual, seems like about the same issues, with intake manifold removal.Looking at the complexity of a V6, and with about 110,000 kms on the odometer, I may just give it a pass, stick to just changing the plugs.

Eric, Very methodical, sensible, and good instruction for anybody who might venture out to do such a job - thanks so much! At almost 100,000 miles on our 2008 Acura TL 3.2 if the idle is smooth and the noise on the minimum would you still go about with having a valve adjustment done? Thanks again, excellent work and with light touches of humor enjoyable to watch!

Awesome video! Did my valve adjustment yesterday and so far, so good. Got rid of my ticking noise in my engine!!

I always love how detailed you are in these videos. :)

Eric, GREAT video! i just picked up a TL-S w/120k on it.. im going to go through the valves with confidence now! THANKS.

Very detailed and organized video, definitely it is very helpful to people who wants to do himself or make decision whether he should do so.

Did my first valve adjustment after replacing a camshaft... I overthinked it I believe. Will double check before I out the cover back on tomorrow after watching Eric!

I don't know what I would do without you Eric your a life saver

Your videos have helped me out a ton on my 05 Acura TL. Thank you

Thanks for the video, good stuff! For spark plugs you could use a piece of rubber hose that fits pretty snug over the top of the plug, then you can lower it easily in the well and even start tightening the plug; the bonus here is that you can't cross thread the plug since you're just tightening it using a flexible hose...if it's not in right, the hose just bends :-)

My Honda Accord 2000 V6 is having misfired during idle and acceleration, and I have replaced all six ignition coils, cleaned the EGR passage, replaced the upstream O2 sensor. I guess it is time to check the valve gaps. I have ordered the tools that you are using and going to do some adjustments this weekend. Thanks for the video.

Thanks man, i appreciate your job, its so hard to work on engine and making vlog out of it. you are so professional.

Well done, old man. I loved the video and have a clue on how it's done now. Never adjusted valves before - have an engine to do it on though....

By FAR & AWAY one of the BEST how to's online. I only wish you were my personal mechanic for my Acura!!!

You are my second favorite mechanic to learn from after my pops

Hey Eric great write up. Can you please video a rear main seal for the 3.0L V6 Honda Accord. This is a common wear item on low mileage Accords.

Dude YES,of all the vids on this,this is the most useful,just something about the way YOU explain and do,acura addicted is good 2

Doing a J swap, I figured I'd learn the basis. J32A2 son! Good vid Eric

Thank you Eric. I learned how to work on cars from your videos.

Thanks Eric! I know it takes allot to do this step by step when your trying to perform the work as well. Im going to be doing the same thing on one of my customers car tomorrow. 2003 Honda accord vtec V6. This will help me out allot. Regards David

You definitely know your stuff. Great job. If it don't fit don't force it. Properly installed things go back together easy. Wish you were my mechanic. I'm nk longer able to bend over for long. I was raised in a wrecking yard. I miss fixing my own stuff. I know I'm gonna do things right. Now day most don't take pride in there work. God bless..

I have a 99 v6 3.0 accord which recently starting getting p0301. I've change the plugs, plug wires, cap & rotor (all ngk or oem). I have a compression tester but haven't checked yet. The "common" response of p0300+ is adjust the valves. The car has 120k miles & has never had the valves adjusted. I recently had the timing belt changed (along with oil pump seal, water pump, tensioner & cam sensor & crank sensor). The egr was also replaced bout 5k miles ago & cleaned the port & installed the correction kit for the undersized port. With all that's been done it's really frustrating to get a p0301. It's only p0301 & nothing else. The only noticable misfire is when the temperature is dead cold (less than 50f degress). The service manual states valves to be adjusted every 105k miles so it's due anyway. Long rant sorry but my question is a v6 misfire typically from exhaust valves getting too tight over time? From what I understand as from duration & time the exhaust valves just naturally tighten over time.

I have the heads off of a 2007 Pilot. They were sent out for rebuilding (blown head gasket). I set the valve clearances with the heads off the engine. They were all too tight, I didn't touch the adjustments during disassembly. I think this was because during the rebuild, some metal comes off the valve seats and valve faces which would in turn cause the stem to sit a little bit higher in relation to the rockers.

Thank you for posting this, Eric. You saved me a lot of money. Staying dirty!

Thank you for the great videos please keep making more !! I love these j series motors!!

This looks to be very helpful. I have an 04 Accord with a 4 cyl. I imagine once I get the valve cover off, adjusting the valves will be much the same, minus 2. Thank you.

i know you said it won't fix performance issue but it did for my 2005 MDX. i had poor idle, would stall until driven enough to warm it up, several misfire codes, engine lights on/off/on/off. all of my exhaust valves were very tight and only a few intake valves a little loose. once i was done, car runs perfect, idle smooth, more power, no stalling, mpg went from 17.22 (last several months average) to 19.77 (average on first 2 tanks so far). video helped a lot. for me rear cover would of come off easier if i took the bolts out of cover instead of let them hang and try to wiggle cover off.

Awesome video. I have an 08 TL and it was very interesting to see how this was all done.

Great video! As always, thank you for giving us great videos on DYI and saving us $$$ :)

great video. I feel confident in my abilities to attempt this myself now. Ill let you know how it goes when i get to it. Hoping my engine looks that clean (fingers crossed)

Brother thank u so much for this video and the detail u put in.had to do this on my pilot and worked.much appreciated 😎👍🏼

Thanks so much for this. I know it would have taken me 3 times as long without your help.

Great car to go the extra mile on. My 04 TL is definitely worthy of my love through care and maintenance. More so than any other I've had prior. 2 Ford escorts, a Del Sol, a Civic and an 88 and 97 Accord.... The 88 was nice with 344,000 miles but I had to put her down. My TL has 174,000 and will have 400k. Till death due us part!

Car guy ur the reason why I keep seeing ur videos I've been telling people but on ever believes thanks a lot

wish me luck, i'm doing this next weekend, thanx for the tips.

I love how Honda's are engineered, only car I will ever own. Good video. Thanks.

Good thing this popped up for me. Im about to do valve cover gaskets on my odyssey, while I'm in there ill check them out see how they are

34:53 Well damn. Was hoping i could do a valve adjustment on my 06' base model but it sounds exactly like yours did after. Guess hearing them is better than smellin em.

My Pilots a rocking Ticker. This video helped me. I watched a few videos and all the same ideals. Make a video on the coolant passage on these Hondas

Nice job very well done video, great communications and good advice. Thanks.

Fantastic video ..Thank you Eric...about to do it myself

Awesome, perfect guide. Just did this myself and the valve slap has quited down very much. Can't hear my valves slapping in the drive through anymore! yay!

Great teacher and a kind soul thank you for sharing

I just want to give a shout out to you in regards to this video, today I tackled the task of adjusting the valves on my 2005 Honda Pilot that has 145,000 miles on it and your video was spot on with every move.. the exhaust were all a little on the tight side with one on number one cylinder was tighter then any of the other ones, just hope nothing is wrong with it, it did have lash but not much.. the intakes were all a little loose as what you said, after all said and done it runs great and hope it has another 80 or 90 thousand in it.. again thanks a great deal as you saved me several hundred dollars..

Mehhn! I appreciate your videos Eric, I did just as you did in the video for my Honda Accord 6cyl. 2004. The intake valves were really loose on the feeler while the exhaust valves were very tight. The car was making a tap-tap noise always with a cold start and now the noise is gone. Also I want to ask if the improvement does translate to better fuel mileage? My fuel gauge needle seems to crawl slower left since the procedure, don't know if it's my imagination.

Great video Eric, thanks from England.

You have helped me more to than you could think... Thank you so much...

Thanks again Eric for another great details video

Had a bad #2 cylinder valve tick. Drove me nuts. Getting ready to tackle this job i found the #2 plug was a little loose."THINKING" Could this be the problem? Replaced all the plugs and not a tick to be heard. Love my 06 TL.

Great video! Do you have any videos on j series head gasket replacement?

Nice video Eric very informative and useful.

that car has had a good life. very light color in there. I have opened a couple and tis is very light colored. That's awesome.

Very good video so helpful, How much does it cost to do valve adjustment? I think my mdx need it. Cuz it shakes a little when idler

Thanks Eric! Another very well done and informative video.

Nice Job Eric. Thanks for the info. Gonna adjust the sand car J35.

Great videos. I would suggest covering the intake inlet ports with duct tape. just in case something were to fall in those by accident and in falls in the cylinder that would not be good.

Nice work, I know of at least 3 local shops that wouldn't have cracked one bolt loose and charged for everything you did in this video

Thanks Eric very good work very professional and informative

It can be done, i helped my buddy swap a J30 on his DC2, it was a pain but we got it done. He did have to put a pretty big hood scoop on it because the engine manifold stuck out too much.

you are the man.. this is gonna help me big time..thanks rob

Great video Eric. Did you ever consider doing a valve cleaning on a direct injected engine? I have a 2007 VW GTI and gunk buildup on the intake valves is a problem.

great video. I have a 2004 TL with a misfire in cylinder 3 and compression at 50 psi. engine warm and 55 psi with a little oil added into the cylinder. think it could be a burned valve? im pulling the valve covers off right now just to inspect valve adjustment since it was done 50k miles ago at Honda. I feel like i have nothing to lose at this point head rebuild or replace engine.

This video was a huge help. Perhaps one should have something stuffed in the intake holes in the plenum even when finishing up and tightening up valve covers etc....It would be a long day if something were to end up down in there.

we love you Eric take a break bro.!

man thanks for making all these videos i would have never known how to do this until i go back to school cause i want to be a tech

Hi Eric, Thank you for all your information on J series motor. I am having some issues with my 2000 odyssey there is no check engine light is on, it does not idle has before there is a bit of vibration on low idle . I cleaned out my idle control valve my egr valve and my trottle body. Also I had my lifts adjusted by honda . Still the same .Any idea ?

hello eric.nice video as always. why my car make smoke when i rev it after adjusting the valves? did i make wrong size of piller gauge or i did it wrong? car runs fine just the smoke when you rev it. thanks and more power. cheers

The torque on the plenum chamber nuts & bolts is 16ft/192in and are tightened in sequence in 2-3 steps. The "3.2 VTEC" cover is 8.7ft/105in, sequenced in 2-3 steps as well (probably not a big deal as Eric is not following them lol, but I do anyway for my OCD). I'll get that Blue-point tool. I use Honda genuine service manual only (61SEP00 for 2004 TL), but it too does have minor errors (the torque on the strut bar is wrong on one page). However, I don't mess with Haynes or any other garbage. The only time I use a shop (Acura of Peabody, MA) is when I need wheel alignment (I have camber-adjustable rear arms), wheel balance, body work & diagnosis that requires HDS (my Actron scanner cannot access SRS, instrument, A/C or B-CAN). I do everything else by myself. The recommended oil seems to have changed from 5W-20 (written on the filler cap) to 0W-20 as stated in the dealer's chart. Mobil synthetic Advanced Fuel Economy 0W-20 is a good choice. I plan on keeping my TL for the next 20+ years/1,000,000 miles. I work on passenger jets, but working on automobiles requires as much attention to detail, dedication, studying & what not. I have utmost respect to top-notch auto techs like Eric as they are minorities.

Thanks! Why do I keep starting repairs without first seeing if you've made a video on it? I've found it possible to leave the throttle on the intake and tie the whole mess to the side (in my van with an A7).

thank you eric for saying " a practiced hand can come pretty close to the correct torque specs" - I too, usually go by "what feels right."

Hey @EricTheCarGuy - Ever had to remove the cylinder head on one of these? I'm in the process but I'm stuck at removing the lower rear nut on the thermostat housing/water neck that bolts to the rear head. The hard water pipes are in the way so I can get an sockets straight on and a wrench doesn't have any clearance to turn from above.

Question for you Eric, I’ve got a 2006 Acura TL 6 speed. 160k miles on it I get a check engine light upon cold start. Random misfire and cylinders 1,5,6 codes pop up. Changed the ignition coils and plugs. Light went away now it’s back on same codes came back. Possibly a valve adjustment is needed? EGR cleaning? I can hear and feel the misfire in the mornings. Thanks in advance I appreciate the videos!

A warning on the top intake manifold cover gasket. I removed the top cover at around 80k miles and part of the gasket was stuck to the top plate which required me prying it off. Some material on the gasket that creates the seal tore off. I used copper spray but this didn't recreate the tight seal. I saw oil mist leaking out of the seams between the manifold and the cover. I had to use a new gasket.

Great videio Eric. I have a 1999 accord v6 Does the e.g.r. valve need to be replaced at a certain mileage. I have 236141 on the car and both O2 sensors have been changed and so has the cat, not the best cat but...thx

Thank Eric for this awesome video

Where do you get you feeler gauges? I have like 4 sets and none have the .22mm one. I looked on line and haven't been able to find one either. Great video as usual.

Amazing vid. You have helped out alot of people. Just one thing bro. Please Please take your greasy gloves off inside the car. thanks for the vid. keep em coming.

lovely looking piece of engineering

I am convinced to do it myself. Thank you sir, because I have a ticking sound which I believe is the valves?

i am an experienced BMW tech and i can tell Eric has hands that are very accurate torque wrenches.

Awesome video Eric, as usual!

Thanks for the video it helped big time .... just wondering if adjusted bad can that cause like a clicking type of noise ?

08 Acura MDX has check engine light P0304 cylinder 4 misfire. I replaced the coil pack and all the plugs. Still has the same code. I called the dealer, they said it's probably the valves that need to be adjusted.

Really thank you for that hard Effort

Thanks for this info. It's great and useful

Lol felt like I was in class when he asked where was cylinder 5 When I'm the one having that cylinder misfire lol has to recount them all in my head