94 honda civic vx issues

[RatherDashing]

I ordered a new distributor for bout 70 bucks.i took it off to check ignition coil and didnt have enough time. and put it back on.hesitation is even crazier.has to be from distributor. Lock nut remover is on its way this weekend.timing is off.facing the looking at it its more aligned with the black line not the red on in the middle.and i cant turn the distributor anymore to get it there

[Rusty94cx]

Yes valve lash and clearance are the same. Your t belt could be off a tooth that's why you can't get the timing spot on. Good luck read the FSM.

[RatherDashing]

it is possible. well at the moment i dont want to drive it around anymore because the symptoms have gotten worse.

basically i took the valve cover off to take a look at the clearance and dont have the lock nut tool. i ordered it and it should be here by friday

i looked at the timing belt and it looked of from what i saw. idk how to check and see how it is off by a tooth tho. i turned the crank to tdc to get started on the first piston when i realized i didnt have that tool. and im not sure exactly which clearance mm exactly to check. im bout to post a lot of pictures

i looked at the timing belt. it was able to slide off just a little bit. i didnt slide it off. but it was able to be slid kinda semi easily if u worked at it. not sure if this is defined as not tight enough.

i took the distributor off and was working on checking the ignition coil and cudnt get to the coil in time had to leave for work

put everything back on. when i put the distributor back on. i got 2 divit part of the distributor that goes into the crank case aligned and in there. but am curious if maybe because i put it back in maybe i turned it 180 degrees would that be making the car doing what its doing now?

now when i drive the hesitation is worse. and i think im going to let it sit til the distributor comes and maybe get more advice on the timing belt.

its more of a jerking now especially in gear 2 lower rpms and gear 3. when i have it in lil higher rpms close to 3k it seems ok

i checked the timing and its off by just on the black line.

i also ran a little seafoam thru the air line and saw just a little bit coming from the o2 sensor area. not as bad as it was before i redid the exhaust manifold gasket. i did break one of the middle screws on the exhaust manifold by accident tho. so maybe thats why theres just a little bit coming from o2 area?

im really hoping its just the distributor and not the timing belt

but heres quite a few pics of the progress

[some_other_dave]

"Lock nut tool"? Not sure what you're talking about there.

For the nut that is on the adjuster (sometimes called a "jam nut" because it is tightened against the rocker arm and keeps the adjuster from turning itself) you just use a regular box-end wrench. You could use a socket, but you can't keep the adjuster from turning if you do that, so a wrench is the recommended tool. You stick a screwdriver in the slot on the end of the adjuster to keep it from turning when you loosen or tighten the jam nut.

Note the torque spec on those nuts is 10 lb-ft, which isn't much! That's if the rocker arms are aluminum like the ones from my 1990 Si were.

I still suggest asking someone who has done a valve adjustment before to come over and at least double-check your first one.

-soD

[RatherDashing]

Originally Posted by some_other_dave

"Lock nut tool"? Not sure what you're talking about there.

For the nut that is on the adjuster (sometimes called a "jam nut" because it is tightened against the rocker arm and keeps the adjuster from turning itself) you just use a regular box-end wrench. You could use a socket, but you can't keep the adjuster from turning if you do that, so a wrench is the recommended tool. You stick a screwdriver in the slot on the end of the adjuster to keep it from turning when you loosen or tighten the jam nut.

Note the torque spec on those nuts is 10 lb-ft, which isn't much! That's if the rocker arms are aluminum like the ones from my 1990 Si were.

I still suggest asking someone who has done a valve adjustment before to come over and at least double-check your first one.

-soD

Its a special tool used for those jam nuts.it was 10 bucks off amazon.right now im waiting on the new distributor cuz its acting up even more.dont feel right driving it til i get it.going to look at timing belt more as well.it may be too loose

[Rusty94cx]

All you need is a wrench and a flat screwdriver. The t belt see how it is striPed on the backside. That's usually sign of wear. Without knowing age or milage I would change. The belt should be tight on there.

[RatherDashing]

i got the tool off amazon anyways for less than 15 bucks and it came within a day or 2. looking at the teeth of the belt tho they look ok. im taking a better look at it tonight and am going to rotate the belt around and check to make sure no teeth are missing or anything. but with not too much pressure i can slide the belt back and forth. the previous owner said he thought he replaced it. my dad said it looked like it was in decent shape thats what it looks like upclose too. but if thats the case iv been reading thru the repair manual and will see about trying to tighten it if its too loose. and im bout to take the distributor off and take it apart since new one is on its way. test the ignition coil and such. also going to do the valve adjustment.

[RatherDashing]

rotated it around didnt see any chipped teeth or anything like that. but feeling the belt teeth themselves how "grippy" should they feel? like i dont really feel the tread to well on the belt. and its been awhile since iv had a timing belt. i used to have a replacement one for the crx a longggggg time ago.but cant remember how it felt lol

[RatherDashing]

ummmm
does this even look right?
im trying to find TDC
and the UP part is up exactly like in the manual but those marks dont match up at all




after much reading and much more researching as im learning more and more about this heres how i found top dead center. i think i just want to make sure i did this right.

i watched as i turned the crank counterclockwise and watched as each of the rocker arms moved up and down. i continue cranking them until i saw the one for cylinder one start moving down and coming back up. i had my hand/thumb covering the spark plug tube til i could feel the pressure. i have a really long i think marshmellow metal toaster hahaha. i used that made sure its clean of course and had it all the way down the spark plug well. i very slowly continually cranked and watched it rise up and up. and once it stops rising. that moment is TDC for that cylinder right? and i can just continue like that with the rest of the cylinders?

the marks on the manual just absolutely dont match up. i was worrying if maybe i had the wrong size cam gear or something.

i know i sound noobish and such but im learning and just making sure im doing this all right.

id rather learn this all the right way instead of taking it to a shop and dishing out too much money

[RatherDashing]

well im definetely going to wait til tommorrow to finish this. after few hours of messing around and learning how to find tdc i think i understand that now. but the feeler gauge from autozone i got makes no sence.
i loosen the locknut and turn the screw(this took was tremendous help that i got for this)
and gradually turn the screw to make sure that the .007 one fits in the securely, little drag to pull it out, but at same time its not like really loose in there as well. from reading online this seems to be the right way to do it. and to double check that procedure the .008 one shouldnt fit. well it still does. im completely confused by it and worked at that for a while and decided im going to get the one from sears for 10 bucks with the edges that are angled. with this one they are all flat. or is it that im doing this wrong?