2011 Honda Pilot - valve lash adjustment - PART 2
2011 Honda Pilot - valve lash adjustment - PART 2
PART 2 - do the radiator-side valve adjustment
Reference material. The Piloteers website referenced a Ridgeline URL as a reference, for this part. https://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/threads/diy-valve-adjustment-on-2006-ridgeline-w-photos.46630/.
For the torque to use to tighten the valve adjustment of 15 ft-lbs (they say 14, I just rounded up to 15): https://markedmotorsports.com/honda-valve-adjustment-jseries-j35-j32-j37-p-63.html.
I chose to torque all the valve adjustment nuts to 15 ft-lbs.
Spark plugs to use are NGK Laser Iridium Plug, Kragen part number ILZKR7B11, NGK part number 7751. They cost about $20/each with tax.
Purchase a 5/8" spark plug socket. I happened to get mine when I purchased the spark plugs at my local Kragen/O'Reilly auto parts store. It is a " 3/8" drive GM8558 5/8" magnetic spark plug socket."
The spark plug torque, per https://www.nthefastlane.com/j-series-torque-specs is 156 inch-pounds. 156 inch-pounds converts to 13 ft-lbs.
The valve cover bolt(s) torque, per https://markedmotorsports.com/honda-j-series-v6-torque-specs-p-214.html is 104 inch pounds, which converts to 9 ft-lbs.
Remove the passenger front wheel
With wheel chocks on both sides of a back wheel, remove the passenger-side front wheel. Then lower the car on the jack to the original driving height from the ground. Support the frame with a jack stand, in addition to the jack, for safety. On my 2011 Honda Pilot, once the wheel is removed the crank pulley nut is accessible. The crank pulley nut will be turned, to set which valve to adjust. Pix:
Access the valve timing inspection port
On the passenger side of the engine, left of the radiator-side valves, closest to the power steering belt, is an inspection port, that indicates which valve can be adjusted. The port is about the size of a coin (nickel (5cent) piece? quarter dollar (25cent) piece? Pull off the rubber dust cover with a finger nail, or flat blade screwdriver. Pix:
2011 Honda Pilot Cylinder locations
Per the Piloteers website, https://www.piloteers.org/threads/2014-spark-plugs-placement-firing-order.135097/, the cylinder locations are Cyl1 is the passenger-side corner farthest away from the radiator. Cyl3 is the windshield-side corner closest to the driver and brake master cylinder. Cyl4 is the radiator-side, passenger-side corner. Cyl6 is the radiator-side, driver-side corner: windshield side 123 456 radiator side
So, for the radiator-side valve adjustments, we are interested in Cyl4, Cyl5, and Cyl6.
Start adjusting the valves
Target values that I will be using for myself: Intake 0.010", Exhaust 0.013".
Connect a 19mm six-sided 1/2" drive socket, and 2ft of extensions (interestingly enough, it is the same extension length to use when adding ATF via the filler port), and a 1/2" drive breaker bar to the crank pulley nut. Slowly rotate the engine until Cyl4 is indicated in the cam port coin-sized opening.
The intake valves are the adjustments closest to the center of the engine. The exhaust valves are the adjustments closest to the radiator, for Cyl4, Cyl5, and Cyl6.
Cylinder 4
Cylinder 4 intake: left-most (closest to timing belt) intake valve was 0.010". Other intake valve was 0.008". No adjustments done. Just re-torqued them to 15 ft lbs.
Cylinder 4 exhaust: the right-most (closest to battery) was at 0.013" so will just re-torque it. The left-most (closest to timing belt) was too tight, 0.008". Adjusted the left-most exhaust valve to 0.013".
Cylinder 5
Cylinder 5 intake: before adjusting the valve, had an intake lash of something between 0.010" and 0.012". The 0.010" scrapes a little bit when sliding it between the valve and adjustment. The 0.012" does not fit. Since that is "good enough for me", am not going to adjust it, but simply re-torque to 15 ft-lbs (in case it loosened in the 122k miles the engine has driven the car).
After checking the Cyl5 intake torque, both with my 1/2" beam type old school torque wrench and my 3/8" click-type torque wrench: no movement of the nuts. Seem torqued as still okay. Nothing changed. I re-checked the lash with the 0.010" feeler gauge, still happy.
Cylinder 5 exhaust: they were too tight. Could not even fit the 0.008" feeler blade between. Unscrewed both exhaust valve screws 1/2 of a turn. Then I could slide the 0.013" feeler gauge between them.
Cylinder 6
Cylinder 6 intake: 0.010" slides between with friction. 0.012" does not fit. Another "good enough for me" valve. Retorqued to 15 ft lbs. No movement, so happiness.
Cylinder 6 exhaust: too tight. Loosened up to 0.013". The very right-most exhaust valve, closest to the battery, ugh! I had to bend the 0.013" feeler gauge to more of a 90deg bend, to get it in there to measure. If I had to guess, had to turn the valve adjustments about 1/2 turn, to get the lash to 0.013".
*** At this point the radiator-side valve adjustments are complete, and below is reassembly. ***
Replace the radiator-side spark plugs with new ones.
Using the spark plug socket, and two short 3/8" extensions (to give a little wobble), remove the three spark plugs on the radiator-side head. Pix:
Do not yet throw away the original spark plugs. Make sure to compare the original spark plugs removed from the engine, to the newly purchased ones, to confirm the new ones are the same shape, thread, etc, as the originals. Pix of the spark plugs of Cyl4, Cyl5, and Cyl6. To me, they look typical/normal for an engine with 122k miles on the odometer, always run on plus (89octane) or premium (91octane) fuel:
The next pix is of a new spark plug, and the box with serial numbers, and packets of dielectric grease and anti-sieze. All are used when installing the new spark plugs:
The spark plug socket I purchased is magnetic, not the older rubber friction type, to retain the spark plug. Therefore I was able to lightly coat the ceramic insulator and metal tip (the part of the spark plug that the ignition coil connects to) with a light coating of dielectric (bulb) grease before installing the new spark plug(s) into the socket. I also put a light coating of anti-sieze on the threads. Do not put goopy amounts of the grease or anti-sieze: just put a "thin film that coats the surface" amount, for both.
It is also a good idea to inspect the original spark plugs on the area that were in the combustion chamber, and compare to internet pix that can help troubleshoot future repairs (oily plug tips, burned/too lean combustion tips, etc).
I chose to tighten the spark plugs to 13 ft-lbs. Once all three radiator-side spark plugs were fully installed and torqued, I did a 2nd pass with the torque-wrench on all three, slowly, so as to make sure they didn't move. I will never (fingers crossed!) ever again be back in there, so it is worth it to check, check, double-check, before beginning further engine reassembly.
Put radiator-side valve cover back on.
All of the radiator-side valves have now been adjusted. Going to reassemble and put back on the valve cover for the radiator-side, to keep it safe(r) and with it covered, keep debris from falling into the valves and upper head.
Upon inspection and cleaning of the valve cover, I determined the gaskets and spark plug hole seals (the circular gasket seals on the valve cover) were still pliable and flexible (which is kind of amazing on a 10yr old car: kudos to the gasket mfg!). So am re-using the seals and gasket.
Use a bungee cord (elastic tie-down) and use it to pull the electrical bus away from the valves, and to the passenger side of the engine, to make putting the valve cover back on easier. Pix:
Clean the mating surfaces of the valve cover gasket where it will contact the engine. Clean the radiator-side engine head, where it will contact the valve cover.
I lightly coated the valve cover gasket and valve cover circular spark plug tube seals, where they will contact the engine, with a "thin film coating" of assembly lube, to help slide the valve cover into place, and back on the engine.
Once you feel that the valve cover is correctly installed and fully seated into the spark plug holes and that the valve cover is flush with the head, do a detailed inspection, using a light and small mirror, to visually confirm the valve cover gasket is correctly seated, and not pinched or rolled, that here are no "gotcha" spots. Also confirm the spark plug hole seals look correct against the spark plug tubes. (Check, check, double-check!)
Reinsert the valve cover bolts. Starting with the center top and bottom bolts, tighten them to "finger-tight snug." (Also, never hurts to look, yet again, at the valve cover gasket, and confirm things are still okay.)
Snug down the valve cover approximately 1/2 final torque, in many steps, across all the bolts, equally. Then tight to final torque, in many steps, across all the bolts equally. Do a 2nd pass with the torque wrench on all five valve cover fasteners. Ideally we will never do this again!
Put the rectangular electrical bus back, and plug all the electrical connectors back in. Check all the electrical connections, make sure they were fully installed to "click," and that none were missed being reconnected.
Install the three ignition coil assemblies. Connect them to the electrical bus connectors. Put the three 10mm fastener nuts back on.
With the radiator-side valve cover reinstalled, final torqued, and its electrical connections reinstalled, and the spark plugs and ignition coils reinstalled, stop. Congratulate yourself for being half done! And, at this point it is time for doing the windshield-side valve adjustments.
***
EDIT 2021-09-22 Removed the step of putting the transmission in neutral, as it's not needed. The engine spins, to select Cyls 4, 5, and 6 even with the transmission in PARK.