valve adjusment too tight / too loose

[omega_rugal]

i know the 4.0 doesn´t require valve adjustments this is for another engine, i´m looking for advice from seasoned mechanics since i´m not one, i just take things apart and put them back togheter.

 

i have a tsuru b13 with the e16s, it´s a single overhead camshaft, i had have it for like a year or so, and ever since i got it i has a weird ticking noise i always though it came from the valve train so i finally ventured to open it and see if i could fix it, after taking off the cover turns out pistons 2 and 3 had no gap in the valves so i adjusted them following a youtube tutorial (yes, i did it) weird because i expected them to have a large gap somewhere, after checking all the valves i put the cover back and fire it up, next i´ll try to explain the best i can:

 

before:

 

cranking speed was good, sometimes fired up quickly, sometimes it didn´t

power was ok but had to give it some gas to not stall while cold, when hot worked fine

 

after:

 

cranking speed is slower, as if the engine was too heavy or the battery is discharged but once it begins turning works fine

i feel a noticeable increase in low end power, no longer stalls at idle and overall it feels more torquey

 

noise remains... now i suspect the timing belt or tensioner...

 

i´m more than happy with the power improvement but i don´t like the starter like that, my theory is that by adjusting the clearence in pistons 2 and 3 fixed an unnoticed compression leak but in the same time the starter now has to work harder... or did i @#$%ed up?

 

please move the topic if it shouldn´t be here...

[A-man930]

Yes, you might have fixed a compression leak by opening up to appropriate valve clearance (lash).  This is a Honda, right?

 

[Eagle]

Did you adjust the valves with the engine at operating temperature? It's been a long time since I tinkered with adjustable valves, but my recollection is that the adjustment should be made at operating temperature.

[dasbulliwagen]

I have no idea what the OP engines are, but air cooled VW's valve lash was supposed to be done stone cold. Not sure if that translates to water cooled engines, but just FYI.

[omega_rugal]

11 hours ago, A-man930 said:

Yes, you might have fixed a compression leak by opening up to appropriate valve clearance (lash).  This is a Honda, right?

 

 

nissan tsuru (sentra in the us)

7 hours ago, Eagle said:

Did you adjust the valves with the engine at operating temperature?

 

not exaclty, i had to wait for it to coo downl, otherwise you can touch it, so it wasn´t operating temp neither cold

 

Just now, dasbulliwagen said:

I have no idea what the OP engines are, but air cooled VW's valve lash was supposed to be done stone cold

 

i´ll check clearences again, just to make sure...