fsfishnchips wrote on 10/21/13 at 22:06:31:mine "taps" only under these combinations:
- too much throttle
low speed (residential area)
high gear
so if I down-shift I just hear the "sewing machine" sound again, is this normal?
side questions: Suzuki manual only says to "inspect", so when is the ideal time to adjust valves?
That ain't valve tap... under those conditions it's called engine knock or spark knock... and it means you are lugging the engine... (engine knock is a much bigger sound, not small metal parts clicking, but explosions happening at the wrong time, trying the make the piston go backward)...(too much fuel is going into the cylinder while it is turning at too low a speed)...
It ain't good for the engine to do that, so downshifting is the correct thing to do...
That's the same sound you get if you have a high compression engine and run low octane gas... but, using premium won't help with lugging an engine... just don't lug it...
...downshift...
... (try to avoid ever making that sound, by never having the engine in too high of a gear at too low of a speed)...
You "inspect"/measure valve tolerances at intervals..(4 to 6k miles)... (what you are measuring is the gap between the top of each valve stem and the rocker arm that pushes it down)...
you adjust,.. only when measuring them shows they need it...
When they are not within tolerance...