"Kurisutin" - 1993 Civic Del Sol - Maintenance Log

[ctag]

I don't think I mentioned it, but back during post #61 I also took a can of de-greaser to the engine bay and got it cleaned up pretty well. Today I found fresh oil on top of the transmission, and with a friend's help traced it back to the inside of the distributor

Like an idiot, I took the distributor apart. Found that the inner gasket/o-ring was shot, and that the internals were pretty much shot too.

I wanted to try repairing it, but my friend talked me into buying a new one online, so it's on the way. Then I had to scramble to get the thing patched back together and back in the car so I could drive home Made it back safe, but the engine was not happy at all, and was misfiring regularly by the time I parked it.

Back together and ready to get me home. I accidentally put the stupid forked-crank on the end of the shaft backwards the first time x.x

 

[ctag]

Oh boy, here I go buying things on impulse again.

The cheap-o replacement distributor arrived today. Bounced home from work to install it, now I'm back at school for senior design stuff. The swap took about 30 minutes.

Ta-da! Also slapped on the new spark plug wires while I was at it.

The car runs much, much better now. No more slogging at idle, and it doesn't misfire while revving (at least as much?) any more.

On my way back to school the CEL came back, and this time I was able to jump the connector successfully! I got the following codes:

• 4 CKP - crank position sensor
• 22 VTEC pressure valve
• 43 Fuel supply system

I'm confident that 4-CKP was due to me screwing up the initial distributor test (tried starting the car without it plugged in whoops). The other two kinda scare me. For 22-VTEC, maybe I broke something while replacing the VTEC gasket? Or maybe that was an existing code and I just need to clear it? I also replaced the fuel filter, which might be 43-fuel. Or maybe I need to go ahead and run some injector cleaner though the tank? I'll have to read up on these and check it out later.

 

[Turbo_Freak]

Good job in replacing the distributor. I have a similar leak on my car. Funny thing is that i bought the replacement o-ring and replaced it. However, when I tried putting the distributor back on the engine I couldn't do it right and the engine wouldn't start. After messing with it for some time i took it to the mechanic and he was able to position it the right way. I'll deal with the leak now cause I don't want to screw up again.

 

[ctag]

Good job in replacing the distributor. I have a similar leak on my car. Funny thing is that i bought the replacement o-ring and replaced it. However, when I tried putting the distributor back on the engine I couldn't do it right and the engine wouldn't start. After messing with it for some time i took it to the mechanic and he was able to position it the right way. I'll deal with the leak now cause I don't want to screw up again.

Thanks! Yeah, lining it up with the cam shaft can be really frustrating

 

[HockeyZombies]

Use a good fuel system cleaner like Gumout All in One. Its got that PEA ingredient that cleans better than anything known and its got a Ethanol fighter to neutralize too. Other PEA cleaners are Redline Si 1 and Royal Purple.

 

[ctag]

Use a good fuel system cleaner like Gumout All in One. Its got that PEA ingredient that cleans better than anything known and its got a Ethanol fighter to neutralize too. Other PEA cleaners are Redline Si 1 and Royal Purple.

Thanks, I added Gumout and filled the tank. We'll see how that goes.

I finally got around to the AC delete today. I've been agonizing over it for a while. I don't use AC for cold air often, but it really is necessary for driving in the rain as far as I can tell. I keep thinking I can "just" pop a new comkpressor in the loop and be good to go, but I think the reality is that it'd get much too expensive very quickly.

Got all of the AC components I could locate out of the engine bay, painted the battery mount, and degreased the engine and transmission again.

As soon as I was done, I took the car off the ramps and for a spin. Since the battery was out, the CEL reset, but quickly came back. This time the only code being thrown is "43 - fuel system".... Huh

Trying to get the corroded battery platform off so I can remove the last AC hose. This final bolt was totally rounded off and would not budge. Eventually I hammered a 7/16th down over it and got the thing loose

All the parts off

Lots more room to mess with the exhaust and oil pan now.

I really don't know how to plug these.. Do they make rubber stoppers?

 

[ctag]

Hoo boy... Alright, one more thing.

More nice weather, so I took the car with it's new non-AC engine bay to the shop to take a closer look at the oil pan. We determined that the pan was indeed leaking, so it came off. While removing the pan, I broke two bolts that hold a mount to join the motor and transmission Ugh. Also, the bolts to the oil pan were all hand tight, except for two which were missing...

After that I spent the rest of the day trying to remove the broken bolt pieces. I got one out, but then the removal tool broke off inside the stuck bolt, flush with the engine. So I really don't think that will ever come out with the engine still in the bay Then I tried to install the new eBay oil pan, and found that two bolts didn't align and the pan didn't fit Awesome. Ended the day by removing the broken exhaust header studs and replacing all 9 of them with new ones.

The next day I returned after class, drove all over town with a friend and found an actual oil pan, and installed it. Then I tried installing the new eBay exhaust header and downpipe, to find that it too didn't fit So the original, cracked, manifold went back in.

The only oil pan in Huntsville that fit.

Then we left to give the RTV Black 24 hours to cure.

 

[ctag]

Then I tried replacing the CV axles. The passenger side went in without a hitch, but I simply couldn't remove the axle nut on the driver side. An air impact wrench did nothing, and I broke my breaker by with an 11 foot pipe trying to get the nut free The next day (after letting the gasket maker cure, and pouring in fresh oil) I limped the car to an auto shop, and the owner graciously helped me break the axle nut free. The driver side CV axle then installed fine, but the transmission oil seal got bumped, and I had to manually tap it back into place

No pictures from this last day when I got the driver side CV axle replaced, I was in a hurry.

I ended by putting in fresh MTF, and replacing the alternator and power steering belts. All in all I'm not happy with how the three hour task turned into three days, but I'm glad everything's back together and running again.

 

[HockeyZombies]

By the time you get done..it will be brand new almost.

 

[ctag]

By the time you get done..it will be brand new almost.

I can only hope

I've been writing a little program to drive a vinyl cutter here at the shop. Made a test piece with it.

 

[itzrivera]

Is that you in your avy? If so, you look like ted cruz

edit: reading through your first few posts, I agree with a B swap. You can find some good deals on CL. I found a couple ls motors for $300/$400 on cl. Also, you can get a b20 for around that price from the companies that import JDM stuff.

 

[ctag]

Is that you in your avy? If so, you look like ted cruz

edit: reading through your first few posts, I agree with a B swap. You can find some good deals on CL. I found a couple ls motors for $300/$400 on cl. Also, you can get a b20 for around that price from the companies that import JDM stuff.

Haha, that's totally me. Don't worry, I've gained a lot of weight since then and grown out my hair, any resemblance is gone

Hrm... I'm torn about it. I like this D16Z6, and I'm already gearing up to pull it this summer and do more maintenance (replace the rear main seal).... Maybe if I swap it I'll hang onto it as a spare for my other civic? Things to think about

 

[ctag]

Still an oil leak it's either the oil pan gasket is improperly installed, or the rear main seal is leaking. Will probably have to wait for the summer to fix.

 

[young_]

Loving the progress on this! Makes me miss my del sol

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

 

[ctag]

I've been busy just being busy this summer, haven't done any of the stuff I had lined up for this noise sled.

I did get a chance to cut some more vinyl though

I've taken to driving this car when the weather's not unbearable, and always with the top stashed in the trunk. It's a pokey, slow little thing, but it makes commuting to work a special occasion. I love just hanging around in 3rd gear listening to the exhaust, it has a low rumble to it, whereas my red civic has always had a whirring whine due to transmission issues.

 

[MACE]

hell yeah
looks good so far

 

[HeX]

Its good to see you got it regularly driveable. Keep up the progress, buddy,

 

[ctag]

Yeah thanks!

Finally got a chance to get it up on stands and crawl around today. Plan was to buy a flexible exhaust hose and weld it inline so that I can install the new headers and get rid of the cracked manifold. But after looking around, there's no place to really weld it in. I think I'd rather just go buy a better header (one that just fits), but I have such awful luck with eBay parts

Definitely a lot of oil leaking, the whole underside is coated. Looks like it's the front and rear main seal...

Also, there was dried coolant all over the top of the engine probably one of the hoses is spraying coolant.

Gotta find the time and space to get the engine out and really dig into it to fix up everything I can. I still believe it's worth saving.

PS, the last fill up was 200 miles for 7 gallons! If the odometer's accurate, then that's 28mpg!

 

[ctag]

... The idler pulley for the AC is frozen up. I ripped the AC parts out because I thought the system was dead (the compressor was unhooked when I got the car). Now it looks like it might have been a 30 minute job to have fixed the AC oh well.

 

[ctag]

Couple days worth of updates here.

Started the week with a full coolant flush, fill with cleaning agent, drive two days, and then flush and refill. Before there was a ton of rust in the system, so much that you couldn't see the metal fins down through the radiator fill port. Afterwards there's hardly any rust at all visible I do wonder where all of the rust came from...

Raising to access the block coolant drain. Also some more vinyl

The old radiator cap, replaced with a new one.

New radiator cap. Dunno why I took a picture of this.

During the final flush and fill I also replaced the hose that was leaking coolant into the engine bay.

So... the D16Z6 has a coolant drain plug -- right next to the oil filter -- which I used. But when the bolt came out, all that port did was SHOOT COOLANT ALL OVER THE ENGINE BAY OH NO IT'S IN MY EYES. What the hell was up with that? I mean, I know the oil filter isn't exactly easy to get to, but at least I can stuff a rag under it and catch most of the oil. This coolant drain, however, is almost totally useless, and just puked the stuff all over the floor.

And here's (what's left of) the coolant drain bolt. I think most of it turned to rust, because there's a lot more threads on the port than the bolt, and the bolt definitely looks like it used to be longer...

Then we took a moment and adjusted the distributor timing (haven't done that since I put the new one in). Turns out it was way off, and suddenly the engine runs a hell of a lot smoother and quieter whoops. Also topped off the power steering fluid with Lucas Power Steering Stop Leak, since it was low and the system has a leaking hose near the front bumper.

Now that the engine's running better, I decide it's time to finally install the eBay headers, and just force it to meet the rest of the exhaust. So we crawl under the car and find...

That the resonator's rusted out.

$18 of repair tape later, and it's somewhat patched up.

My friend helping me torque the headers to line up with the exhaust.

Installed.

Between patching the swiss cheese holes in the resonator, and replacing the cracked exhaust manifold, the car sounds like any other economy 4-banger now Oh well, at least it drives better.

I've spent some time recently really considering if it's worth it to keep this car around... I bought it for a few reasons, like having a platform to learn on, and getting to breathe new life into a college car, but I feel like I've already accomplished some of them and that the rest are too far away.

My list for the car goes:
- General maintenance (this stuff)
- Fix frame and body (how?)
- Fix interior (also how?)
- Rebuild engine (chance to learn)
- Put on real parts (replace exhaust with non-eBay bits, new suspension/coilovers, new tires/wheels)

But even if I follow through over the next few years and get to the end of this list, I'll still have a slow (but fun) two-door; if that's what I wanted, I would invest the time and money in my first car. I guess the crux is that having two cars that are this similar is making it hard to find them both useful, and thus I start wallowing around with my purpose here.

Anyway, car runs well now We'll see what the next few months bring.