Looks decent
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"The Mothership" - 1998 Civic - Maintenance Log
- Thread starter ctag
- Start date
Thanks!
Today was wash-n-wax day. Clearcoat failure is spreading on the roof and trunk. Added to that is tree sap that's etching little blobs all over 
I polished as much of the sap away on the roof and trunk, and then waxed the whole car.
I got a chance to polish the new clearcoat on the passenger door. It definitely turned out better than I expected
Go back a few posts and compare to the "before" pictures if you like.
The painted section is still clearly visible, but blends in much better now, and I'm certainly happy with the result. This is now added to my toolbelt of car care processes, though next time I want to polish off any wax before adding the new clearcoat as well.
I polished as much of the sap away on the roof and trunk, and then waxed the whole car.I got a chance to polish the new clearcoat on the passenger door. It definitely turned out better than I expected
Go back a few posts and compare to the "before" pictures if you like.
The painted section is still clearly visible, but blends in much better now, and I'm certainly happy with the result. This is now added to my toolbelt of car care processes, though next time I want to polish off any wax before adding the new clearcoat as well.
Schleeb
New Member
Just read this entire thread and man, you're a freaking inspiration! I'm a mechanical engineer and I've never attempted anything like what you've achieved here. But I just bought a raggedy old '96 Civic Coupe almost exactly like yours and I plan to jump into fixing it just like you did with yours. Keep up the awesome work man!! 
Thanks! Feedback like that makes writing for this thread worthwhile
Congrats on your new Civic! I look forward to seeing what you do with itBut I just bought a raggedy old '96 Civic Coupe almost exactly like yours and I plan to jump into fixing it just like you did with yours. Keep up the awesome work man!!
Changed the Torco out for Honda MTF in the transmission for winter. The Torco was very clean as it drained, which is encouraging.
Also changed the engine oil, which was less pleasant. The old oil looks like it has a little coolant mixed in
I guess I need to hurry up on making that engine rebuild happen.
Also changed the engine oil, which was less pleasant. The old oil looks like it has a little coolant mixed in
I guess I need to hurry up on making that engine rebuild happen.Installed 4 new tires today: General Tire Altimax RT43. Used my friends manual tire changer, that was fun 
Haven't balanced or aligned them yet, but the ride is already noticeably improved. New brakes should arrive next week.
And yesterday the air vent selector stopped working. I can click one of the buttons and it will light up, but the little motor doesn't go "whiiiir, click" like it used to. It's stuck on "defrost" which is probably the best one to be left with
Haven't balanced or aligned them yet, but the ride is already noticeably improved. New brakes should arrive next week.
And yesterday the air vent selector stopped working. I can click one of the buttons and it will light up, but the little motor doesn't go "whiiiir, click" like it used to. It's stuck on "defrost" which is probably the best one to be left with
Balanced and aligned the tires at Tire Engineers on Saturday. Got a 3-year alignment plan. I'm pretty surprised by 1) how expensive this stuff all is, and 2) how much the subtle difference it makes matters.
The last of the new brakes parts arrived today, and I found out the rotors are the wrong size and don't fit my Civic So I need to figure out how to return them. Went out and got some OEM rotors from O'Reilly's in the meantime since I want the new brakes installed for a road trip this weekend.. Wound up getting the front rotors and pads installed and flushed both lines with DOT-4 brake fluid tonight.
The new brakes work very well, but I'm worried there's some air in the line. While I was flushing the brake fluid, a lot of bubbles were coming out of the driver side nozzle, almost as though the nozzle's threads to the caliper was damaged and leaking.
I also put some dressing on the belts to fix a squeak, and put some engine oil on the hood release cable, since it was sticking.
The last of the new brakes parts arrived today, and I found out the rotors are the wrong size and don't fit my Civic
So I need to figure out how to return them. Went out and got some OEM rotors from O'Reilly's in the meantime since I want the new brakes installed for a road trip this weekend.. Wound up getting the front rotors and pads installed and flushed both lines with DOT-4 brake fluid tonight. The new brakes work very well, but I'm worried there's some air in the line. While I was flushing the brake fluid, a lot of bubbles were coming out of the driver side nozzle, almost as though the nozzle's threads to the caliper was damaged and leaking.
I also put some dressing on the belts to fix a squeak, and put some engine oil on the hood release cable, since it was sticking.
Returned the rotors for store credit.
Last weekend I went and visited my older sister over in Atlanta. It's the first time I've driven the Civic that far, and it held up well. I'm definitely glad I got new tires and brakes first though.
On the way back I found an overlook and got a picture:
It's about to be half a year since the transmission rebuild, and it still doesn't shift well.. Intrusive thoughts of pulling it and rebuilding again intensify.
Last weekend I went and visited my older sister over in Atlanta. It's the first time I've driven the Civic that far, and it held up well. I'm definitely glad I got new tires and brakes first though.
On the way back I found an overlook and got a picture:
It's about to be half a year since the transmission rebuild, and it still doesn't shift well.. Intrusive thoughts of pulling it and rebuilding again intensify.
And this afternoon I replaced the rear brake shoes and drums.
Once I had the first drum off, it was pretty obvious that the rear brakes still have 50% life left. I really wouldn't have replaced them except I already had the parts, and didn't want to trust packing the new parts away for a few years.
I had to press this stud for the hand brake into the new shoes... That'll be fun to deal with later.
And the passenger side rear brake slave cylinder has a tiny brake fluid leak that I didn't repair. I know having a brake fluid leak is a big deal, but not enough has leaked out over the past 6 years to cause me to suspect any problems, so hopefully it stays like that. Next time I do this though, definitely need to rebuild that cylinder. And I'll keep a close eye on the brake fluid level in the meantime.
Done! Hopefully it's ready for another decade of use
Unfortunately, I think the new drum brakes add a little bit of vibration when stopping.. So I really should have left the existing setup alone from a functionality standpoint, but I did learn how these brakes work while doing this, and that counts for something.
Once I had the first drum off, it was pretty obvious that the rear brakes still have 50% life left. I really wouldn't have replaced them except I already had the parts, and didn't want to trust packing the new parts away for a few years.
I had to press this stud for the hand brake into the new shoes... That'll be fun to deal with later.
And the passenger side rear brake slave cylinder has a tiny brake fluid leak that I didn't repair. I know having a brake fluid leak is a big deal, but not enough has leaked out over the past 6 years to cause me to suspect any problems, so hopefully it stays like that. Next time I do this though, definitely need to rebuild that cylinder. And I'll keep a close eye on the brake fluid level in the meantime.
Done! Hopefully it's ready for another decade of use
Unfortunately, I think the new drum brakes add a little bit of vibration when stopping.. So I really should have left the existing setup alone from a functionality standpoint, but I did learn how these brakes work while doing this, and that counts for something.
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Solid work! Looks like you are learning a lot and are very good with the fine details.
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Thanks Chris! It means a lot to hear that from you
Speaking of fine details... What was I thinking saying I'd just leave a leaking wheel cylinder alone? I'm ordering a wheel cylinder rebuild kit once I figure out if I also need to do something about the driver side bleeder screw. Unfortunately the rebuild kits and whole replacement cylinders cost about the same... But this is another case where I'd rather do the extra work and learn how they work
I was kinda wondering about that from u haha. You’re definitely a smart dude. Nice to see that from the younger guys that could usually give a f**k less about cars.Thanks Chris! It means a lot to hear that from you
Speaking of fine details... What was I thinking saying I'd just leave a leaking wheel cylinder alone? I'm ordering a wheel cylinder rebuild kit once I figure out if I also need to do something about the driver side bleeder screw. Unfortunately the rebuild kits and whole replacement cylinders cost about the same... But this is another case where I'd rather do the extra work and learn how they work
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Yeah, I like my car
The way a lot of people approach not just cars in particular, but everything in life with complete apathy really gets to me. So I'm glad I got to go to the car events a few weeks ago and meet some passionate people, and I'm glad there are forums like this one that I can read through and learn from.
In fact, since Thanksgiving is coming up, I think I'll mention it if anyone asks:
gathered around the dinner table, heads bowed
"And I'm thankful for the dope builds on ClubCivic and all the OG wrench heads out there. Oh yeah, and VTEC. Amen."
Anyway, the wheel cylinder parts are ordered. I haven't had much luck finding information about rebuilding these things (albeit it looks pretty simple) so I'm going to try and take some detailed pictures to post here
And I did check on the driver side front caliper bleeder screw again. Seems to tighten down just fine. I think the issue was that a lot of air was leaking past the threads and into the fluid while I was trying to vacuum it out earlier. Travis and I figured out you can just spear some brake grease at the seam of the threads to fix that.
The way a lot of people approach not just cars in particular, but everything in life with complete apathy really gets to me. So I'm glad I got to go to the car events a few weeks ago and meet some passionate people, and I'm glad there are forums like this one that I can read through and learn from.
In fact, since Thanksgiving is coming up, I think I'll mention it if anyone asks:
gathered around the dinner table, heads bowed
"And I'm thankful for the dope builds on ClubCivic and all the OG wrench heads out there. Oh yeah, and VTEC. Amen."
Anyway, the wheel cylinder parts are ordered. I haven't had much luck finding information about rebuilding these things (albeit it looks pretty simple) so I'm going to try and take some detailed pictures to post here
And I did check on the driver side front caliper bleeder screw again. Seems to tighten down just fine. I think the issue was that a lot of air was leaking past the threads and into the fluid while I was trying to vacuum it out earlier. Travis and I figured out you can just spear some brake grease at the seam of the threads to fix that.
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Finally got around to taking the leaking wheel cylinder apart
I've also noticed that the new shoes rub on one section as the drum turns... I want to figure out what causes that, and how to fix it.
Bought some new bleeder screw caps, since some of the originals are on the way out.
I used one to cap off the hydraulic line once the wheel cylinder was removed:
There it is!
I bought two brands of rebuild kit, so I could compare quality and pick the one I like best.
The Doorman one looks decent. The rubber pieces seem well-made.
Ah, but the Centric parts arrived in a sealed bag with instructions!
Centric on the left, it looks much more "OEM" than the Doorman one.
There's a lot of crud?? Kinda weird...
I start cleaning everything up. Oddly, the seals look fine.. so I don't know how this thing was leaking
Centric replacements at the top.
At the character limit... Continued below.
I've also noticed that the new shoes rub on one section as the drum turns... I want to figure out what causes that, and how to fix it.
Bought some new bleeder screw caps, since some of the originals are on the way out.
I used one to cap off the hydraulic line once the wheel cylinder was removed:
There it is!
I bought two brands of rebuild kit, so I could compare quality and pick the one I like best.
The Doorman one looks decent. The rubber pieces seem well-made.
Ah, but the Centric parts arrived in a sealed bag with instructions!
Centric on the left, it looks much more "OEM" than the Doorman one.
There's a lot of crud?? Kinda weird...
I start cleaning everything up. Oddly, the seals look fine.. so I don't know how this thing was leaking
Centric replacements at the top.
At the character limit... Continued below.
Hrm. The leaky piston has uneven wear. At this point I'm less confident that I want to go through with the rebuild, maybe replacing the cylinder is in order.
AH! The cylinder is shot! There's a 1x1mm gouge right in the middle, that's why it was leaky!
So the Civic sits up on jacks tonight. Tomorrow I'll go buy brand new wheel cylinders and get them installed.
AH! The cylinder is shot! There's a 1x1mm gouge right in the middle, that's why it was leaky!
So the Civic sits up on jacks tonight. Tomorrow I'll go buy brand new wheel cylinders and get them installed.
Dawn of the second day. I go pick up two $14 replacement wheel cylinders.
It turns out the driver side OEM wheel cylinder had similar gouges in the bore, although it wasn't leaking yet. So it can't go back on. I was going to replace both at the same time anyway.
Just to be sure, I take both apart and inspect them. The bores have some crud in them, and look a tad corroded.
Oh well. I clean them with brake fluid and they're getting installed.
I take all of the shoes and spray them down with brake parts cleaner, then dry with blue shop towels.
I'm worried to see this, one of the passenger side shoes has developed a crack...
Passenger side reassembled:
Back together:
At the last moment, the bleeder screw on the new driver side wheel cylinder snaps off in my hand
I got another replacement wheel cylinder and finally put everything back together. With a new air-compressor powered bleeder tool (that I LOVE compared to the old one) I bled the system (all four brakes) with DOT-3 fluid.
There may still be some air in the lines, since a lot of air was leaking in past the bleeder screws while I was trying to flush everything...
And the brakes still vibrate, but it's a lot, lot less than before.
All in all, I'm glad that I learned how to change the brakes on my own, and how to work with drum brakes and wheel cylinders. I don't feel great about this specific brake job though, because I don't think I did very well with it. I still have trouble with stuff as simple as bleeding the lines, and I worry a lot about not tightening down the bleeders enough or leaving air in the lines. And I worry that maybe the tools or expertise I need are out of my realm. For instance, if I'd gone to a good shop, would the brakes still have a little bit of vibration left?
I'm running out of patience living at my current place, which means I'm starting to look at more expensive alternatives because saving money is becoming less of a concern.. And because anywhere with a real garage costs more than where I live now.
It turns out the driver side OEM wheel cylinder had similar gouges in the bore, although it wasn't leaking yet. So it can't go back on. I was going to replace both at the same time anyway.
Just to be sure, I take both apart and inspect them. The bores have some crud in them, and look a tad corroded.
Oh well. I clean them with brake fluid and they're getting installed.
I take all of the shoes and spray them down with brake parts cleaner, then dry with blue shop towels.
I'm worried to see this, one of the passenger side shoes has developed a crack...
Passenger side reassembled:
Back together:
At the last moment, the bleeder screw on the new driver side wheel cylinder snaps off in my hand
I got another replacement wheel cylinder and finally put everything back together. With a new air-compressor powered bleeder tool (that I LOVE compared to the old one) I bled the system (all four brakes) with DOT-3 fluid.
There may still be some air in the lines, since a lot of air was leaking in past the bleeder screws while I was trying to flush everything...
And the brakes still vibrate, but it's a lot, lot less than before.
All in all, I'm glad that I learned how to change the brakes on my own, and how to work with drum brakes and wheel cylinders. I don't feel great about this specific brake job though, because I don't think I did very well with it. I still have trouble with stuff as simple as bleeding the lines, and I worry a lot about not tightening down the bleeders enough or leaving air in the lines. And I worry that maybe the tools or expertise I need are out of my realm. For instance, if I'd gone to a good shop, would the brakes still have a little bit of vibration left?
I'm running out of patience living at my current place, which means I'm starting to look at more expensive alternatives because saving money is becoming less of a concern.. And because anywhere with a real garage costs more than where I live now.
Thanks! Good luck with your two Civics too, I'm sure they'll be a blast!
FWDKILLER
New Member
thanks its gonna be a fun weekend putting the transmission in.