Question on Hondas

On 06/02/2011 07:39 AM, Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B wrote:
> On Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:28:57 -0700, jim beam wrote:
>
>> On 06/01/2011 07:44 PM, Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B wrote:
>>> On Tue, 31 May 2011 23:26:45 -0700, jim beam wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 05/31/2011 09:53 PM, Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B wrote:
>>>>> On Tue, 31 May 2011 18:30:42 -0700, jim beam wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 05/31/2011 03:54 PM, Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B wrote:
>>>>>>> On Tue, 31 May 2011 13:24:09 -0400, danl wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hi, I'm looking for a 1998 to 2001 Honda civic sedan 5spd 4 cyl.
>>>>>>>> Anything in particular I should watch out for. I figure the mileage
>>>>>>>> will run from about 90,000 to 150,000. I have been told if it has not
>>>>>>>> been done the timing belt would be a good thing to replace right off.
>>>>>>>> Anything else besides the usual like brakes and other routine
>>>>>>>> maintenance items. Thanks for any info you can provide.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Dan
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Yeah. Make sure some wannabe Ricer didn't get his hands on it and mook it
>>>>>>> up trying to make a Drifter out of it. Too many of them out there.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> not too many with the skillz to be fwd civic drifterz dude.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> first thing this guy needs to do is figure out which of the two
>>>>>> generations he's talking about - if he wants one of the 2000 or earlier
>>>>>> generations with its wishbone suspension and excellent handling, or the
>>>>>> 2001 with its buick handling. with the 2000 or earlier, check for the
>>>>>> rear suspension bushings. other probs with other generations, but
>>>>>> that's the biggest one i know for 96-00.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I finally gave up and bought a S00B AWD wagon. Too many Hondas around here
>>>>> "tricked out" and failed. I was looking for a nice 91-96 DX Hatch, but the
>>>>> ones for sale have been raped, and the nice ones aren't for sale.
>>>>>
>>>>> Wich they would dust off the blueprints and make them again...
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> indeed they should. 88-92 were about honda's finest hours. update the
>>>> motors, upgrade to electronic controlled transmissions, and don't touch
>>>> anything else. civic [crx], civic 4wd wagon, prelude, prelude 4ws,
>>>> accord, nsx - all were exemplary in their way.
>>>
>>> Even back to '85, and the same goes for Toyota. They put out their best
>>> cars during that period, IMHO. Also at that time, Nissan seemed to lose
>>> their way, and put out some bad stuff.
>>>
>>> I had an '88 Accord DX, carb'd, but still got 32 MPG, and you could drive
>>> the car with two fingers.
>>>
>>
>> i think the injected hondas were superior. and for the civics, the
>> wishbone suspensions that came out in 88 were a MAJOR upgrade. [forgot
>> to mention the integra of course.]
>>
>> to labor the superiority point, one of my car buddies bought an impreza
>> just over a year ago and was raving about its power, handling, etc. i
>> was unimpressed and took him to road test an 89 civic base hatch i'd
>> just finished repairing. he ended up buying it from me and ditching the
>> subie! we then put in a d16a6 motor, a zc cam and some ebay headers for
>> <$300 and he races it on weekends. an insanely light, fun little
>> vehicle. total stealth too because it looks like crap. it'll lay
>> rubber for ~100' of you floor launch and we didn't even convert it to
>> 4-point injection - it's still throttle body! needs an lsd - can't keep
>> the passenger [short driveshaft] wheel down.
>
>
> See what I mean about people ricing them out!!!!
>
> Yeah, if you do it RIGHT, that's one thing,. I see too many listed with
> "fresh engine swap, only 3,000 miles"Then, why sell it after all that work?!?!

apart from failures to wire them up properly, there's reliability issues
because they always mod the engines, and honda engines often don't play
that game so well. not unless it's done right anyway.

if you look carefully at the deck of a d-series motor for instance,
you'll find that the steel liners stand slightly proud of the aluminum
jackets. which makes sense if you're trying to take account of the
different thermal expansion ratios. but shops just machine that off,
the result being that when the motor's hot, there's expanded aluminum
trying to lift the head gasket off the steel sealing ring. the other
one is skimming the head - almost always done with a machine that leaves
milling marks and thus a grooved surface. grooves are small leak
channels - it's only a matter of time till they get worse. oem honda
head finish is super smooth - almost mirror finish.


--
nomina rutrum rutrum

On Wed, 01 Jun 2011 22:46:58 -0400, danl >
wrote:

>On Tue, 31 May 2011 23:43:24 +0000 (UTC), Tegger >
>wrote:
>
>>danl > wrote in
m:
>>
>>> Hi, I'm looking for a 1998 to 2001 Honda civic sedan 5spd 4 cyl.
>>> Anything in particular I should watch out for. I figure the mileage
>>> will run from about 90,000 to 150,000. I have been told if it has not
>>> been done the timing belt would be a good thing to replace right off.
>>> Anything else besides the usual like brakes and other routine
>>> maintenance items. Thanks for any info you can provide.
>>>
>>> Dan
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Your year range covers two generations.
>>
>>For the '98-'99, there's the famous ignition-switch Safety Recall. If
>>that's been performed, there will be a punch-mark above the 8th character
>>of the VIN in the engine compartment. There'a another recall or TSB on
>>chafed wiring near the firewall, but I can't remember exactly which years
>>have that.
>>
>>For both generations there's a TSB out for engine rear-main oil seal leaks.
>>
>>I'm pretty sure there's an automatic transmission TSB out as well.
>>
>>I'm sure there are a lot more, but I don't have time to search my extensive
>>collection of files for all of them.
>>
>>If you /really/ want to know the /complete/ answers, go to Honda's own
>>Techinfo site, he https://techinfo.honda.com .
>>Pay ten bucks for three days of all-you-can-download. All TSBs and recalls
>>are there, specific to the year and models you choose. This is the same
>>info the dealer has.
>
>Thanks for the info.

Again, thanks for the info. Still looking in the Central FL area.
Have now noticed motor replacements, and after market accessories
more. Lookin closely for nuts and bolts that have been worked on and
noticed quite a few that owners have no explanation for. Pass on
those.

Thanks
Dan

On 06/04/2011 06:27 AM, danl wrote:
> On Wed, 01 Jun 2011 22:46:58 -0400, >
> wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 31 May 2011 23:43:24 +0000 (UTC), >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> > wrote in
>>> :
>>>
>>>> Hi, I'm looking for a 1998 to 2001 Honda civic sedan 5spd 4 cyl.
>>>> Anything in particular I should watch out for. I figure the mileage
>>>> will run from about 90,000 to 150,000. I have been told if it has not
>>>> been done the timing belt would be a good thing to replace right off.
>>>> Anything else besides the usual like brakes and other routine
>>>> maintenance items. Thanks for any info you can provide.
>>>>
>>>> Dan
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Your year range covers two generations.
>>>
>>> For the '98-'99, there's the famous ignition-switch Safety Recall. If
>>> that's been performed, there will be a punch-mark above the 8th character
>>> of the VIN in the engine compartment. There'a another recall or TSB on
>>> chafed wiring near the firewall, but I can't remember exactly which years
>>> have that.
>>>
>>> For both generations there's a TSB out for engine rear-main oil seal leaks.
>>>
>>> I'm pretty sure there's an automatic transmission TSB out as well.
>>>
>>> I'm sure there are a lot more, but I don't have time to search my extensive
>>> collection of files for all of them.
>>>
>>> If you /really/ want to know the /complete/ answers, go to Honda's own
>>> Techinfo site, he https://techinfo.honda.com .
>>> Pay ten bucks for three days of all-you-can-download. All TSBs and recalls
>>> are there, specific to the year and models you choose. This is the same
>>> info the dealer has.
>>
>> Thanks for the info.
>
> Again, thanks for the info. Still looking in the Central FL area.
> Have now noticed motor replacements, and after market accessories
> more. Lookin closely for nuts and bolts that have been worked on and
> noticed quite a few that owners have no explanation for. Pass on
> those.
>
> Thanks
> Dan

don't be too paranoid or unrealistic. there's nothing wrong with a
competently wrenched car. or if the price is right, you can take the
risk anyway.

the reality is, this is a breed of car that's got an enthusiastic tuner
following, and now that the good civics are all 11-23 years old -
typically well past the first original owner - your chances of finding
one that's been untouched or if so, one that's been competently
maintained, are slim to zero. just find one whose body is straight,
whose interior condition is something you can handle, and pay a price
that reflects fixing the rest. if this doesn't work for you, just buy a
new one. or get a buick.


--
nomina rutrum rutrum

On Sat, 04 Jun 2011 09:27:46 -0400, danl wrote:

> On Wed, 01 Jun 2011 22:46:58 -0400, danl >
> wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 31 May 2011 23:43:24 +0000 (UTC), Tegger >
>>wrote:
>>
>>>danl > wrote in
:
>>>
>>>> Hi, I'm looking for a 1998 to 2001 Honda civic sedan 5spd 4 cyl.
>>>> Anything in particular I should watch out for. I figure the mileage
>>>> will run from about 90,000 to 150,000. I have been told if it has not
>>>> been done the timing belt would be a good thing to replace right off.
>>>> Anything else besides the usual like brakes and other routine
>>>> maintenance items. Thanks for any info you can provide.
>>>>
>>>> Dan
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Your year range covers two generations.
>>>
>>>For the '98-'99, there's the famous ignition-switch Safety Recall. If
>>>that's been performed, there will be a punch-mark above the 8th character
>>>of the VIN in the engine compartment. There'a another recall or TSB on
>>>chafed wiring near the firewall, but I can't remember exactly which years
>>>have that.
>>>
>>>For both generations there's a TSB out for engine rear-main oil seal leaks.
>>>
>>>I'm pretty sure there's an automatic transmission TSB out as well.
>>>
>>>I'm sure there are a lot more, but I don't have time to search my extensive
>>>collection of files for all of them.
>>>
>>>If you /really/ want to know the /complete/ answers, go to Honda's own
>>>Techinfo site, he https://techinfo.honda.com .
>>>Pay ten bucks for three days of all-you-can-download. All TSBs and recalls
>>>are there, specific to the year and models you choose. This is the same
>>>info the dealer has.
>>
>>Thanks for the info.
>
> Again, thanks for the info. Still looking in the Central FL area.
> Have now noticed motor replacements, and after market accessories
> more. Lookin closely for nuts and bolts that have been worked on and
> noticed quite a few that owners have no explanation for. Pass on
> those.
>
> Thanks
> Dan


Central FL has one great big advantage we don't have in Mass...NO RUST!
I would gladly take a body from the south and stuff a "new" motor in it,
because then I would OIL the body and get another 10-15 years out of it!