$2015 Challenge entry - 88 Accord LXi

Dude. Pressure washer.

DILYSI Dave wrote: Dude. Pressure washer.

Don't own one and not likely to. Plus, I can't really do that without the cylinder head installed.

I traded a PW for some other work and I love it. Not only is it great at all the normal PW type stuff, but it's really freaking good at cleaning car parts. Or, you know, sending them flying across the yard.

volvoclearinghouse wrote: you can borrow my pressure washer

Sweet, bring it over!

Maybe your maiden voyage after it's back running should be to a coin-op wash station.

bluej wrote: Maybe your maiden voyage after it's back running should be to a coin-op wash station.

Good idea.

Get some Oil Eater This stuff a stiff brush and the garden hose. Spray it on. Put the brush on the gritty baked on stuff and hose it off. It's amazing how good a degreaser this stuff is.

Some degreaser, a coin operated car wash, and a keen aim, and youre going to do a pretty solid 5' job on even the grimiest engine bay. Keen aim means dont shoot hi pressure water at the underhood fuse/relay box, distibutor, major sensors (TPS, MAP/MAF, etc...). To be on the safe side, Ive done this while the car was running...seems (at least in my weird brain) to be a little less likely to drown when its running...

I'll make a halfhearted attempt, but bear in mind that this is a sub $1000 beater. At some point I have to start working on the truck again.

Saturday was a big day. I wanted to get is started. Here is what I have to say:

Dear Honda,

The way you designed the flywheel to have a little "T" and a pointer for TDC on #1 is really brilliant. Additionally, the way you slotted the distributor to not allow it to be installed 180 degrees out is awesome. Truly class act. Wonderful use of O rings on basically everything.

This makes it even more confusing as to why you used a pin with no retention device for the tensioner pivot. Would a shoulder bolt be so expensive? Likewise, a simple hole drilled in the cam sprocket and the head to lock the timing would be so nice, who did you leave that out?

Thanks -Tuna55

I actually got most of the day on Saturday. First up was installing the keeper. It's slightly bigger than the original, leading the spring to be slightly more compressed, but it was not close to binding, so I guess that's fine. I set the lash on the bench and threw the cylinder head on. Then the little bracket dealie in the back of the intake, then the exhaust manifold and downpipe, then the thermostat housing, then about 5,000 connections of various kinds. Then the timing belt.

Rotate crank to TDC. Rotate cam to TDC (there is an "up" indicator). Crud, it's upside down. Remove rocker arm assembly, rotate cam 180 degrees, reinstall rocker arm assembly (ludicrously low torque on those bolts by the way).

Great, install timing belt, install tensioner (slide on pin, connect spring, thread in retaining bolt), rotate three teeth on cam by moving crank counterclockwise. Tighten tensioner. Rotate the engine two revolutions. Crap.

Oh, look, the tensioner has fallen off of the pin.

Repeat.

Timing looks good. Oh look, the tensioner has falled off the pin.

Let's install the distributor now and take a break.

Timing looks good. Let's install the timing covers. Crap. There is no square key in the crank pulley. Oh look, the tensioner has falled off the pin.

It was late and I went inside.

I'll hit up a dealer today for the key. Assuming I find one, I'll probably get it started tonight. All that I need to do is the timing belt, again, the covers, the rotor, cap and wires, and about three or four more connections, and it should be start-able.

I had a good time with the Tunakids, too. Here are #1 and #2 setting the valve lash.

Yes, they did that one by themselves. I checked it and it was fine.

Also cool was my oil pump priming tool. I wrapped tape inside out along the chuck of my drill and used the old timing belt to drive the pump by itself (it's driven off the the timing belt) until oil squirted up to the head. They did a really neat job with the oil squirters in this thing.

But a really crappy job with the timing belt installation bits.

More to come, hopefully tomorrow!

"Dear Honda,

The way you designed the flywheel to have a little "T" and a pointer for TDC on #1 is really brilliant. Additionally, the way you slotted the distributor to not allow it to be installed 180 degrees out is awesome. Truly class act. Wonderful use of O rings on basically everything.

This makes it even more confusing as to why you used a pin with no retention device for the tensioner pivot. Would a shoulder bolt be so expensive? Likewise, a simple hole drilled in the cam sprocket and the head to lock the timing would be so nice, who did you leave that out?

Thanks -Tuna55"

Funny, the B-series engines of that vintage (88-91) have little holes cast into the cam bearing caps for locking the timing, you put a bolt or drill bit through the cam bearing cap into a hole machined in the camshaft at TDC for the intake and exhaust cams. Here's a picture of the cam for reference.

So, I turned the key for the first time last night.

http://vid188.photobucket.com/albums/z267/BassettPictures/apartment/EAE18516-B875-4AB7-AEFB-B653357C7117_zpsd77i4jyq.mp4

And the video stopped. It turned over really sluggishly after that. Dead battery. No fire.

So I hooked up the charging cord to the battery jump pack and cleaned up my tools.

http://vid188.photobucket.com/albums/z267/BassettPictures/apartment/D883A762-A261-4828-BDC2-2CD027E8E5B5_zpsftg9ecqe.mp4

For clarity, I figured that if I didn't have enough battery to power the starter, then I couldn't rely on it to test the fuel pump.

http://vid188.photobucket.com/albums/z267/BassettPictures/apartment/A6B54044-F79B-45E9-9C2D-08776708188E_zpswgrz7cmp.mp4

Now I have to buy another $5 part.

I went out in the morning with the fresh battery jump pack and tried to get the fuel pump to fill a small jar with gasoline, but nothing. What do I need to do to get it to pump? Key on? Crank? I tried both and it was dry.

Bear in mind that I drove it, somewhat, home. I am pretty sure the fuel system was fine before I took the engine apart, and all I think I did was to disconnect the banjo (which was not under any great pressure) and the return line at the other end of the fuel rail.

Main relay in this era is notorious for bad solder joints causing intermittent fuel pump operation.

Im almost certain that is the problem, as it was working before. At key on should fire the pump for about five seconds.

Will check tonight.

Also will buy a new banjo nut since the other one is hopelessly lost.

Should be a how to on one of the forums. Its a pretty simple fix.

Dusterbd13 wrote: Should be a how to on one of the forums. Its a pretty simple fix.

I'm not convinced that's it, of course. We'll see. It seems more likely that I put something together wrong since the main relay was working fine when I put it in the garage.

Well crap, the "banjo nut" is not available from the Honda dealer today. I have to order it. Any ideas?

It's a nut that's not a through hole. Honda calls it a sealing nut.

Dorman used to sell such things. Check out napa.

I can find nothing on any websites called a "sealing nut" or a "banjo nut", including o rielly's, fastenal napa and Rockauto.

Honda can get it tomorrow if I call by three. Boo.

Also I really ought to get new washers, which are everywhere.

On interglacial hold with NAPA now.

Nothing, unless I can expect an acorn nut to work against the sealing washer.

Was going to suggest the acorn. Maybe look at motorcycle stuff?

tuna55 wrote: Nothing, unless I can expect an acorn nut to work against the sealing washer.

Dont see why not...maybe add a delrin washer to be sure it seals? Not really familiar with the issue at hand, but seems like pressure spaced evenly around the hole will form a seal, regardless of the shape of the fastener?

$12 at Honda for the nut and both washers, here tomorrow.

Tonight I'll just make sure I can get gas flowing, and maybe attach the A/C and P/S and whatnot.

No fuel not caused by main relay.

Next?