Foo - Gr......(car related)

So this weekend i started to change my water pump on my little Honda. Everything was smooth sailing until there was a plug covering up a bolt under the water pump which holds the pump. I got the plug out but part of it broke off and went into the timing belt cover, but that's not a big deal because its small and it will just get chewed up. After installing the pump and tensioning all the belts, i went to the do the thermostat. When unscrewing the bolts holding it on, one of them snapped off, which means i have to take off the distributor and removing the EGR valve and taking the whole housing off. That was a success until i found out the bolt is a hardened steel bolt which i can only drill through till a certain point. I used a bolt extractor and everything with no luck. So i had to order a new thermostat housing which should come in Wensday(hoping). I had to make this post to get all the anger out my system because i want to drive her so bad, but i cant:mad: . Plus i spent $120 ordering all the parts before the thermostat housing. The new housing is $50 shipped, so $170:mad:. I guess that bolt was seized pretty good.



So how did everyone else's weekend go by?

Imagine working on a car as being similar to making love to a fine woman. You need gentle caresses and firm but not forceful pressure here and there. Feel how it responds and adjust your movements. Listen to the sounds and the movement of the tools you're using. If you break something, you're in a lot of trouble...

Imagine working on a car as being similar to making love to a fine woman. You need gentle caresses and firm but not forceful pressure here and there. Feel how it responds and adjust your movements. Listen to the sounds and the movement of the tools you're using. If you break something, you're in a lot of trouble...
I was being careful, i love this car to much. The bolt was coming out fine until it started to give me resistance, so then i was going to screw it back in a bit and in that moment it snapped off. I was really pissed because i was like 90% done with the repair.

Why was the thermostat housing using a hardened steel bolt?

Why was the thermostat housing using a hardened steel bolt?
Because Honda decided to have one there. I'm guessing because of high temp.

Geez, I can't even replace the freakin' bulb in my headlight cuz the spring retaining clip won't unclip. I'd have attacked it w/ a hammer if I could fit the hammer in there. I never had this problem w/ the K car.

Geez, I can't even replace the freakin' bulb in my headlight cuz the spring retaining clip won't unclip. I'd have attacked it w/ a hammer if I could fit the hammer in there. I never had this problem w/ the K car.
Well this car is a 1989 and has 143k miles on it. And replacing the bulb is one of the easiest things every IMO.

Why was the thermostat housing using a hardened steel bolt?It appears most of the bolts Honda uses are hardened or nitrided as they're smaller than their counterparts on Toyotas or GM cars. The bolts on water-pumps and thermostat are especially prone to breaking because water weaps through the paper-gasket and corrodes the bolt. When re-installing, it's best to coat the threads with a silver-based anti-seize compound and coat the shank with silicone.

Well this car is a 1989 and has 143k miles on it. And replacing the bulb is one of the easiest things every IMO.
Ah shaddup you.

My advise is keep the EGR valve out. Run premium and throw the thing in the trash. I did.

It appears most of the bolts Honda uses are hardened or nitrided as they're smaller than their counterparts on Toyotas or GM cars. The bolts on water-pumps and thermostat are especially prone to breaking because water weaps through the paper-gasket and corrodes the bolt. When re-installing, it's best to coat the threads with a silver-based anti-seize compound and coat the shank with silicone.
Um...since when does Honda use paper gaskets? The thermostat and water pump both use a rubber gasket, thats why you cannot tighten the bolts more then 9ft lbs or the seal breaks. I used anti-seize on the water pump but the bolts were perfectly fine. It was the thermostat bolts that had rust.

My advise is keep the EGR valve out. Run premium and throw the thing in the trash. I did.
Heh...this car has a carburetor, which has alot of vacuum lines, in fact almost everything is ran off a vacuum line. So removing the EGR valve wont be to good.

I remember working on our old Chevy V8 with my Dad. Quick fix - 10 mins to change the thermostat. Except the bolt snapped. Cursing. Soaked in WD40, starts using an Easy-Out. Snaps. I think he managed to get another Easy-Out in there which then snapped off. Drove it to the garage (just a few miles away and it was in the winter). Needed new heads - $500 for the $3 thermostat. I'll always remember that day that just highlited Murphy's Law.

Um...since when does Honda use paper gaskets? The thermostat and water pump both use a rubber gasket, thats why you cannot tighten the bolts more then 9ft lbs or the seal breaks. I used anti-seize on the water pump but the bolts were perfectly fine. It was the thermostat bolts that had rust.Ok, Honda's better than most then. Does the thermostat housing use a paper gasket then?

I doubt your car is carburated, maybe some form of throttle body injection, but not carburated.

I doubt your car is carburated, maybe some form of throttle body injection, but not carburated.It depends upon the model. The 1989 Accord DX and LX models with 98hp engines had carburetors. The LXi model with 110hp engine had fuel-injection.

Ok, Honda's better than most then. Does the thermostat housing use a paper gasket then?
The housing to the head uses a small rubber o-ring, and the thermostat cover uses a rubber o-ring as well.

I doubt your car is carburated, maybe some form of throttle body injection, but not carburated.
I will put my life on the line here that this car has a carburetor because i have taken it out before and rebuilt it with the help of my brother. If you don't believe me, my air box is off right now and i can take a pic of the carb.

It depends upon the model. The 1989 Accord DX and LX models with 98hp engines had carburetors. The LXi model with 110hp engine had fuel-injection.
LX-i had 120hp

Heh...this car has a carburetor, which has alot of vacuum lines, in fact almost everything is ran off a vacuum line. So removing the EGR valve wont be to good.

what would be good is if you could just rip the whole carb, egr, ecu, etc out and just throw a weber 32/36 on, plug the extra hoses, and go.

It appears most of the bolts Honda uses are hardened or nitrided as they're smaller than their counterparts on Toyotas or GM cars. The bolts on water-pumps and thermostat are especially prone to breaking because water weaps through the paper-gasket and corrodes the bolt. When re-installing, it's best to coat the threads with a silver-based anti-seize compound and coat the shank with silicone.

Heh, didn't know that.

If at all possible, if it were my car, to avoid spending $120 for such a part on such an old clunker, I would have looked into drilling a new hole next to the old one (assuming you can't drill out the harden bolt) and getting a tap to cut some new threads.

Heh...this car has a carburetor, which has alot of vacuum lines, in fact almost everything is ran off a vacuum line. So removing the EGR valve wont be to good.

Heh heh, maybe you should get EFI and megasquirt.

should have just bought a new engine or block :)

I just sold the d16a6 out of my 91 honda crx that would be a direct bolt in into any 4th gen honda civic/crx, plus you would get 108hp and multiport fuel injection.

by the way i sold the engine for $60.

what would be good is if you could just rip the whole carb, egr, ecu, etc out and just throw a weber 32/36 on, plug the extra hoses, and go.
I have a computer under the seat, and it is only used for emissions which i don't need to pass through. So my car has no ECU per say, i have no speed limiter nor a rev limiter:D

should have just bought a new engine or block :)

I just sold the d16a6 out of my 91 honda crx that would be a direct bolt in into any 4th gen honda civic/crx, plus you would get 108hp and multiport fuel injection.

by the way i sold the engine for $60.This is a 3rd gen Accord;)

Heh, didn't know that.

If at all possible, if it were my car, to avoid spending $120 for such a part on such an old clunker, I would have looked into drilling a new hole next to the old one (assuming you can't drill out the harden bolt) and getting a tap to cut some new threads.That wont work.

Heh heh, maybe you should get EFI and megasquirt.To much hassle, i would need to run wiring everywhere. Plus different fuel lines and fuel pump.