The_Honda_Guy

Well guys, at this point I'm getting a new mod list put together. Here's the following systems I've completed:

Intake

Check and adjust idle speed
Perform manifold vacuum test
Replace OEM vacuum system hose clamps with Ideal screw-type hose clamps
OBX red brake booster vacuum hose
Honda OEM 92-95 Civic EX brake booster check valve
3A Racing red fuel pressure regulator vacuum hose
Inspect and adjust throttle cable assembly
Honda OEM throttle cable assembly
Remove Honda OEM intake assembly
AEM polished finish short ram air intake assembly (includes hose clamps, vacuum tubing, filter, piping, and mounting hardware)
Remove and clean throttle body assembly
Honda OEM throttle body gasket
Remove and clean idle air control valve
Honda OEM idle air control valve
Honda OEM idle air control valve gasket
Replace OEM positive crankcase ventilation system hose clamps with Ideal screw-type hose clamps
Honda OEM positive crankcase ventilation valve
OBX red positive crankcase ventilation valve hose
Replace OEM emission system hose clamps with Ideal screw-type hose clamps
Gates purge control solenoid valve hose
3A Racing red charcoal canister inlet hose
3A Racing red charcoal canister outlet hose
3A Racing red charcoal canister drain tube
OBX red charcoal canister drain hose

Fuel system

Inspect fuel system components for proper operation, leaks, and wear
Perform fuel pressure test
Replace OEM fuel system hose clamps with Ideal screw-type hose clamps
Honda OEM fuel filler tube cap
Honda OEM fuel line clip
Honda OEM fuel filter
Marshall white-faced, 0-100 PSI, 1.5” diameter, 1/8” NPT male fitting, liquid silicone-filled, fuel pressure gauge
Russell Performance M12x1.25 aluminum banjo bolt with 1/8” NPT female fitting
Russell Performance brass crush washers
Honda OEM fuel system supply hose
Honda OEM brass crush washers
Gates fuel pressure regulator hose
Gates fuel system return hose

Exhaust system

Inspect exhaust system components
Swap to 92-00 Honda Civic EX exhaust system
Dorman stainless steel exhaust system hardware
Megan Racing 4-2-1 stainless steel 2 piece header (includes piping, gaskets, and plug)
NGK OEM style upstream oxygen sensor
Magnaflow OEM style catalytic converter (49 state legal)
NGK OEM style downstream oxygen sensor
Password JDM 32” oxygen sensor wiring extension
Apex’i World Sport 2 stainless steel catalytic converter-back exhaust system
(piping, mufflers, gaskets, and hardware included)

Cooling/heating system

Inspect cooling system components for proper operation, leaks, and wear
Perform cooling system pressure test
Perform cooling system flush and fill
Honda OEM water pump
Honda OEM water pump gasket
Replace OEM cooling system hose clamps with Ideal screw-type hose clamps
Honda OEM radiator cap
Honda OEM radiator drain plug
Honda OEM radiator drain plug gasket
Honda OEM reserve tank radiator hose
Honda OEM reserve tank cap
Honda OEM reserve tank cap hose
Gates Racing upper radiator hose
Gates Racing lower radiator hose
Honda OEM idle air control valve coolant inlet hose
Honda OEM idle air control valve coolant outlet hose
Honda OEM breather pipe cut and modified for AEM air intake assembly
Honda OEM coolant breather heater hose
Honda OEM coolant bypass hose
Honda OEM thermostat
Honda OEM thermostat gasket
Inspect heating system components for proper operation, leaks, and wear
Replace OEM heating system hose clamps with Ideal screw-type hose clamps
Honda OEM heater coolant inlet hose (A)
Honda OEM heater coolant inlet hose (B)
Honda OEM heater coolant outlet hose
Honda OEM heater core grommet

The only things I skipped on are stainless fuel lines and aftermarket fuel rail since they're only bling and decided to use the OEM pump until it dies since an aftermarket pump isn't needed due to minimal performance mods. Also, I skipped on using an aftermarket radiator and fan until the stock ones fail since the stock ones work perfect now. Most likely when they do start failing I will replace them with Mishimoto equivalents. Other than that I did everything else I wanted.

At this point I'm wanting to move onto a couple other of systems, but would like any comments you guys have on my above lists first before I start the other stuff. Thanks for looking!

The_Honda_Guy

Bump for opinions!

American.Graffiti

iTrader: (7)

Thats one hell of a list.

The_Honda_Guy

Thank you.

The_Honda_Guy

Well, I guess since nobody else is responding then I'll just move on.

Since I already covered heating/cooling, I might as well cover the A/C system:

Air conditioning system

Inspect air conditioning system components for proper operation, leaks, and wear
Reclaim, evacuate, add dye, and recharge air conditioning system
Honda OEM air conditioning system stickers
BG air conditioning system oil/dye sticker
Air conditioning system charge amount written on radiator support with paint marker
Clean air duct system of debris and mold
Honda OEM evaporator drain tube
Honda OEM evaporator drain tube grommet

I recharged the system and installed BG fridgi quiet dye after vacuuming it for an hour, so the A/C system works perfectly. Also, I removed the fresh air duct and blower motor and cleaned all the dust and debris out and freshened the system with BG fridgi fresh blower system cleaner to remove all the mold and make it smell nice. All I had left to do was order some new A/C stickers and install them next to the condenser next to my dye sticker and charge amount. I was thinking of doing the cabin filter mod but honestly, I think it's waste. As soon as you roll down the window anything that wants to is getting into the car. Also, with how clean the blower system was without one I can't imagine spending the time and money to purchase the parts to install one. Any other suggestions for my A/C system?

WeakSauce92

picatures?! this is actually going to help me out, kind of like a checklist

The_Honda_Guy

What would you like pictures of? lol

The_Honda_Guy

Well, I guess that should wrap up the A/C system, time to move onto some bigger things.

Engine

Degrease engine bay
Perform dry cylinder compression test
Inspect engine and transmission components for leaks and wear
Inspect motor and transmission mounts for leaks and wear
Honda OEM front left motor mount
Honda OEM front left motor mount and sub frame modified for new bolt and nut
Perform valve lash adjustment
Honda OEM valve cover custom painted
Honda OEM valve cover gasket
Honda OEM spark plug oil tube seals
Honda OEM valve cover grommets
Check and set valve timing
Gates Racing timing belt
Gates timing belt tensioner
Honda OEM timing belt tensioner spring
Honda OEM upper timing cover shaved and custom painted
Honda OEM middle timing cover custom painted
Honda OEM lower timing cover custom painted
Gates Racing air conditioning compressor belt
Gates air conditioning compressor belt idler pulley
Gates Racing alternator belt
Honda OEM crankshaft pulley woodruff key
Honda OEM revised crankshaft pulley bolt (new torque specification)
Fuel induction and de-carbon service (1 can of Seafoam liquid in gas tank, de-carb throttle body, intake manifold, and idle air control valve using Seafoam Deep Creep, add 2/3 can of Seafoam liquid into brake booster vacuum hose, add 1/3 can of Seafoam liquid to crank case, and add 1-2 tablespoons of Seafoam liquid into each cylinder)

I don't plan on building up this motor since it's designed to get the best gas mileage and be reliable as possible. Also, at 143k miles this engine is in excellent shape. It's been well taken care of through it's life and it shows - 185 PSI across the board, all perfectly even. Also, the cooling system holds 14 PSI for over 45 minutes without loosing 1 PSI. And to top it off even in the winter with snow tires it will still average 36 MPG between town and highway driving with a high of 42 MPG. Very indicative of a good engine. I don't plan on changing camshafts or pistons or anything internal unless I see engine failure to keep MPG's at an optimum. I went with the upgraded Gates Racing timing belt and accessory drive belts since I was able to get them for a decent price. Also, the blue look is a nice touch to go with the Gates Racing radiator hoses. Also, Gates Racing belts are actually the same as the Greddy belts so I know I can rely on them to give me thousands of miles of reliable use.

The only thing I'm wondering about is as motor mounts do fail, what should I replace them with? I'm assuming Honda OEM mounts to keep vibrations down since aftermarket mounts generally have more vibration and since this is a year-round DD I want to keep that down.

What suggestions do you guys have? Good or bad, post your opinions!

WeakSauce92

EVERYTHING!! ;D especially detailed pictures of the engine bay, oh and lead me in the right direction to find some threads on some of the stuff you've done.

fastrxu

Get everything except the obx and 3a racing.

The_Honda_Guy

The reason I went with the OBX and 3A Racing tubing is because all it was is silicone tubing. There's no specific company that makes silicone tubing that's better than anything else out there. Also, I got the 3A Racing tubing in 4, 6, and 8mm with 10 feet of each for like 30 bucks shipped and I got the OBX 10mm tubing for like 20 shipped. I had more than I needed and probably had enough to do another engine bay. Gates does make silicone tubing but it's insanely expensive and isn't going to be anything better. Silicone tubing is silicone tubing, it's not like rubber tubing that has fibers and such in it.

I can get some engine bay pictures here in a bit, still recovering right now from the huge Mexican dinner I just ate. lol I don't know if I have many threads that actually explain what I've done, but I know there's a lot of threads out there with parts lists for the car. Usually I don't do build threads where I actually take progress pictures. I generally just get a parts list and ideas on here and then install them and if I had issues I post. The only write-up I really did was on how to properly Seafoam and not do it the cheap/wrong way. If you search for my threads I created they'll pop up.

The_Honda_Guy

itsnotfast

You have got to be one of the most meticulous people on H-T and I admire that. You do great detailed work. Keep it up, i'll be back to check out future work.

The_Honda_Guy

Thank you very much, I appreciate comments like this. I do spend a ton of time researching parts and prices before I make decisions. Usually I will research a specific mod then figure out what part/manufacturer will work best for what I'm doing. After I figure that out I then search all over the internet at different websites for the best prices and shipping. I never compulsive buy anything without researching it first and that's why I've never bought a part yet that I didn't like. I like to keep a list of all the things I do, that way I have something to show for my hard work and if I do (ever) sell the car I have a story to back it up. Also, it helps for the other people who want to do the same things with their car, kinda like a checklist like the guy above said. I know the car may not be fast or anything amazing, but it runs amazing, gets awesome gas mileage, has been dead reliable, and with continued proper care will continue to run for years. The car shows no signs of wear and drives much better than many brand new cars that I've driven. I would love to keep this thing for years and see how many miles I can put on it but eventually will need a 4 door for kids. At that time I'll make sure it gets passed onto someone who will appreciate it as much as I do.

trrbl1bmx

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

A little Japanese man spend alot of time designing those hoses to be placed in that engine bay with no clamps. Why waste all that time replacing vaccum hoses with silicone so they can swell and leak?

You should dismount your tires from your rims and paint the inside of them blue to match your timing belt! Remount and post pics before and after!

trrbl1bmx

Nicest part of that engine bay is the NGK spark plug wires!

The_Honda_Guy

I don't think you quite understand. The only time I installed clamps is where clamps had previously been. I simply replaced the crappy "squeeze" type clamps with the better "screw" type clamps. If it didn't have any clamps on the hose I didn't install any. Also, all the hoses besides the brake booster hose and valve cover breather are routed EXACTLY the way it was from the factory, and even those two hoses are still routed correctly. I only used silicone hoses where they would work. Some of the hoses need to be reinforced rubber. I checked to make sure they would not collapse under vacuum otherwise I wouldn't have used the silicone hoses. As far as swelling and leaking I'll let you know in 10 years when I replace them again.

And why would you even make a comment like that? I guess since my engine bay isn't shaved and wire tucked it's not worth looking at? I guess it's too tough to have a nice DD these days without building it show quality. Better hide those wires so when I do have a wiring issue I can dig them back out from the fender wells in the middle of winter.

Double_Trouble_99

looking good! if you get down to the quad cities pm me!

JasonYo

Great work man!

This is the kind of stuff that inspires me to keep working on my car. It's not a crazy fast track car or a fully tucked show car either! just a nice reliable daily driver thats fun to drive.

The_Honda_Guy

Once again, thank you for the kind words. No, it's not some track car or a fully tucked show car. Those cars are all well and fun, but to me a Honda is meant to be driven daily into high miles. Honda made the cars so well that to me it's a shame not to drive them daily just to show how reliable and good on fuel they really are. I just wanted to build something to showcase the work I do but still wanted to get the best gas mileage I could and stay as reliable as possible while upgrading some of the stock parts. The car is very fun to drive and is super practical and reliable. This car is driven all year through the sun and the snow so it see's it all. I'm still amazed at how damn good it is in the snow with the stock steelies and a set of Blizzaks.

As far as the Quad Cities go - I'm down there every so often. I was down there a week ago for a Projekt German meet with some friends in Moline. Had a good time. I'd love to meet up with some other Honda owners that aren't kids. I myself am 23 and would rather hang out with some of the older guys who own them and see what they've done. I'm also on the Quad City Area Auto forum too and keep track of things there. You'll have to PM me and let me know of any Honda meets going on!

The_Honda_Guy

Also, I just realized that I forgot to put the Password: JDM gold radiator stay on the cooling system list. My bad. lol

The_Honda_Guy

Forgot to also mention - this car doesn't leak anything, much less seep anything. You can wipe the whole motor down with a paper towel and find nothing but a little dust. Most cars with 143k miles on them have leaks coming from everything, but this has not one seep of any kind of fluid anywhere. Absolutely bone dry. Also, the car has been undercoated since it was new and the underbody on it looks perfect. I plan on cleaning the underbody up and re-undercoating it before snow sets in this year.

Linked

my hero

so how much did you end up spending for the list you just made?

i'd love to do this myself to get my civic back to brand new quality

The_Honda_Guy

Thank you.

For all the stuff I posted up so far I'd like to say there's around 1500 dollars there. 700 of that is exhaust, keep in mind, but that's also because I bought new NGK oxygen sensors and one hell of an exhaust setup. As far as a daily driver exhaust on a Honda it's easily the best I've heard. No drone, never loud, great performance. But if you look at the the parts lists, most of it is high-grade stuff. I didn't cheap out on anything on this car, even the gaskets and such were all Honda OEM. Most people would never spend the money for an OEM cap and rotor and gaskets and go with the cheaper Fel-Pro gaskets and local auto parts store parts but I'm picky about what goes on this car.

For those of you who want more pictures of things I can get them. Also, I'm not even halfway through my list yet, plenty more to come.

The_Honda_Guy

For anyone who thinks there's something I may have missed or a maintenence item I didn't do please let me know. I'm always wanting to add stuff to the list of things and do more with the car. Please, post your opinions and thoughts! Thank you! :D