It's coming right along. The goal is to have it running again by next weekend. I have to spend a long weekend in PA at the end of the month and then we have vacation in early August. I'd like to know that the engine is squared away before then.

As for the steering rack, I just went with a remanufactured Cardone rack from Rock Auto. It's supposed to arrive either tomorrow or Wednesday. I had already bought new inner tie rods that were supposed to go on the sedan, but the new steering rack comes with them already installed. Maybe I can use them on the hatch instead? The hatch has a manual rack, which I was intending to keep. I haven't checked yet to see if the tie rods are the same between the power and manual racks.

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll have to check them out since I sort of pass through there on 77 commuting to work. I already have a short list of things that will need to be welded.

Do you have any plans to attend the Classic Honda's on the Dragon meet in October? This year they're featuring the Del Sol. I'll take the sedan if it's running well enough to make the 3 hour trip.

I was able to get the flywheel and clutch installed this past Friday evening, which was the only time that I had available to do it. It was 102 degrees when I left work, which already wasn't going to be fun, but then I ended up running into a problem with the Exedy pressure plate not wanting to slide over the dowel pins on the flywheel. I could sort of tap it on with a plastic hammer, but it just felt way too tight. It took like 5 or 6 attempts of lightly sanding the pins, then sanding the holes, then checking fitment, then sanding again. Eventually it all bolted together properly with nice snug fit. The flywheel looks like a nice part and it's like half the cost of the Exedy flywheel. I wouldn't hesitate to use LUK again. I think the heat just made it more frustrating.

 

Curious - why not just resurface the factory flywheel?
And/or go w/ Luk clutch?
Sanding those pins sounds like a PITA...

 

Yikes, guess you'll find out if it's off balance when you start it for the first time. Never should you have to do something like that. It only mates one way to the flywheel.

 

sure thing man.

Have several friends that invited me to go but my schedule just didn't work out. I do plan to go to "Back of the Dragon" for the yearly Del Sol meet in Tazwell, VA. Hopefully weather cooperates and I have the DS running in top shape by then.

"just needs a tune" LOL

 

Is there a Tail of the Dragon?

 

Absolutely. It is a fabulous section of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

 

So I called two transmission shops near me to have the flywheel resurfaced. One quoted $80, which I think is the "I don't want to do it" price. The other quoted $50 and would have been a 30 or 40 minute drive to the opposite side of town that I rarely travel through. Then I stopped at a local mechanics shop and asked if they would resurface the old flywheel. They offered that service, but they don't actually do it themselves anymore. They were going to send it to a transmission shop, which is probably the one that I had already called. I figured it would just be easier to buy a new one for $50 and have it delivered in a couple of days. Maybe in hindsight, I should have went with the resurfacing.

I probably could have forced the pressure plate onto the pins if I had gotten it aligned and then started screwing down the bolts, but that didn't seem right. I don't think the problem was with the location of the pins and/or holes, it's just that the pins were slightly oversized, or the holes were slightly undersized. When I say that I sanded them, I used 600 grit sandpaper and sort of polished the pins. I know what you're saying, though. You shouldn't have to do that. Hopefully it doesn't cause a vibration.

I don't think I'll make it for the entire weekend this year. It looks like we'll just get up extra early on Saturday and drive out there for the morning event and return sometime in the evening. I've gone the these past few years and there's always a nice turnout for Del Sol's.

This past week I did receive the remanufactured steering rack from Rock Auto, but it was junk and I returned it. The shaft that goes to the steering column was obviously bent. I could sort of tell right away when I opened the box and removed the protective cap, but it was really clear when I set it next to my old rack. I sent it back on Friday and will exchange it for the Mavel branded rebuilt steering rack. I probably should have just went to Napa instead of buying something like this from RA.





Over the weekend I put new OEM axle seals into the transmission and mated it to the engine. I also replaced the release fork boot since the old one seemed swollen from being oil soaked for who know how long. The new slave cylinder is on, as well as the new transmission mount and the engine harness was cleaned and reconnected.



I'm sort of stuck for the time being until the new steering rack arrives, which likely won't be until next week.

 

Well I exchanged the steering rack, and the new one looked better. I still don't like the way that they packaged it, though. This time one end of the box was wide open when it arrived. The steering shaft was straight, but the drivers side inner tie rod end is pretty loose compared to the passenger side. I'll probably swap it out before I get an alignment and put the new tires on.



The engine is back in with only a slight casualty. That little filter cap on the purge cut solenoid valve probably got caught on the power steering lines when I was lifting the engine into place and it snapped off at the neck. There were a few used ones for sale on ebay, but at those prices I was able to pick up an entire intake manifold with all of the sensors and valves attached from the local Honda/Acura salvage yard for the same price.

Here's a before and after pic of the progress.





The only things left to do are reinstall the power steering pump, exhaust manifold, spark plug wires and axles, which I'll get to next week.

I also picked up a water temp and an oil pressure gauge. Are they worth it for a D15B7? Probably not, but I like having the piece of mind. I didn't think it would hurt to monitor some of the engine vitals until I have confidence that this engine is going to be reliable. What I liked about these gauges is that they have an alarm and peak function, and they're dimmable.

 

Looking good!!! Gotta pick yourself up some honda shin-etsu grease for all your rubber bits. It is magic. I picked up a 97 sedan that had been neglected and im restoring it to its formal glory as well.

 

Thanks, I'll check it out. Where's your build thread? I'd like to follow your progress.

Speaking of rubber bits. Have you looked at or tried aftermarket window belt trim? The rubbers on the sedan really aren't worth saving. I've seen some aftermarket sets on ebay that are made in Vietnam or Taiwan for something like $50. Just recently a NOS Honda set popped up for $190. The aftermarket set is tempting, but if they're ill fitting, then I wouldn't want to waste the time.

 

May have time to post a thread today. Wont be a progress thread but maybe every couple mths update or so. HERE IT IS...https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-...97-dx-3376661/

So yes i did. I got new fronts from honda since they were still available. but I googled "72950S04003" which is a part# for a rear and a ebay listing popped up from china. I thought it was for a oem one but in fine print it said "This is not oem product, accessory only." Which I noticed after it came in and would not fit. But I swapped for the oem clips in the middle and it fits good enough. if both were aftermarket then it might look 100% fine, but the "sheen" is different between the two. Not perfect. But I will refinish the OEM ones somehow someday and put those on. I did find a ever so slightly used one from the netherlands for the other side though that fits.

 

It's good to hear that you were able to make them fit. When I removed the belt trim from the hatchback, I broke every single clip on both doors. I tried a few different types of trim tools in combination with a small flat head screwdriver, but they all broke. So clips that fit properly is another thing that I need to consider.

I got the car running over the weekend. There were a couple of setbacks. First, I wanted to replace the rubber hoses that run to the steering fluid cooler since they were starting to crack.. Honda doesn't sell them anymore and I wasn't able to find an aftermarket replacement. I checked the local parts store, but all they had was generic high pressure tubing for power steering, or softer rubber tubing for fuel or transmission lines. All of which had the correct 3/8" ID, however the OD was 5/8". The Honda hoses have an 11/16" OD, which seems to be an uncommon size, plus it needs to be flexible enough to make the bend without collapsing on itself. For now, I only replaced the lower hose and used some generic worm clamps until I can find something more suitable.



Friday night I put the axles back in and was ready to bolt the suspension back up when I noticed that the threads on the lower ball joints were screwed and there was no way that I would be able to spin the castle nut back on. I didn't pay attention to them when I pulled the motor since I just zipped them off with an impact. Saturday morning I had to make a trip to the parts to pick up a couple of ball joints and rent the tool to press them in. The tool worked, but it wasn't the perfect size for a Civic. I'll have to buy my own kit with the proper adapters for next time.



On Sunday morning I wired up the gauges, added all of the fluids and started the engine.



The engine idles fine and seems to be running smooth. I took it for a couple of 30 or 40 minute drives in the afternoon which included some rural roads, 5 or 6 miles on the highway and then a trip through town with several stop lights. The water temp sits between 175° and 182° while moving and increases to ~195° when sitting at a red light until the fan kicks on. It's too early to tell and I need to do a bit more driving to feel confident that the engine is in good working order.

There's no external leaks anywhere except for the steering rack. I think it's coming from the fitting to the high pressure line, so that needs a closer look.

 

if you can't find the correct hoses, try a commercial truck supply house. That's where i got my drain hose and FMIC couplers. If it's good enough for 18-wheelers, it's good enough for a Honda.

I happen to have that specialty tool/socket for ball joints if you ever need to borrow it. Plus, I have a 20-ton press if you need something pressed in.

 

That's a good idea. Now that you mention it, maybe one of those hydraulic hose shops might have something available. McMaster-Carr also has a few options that might work. Their lightweight hydraulic hose has a 2" bend radius which ought to work perfectly for the elbow in the upper hose.



I'll probably take you up on the ball joint tool. The hatch has what looks like new ball joints, but I think someone used a hammer and a chisel to beat them into the knuckles. They'll need to be replaced before I do anything else with the suspension.

As for the press, HF had the 20 ton model on sale for $50 off, so I picked one up last week. I didn't realize how heavy it was until I tried to slide it out of the car. I'm going to buy a good set of casters before assembling it.

 

The turbo drain hose I’m using looks just like the type you see at gas stations. Material is thick and I have not had any kind of leaks or issues in over 6yrs.

That ball joint tool was a lifesaver. Since the spacing is limited, you cannot install a new one properly without damaging it. Just let me know.

 

You know, I didn't really have any trouble pressing in the drivers side ball joint. The tool was a little too big and it didn't quite have the right adapters, but it managed to work. When I pressed the passenger side in, the ball joint boot had gotten pinched and tore open. I don't know if it's worth attempting to replace just the boot, or if I should just replace the whole ball joint.

We got home from vacation this past weekend and I did a little more work on the sedan. Before we left, I ran some coolant system cleaner through the engine again and flushed it with water. Then the radiator started to leak between the core and the lower end tank. I ordered a new one and had it delivered before we arrive home. I swapped that in on Saturday. One thing that still bothers me about this engine is that it spits a lot of water out the tail pipe when the engine is warming up. It did this when I first got the engine running back in June with the blown head gasket and I thought it was just a symptom of coolant getting into the combustion chamber. It's still doing it now, but it does stop after the engine is fully warmed up and driven for a few minutes. It's probably just condensation, but I've never noticed this on any other Honda that I've owned.



I haven't put the EM1 wheels on yet since the car badly needs an alignment after replacing the steering rack. It was pulling rather hard to the right and the steering wheel is 25 or 30 degrees turned to the left. When the rebuilt steering rack arrived, it wasn't centered, so I tried to center it myself before installing. I think I'm one or two teeth off. I did a DIY alignment with jack stands and string, and that really helped out a lot. Both front wheels had negative toe that I was able to mostly correct. There's still a slight pull to the right, but it's nowhere near as bad as it was before.



This is what the steering wheel looks like when the wheels are pointed straight and my hands are off the wheel. I guess the best way to correct this is to remove the steering wheel and re-center it?



In other news, I assembled the shop press and ordered the Progress coilovers, so I'll start to tackle the suspension in the next couple of weeks.

 

For the steering wheel, do not remove it. Correct the issue down there on the steering rack instead. if you can find "the Club" steering wheel lock, get that to hold it straight

 

So I'll have to drop the steering rack, correct? I've removed the two bolts to the universal joint, but it will only slide up or down a couple of millimeters, which isn't nearly enough to remove it from the shaft to the steering rack. It looks like the only way to get the shaft out of the u-joint is to drop the rack an inch or two.



I understand there's a clock spring in the steering wheel. If you remove the whole wheel and realign it, wouldn't the clock spring realign with the wheel?

 

You need to center the rack, then install the steering wheel correctly aligned to the shaft.

 

This is the way.
Then set toe enough to get it in for alignment

 

Alright, thanks for the help. That's what I'll do. I was really hoping that I wouldn't have to unbolt the rack. I'll be working on the suspension next, so I can address this at the same time. It shouldn't be too much extra effort to drop the subframe a bit if necessary.

I drove the car to work every day last week and put about 400 miles on it. The engine is running great. A couple of things I've noticed related to the steering rack; the feed line is still leaking at the flare fitting even after snugging it up once or twice. It looks like there isn't much that can be done except replace the feed line. Lucking, Honda still sells it. There also may be a leak on the driver's side end of the rack since the underside of the bellow looks a little wet. The A/C was also blowing warmer and warmer air throughout the week. I found a pretty bad leak at one of the fittings on the condenser.

Yesterday the coilovers arrived along with most of the bushings for the front LCA's and sway bar end links. I'm going to steal the Skunk2 adjustable upper control arms and ball joints from the hatch since they're basically brand new.

 

You don't unbolt the rack. Remove the steering joint at the column.

 

Alright, I'll have to look at it again. When I've tried to do this before, the joint wouldn't slide up far enough to release from the splines. Maybe mine is a little stuck and will require some gentle prying.

I appreciate the help.

 

What spring rates did you ended up going with? if you ever need to upgrade (go with higher rating springs), buy them from JEGS. They have them in the same size and it's cheaper than from Progress. Only downside is that they are powder coated in black or silver instead of gunmetal grey. That's what I did in my DS for the rears.

Jegs brand, 2.5" diameter, 9in length

 

You need to remove all the plastics and bracing under the steering wheel, and the 4 bolts that hold the column to the chassis and lay it on the floor before you remove the steering joint.