The_Honda_Guy

Hey guys, just getting ready to finish up a few things on the girlfriend's 97 DX.

I just had a few relatively dumb questions to start with. First of all, has anyone here swapped the washer fluid lines? I've already replaced all the emissions and vacuum hoses and was thinking of doing the washer fluid lines. I have a feeling it would basically be a waste though since they don't really corrode or fail and I'd rather keep the clear OEM tubing. Thoughts?

Also, I was looking at replacing the rubber fuel lines. I know there's only two actual rubber lines on the car that come from the fuel rail. I know after a while the rubber will degrade and they will get weak so I figured it would be a good idea to replace them. What are you guys replacing the flexible fuel lines with? I was thinking stainless lines but they seem to just be bling. Ideas?

I'm wanting to swap the worn out stock shifter bushings and replace the stock rubber clutch lines with stainless steel lines. As far as bushings go I would most likely go OEM since the poly bushings tend to squeek and **** out fast compared to the OEM ones. As far as the lines go I was thinking of doing Techna-Fit or Russell. Thoughts?

The_Honda_Guy

Bump for ideas!

The_Honda_Guy

C'mon, someone out there has to know something! Please give me your opinions!

JHP

i wouldnt mind changing my washer fluid lines. You can get clear tubing that small. Probably just need to look somewhere that sells medical supplies.

The_Honda_Guy

Bringing this back up.

I installed a few parts this passed weekend to tie up a bunch of loose ends on the car. Just small things to fix a few problems. Needed a new trunk latch due to old one being worn out and allowing trunk to bang around. Also installed a new driver seatbelt assembly due to the tensioner being worn out and not retracting properly. While I was at it I repainted the wiper arms satin black because they were peeling and sandblasted from the weather. Was nice to get those things finished up.

Now I'm back to thinking about the washer lines and fuel lines. Is there anywhere that might sell clear tubing to replace the washer lines? I'd prefer it to be clear so that it doesn't stick out as much as the red tubing I have installed on the engine components. Also, what did you guys replace your rubber fuel lines with? Is there place that sells the two sections of flexible fuel line?

cmgogo

for your washer lines, goto to pet store, pick up aquarium tubing, same ID/OD as the lines that are hooked up to your bottle.

for fuel line i went with good ol OE replacement (i think together they ran me 14 bucks at autozone)

The_Honda_Guy

Aquarium tubing would work great. I was thinking of just purchasing the OEM tubing but it states all it is is bulk vinyl hose, and the 4 sections of tubing would be almost 40 dollars, not really worth it. I'll look into the aquarium tubing. As far as the fuel lines go I'm tempted to use the OEM lines that come with the compression clamps, but the stainless steel ones are also nice. Is there anywhere else that would sell those two flexible lines?

The_Honda_Guy

Well, I went to Wal-Mart and picked up 25 feet of aquarium tubing for 2 dollars, much much cheaper than the OEM tubing or even the bulk stuff at the auto parts store. The old tubing had actually turned green and dingy from the years and the new clear tubing is a welcome change. Also, I went to the parts store and picked up some Ideal screw-type hose clamps and 2 feet of Gates fuel system hose to replace the OEM rubber fuel return hose.

I know that the hose that runs from the filter to the rail is a special piece with compression fittings. I was thinking of picking up one of the stainless steel braided pieces with the -AN fittings on it but then I realized that with that setup I couldn't use the Marshall fuel pressure gauge that I have currently installed in the top of the stock fuel filter. From what I can tell the only fuel line setup I can use is the OEM style one and still retain the fuel pressure gauge, so I guess I'll most likely just order a new OEM line.

Any other suggestions?

The_Honda_Guy

Well, we decided to just go with the OEM fuel line from the filter to the rail.

Nextly, I found out yesterday the upper ball joints are going bad. I know you need to replace the entire control arm to fix this issue. Now, I don't want a camber kit because it's not needed. I'm wondering who sells a good replacement piece that's not expensive but is still quality. Thanks!

thumper64

You can press the uppers out. I know you can, I did it. Or Moog has upper control arms. Go with Moog or OEM, they're the only two I trust. Autzone has a lifetime warranty on some of that, but these aren't things you want to do any more than absolutely necessary.

The_Honda_Guy

I was thinking of picking up the Moog or OEM ones, but they're around 90 dollars a piece. I could get the O'Reilly or Advance Auto brand ones for 40 dollars a piece. I'm not quite sure how much difference there really can be considering it's just a ball joint, metal arm, and some bushings, plus the in-house brands come with new bolts, nut, and cotter pin whereas the OEM or Moog generally don't.

The_Honda_Guy

What upper control arms are everyone else using?

The_Honda_Guy

Well, I think I found what we'll end up going with. The cheapest I can find both the arms for is around 90-100 dollars for off-brand ones from an auto parts store. I did some searching and found a set of Blox Racing adjustable control arms for 126 shipped with a best offer option. I am leaning towards going with the Blox ones for the extra 25 dollars for some better quality and camber adjustability. What do you guys think of the Blox arms?

fastrxu

Blox < oem

The_Honda_Guy

That's retarded to buy OEM UCA's. OEM UCA's are ~ 87 dollars a piece withoust shipping. No way in hell I'd pay 200 dollars for OEM UCA's. Also, the Blox control arms have replaceable ball joints, OEM don't.

boxeocampeon

dont change the washer fluid lines but go ahead and mess with the fuel lines and bushings

The_Honda_Guy

I've already replaced the washer fluid lines with all new aquarium tubing that I picked up from Wal-Mart. It was only like 5 dollars for 25 feet of the stuff and it's nice and clear. The old tubing was kinda dirty and faded and the new stuff looks really nice.

I went ahead and ordered the new fuel supply line. Since I'm using the fuel pressure gauge in the stock location on the fuel filter the OEM style line was the only way to go. Should be in tomorrow from the local dealership. Also, I received my Blox Racing UCA's today and will be installing those soon too along with my new OEM left axle seal that's recently started leaking. I'll be aligning the car back to factory specifications after installing the UCA's.

I decided to put some of the other stuff on hold so that I could get a few things done I've been trying to do for a while. I've been wanting to get a set of Gates Racing belts for the A/C and alt but haven't had the time. It's got a nice set of regular Gates belts on it now but most likely I'll will use them for my 94 Civic since the belts on it are shot. Also, I need to order some new OEM A/C stickers since the old ones are now faded and I want to move them to the front radiator support near the condenser. And lastly, I want to pick up a set of gold battery terminals and re-wire some of the engine bay wiring. I plan on picking up some welder's cable and copper terminals and re-wiring the battery ground and power, tranny ground, and valve cover ground for a better look and to replace the old corroded grounds. Only problem I'm having right now is picking out a nice set of gold battery terminals.

shak3yb0n3z

the ball joints on the upper control arms ARE indeed replaceable. Cost wise it's cheaper to replace the whole control arm.

The_Honda_Guy

Exactly why I bought the Blox UCA's. New ball joints for them are around 30 dollars. The cheapest UCA's I found were off brand ones for 45 dollars, and their quality is poop. At least I'm getting a name brand product here.