I just bought an 88 accord for 200 bucks. 165,000 miles and no 5th gear, but runs great. several problems.


the clutch is brand new (six months or so with almost no miles on it) and when i take off i have to release the clutch almost all the way before it engages. the guy i bought it from said i should adjust the clutch cable and that would be fixed, but i don't know how to do this. i know about the big plastic nut on the cable at the tranny, but i can't tell any difference. it goes into gear just fine and takes off great, just releases farther up than i'd like. is that normal or can i adjust it. could it be a bad clutch cylinder or just low on fluid (haven't check fluid yet btw)??


when i drove it home the break pedal goes all the way to the floor and i have to push some more just to get it to slow down (down shifting also). a visual inspection says everything is cool but a friend of mine suggests the master cylinder might be bad. with car off and front driver bleeder off the caliper, fluid shoots out. bleeder in tight, break to the floor, i can easily turn rotor by hand.
probably the m.c.? oh yeah, i couldn't even get the rear drum off, but bleeding showed no air in lines, same for front, no air. and there's fluid in the m.c.


appreciate any help offered. enjoy reading the board, lots of good stuff. this is my first honda and i am really looking forward to driving it (especially with gas at 2.26 a gallon... hot springs, arkansas). plus i can say it's a four speed, hehe...


thanks...
sha wn


----
1975 trans am... $200
to get it running... appx $4500

 

on the clutch you might want to change the clutch cable ... sounds like it is streched once you change it you can then move on to the brakes it sounds like you may have 2 problems rear brakes might already be metal to metal and has made it hard to remove the drum or you just need to hit the drum a little to break it loose ... and also sounds like you have a master cylnder problem ..... maybe you better take it to a shop to take care of the rear brake and the master cylnder problems... call around and see who will give you the best price .... good luck you have a 3rd gen accord they are known to be the most reliable accord built

 

>>>on the clutch you might want to change the clutch cable ... sounds like it is streched once you change it

so my cable might be stretched? hmm....

>>already be metal to metal

that's what my friend told me... he said not to hit it though because i could yank the shoes off with the drum and mess something up. i dunno...

>>>..... maybe you better take it to a shop to take care of the rear brake and the master cylnder problems

i'll be working on it myself. i've just never worked on an import before, i've grown up with chevy and ford (i'm only 24 but that's all i've ever worked on) and i can pretty much feel my way through something. if i have good install instructions or maintenence instructions, then i'll have no problem replacing things on my own.

how can i be sure the cable is stretched though? i don't want to replace it with a new one and have the same problem, know what i mean?
oh, and on the back breaks, if they're worn enough, will the park brake still work properly? because it still does work properly, i mean, in neutral, park brake on, i can't push it... so it's holding pretty tight.

>>>.... good luck you have a 3rd gen accord they are known to be the most reliable accord built.

very cool. thanks a lot for your help.

sh awn

 

The rear drums can be a pain to take off. It's been a while since I had my '88, but I believe there are 2 threaded holes on the drum itself, not too far from the wheel studs. You'll need to figure out what size bolts to use (I can't remember), but thread the bolts in there and keep tightening them down until the drum pops free. (It's the reason the holes are there.) Hitting the drum will work, but not as effectively.

The rear brakes automatically adjust when you hit the brakes in reverse, so the parking brake should still work even if the brake shoes are worn down.

Oh, and I've had problems getting the drums off before, even though the shoes weren't worn...

 

those holes are the best idea i have ever heard of to get the drums off, i hate having to sit there with screwdrivers backing the adjuster off

that and I met a guy at the tireshop who would turn his rotor every time he rotated his tires if it had a groove, rotors would slip right off

One trick my dad showed me way back for drum brakes is to get a piece of strong wire and make a hook on one end and a loop on the other. Use a screwdriver for a handle and you'll get the springs off real quick. Makes putting them back on a breeze.

 

>>>>>>One trick my dad showed me way back for drum brakes is to get a piece of strong wire and make a hook on one end and a loop on the other. Use a screwdriver for a handle and you'll get the springs off real quick. Makes putting them back on a breeze.

i assume you mean the springs that pull the brake pads back and forth on the rear once the drum is off right?

new question...
i asked a couple guys tonight about my clutch problem...
one guy said it could be a pressure plate, either wore out or the wrong one...
the other guy said "naw, maybe the cable is outta justment..."

and then my friend (mentioned earlier) said "don't worry bout it. it works right? right. well? what's the problem? just fix yer brakes."