1992 Honda Accord EX FWD Manual


I was driving my Honda around in the snow. I took a couple of turns and had some fun "drifting" if you could call it that lol. After a while I felt vibration from my drivers side wheel well. I stopped to make sure everything was fine before packing up and leaving the parking lot. While I was trying to leave the parking lot, I suddenly heard a racket, as if two gears where grinding together, from my left wheel well.

After clearing out the snow, turning off/on my car, I'd get the same result. Heres the symptons:

-I hold down the clutch and shift to 1st gear. Instead of the car moving forward, I just rev the engine while I hear the sound of what I think is two gears grinding.
-I shift the car 1st gear and let go of the clutch, normally the car should die and stall but it keeps running.
-I shift into, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th gear and get the same grinding noise.
-Twice I got the car to move a couple of inches my having the car in 1st gear and in 3rd gear.
-I can move the steering wheel just fine, clockwise and counter-clockwise
-When I rev the engine, my tires do not spin. It acts as if my car is neutral when in fact it is in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th gear...

I jacked up the car and removed the front tire. Cosmetically everything looks fine (too my noob eyes). I compared the passangers side to the drivers side. *Excuse my lack of correct terms*

On the broken side: You have your rim that is attached to the disk brake I believe. Attached to the circle-like disk (spindle maybe?). Is a metal bar (Rack and Pinion Unit maybe?) With rubber gaskets at each ends of the bar. I had a friend push the stick shift up, as if to go into third gear (without holding down the clutch). I see the metal bar moving clockwise, however it does not move the wheel. From my comprehension, I think that the Rack and Pinion Unit is broken where the bar connects to the wheel mount.

On the normal side: I see everything above except that the bar (Rack and Pinion Unit) does not move, it stays attached to the wheel mount.

At first I thought I had a transmission problem, now I think I've just messed up my steering system. But why would it effect my car's shifting?

When I get my car towed back to my house, I'll take pictures/videos of the problem.

Any ideas what the problem could be?

Please help me out a lil!
Thanks alot,
Nate


Modified by NateTheGreat at 6:33 PM 1/21/2007

 

lol, you got a couple things to learn about your car. First off, your car is not rear wheel drive, its front wheel drive. Second, you wheel is attatched to the hub, behind the hub is the brake rotor, behind the rotor is the spindel. The axel is bolted through the spindel to the hub. The axel has 2 CV(constant velocity) joints on either end. This allows the wheel to spin with power when you are turning or go over a bump. The Outter tie rod is what connects the steering rack to the spindel, however, it is mounted to an arm that comes off the spindel, where as the axel is inline when the hub/spindel assembly. What has most likly happened is, you snaped the CV joint, which is inside the rubber boots. When you put it in gear and let the clutch out, half of the joint is moving, and grinding againt the other part. Now, the car also has an open differential, so power will to the path of least resistance, so if one side has a snaped CV joint, and the other has the wheel attatched, obviously the broken side is easier, and it will produce the grinding sound.

Sorry for the novel, but I hope that answers the question

ETA: its impossible for you to have the car in 1st and 3rd at the same time.

 

^^^that even makes sense to me...

great write up u did

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ETA: its impossible for you to have the car in 1st and 3rd at the same time.</TD></TR></TABLE>

O I ment It moved in 1st gear as well as in 3rd gear.

Wow, that was great, exactly what I needed. Thanks for the rundown

Its sunday now, and no auto shops are open. Would you have a ballpark figure of how much a repair would cost?

Would it be possible to repair myself? I'm a stranger to suspension/drivetrain/steering. But I have done a couple engine work jobs. New high output alternator, new belts, and little engine upkeep.

From what I take, I just have to replace the CV joint? Would that require taking the whole assembly out or would it be more or less as simple as moving the rubber boot out, taking out the broken CV joint and replacing it with a new one...?

Thanks again,
Nate

 

You probably will have to replace the whole rod I believe. It shouldnt be that hard, but take time. The same thing happened to my automatic car and what you were doing is exactly what caused it. Mine snapped when I was flying out of a parking lot into a street. It's not that the CV boot that is fucked up or leaky, which you can replace, but the actual joint, which means you need a new CV Axle.
On my automatic, parts and labor came to around 500$ I think.
Be glad it's not your transmission. I thought that's what happened to mine and pissed mi pantalones...

 

well, i'm not sure I can help you much on prices. Since I am from north of the border, I dont know the USD prices. As far as parts are conerned, you cant change the CV joint with the axel installed if its the inner joint. Second, there are special pliers to re-install the strap that holds the boot on, so I dont think you can do that either. Also, CV joints themselves arent always avaliable for the car, and I dont know if one is avaliable for our axels.

I wouldent recommend attemting it yourself, unless you have a helms and or someone with some experience to help you.

the first step would be to jack the car up, and support it securely on stands. After that, remove the wheel. Loosen the axel nut (32mm) it should be easy to spot, its the big nut in the center of the hub. Once the nut is off, use a ball peen hammer (flat on one side, half round on the other) and give the axel a good hit to loosen it.

Next you need to remove the ball joint. DO NOT USE A PICKEL FORK! A pickel fork will damage the ball joint. Remove the bolt that goes through the spindel to clamp the ball joint. Get a long bar, put it on top of the LCA and support one end under the frame of the car, and press down on the other end to pop it out. With the spindel assembly free(it should only be pivoting on the UCA and tie rod) pull it out, and swing it away to free the axel. To remove the other end from the tranny, use a pry bar, and pry against the housing to pop out the axel.

To reinstall the axel, grease up the splines a lil with bearing grease. insert the splines into the trans, and turn it to make sure that they are lined up. Once they are lined up, push as hard as you can until you hear a lil click, then you know the axel is in. (FYI, to identify which end of the axel goes where, the side with the threaded end goes to the spindel, and the side with the ring in the splines goes into the tranny) If you cant push the axel it, tap it GENTLY with the hammer, but make sure that the CV joints are lined up.

After you get the axel installed into the trans, simply line the splines up in the spindel, and put the spindel back on the ball joint. Keep in mind, the axel wont fully go into the spindel with the ball joint out, it needs to be reinstalled before it can go all the way in. Next tighten the ball joint back up, and tighten the axel nut.
dont forget to put the cotter pin back in. re-install the wheel and test the car while its still on the stands.

 

Allright, thanks for the rundown. From your description that doesn't seem too bad...

From what I get I'm no longer replacing the CV Joint w/ rubber boot. I have to replace the entire axel....
Is this what I need??
http://cgi.ebay.com/Honda-Acco...wItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...QrdZ1

I also found this explanation how to do it on a Nissan. Anyone know of one with a Honda Accord: http://www.wallpaperama.com/fo....html

From what I understand its more labor intensive than it is part expensive...

 

yeah, here you go: Axle assembly is cheaper than the actual joint so:
http://replacement.car-stuff.c...e#top

http://replacement.car-stuff.c...e#top

I'm pretty sure the installation should be pretty similar for mosts cars. It seems to be pretty straightforward. I'll see if I can find one for the Accord...

Look around at different online parts stores for the cheapest.

 

it is pretty straight forward IF you know what your doing. just take you time,and see how things work.