94 civic ex 125,000 miles.

Took my car in to get new tires all around and I guess they do free checks on the car if you get all 4. Anyway I was brought out to the garage and told me my tie rods and power steering pump are going bad.

Never fixed either of theses so i have no knowlege about them or how to fix them. On the passenger side he could move the brake rotor and everything just with his hand he said there should be no play. On the drivers side it also moved but just a little bit.

I was told i need new ones. But i did a little research on them and found out that it could be the rubber mount thats going bad. And if i remember right im pretty sure i saw a big rubber stopper looking thing that was graved into allot. I also read that if you don't have problems with handling the tie rods could be fine its just the rubber piece and other than the car going to one side or the other(i need an aliment i know but it would do no good i guess right now) the car steers and acts just fine. Are these expensive parts? Is it a DIY for normal tools?

I was also shown that my power steering fluid was very low. and he showed me the power steering pump and under it is a belt that is drenched in some kinda liquid. i thought it was oil for the longest time as i do have slight oil leaks. He said thats all power steering fluid. and while driving the car does make a slight noise and he said its from the belt. How much would a pump and the fluid be to do this my self or should it be done by a mechanic?

I was also told i might need my timing belt changed. i have never changed it sense if had the car. and was told i could really mess things up if it snapped but the way he was saying it. it coud cost $400 plus just for that belt?!

 

Tie rod ends are fairly simple to change and should be done before an alignment is attempted. As far as tie rod ends vs rack mounts it's a matter of seing where the movement is occurring.

Power steering pump is also a fairly easy change. Be sure to use Honda fluid.

If you have 125k on the original timing belt it is due change. Again not hard and there are DIY threads here that explain it well. if you do the TB yourself it should be less than half the quoted price. And yes a broken timing belt can ruin your day and your engine.

 

Definitely do your tie rods yourself. I would recommend doing the inners and outers while you're in there; that way you don't have to take it all apart later on down the road. Make sure to note where the adjustment bolt is before you remove the outer tie rod end, and try to get the bolt as close to the same position on the new one. If possible, get the car towed to an alignment shop when you are done. Either way, you will need an alignment, but if you have the adjustment bolt out of whack, it will be more risky to try and drive it to the shop.

For these kinds of repairs, YouTube is your friend. I have had lots of luck with EricTheCarGuy's tutorials and video walkthroughs, but I'm sure there are more out there just like him. I always watch a video or two before I do the actual repair, so I know what to expect and have a general idea of how it will go.

Definitely do the timing belt yourself. It's not too bad - you will need to remove the power steering belt, alternator belt, and AC compressor belt, as well as loosen the engine from the upper motor mount and lower torque mount. Make SURE you purchase a "Honda Crankshaft Pulley tool" before you start this repair - I got mine from NAPA for about $40. You can't do the timing belt without it. The timing belt itself is not an expensive part, and the repair is not difficult - it's just the amount of things that need to come off to get to it that drives the labor prices out the roof.

If you're going to do the timing belt, while you're in there it would be a good idea to do the crankshaft seal, tensioner, and water pump if you don't know when they've been done last. I got a package deal off of eBay awhile back for around $60 shipped - very reasonable.

Good luck, and let me know if you have any questions.

 

OP, before you buy the tool, take a look at the crank pulley. You may or may not have the pulley with the hex shaped inside surface. Your 94 is in the time where you may have one of the other pulleys.