What's goin' on integra guys, first off muchos kudos for already helping me through a few things on my car with me just lurking. I picked up a '96 GS-R from my friend who just had it sitting in his backyard, for 500 dollars. 185xxx on the body and transmission, ~85k on the motor. It's from someone I've known my whole life and he had it swapped himself with a motor he ordered from a reputable source so I'm 98% that engine mileage is correct, even though it looked pretty bad. It needed a lot of work and I'm just getting to the point where I'm about to be able to put her on the road and I wanted some advice with a few things...

I can't get the e brake to disengage on one of the wheels. I lifted the center console out and the two cables are sitting very unevenly, the driver side doesn't want to fully release. We pulled both the wheels off (so we could use the working one as a reference), and figured out it is sticking at the wheel where a spring mechanism meets a square nut that the cable attaches to. We pulled everything off and tried to free up the nut there to no avail. I think it is the problem and needs replacing but I don't even know what the part is called. I can take pictures tomorrow if necessary but I figured a description might be enough. If it means anything, I had just replaced the brake master cylinder and bled all four lines.

I was also wondering if it is possible to test the alternator while it is on the car with like a multimeter or something, or if it is easier to just take it out and take it up to Advance. I guess it looks like it has to come out of the bottom of the car? Not really sure. I replaced all the belts in my D16y5 Civic a few months ago and it seems like if I can take all the belts off, it just bolts off similar to the starter. I would like to save myself that if I can test it on the car, however.

Thanks for any help in advance, here's a few pictures of stuff I've done to the car so far...

Before pictures






As you can see, she was pretty dirty and beat. I couldn't stand looking at the valve cover so I aircraft removered it and painted it Chevy orange as it was the only color at walmart hahah. I sanded the headers while the were on the car and did a 7/10 job taping them off and spraying them flat black from above and below. Cured it by idling/cooling a few times.

The giant, and I do mean GIANT, fart cannon/police magnet is coming off soon, and getting replaced with a modest glass pack, the same size as the piping but without a giant resonator.

I've shampoo'd all the carpet but intend to do so with something stronger. Had to replace the headlights with some I got off CL for 45 dollars. The car has a crack in the windshield that won't pass VA state inspection so I'm having that done shortly. I've flushed and changed all the fluids but I'm dreading the timing belt/water pump replacement it undoubtedly needs.

Lastly, I followed a DIY how-to on here and replaced those red and black seats (they are in my red civic hx now, as it had REALLY beat up stock gray) with some RSX tan leathers I bought off CL for 200. I really would have waited longer but it seemed like a good deal and the seats are in good shape and match the car.

Here are a couple of pictures after some of the work I've done so far:

RSX seats, sit higher, but good support and I like the look. Pain in the *** though.


Valve cover/headers painted. A little bit ricey and a few imperfection on the cover but I still think it looks sooooooooooo much better.


And this is my daily HX coupe that kinda turned me on to Hondas. She was backed into in a parking lot, had the rear quarter panel DESTROYED, and the ladies insurance gave me 1360 for it. My friends shop quoted me 1600 to fix it and paint the whole car, so the paint on her is about two months old. The wheels are off a DA Integra I believe. I bought them off CL with good tires for 100 for the set off an old guy building a DA into a b18c1 racecar. Really the car just needs side skirts and red/white tails and she will be a super clean 42 mpg vtec-e daily.


Anyhow, thanks for reading/responding and hopefully we can help each other with our cars. Peaceeee

 

Your "stuck" e-brake problem is most likely the caliper itself, [e-brake piston], it can be pulled apart and cleaned/rebuilt, but it is much easier to replace the caliper, just find one at your local bone yard, [PicknPull]. 94

 

That's what it seemed like I would have to do. Thanks!

 

I love when someone saves these types of cars.

Good luck dude, you've already made that car better.

 

neat ! what are your plans for the engine ? i'd compression test it first tho.

 

@deving916 thanks! was breaking my heart to see the thing sit in my friends backyard dying a slow death

@B_Swapped93 really right now I have no plans except to get it back up to par, I don't really care about flexing nuts as much as if the thing is fun to drive, clean, and reliable. That being said, part of this thread is just me asking for opinions/suggestions from guys who know more than I do. Where would you suggest I start? I don't think I will have any issue doing my own compression test, but I'm really not much of a mechanic yet, still a student of this stuff >.<

 

As mentioned, a compression test is where to start, if it passes then then next would be the engine, timing belt, [maybe water pump] drive belts, oil, coolant, [along with a flush] transmission fluid/oil, replace clutch hydro fluid, clutch if needed] new spark plugs, [maybe distributor cap and rotor and spark plug leads].

Once it runs properly, brakes, [rotors if needed] brake fluid/flush.

After that it is all pretty much cosmetic. 94

 

Mentioned in the OP that I replaced the brake master and flushed all 4 wheels. Gonna have to rebleed it a bit >.< Picked up a pair of rear calipers yesterday and sanded them down a bit and taped them off. Started painting them flat black with high heat paint. Going to go ahead and replace all 4 pads while I'm doing this. Kind of a shitty pic but these are the two calipers, 50 bucks on CL

The pistons for the handbrake are definitely moving so it should fix my issue.

Main engine maintenance I'm worried about is getting that timing belt on there, and obv gonna do the water pump at the same time. God knows if that belt ever got changed when this kid had it. Lawl.

 

Refreshing to see a newcomer go directly to maintenance and essentials instead of asking about how to turbo a car for $100 right away. Good work, keep it up :thumbsup:

 

Thanks man.

Think I solved both issues from the OP, replaced the rear calipers and pads and it fixed the handbrake being engaged constantly issue. The rotors looked greattttttt. Glad something on the car at least works. Going to replace the front pads when I get a chance, too.

I didn't test the alternator, but the battery seems to be holding a pretty constant 12.5v charge. Reads 14.5 when it's on and 12.5 when it's off. It turns over just fine most of them time but sometimes I will get in it and turn the key and nothing will happen. I come back and try five minutes later and it works just fine.

Maybe the ignition switch is one it's way out? or clutch safety switch?


Anyhow, I took a bunch of body pics I will post soon

 

check your grounds wouldn't be the safety switch if that goes it won't start no matter how long you wait till you replace it. also possibly your coil starting to go when was the last full ignition tune up ?