Hi there!
I'm having some issues with this 1987 honda civic I bought recently. When I got it, it was running a little rough, and i figured i'd give it a tune up. i then realized that the carburetor and emissions controls were complicated as all hell and difficult to tune because of all the craziness. I put a timing light on it anyway and noticed that at a normal idle speed of like 750 or so the ignition was retarded (with vacuum advance disconnected and hose plugged). i rotated the distributor to advance it as far as it would go and it was still retarded. I then had this wild idea to swap out the carb for a weber and desmog just to eliminate some of the variables. Now that that's done, the timing is still retarded. I checked out the camshaft sprocket and the marks align with the valve case the way they're supposed to when the crankshaft is at it's TDC mark. I rebuilt the distributor to ensure that the centrifugal advance was working. still retarded... What else could be causing this? could bad plugs or a failing coil cause the ignition to be retarded? Is it possible that the people at advance auto gave me an incorrect distributor cap or something? any suggestions for a next step?

 

So I think my next course of action will be to change the timing belt. I have heard that they can stretch and warp with age and throw off your timing. I'm going to put on a new tensioner and water pump, too. If that doesn't fix it, i guess i'll try getting a new reluctor and igniter coil for the distributor or something related to ignition like that. i read somewhere about "play in the distributor shaft". anyone heard of that before? also i was stupid and i over-torqued one of my valve cover bolts after replacing the valve cover gasket and it broke. It was really easy to do. anyone ever have this problem? anyone know if you can get another stud and bolt from a dealer or online? or do you reckon it's a junkyard part?

 

Weber swap and de-vac is the best thing ever, period. Secondly, the timing belt and tensioner would be the first place to go to make sure everything is right. You can get one of those bolts online new or from the junkyard I suppose. There is a link...

http://www.bkhondaparts.com/auto-parts/1987/honda/civic-hatchback/dx-1500-trim/5-speed-manual-engine/engine-cat/cylinder-head-cover-scat/?part_number=12341pe0000

 

wow thanks for the reply! This looks like a really useful website. I ordered one of them there bolts. now hopefully i won't be puking oil from from my valve cover. where can i find info about the breather tubes, as in where to hook them up on my aftermarket carb? there's the hole in the valve cover that used to go into the stock air cleaner through a little (perhaps filter or valve) mechanism built into it. I was thinking about just getting one of those little seperate filters for that. and then there is the other tube coming out of this thing that I don't know what it is. It used to connect to the left side of the stock air cleaner. Is that where the crank case gets its fresh air? are there any reasons why i should or shouldn't hook these up the the aftermarket carb's air filter? I can probably include pictures if i can steal my GF's Camera.

 

ok so going in to change the timing belt, I broke the crankshaft pulley pretty badly. I still can't get it off, and can't find a replacement anywhere. I really need to be able to drive this car, but now it's just sitting. FUUU

 

Well, If you were close to Saint Petersburg, FL, I would say yank the engine and buy mine. I have a 1987 Honda Civic motor that I pulled out of mine and put in a b20b. My engine was running great. I put a new belt, pump, pulley, starter, alternator, weber k726 and a Heddman Hedder that had a really funky mod done to it to get it to clear the oil pan. I posted it on Craig's list for $300. Cheaper than the carb itself. Only cause I was desperate for money. If you live close to St. Petersburg, this may be your lucky day. I don't know how to ship that kind of thing. PS. An extra engine is a good thing. LOL

 

Sorry. I should've mentioned that i have since fixed the problem. the timing was retarded because you are supposed to set it with the vacuum advance hooked up. I also discovered that on the Weber, as much as anyone might tell you otherwise, the hookup they have for the vacuum advance is NOT manifold vacuum. Check it with a vacuum gauge if you don't believe me. The vacuum advance needs MANIFOLD vacuum to give you the right ignition timing. This means that there is vacuum at idle and not when driving. The Weber gives you the opposite. Beware. Hook it straight up to your intake manifold and cap the hole on the carb. This took me forever to figure out, so i'm very happy to pass it along.