Civic Type R - First hot hatch
Discussion
If the car is totally standard, it should kick in at about 6k rpm, there should be a noticable 'jolt' and a slight change in engine note as the vtec cams come in. The jolt is a slight dip in torque pre-programmed by the factory to make the change over more noticable and evokes similarities to the earlier B-series engines as used in the earlier type Rs
If its been mapped in the past and still has non standard map on theres no telling exactly where the changeover has been placed, the clue will mainly be the change in engine pitch. Vtec isnt like lighting afterburners but you should still notice a difference.
No vtec = something is not right
If its been mapped in the past and still has non standard map on theres no telling exactly where the changeover has been placed, the clue will mainly be the change in engine pitch. Vtec isnt like lighting afterburners but you should still notice a difference.
No vtec = something is not right
seany87 said:
TobyLaRohne said:
Great looking car, can you pass a message on to TDiNorth for me?
I was trying to get hold of them ALL Friday on the phone and not once did anyone answer, I wanted to buy a grands worth of parts from them and in the end went to CPL racing, so basically whichever lazy git was sat at the end of the phone that day not only cost their company a grand but lost all hope of getting any business from me in future! Which given I'm running a race car represents a s
t-ton of money on a pretty regular basis!
...back to your car, that K&N is probably in pretty much the worst place you could put it, its almost right above the exhaust manifold which is going to really heat the air around the intake, is there at least some kind of shielding or air feed that you can run to it?
Sorry to be a bit of a downer, I really do like what you've done with the car, (other than the K&N).
Thanks for the kind words. Tdi do always seem to be very busy, if you want to book in a car for a weekend then you'll have to wait 6 weeks or so, I work shifts so luckily I'm going mid week and don't have to wait as long. I emailed them and got a reply later that day.I was trying to get hold of them ALL Friday on the phone and not once did anyone answer, I wanted to buy a grands worth of parts from them and in the end went to CPL racing, so basically whichever lazy git was sat at the end of the phone that day not only cost their company a grand but lost all hope of getting any business from me in future! Which given I'm running a race car represents a s
t-ton of money on a pretty regular basis!...back to your car, that K&N is probably in pretty much the worst place you could put it, its almost right above the exhaust manifold which is going to really heat the air around the intake, is there at least some kind of shielding or air feed that you can run to it?
Sorry to be a bit of a downer, I really do like what you've done with the car, (other than the K&N).
Edited by TobyLaRohne on Monday 2nd June 13:47
Totally get what you are saying about the K&N, and it was something I weighed up for a while in my head.
Again, as I work shift's my commute times avoid the typical rush hours therefore I am hardly ever stuck in traffic slowly baking the engine bay. I have retained the standard airbox's cold air feed which directs air straight toward the filter so that may alleviate heatsoak on the move somewhat. I do need to research if there is a heatshield I can buy or fashion for it. Saving for a house deposit means I can't justify several hundred on proper cold air kits like the Gruppe M or Tegiwa, (a K&N does fall within the 'acceptable' budget especially after a couple of wins at the bookies) so in terms of value for money it's a mod that can be easily reversed and sold on, and I can live with the chances of increased intake temps for now for the noise it makes.
On a standard car the cam change is at 5800rpm. I believe it's also load dependant, so it's best to check it's engagement by accelerating with wide open throttle (WOT) through the gears. You should feel a good kick up the arse, not like a turbo car coming on boost, more like it's digging deep for a charge to the redline. The engine note will harden and sound more "angry".
If you fiddle with the mapping of the car, it's possible to change the revs that the VTEC engages at, it's also possible to map it so the change over feels a lot smoother, so there is less of a step in power. You can't remap the standard ECU though, so if you've got the standard ECU fitted then you can be sure the mapping hasn't been altered. If it's been swapped out for an aftermarket one then it will probably say "Hondata" or "KPRO" on it.
You say your fluid levels are correct, then it's time to dig deeper. Keep in mind though, that plenty of people on the Type R owners forums had their VTEC failing when the oil was halfway between max and min on the dipstick, so it looks like it's "within spec" but really there isn't enough oil. The VTEC engagement system works on oil pressure. It could be that your VTEC solenoid is gummed up, so that might need replacement. Also check for air leaks in the intake system, and leaks in the exhaust system. I had a manifold downpipe blow at the joint to the cat, the loss of exhaust gas left the engine flat as a fart and the VTEC wouldn't engage. New spring bolts in the joint and voila, back to normal.
Good luck with your car. You should have no question that VTEC is working or not. Er on the side of caution, if you can't feel a kick up the arse and a surge to the redline from 5800rpm, assume your VTEC is not working properly and search for the cause.
If you fiddle with the mapping of the car, it's possible to change the revs that the VTEC engages at, it's also possible to map it so the change over feels a lot smoother, so there is less of a step in power. You can't remap the standard ECU though, so if you've got the standard ECU fitted then you can be sure the mapping hasn't been altered. If it's been swapped out for an aftermarket one then it will probably say "Hondata" or "KPRO" on it.
You say your fluid levels are correct, then it's time to dig deeper. Keep in mind though, that plenty of people on the Type R owners forums had their VTEC failing when the oil was halfway between max and min on the dipstick, so it looks like it's "within spec" but really there isn't enough oil. The VTEC engagement system works on oil pressure. It could be that your VTEC solenoid is gummed up, so that might need replacement. Also check for air leaks in the intake system, and leaks in the exhaust system. I had a manifold downpipe blow at the joint to the cat, the loss of exhaust gas left the engine flat as a fart and the VTEC wouldn't engage. New spring bolts in the joint and voila, back to normal.
Good luck with your car. You should have no question that VTEC is working or not. Er on the side of caution, if you can't feel a kick up the arse and a surge to the redline from 5800rpm, assume your VTEC is not working properly and search for the cause.
Quick little update: The car is performing its daily duties rather admirably, admittedly a 10-15 mile route each way on motorway into work isn't going to trouble it much. It's been used for the tip run a couple of times, and me and the OH always take my car when we go places together as its much more comfortable, bigger and faster than her little Daihatsu Copen - I do appreciate the 'jack of all trades' nature of a hot hatch now! Work has been rather busy and tiring, so I find myself just driving the car rather than pro-actively trying to complete every little job I would like to do in my spare time as was the case with my old MX5.
In anticipation of a long trip down to Goodwood on the south coast however, I knew a couple of things would need doing.
Tdi North were to do the work of replacing the orignal radiator and air con condenser, which had practically disintegrated as shown a page back:
Nice tuned FN2 in the car park:
Once they did the work, I got the air con gassed up at a local place:
Waiting for me at home were replacement pollen filters - old ones were disgraceful. I suffer from Hayfever particularly badly (usually have to end up on steroid treatments) so these were a welcome change.
I was also unsure about when the gearbox oil was changed so decided to tackle the job myself. What surprised me was how easy the MTF-3 was to pour once it was warmed up in the sun for 30 minutes as I struggled with the gearbox bolts:
Filling it up was a doddle with the original airbox removed, plenty of space for some hose and a funnel to come over the top.
I don't think the gearbox oil looks too bad here, I certainly didn't feel much of a difference in the shift, but at least I know it's now done.
I also installed a Tegiwa brake stopper - crap picture enclosed:
Bit of a pig to install with my limited tools but I did notice a difference with this, and when I get round to recruiting my brother to help me bleed the brakes, no doubt I will notice the difference again.
Gratuitous crap iphone shot:
That's it for now. The rear bushes are still shot and knocking slightly, still not got round to replacing those. Also the air con gas has only lasted about 3 glorious weeks before leaking out of the condenser, a bright green patch at one corner of the condenser shows where its been damaged (most likely in transit) so I will attempt to clean the area and patch it with metal putty/glue type substance before I shell out for another new condenser.
In anticipation of a long trip down to Goodwood on the south coast however, I knew a couple of things would need doing.
Tdi North were to do the work of replacing the orignal radiator and air con condenser, which had practically disintegrated as shown a page back:
Nice tuned FN2 in the car park:
Once they did the work, I got the air con gassed up at a local place:
Waiting for me at home were replacement pollen filters - old ones were disgraceful. I suffer from Hayfever particularly badly (usually have to end up on steroid treatments) so these were a welcome change.
I was also unsure about when the gearbox oil was changed so decided to tackle the job myself. What surprised me was how easy the MTF-3 was to pour once it was warmed up in the sun for 30 minutes as I struggled with the gearbox bolts:
Filling it up was a doddle with the original airbox removed, plenty of space for some hose and a funnel to come over the top.
I don't think the gearbox oil looks too bad here, I certainly didn't feel much of a difference in the shift, but at least I know it's now done.
I also installed a Tegiwa brake stopper - crap picture enclosed:
Bit of a pig to install with my limited tools but I did notice a difference with this, and when I get round to recruiting my brother to help me bleed the brakes, no doubt I will notice the difference again.
Gratuitous crap iphone shot:
That's it for now. The rear bushes are still shot and knocking slightly, still not got round to replacing those. Also the air con gas has only lasted about 3 glorious weeks before leaking out of the condenser, a bright green patch at one corner of the condenser shows where its been damaged (most likely in transit) so I will attempt to clean the area and patch it with metal putty/glue type substance before I shell out for another new condenser.
I thought I would catch up on a few things that have bugged me since owning the car in October.
The drivers side bolster had a few small wear holes, very common, I have seen worse on less miles but nevertheless, took the time to give them a quick stitch:
Before
After
Not bad for the first time I've ever done stitching methinks!
In my first post I mentioned a couple of bushes around the rear sounded like they needed doing. The clonking over bumps became a bit louder and annoying recently and was really starting to grate, so having saved a modest amount in case various things needed sorting I booked the car into my family friends garage. Turns out all I needed was a rear anti roll bar bush. 20 quid later and I wish I'd done it myself sooner. Was very tempted to splurge on a JDM anti roll bar but having recently resigned from my job and not starting a new one for a couple of weeks, I could do with the money instead. Maybe for Christmas. I would be interested to hear whether or not it's a worthwhile mod for the money.
So in aid of getting a few extra quid to help tide me over, I did a car boot sale and was very impressed at the sheer amount of crap you can stuff into the breadvan - this picture doesn't show the half of it and I could have put much more in if I'd have been bothered to load stuff efficiency. Not shown is a dozen black bags full of the OH's clothes and shoes that she's probably only worn once!
I also stupidly did this:
The carpark in my old workplace is very small and tight, and the EP3 has the turning circle of the QE2, so whilst I was busy negotiating a tricky 45 degree bend with a car on one side and the corner of a brick wall I touched the wall while concentrating on not hitting the car. My first minor scrape in 8 years of driving, I felt a bit silly but the car's front end could do with a respray due anyway due to stone chips and a slight bit of lacquer peel.
The car is likely to be driven much less now as my new job is a 20 minute walk away, or 2 minute drive, compared to a 30 minute drive along the motorway for the old one. I see no point in driving to work when I could walk or cycle in. However I should have a lot more time and money to spend on the car soon, so watch this space.
The drivers side bolster had a few small wear holes, very common, I have seen worse on less miles but nevertheless, took the time to give them a quick stitch:
Before
After
Not bad for the first time I've ever done stitching methinks!
In my first post I mentioned a couple of bushes around the rear sounded like they needed doing. The clonking over bumps became a bit louder and annoying recently and was really starting to grate, so having saved a modest amount in case various things needed sorting I booked the car into my family friends garage. Turns out all I needed was a rear anti roll bar bush. 20 quid later and I wish I'd done it myself sooner. Was very tempted to splurge on a JDM anti roll bar but having recently resigned from my job and not starting a new one for a couple of weeks, I could do with the money instead. Maybe for Christmas. I would be interested to hear whether or not it's a worthwhile mod for the money.
So in aid of getting a few extra quid to help tide me over, I did a car boot sale and was very impressed at the sheer amount of crap you can stuff into the breadvan - this picture doesn't show the half of it and I could have put much more in if I'd have been bothered to load stuff efficiency. Not shown is a dozen black bags full of the OH's clothes and shoes that she's probably only worn once!
I also stupidly did this:
The carpark in my old workplace is very small and tight, and the EP3 has the turning circle of the QE2, so whilst I was busy negotiating a tricky 45 degree bend with a car on one side and the corner of a brick wall I touched the wall while concentrating on not hitting the car. My first minor scrape in 8 years of driving, I felt a bit silly but the car's front end could do with a respray due anyway due to stone chips and a slight bit of lacquer peel.
The car is likely to be driven much less now as my new job is a 20 minute walk away, or 2 minute drive, compared to a 30 minute drive along the motorway for the old one. I see no point in driving to work when I could walk or cycle in. However I should have a lot more time and money to spend on the car soon, so watch this space.
Edited by seany87 on Tuesday 26th August 13:14
Next exciting update! Not many replies to this thread recently, but will still continue with the updates as a record for myself and any future owners.
The car has ticked over to near 114k miles, and was due it's MOT. It being an oldish petrol Honda, it passed with no advisories. The MOT tester commented on how good condition the car is underneath, and made with good quality metals unlike a lot of newer cars he has seen. I treated the car to a rare wash in the last of this years sun to celebrate:
The pictures make the car look much better than it actually is in real life - I don't actually mind that it has a few scrapes and dents, it's bound to get more at some point at supermarkets etc, so no point stressing about it for now.
I also did another oil change, 6-7k miles since the last one. Good quality 5w-40 Fuchs oil went in and it also gave me the opportunity to check out what was on the magnetic sump plug. Happy to see a very small, normal amount of grey paste rather than big chunks of metal
Then the postman dropped these off, Uniroyal Rainsport 3's in the proper 205/45 r17 size:
When I bought the car last year it had 3 different makes of budget tyres on, albeit they all had loads of tread. (They were in the wrong size too, 215/40 r17) I vowed to replace them sharpish as I fit into the 'budget tyres are evil' camp. Alas, life gets in the way and I never got round to it. They were 'fine' through the Winter weather though, by that I mean I didn't die in a fiery crash. My brother has the Rainsport 2's on his Mini Cooper and I was mightily impressed with the grip especially in the wet, something which I found the Civic was lacking in. So there we are.
I did notice they have 'shark skin technology,' whatever that is..
Anyway, I am mightily impressed with the tyres, the ride is slightly improved, but you can really feel the difference in the grip, steering and braking, and that's without them being scrubbed in yet. It's made me love the car even more.
The car on a cold October morn with a great sunrise, again crap iphone shot:
Plans for the car? Well short term, it's going to be stood for a month or so in the next couple of weeks, as I go abroad with work. Long term I still have to:
- Change brake and clutch fluid
- Sort out peely rocker cover
- Sort out various scratches/dents eventually
- Fix door seal that lets whistle of air in at speed
- Sand and paint wiper arms
- Sort out occasionally creaky steering rack
- Check valve clearances and adjust if needed
Probably last update of this year, any opinions welcome!
The car has ticked over to near 114k miles, and was due it's MOT. It being an oldish petrol Honda, it passed with no advisories. The MOT tester commented on how good condition the car is underneath, and made with good quality metals unlike a lot of newer cars he has seen. I treated the car to a rare wash in the last of this years sun to celebrate:
The pictures make the car look much better than it actually is in real life - I don't actually mind that it has a few scrapes and dents, it's bound to get more at some point at supermarkets etc, so no point stressing about it for now.
I also did another oil change, 6-7k miles since the last one. Good quality 5w-40 Fuchs oil went in and it also gave me the opportunity to check out what was on the magnetic sump plug. Happy to see a very small, normal amount of grey paste rather than big chunks of metal
Then the postman dropped these off, Uniroyal Rainsport 3's in the proper 205/45 r17 size:
When I bought the car last year it had 3 different makes of budget tyres on, albeit they all had loads of tread. (They were in the wrong size too, 215/40 r17) I vowed to replace them sharpish as I fit into the 'budget tyres are evil' camp. Alas, life gets in the way and I never got round to it. They were 'fine' through the Winter weather though, by that I mean I didn't die in a fiery crash. My brother has the Rainsport 2's on his Mini Cooper and I was mightily impressed with the grip especially in the wet, something which I found the Civic was lacking in. So there we are.
I did notice they have 'shark skin technology,' whatever that is..
Anyway, I am mightily impressed with the tyres, the ride is slightly improved, but you can really feel the difference in the grip, steering and braking, and that's without them being scrubbed in yet. It's made me love the car even more.
The car on a cold October morn with a great sunrise, again crap iphone shot:
Plans for the car? Well short term, it's going to be stood for a month or so in the next couple of weeks, as I go abroad with work. Long term I still have to:
- Change brake and clutch fluid
- Sort out peely rocker cover
- Sort out various scratches/dents eventually
- Fix door seal that lets whistle of air in at speed
- Sand and paint wiper arms
- Sort out occasionally creaky steering rack
- Check valve clearances and adjust if needed
Probably last update of this year, any opinions welcome!
A little bit of an update since last October..
Mid November to Mid December I worked abroad in Spain so the Civic was left in a freezing car park in the midlands. When I got back after a long drive home through Spain and France it started on the button although the rear callipers were a bit reluctant to release the discs and the idle was hunting all over the place. The callipers were sorted with several 60-0 mph emergency stops and the idle sorted itself out after a blast home on the motorway. It wasn't all bad being away from home for that long as you can see from the picture below, although I did feel sorry for the girlfriend when I got back!
After Spain, I was only in work for 2 days then we took our mandatory 2 week Christmas holiday, result!!.. the Civic proved its worth with trips across the country ferrying presents and relatives about, although the snow on Boxing Day finally did it for the rear wiper, the plastic around the spline nut had become brittle and it snapped off which was nice on the motorway not being able to wipe a grimy screen. Replacement wiper arm from ebay about 10 quid job done.
Around January I was searching for EP3's that were being broken for parts on ebay so I could replace some scratched trim when I noticed one car had red mats with a familiar pattern.. could it be? Yes! the car had genuine EP3 JDM mats. These often attract ridiculous scene tax prices with some going for £200 in mint condition when they pop up on eBay.
I messaged the breaker and asked if he still had them, which he said he did, he obviously didn't know what he had as I picked them up for £30 iirc.
I did toy with the idea of keeping them, but they only suit the EP3's with red carpets and not black like mine. So I threw them on eBay and made a quick buck or two, every little helps when we are saving up for a house deposit. I also sold the K&N Typhoon induction kit. This was a harder decision to make as I enjoyed the noise it made - but it was ultimately outweighed by several factors - I needed the cash, the girlfriend thought it was 'stupid' and it's bloody antisocial to passers by on full VTEekkkk mode. I put the standard airbox back on but put in a new genuine Honda airfilter, Vtec feels a bit stronger albeit much quieter and midrange throttle response feels crisper.
The car is booked in at Tdi North this month for its valve clearances as I have no history of them being done, I didn't fancy doing it myself in the end in case I stuff it up and Tdi must do dozens and dozens a year so will have it down to a fine art. While its there I'm getting the clutch and brake fluid changed as again I have no record of it being done. I will also get them to have a nose round the front end for some knocking and vibration I have been getting recently, I'm suspecting (hoping) a suspension bush.
Mid November to Mid December I worked abroad in Spain so the Civic was left in a freezing car park in the midlands. When I got back after a long drive home through Spain and France it started on the button although the rear callipers were a bit reluctant to release the discs and the idle was hunting all over the place. The callipers were sorted with several 60-0 mph emergency stops and the idle sorted itself out after a blast home on the motorway. It wasn't all bad being away from home for that long as you can see from the picture below, although I did feel sorry for the girlfriend when I got back!
After Spain, I was only in work for 2 days then we took our mandatory 2 week Christmas holiday, result!!.. the Civic proved its worth with trips across the country ferrying presents and relatives about, although the snow on Boxing Day finally did it for the rear wiper, the plastic around the spline nut had become brittle and it snapped off which was nice on the motorway not being able to wipe a grimy screen. Replacement wiper arm from ebay about 10 quid job done.
Around January I was searching for EP3's that were being broken for parts on ebay so I could replace some scratched trim when I noticed one car had red mats with a familiar pattern.. could it be? Yes! the car had genuine EP3 JDM mats. These often attract ridiculous scene tax prices with some going for £200 in mint condition when they pop up on eBay.
I messaged the breaker and asked if he still had them, which he said he did, he obviously didn't know what he had as I picked them up for £30 iirc.
I did toy with the idea of keeping them, but they only suit the EP3's with red carpets and not black like mine. So I threw them on eBay and made a quick buck or two, every little helps when we are saving up for a house deposit. I also sold the K&N Typhoon induction kit. This was a harder decision to make as I enjoyed the noise it made - but it was ultimately outweighed by several factors - I needed the cash, the girlfriend thought it was 'stupid' and it's bloody antisocial to passers by on full VTEekkkk mode. I put the standard airbox back on but put in a new genuine Honda airfilter, Vtec feels a bit stronger albeit much quieter and midrange throttle response feels crisper.
The car is booked in at Tdi North this month for its valve clearances as I have no history of them being done, I didn't fancy doing it myself in the end in case I stuff it up and Tdi must do dozens and dozens a year so will have it down to a fine art. While its there I'm getting the clutch and brake fluid changed as again I have no record of it being done. I will also get them to have a nose round the front end for some knocking and vibration I have been getting recently, I'm suspecting (hoping) a suspension bush.
Time for another quick update:
The Civic had it's valve clearances done as well as the clutch and brake fluid at TDI North. Now practically everything service wise has been done so this car should keep going for some time yet. Car runs very slightly smoother now so I'd say the clearances weren't that bad to begin with.
The guys at TDI North also had a quick look around the car when doing the work and found that the timing chain was about half a tooth out, nothing to worry about and simply something to keep an eye on, they said the car will throw a code if the chain stretches. I must admit I wouldn't have known the car was half a tooth out as it drives really well and has never thrown up a code. They also picked up on a non-standard front brake caliper.
The front lower engine mount has also perished according to TDI guys which probably explains the slight vibration through the drivetrain at certain speeds / cornering angles - this will be done as funds allow...especially as I believe the mount is pricey and a pain to replace.
Currently myself and the girl are deep in house saving mode so as the car is only being used for pootling about to work 5 minutes away or the shops/gym I will have to put up with the perished mount for now. Doing another car boot in a couple of weeks and I'm looking forward to turning it into a van again and being amazed at how much crap I can stuff in the back! I am also at two minds whether or not to gradually do the car up as a potential future Classic or run it as my daily dogsbody until it dies, although who knows how long that will be?
I am tempted to see the difference that a ( larger than standard ) 2.5 inch exhaust mid pipe does to the car, apparently it's the most restrictive part and should see some gains. Sportex do a cheap mild steel silenced one for £80 that seems decent value for money so if anyone has tried it let me know!
The Civic had it's valve clearances done as well as the clutch and brake fluid at TDI North. Now practically everything service wise has been done so this car should keep going for some time yet. Car runs very slightly smoother now so I'd say the clearances weren't that bad to begin with.
The guys at TDI North also had a quick look around the car when doing the work and found that the timing chain was about half a tooth out, nothing to worry about and simply something to keep an eye on, they said the car will throw a code if the chain stretches. I must admit I wouldn't have known the car was half a tooth out as it drives really well and has never thrown up a code. They also picked up on a non-standard front brake caliper.
The front lower engine mount has also perished according to TDI guys which probably explains the slight vibration through the drivetrain at certain speeds / cornering angles - this will be done as funds allow...especially as I believe the mount is pricey and a pain to replace.
Currently myself and the girl are deep in house saving mode so as the car is only being used for pootling about to work 5 minutes away or the shops/gym I will have to put up with the perished mount for now. Doing another car boot in a couple of weeks and I'm looking forward to turning it into a van again and being amazed at how much crap I can stuff in the back! I am also at two minds whether or not to gradually do the car up as a potential future Classic or run it as my daily dogsbody until it dies, although who knows how long that will be?
I am tempted to see the difference that a ( larger than standard ) 2.5 inch exhaust mid pipe does to the car, apparently it's the most restrictive part and should see some gains. Sportex do a cheap mild steel silenced one for £80 that seems decent value for money so if anyone has tried it let me know!
Another quick update for the record / potential future owners!
The Type R (which I have started calling Kato because of it's reg) was commissioned into car boot duty again, poor picture enclosed of the breadvan; We did well at the car boot and netted the equivalent of 10 weeks fuel usage for the car.. however we spent it in Bruges instead!
After taking the car to Tdi North the previous month I decided to get some minor work done as I owe it to the car to get it done especially as it seems I am keeping it for some time now. I took a look at the suspect engine mount where you can clearly see it was perished:
New from Honda the mount was too much for my budget IMO, around 120, so I managed to find a pattern parts online at around half that with a years warranty.
I got a family friend to fit it in his garage as you have to lower the subframe to get to it, and I also asked them to change the old looking auxiliary belt. The new mount makes a huge difference to the feel of the car, the transmission and engine feel solid and don't feel like they are moving about when I change gear now. When the garage took off the old belt, the tensioner was deemed to be 'absolutely fked' so I also got them to fit a new one:
Next I had been meaning to take off the wiper arms, sand them and spray them as they were rusty and chipped. Despite liberal application of sprays, a wiper arm puller and some brute strength, they refused to budge due to corrosion! So I gave up for now. I think I may have to buy some other arms and hacksaw these ones off. While I was in the engine bay, I cleaned it up a bit, and used gunk to get rid of the majority of grime from the cam cover. I would like to refurbish it though as it looks a right state.
I also took the plastic I-Vtec cover off and its associated brackets because one of the brackets to hold the cover has been cross threaded and the I-Vtec cover was loose and rattling about.
But the main thing I did was take off the exhaust manifold heat shield, it had completely rusted and sheared off at the bottom:
It made such a difference to the noise levels in reducing slight rattles etc I'm wondering whether any other of the heatshields are in a similar state so I can remove those as well. The car is practically 14 years old - half my age!
The Type R (which I have started calling Kato because of it's reg) was commissioned into car boot duty again, poor picture enclosed of the breadvan; We did well at the car boot and netted the equivalent of 10 weeks fuel usage for the car.. however we spent it in Bruges instead!
After taking the car to Tdi North the previous month I decided to get some minor work done as I owe it to the car to get it done especially as it seems I am keeping it for some time now. I took a look at the suspect engine mount where you can clearly see it was perished:
New from Honda the mount was too much for my budget IMO, around 120, so I managed to find a pattern parts online at around half that with a years warranty.
I got a family friend to fit it in his garage as you have to lower the subframe to get to it, and I also asked them to change the old looking auxiliary belt. The new mount makes a huge difference to the feel of the car, the transmission and engine feel solid and don't feel like they are moving about when I change gear now. When the garage took off the old belt, the tensioner was deemed to be 'absolutely f
ked' so I also got them to fit a new one:Next I had been meaning to take off the wiper arms, sand them and spray them as they were rusty and chipped. Despite liberal application of sprays, a wiper arm puller and some brute strength, they refused to budge due to corrosion! So I gave up for now. I think I may have to buy some other arms and hacksaw these ones off. While I was in the engine bay, I cleaned it up a bit, and used gunk to get rid of the majority of grime from the cam cover. I would like to refurbish it though as it looks a right state.
I also took the plastic I-Vtec cover off and its associated brackets because one of the brackets to hold the cover has been cross threaded and the I-Vtec cover was loose and rattling about.
But the main thing I did was take off the exhaust manifold heat shield, it had completely rusted and sheared off at the bottom:
It made such a difference to the noise levels in reducing slight rattles etc I'm wondering whether any other of the heatshields are in a similar state so I can remove those as well. The car is practically 14 years old - half my age!
Edited by seany87 on Sunday 31st May 11:47
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