89 civic wagovan 5spd (very slow build: power + ecomods & lots of pics!)

[OG VX]

An amazing pick up! Tan interiors rock man. So OG...

Unless I'm missing something, I don't see this wagon as really needing a full paint job. The color is perfect as is, if you want to do the combo we were discussing yesterday. Other than a few small spots on the drivers side and one nickel sized rust spot on the hatch, it looks like the paint can be saved with some elbow grease/buffing. Am I wrong?

I'd save a few hundred bucks, take care of the surface rust then touch up/spot paint the few ugly parts.

For the bumpers, maybe paint them with paint mixed in a can?

Just a thought. That interior though!!!! Yes!!!

[vrmouseyd15b]

There are a LOT of little spots all the way around it, but I don't think she really needs paint, at least not anytime soon :-) I've got to tear into the brakes yet today, not too sure about my suspected leak. hopefully it won't fight me too bad.

Thanks for the help "OG Wagon" I checked your thread on HT! Skills like yours demand respect, I'm glad they are playing nice over there!

Thanks,
Victor

[OG VX]

Originally Posted by vrmouseyd15b

There are a LOT of little spots all the way around it, but I don't think she really needs paint, at least not anytime soon :-) I've got to tear into the brakes yet today, not too sure about my suspected leak. hopefully it won't fight me too bad.

Thanks for the help "OG Wagon" I checked your thread on HT! Skills like yours demand respect, I'm glad they are playing nice over there!

Thanks,
Victor

http://ajournalofmusicalthings.com/w.../Aw-shucks.jpg

[vrmouseyd15b]

^^^ This guy!

More progress on skidmark! Bled the rear brakes, got a squishy half brake pedal! Also got a little cleaning started under the hood. Before:

after:


should be a little easier to see what's going on in there, anyway!
Next I'm going to see about a master brake cylinder and then it's on to figure out the nasty noise coming from my front driver's wheel. Sounds like a wheel bearing, time and tools will tell. Tomorrow if I get home early enough
Enjoy!
Victor

[user removed]

To isolate brake circuits and properly diagnose spongy pedal.

Clamp off each brake hose (the flexible ones). Either use one or more vise grips, carefully adjusted so they do not damage the hose. I prefer to do all 4 at the same time, but it just takes more time if you can only do one at a time.

This eliminates that (or those) calipers-wheel cylinders from the system.

If you do all 4 simultaneously and you know the system is properly bled. The brake pedal should be as hard as a rock with virtually no travel, since the fluid can not move through the lines.

1. Pedal still spongy, bad master cylinder.

2. Pedal hard as a rock, master is good.

Once you have determined the master is good, then unclamp each wheel individually and when you get the spongy pedal you can be fairly certain that caliper or wheel cylinder is your problem.

Rear drum brakes on old cars tend to loose their "self adjusting" capability. Sometimes you can get it to work by just using the emergency brake, especially if it does not stop the car with 6-8 clicks of the emergency brake.

Sometimes you have to pull the drums and manually free up the adjusters. Not a bad idea to pull them anyway to check for shoe condition and hydraulic leaks.

Front calipers are notorious for frozen sliding pins on the single piston type calipers. Get them loose and clean lube the pins and the orfices they slide in.

Not a bad idea to check the pads, which in in severe cases can have much more wear on one pad if the pins were sticking-frozen. Also look for uneven wear on the pads friction material due to sticking pins.

If you really want to get adventurous, extend the pistons in the caliper and then clean the exposed surface of the piston,with scotch brite and some brake fluid, wipe them down and compress them back.

If you find that after all that work the brakes don't want to release completely, suspect the rubber hoses are collapsed internally and acting as a "check valve", stopping the fluid from returning from the caliper-cylinder to the master. Seen them come in the shop smoking because of collapsed hoses.

I have found the best way to bleed brakes is to use a glass jar and a piece of hose that you connect to the bleeder, with the other end in the jar. Top off the master reservoir and pump it with the bleeder open. This provides much greater movement of the fluid and will even get air bubbles out that will not be removed by conventional bleeding. The hose must stay under the fluid level in the jar at all times for this to work, good use for old crappy fluid.

Make sure the emergency brake cables are not deteriorated to the point where water can get inside and freeze, locking up the rear brakes if it gets cold enough.

regards
mech

[vrmouseyd15b]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

To isolate brake circuits and properly diagnose spongy pedal.

Clamp off each brake hose (the flexible ones). Either use one or more vise grips, carefully adjusted so they do not damage the hose. I prefer to do all 4 at the same time, but it just takes more time if you can only do one at a time.

This eliminates that (or those) calipers-wheel cylinders from the system.

If you do all 4 simultaneously and you know the system is properly bled. The brake pedal should be as hard as a rock with virtually no travel, since the fluid can not move through the lines.

1. Pedal still spongy, bad master cylinder.

2. Pedal hard as a rock, master is good.

.....

Front calipers are notorious for frozen sliding pins on the single piston type calipers. Get them loose and clean lube the pins and the orfices they slide in.

Not a bad idea to check the pads, which in in severe cases can have much more wear on one pad if the pins were sticking-frozen. Also look for uneven wear on the pads friction material due to sticking pins.

.....

regards
mech

wow. thanks, mech! I'll have to buy or borrow a couple more pairs of vice grips. I've never taken the vice grip trick much farther than changing calipers or turning nasty compression fittings on brakes!

good tip on the slide pins, since I'll be in there anyway I'll make sure to give them a good cleaning and greasing!



More things I found with skidmark - took her to taco bell with the family for dinner (big spenders) and was bothered by the fact that the driver's door wouldn't bring the dome light on (it would come on if I fiddled with it, but not if the door opened) I figured it wouldn't be too hard to figure out, but wanted to share anyway.

the problem : the contacts inside the switch were corroded and interrupting the current flow when the switch was made.
the solution: my blast cabinet!

before (this wasn't the driver door switch, but the contact point is at the base of the male spade connector, and it touches the little "v" to the right of it):


after:


knocked the rust off the contacts and now all the doors can make the dome light come on! yay!

not sure what years this applies to, but the front of the swithes look like this:


and there's only one screw per switch, the other side hooks into the body thru the opening. here's the screw:


also plugged the speedo cable back into the tranny (not connected before I got her) hopefully I'll know how fast I'm going on the skidmark's next outing!

thanks,
Victor

[Ecky]

What'd you use to clean the engine bay? Elbow grease?

[vrmouseyd15b]

Originally Posted by Ecky

What'd you use to clean the engine bay? Elbow grease?

dollar tree sells wheel and tire cleaner in their automotive section, and shiny tire $h!t in spray bottles, and oven cleaner, and baby bottle cleaning brushes!

I usually start with the oven cleaner and walk away for a smoke break to let it work before hitting it with the garden hose, then I hit everything with the tire and wheel cleaner! the baby brush makes it pretty easy work. hit it with the hose and blow off with the air gun. repeat as necessary, and finish with shiny tire $h!t. I like to hit the tire shine with the air gun too, so it donesn't leave spots

total cost: $5 plus tax and elbow grease (free - I know a guy!)


thanks!
Victor.

[jcp123]

Mech, those are great tips. I'll keep those filed away for the future.

[Gasoline Fumes]

Originally Posted by vrmouseyd15b

the problem : the contacts inside the switch were corroded and interrupting the current flow when the switch was made.
the solution: my blast cabinet!

I just scrape the rust off the contact area with a screwdriver. I hate those switches!