Black & Green modding thread (1998 Civic DX Coupe base)

[Hog F150]

Thanks for the input. I think I'll just go with the Honda MTF.

[California98Civic]

Well, 7,000 miles and 7.5 months after using stop leak to plug the front main seal, the leak has returned. There is no question it is the front main. The oil is coming out from a weep hole in the timing belt cover right under the front main. I am bummed, but at least the stop leak gave me 7K clean miles.

Now I learn an important lesson. I suspected the seal might be leaking when I did the timing belt a year and a half ago. But I had so much trouble with two old stuck bolts that I just wanted the job finished. So I denied what my own eyes were suggesting to me, kidding myself it could be oil infiltrating from a leaky oil pan gasket and choosing not to investigate further. I wish I had done the seal then. Oh well!

[hayden55]

Camshaft seal isnt leaking also is it? And if you pay shipping i have a cam seal you can have. OEM honda too.

[hayden55]

I figured i'd chime in since I have the same car from the sounds of all the problems we've had and i've already went through and fixed, and i will be stealing all of your valuable info . If your leak is coming from the left side of the oil pan right beside the plastic timing cover seal (view from underneath), check your upper camshaft seal. The oem cover has a second piece that completely hides the leak from the outer cover, and allows the leak to travel out of the camshaft seal on the right to the back side of the head (viewing the motor from above) and it will leak down and coat the alternator and just about everything. Two months into owning my car the seal start to REALLY go. And driving to and from school about 200 miles i would lose 2 quarts + of oil. Then i took it apart and had the timing belt and camshaft and crank seals (by recommendation of an older guy who drives a crx 55mpg at the dealership), and voila! It was the camshaft seal. Easy to replace too. Just unbolt all bolts to the right of the distributor bolt seal, lift up a half inch, pull it out, and slide the new one on. Then go through and retorque everything.
I've replaced EVERYTHING on this car now 6 months later doing it inbetween school on breaks. So initial investment of $742 for the car has increased to 1200ish. But i basically have a powertrain warranty with all the new parts lol. Car is a 96 lx sedan 5mt averaging 38 so it'll be cool to see the increase.

[California98Civic]

Getting back into repairs and mods to my DD "black and green" Civic. I will be posting more in this thread in the coming days/weeks.

First, repairs before mods. I am still chasing down the various multiple sources of the persistent slow oil leak that helped derail my full belly pan project. I work slowly because I am inexperienced and cannot take the car off the road often or for long.

Here is my crank pully seal replacement, a job like most that I had never done before or seen done before. Here are a couple good techniques for installing the replacement easily and with acceptable precision.

Tips:

First I took pictures of how the OEM seal was sitting. The seal should be flush with the oil pump housing.

Then I began replacement.

A paint can opener works excellently to pop the seal out without the risk of nicking the crank shaft or the seal housing:


To install the new seal I used the large deep socket to start the seal evenly. It fit over the end of the crank shaft perfectly. Light tapping with the rubber mallet got the seal mostly into place. Then I used the socket extender to fine tune the seal's placement by tapping around the outer circumference until the extender tapped the metal of the oil pump housing:


A feeler gauge was a great tool for checking that I had the seal in flush with the oil pump housing. Perfect.


Final view.


The core tasks above are quite easy. But getting to the seal is a little bit of a PITA because you have to remove the timing belt. So I was extra cautious with the install because I did not want to have to go in again.

But, the oil leak is still with me, because the cam shaft seal is also leaking. I suspected that when I was working on the crank seal. But I decided to wait and let running the car confirm it for me. The cam shaft replacement is another new process for me. So I was cautious and conservative. I still have the leak, though it is slower than it was. I'll get after the cam seal sometime, but not this summer. I have other mods/repairs I will post about as time allows in the coming days.

[California98Civic]

I made these grillblocks out of a rolled black plastic I bought for the now abandoned full undertray project. (I postponed the undertray mostly because I could not resolve fluid leaks at first, then I lost the resolve for a complete undertray.) These new ones are more durable, better looking (!), and more effective.

The material won't fade in the sun, like the old aluminum upper block and coroplast lower block did. And because they are made of the same stuff as my wheel well skirts, they offer a little consistency of materials on this eco-ratrod. Lastly, the lower grillblock is more complete than the older one. And in this coming winter I will be able to move the license plate to cover the remaining hole.

Upper:


Lower:


On the car:

[Joggernot]

Nicely done. It's been almost 100°F down here. Water temp went to 206 from the normal 180-186. Can't block the grill in summer.

[Daox]

The grill block looks very nice.

[California98Civic]

Some of you might remember I attempted an undertray once. I lost confidence because of fluid leaks that I thought would collect on it. Then I also lost confidence in my attachment methods. I still have an oil leak (last one I believe). But I really wanted to finish my rear diffuser at least. Here it is.

Calculations aerohead taught me suggested that I needed a 4 degree angle on the diffuser.



I was not able to accomplish that. This is about 5 degrees, which is going to have to be close enough for now.

Also, I know the diffuser is less effective without a full bellypan. But I do have a low airdam and low side skirts. The remaining airflow under the car, I am hoping will benefit from not hitting the rear bumper cover parachute just before separation.

Here is what it looked like underneath (muffler is missing):


Here is what it looks like now (I used the same black plastic sheet that the wheel well skirts and grillblocks are made from):


I deliberately left a modest overhang in imitation of some features of cars I see rolling about. I am okay with it, but I will probably trim it more:


The overhang also made it possible to achieve solid attachment without drilling any new holes in the car's frame or bumper cover.

I plan eventually to cover parts of the middle section that are especially bad, but not right now. Too much else to do. Gotta get the car ready for smog check and for school dropoff runs.

EDIT: For reference here is the cardboard template I made for the diffuser:

[freebeard]

Good on you.

But... I confuse easily, am I looking at reflections of the tire bottoms on the undertray material.