1998 civic HX Tune up questions.

[Xhifer]

Hello folks, I'm new here and just bought a 1998 honda Civic HX. I'm located in San Francisco, CA. I bought it from an original owner with 146k with original clutch and recently replaced timing belt and water pump.

I was wondering what spark plugs, spark plug wires, and transmission fluid I should use to maximize reliability and FE. I'm planning to continue using 5w30 synthetic oil with either mobil one filter or Wix filter.

Any write up on how to replace the PCV valve on the HX d16y5 motor?

I got 38.8 MPG Doing 90% highway and 10% city in 103 miles of driving. I was going 65-75MPH on highway. I shift at 3,000 RPM. I'm happy with it but more the better if possible for this CA version.

Any more recommendation on what to replace? The car runs extremely well for 146k miles and original clutch!

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Xhifer

Hello folks, I'm new here and just bought a 1998 honda Civic HX. I'm located in San Francisco, CA. I bought it from an original owner with 146k with original clutch and recently replaced timing belt and water pump.

I was wondering what spark plugs, spark plug wires, and transmission fluid I should use to maximize reliability and FE. I'm planning to continue using 5w30 synthetic oil with either mobil one filter or Wix filter.

Any write up on how to replace the PCV valve on the HX d16y5 motor?

I got 38.8 MPG Doing 90% highway and 10% city in 103 miles of driving. I was going 65-75MPH on highway. I shift at 3,000 RPM. I'm happy with it but more the better if possible for this CA version.

Any more recommendation on what to replace? The car runs extremely well for 146k miles and original clutch!

Congrats on the great car. It would be cool to have the EGR and the better gearing that car offers over my DX. Let's see... I just changed the spark plugs. Chose NGK single platinum on advice. They work fine. Royal Purple going into the MT soon. I run 0w30 motor oil right now.

You can get much more than 39mpg from that car. I got 39 often in my DX before ecomodding/hypermiling. Slow down to 65 mph, and you'll benefit. Shift below 2500 rpms and you'll benefit. Disconnect the power steering. We don't need it on these lightweight cars and after 5 mph, you will not notice much difference in steering. Disconnect it and the loss of that parasitic draw on the engine can result in fuel economy benefits.

For the PCV replacement, I posted a link to a free copy of the Honda Service Manual for our cars. It'll help:
Honda civic ServiceManual 96-98.pdf

Welcome to EM!

[brucepick]

Welcome to Ecomodder and to the thrifty Honda owner's bunch!!

My '97 HX came with the original owner's manual - which specifies:
NGK plugs - ZFR4F-11.
Other Civics of the same vintage used a different heat range version of the same basic plug. I'd go with the ZFR4F-11 per Honda's spec.

My local Honda dealer usually doesn't have them. Some independent parts stores will have them, because other brands also used that plug.

Honda also specifies a pretty low torque tightening spec. 2/3 of a turn if working without a torque wrench, and only 13 pound feet with a torque wrench. I go one pound higher than Honda says and turn them to 14 pound feet.

The manufacturer's notes on spark plug box give a higher torque spec, about 18 lb-ft. My guess is that Honda knows the strength of their head casting and they don't want you going all the way to 18 lb. Stripped threads in head = NOT FUN. Probably would require a new head due to lack of space to add things like a healacoil.

[Ryland]

Honda Manual transmission fluid is the best choice, you can get it online or pay a bit more at a dealership but get it the same day and not pay shipping.
Standard plug wires from the parts store should be fine and NGK V-power plugs are most likely stock and according to the SAE papers, the best choice for gas mileage, they however tend to only last 15,000 to 20,000 miles so you have to decide if you want to change plugs or have the best spark.
When they changed the timing belt did they change the water pump as well?
I agree on not needing power steering on a car that light, swapping to a manual steering rack is ideal.
PCV valve is located under the intake manifold, you just need someone with small hands or a long set of needle nose pliers.


In the drawing, the PCV valve is part #3

[brucepick]

PCV Valve:
It's located on back side of block, down below the intake system. Not much fun to get to. Has a hose that goes up to the intake system; may as well replace that hose too if you or someone gets involved in that system.

Oil changing - staying clean:
Hondas like to unload oil onto your arm, shoulder and on the exhaust pipe when you pull off the oil filter. I seem to have found the fix for this, about two years after buying mine:

Use Honda brand oil filter. They a smaller diameter can, so it doesn't hold that extra reserve of oil that doesn't drip out via the threaded spin-on tube. Aftermarket filters will have a larger diam can and same size threads + gasket, and will fit but will drip more.

Jack up rear end of car as high as you safely can. That tips the filter forward to empty it more thoroughly. Preferably engine is hot so oil will flow well. There's a tow loop at center rear; put jack under that. 2x8 board under the jack if you need more height than the jack can do. Leave it up for maybe 45 minutes or more. Overnight is OK too. Then drop the rear, and lift the front as needed to change the oil. Put a rag under the oil filter's forward end to catch what does come out, but with that preparation you won't lose much (usually).

Good luck with it!

[Xhifer]

Thank you all for the replies!

[Xhifer]

Oil = 3 quarts and how many quarts for the manual transmission fluid?

Will the NGK ZFR4F-11 come pregapped for HX standards? If not, what's the gapping for them?

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Xhifer

Oil = 3 quarts and how many quarts for the manual transmission fluid?

Will the NGK ZFR4F-11 come pregapped for HX standards? If not, what's the gapping for them?

I don't know for certain for the HX but the service manual or the parts shop can tell you your spec when they sell you the plugs. For my 98 DX the gap is 35. When I called my Honda dealership, they said just to use motor oil for the MT. Some guys on this site run the Royal Purple, a high grade synthetic, and I decided to emulate that. Three quarts for the MT fluid and 4 quarts for the oil pan. Always buy the "fully synthetic" ... look for that phrase. (BTW, I'm converted to Wix filters now too, after an amazingly poor fit--really non-fit--with a Fram that we checked and rechecked in the system but found over and over was listed as appropriate, incorrectly. Apparently some of these companies are riding on their reputations.)

Brucepick: I have not been using a torque wrench, though I am treating the threads. I have just not tightened it more than just one snug shove once resistance shows up. I'd better buy that torque wrench?

[some_other_dave]

Usually it's between 3 and 4 quarts of engine oil. I would just dump 4 into my 1990 CRX (Civic engine) and call it good; that was pretty good with the filter change.

The owner's manual for the older Civics specified 10W30 motor oil for the transmissions. Some very knowledgeable people feel that Honda MTL is too thin for the older ones like that. If you have it available, check your owner's manual to see what is called for in it.

Transmissions are about 2-2.5 quarts of fluid. They typically get filled until the fluid is at the bottom of the fill hole. Make sure to loosen the fill plug FIRST, because they are often on very tight for some reason. I used a 6-point 17mm/19mm wrench because there wasn't enough space to fit a socket and ratchet on my car. I used a "cheater" for extra leverage.

One final note on the transmission: Make sure the car is level when filling it. If the nose of the car is up in the air, you will underfill the trans because the fill hole is near the back. Input shaft bearings do not like it when you underfill the fluid--I killed two of them that way before I realized what I was doing.

-soD

[brucepick]

Oil change quantity.

Book spec be dam*ed, my '97 HX takes 3.5 qt after a drain and filter change.
I level the car with a 9" torpedo level for measuring, due to my somewhat sloped and very crowned driveway. That's all the oil it will take. Any more and it will be over the mark. It might be an HX thing, everyone else swears it takes 3.8 or 4 qt.

It did take more oil, immediately after reinstalling the rebuilt head. Apparently the head retains some measurable oil after you drain for an oil change. Other than that, anything over 3.5 qt. will be over the mark.


Spark plug gap:
I check them before installing but they mostly come out of the box matching the book spec. Every once in a while I'll get a batch that is off by a hair. I think if I didn't check them it would be just about as good. But I can be a real detail fiend, in case you hadn't noticed.