07-15-2014, 07:12 AM
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#71 (permalink)
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Master EcoModder
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Virginia Beach
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I got the Moog greasable ball joints. Most of them are not greasable.
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07-15-2014, 04:03 PM
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#72 (permalink)
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Join Date: Aug 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daox
I didn't get too much time to work on the Civic this weekend. I went to remove the control arms, but couldn't get the ball joint separated from the control arm. I'll have to rent or buy a ball joint tool to get it out because that thing is incredibly stubborn. While I was doing that I also noticed that the ball joint boot was shot and needs replacing. Thus starts the list of parts for the 2nd parts order.  |
I had a lot of trouble with those too. Normally I just use a pickle fork and pound them out but that was going nowhere.
I got one of these:
3/4" Forged Ball Joint Separator
and it worked surprisingly well.
I used Moog parts to put it back together. I managed to pinch one of the boots during assembly and they sent me a new boot (they don't normally sell them) free of charge. |
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07-22-2014, 10:55 AM
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#73 (permalink)
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Administrator
Join Date: Dec 2007
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I tried the pickle fork last night. It didn't work for me either. Thankfully a friend at work brought in his tool like Darcane linked above. I'll give that a try. I've never had this much trouble with ball joints...
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07-22-2014, 12:59 PM
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#74 (permalink)
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Cyborg ECU
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Coastal Southern California
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Quote:
Originally Posted by darcane
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I think I rented that from O'Reilly's last year. With the right tools, it was not so hard. The hardest part was the fact that I was doing it for the first time so every step was a new thing, just about. I don't like my ungreased joints though because I can hear them twist as I make turns. I didn't replace the OEM ones on the other side because it was not necessary to... I don't hear those. But it's okay. My car works beautifully, after 220,000 miles. I have driven it for more than 190,000 of those miles. Still reliable. Still fun. Still simple.
__________________
See my car's mod & maintenance thread and my electric bicycle's thread for ongoing projects. I will rebuild Black and Green over decades as parts die, until it becomes a different car of roughly the same shape and color. My minimum fuel economy goal is 55 mpg while averaging posted speed limits. I generally top 60 mpg. See also my Honda manual transmission specs thread.
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07-22-2014, 06:09 PM
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#75 (permalink)
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.........................
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Buckley, WA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daox
I tried the pickle fork last night. It didn't work for me either. Thankfully a friend at work brought in his tool like Darcane linked above. I'll give that a try. I've never had this much trouble with ball joints...
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Should go smoothly. Just crank down on it a bit and if it doesn't pop right off, a quick tap to the side of the control arm should entice it to slip out. |
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07-23-2014, 10:28 AM
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#76 (permalink)
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Administrator
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Well, I'm going to have to get me one of those tools. That took it out very easily. It probably took a whopping 1 minute per side, versus probably 20-30 minutes fighting with one side the other days!
So, the ball joints are loose. I just have to take apart the passenger side a bit more to get at the rear control arm bolt. Things are kind of cramped in that area it seems. THEN I can finally take the head and control arms in to get the work done on them. It'll get done... some day. |
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07-23-2014, 01:10 PM
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#77 (permalink)
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Cyborg ECU
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Coastal Southern California
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:thumbs up:
__________________
See my car's mod & maintenance thread and my electric bicycle's thread for ongoing projects. I will rebuild Black and Green over decades as parts die, until it becomes a different car of roughly the same shape and color. My minimum fuel economy goal is 55 mpg while averaging posted speed limits. I generally top 60 mpg. See also my Honda manual transmission specs thread.
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07-24-2014, 11:13 AM
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#78 (permalink)
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Administrator
Join Date: Dec 2007
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I got the control arms off the car last night. Everything is in the trunk of my car to go to the machine shop this afternoon.
I need to put in a parts order to get the ball joints, so I was thinking about what else I might need. I'm going to pick up an air filter and cabin air filter. I was going to pickup a tranny filter, but I hear there isn't one. Also, I was going to get a thermostat, but when I went on rockauto it says the OE thermostat is 170F?!? That seems low.
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07-24-2014, 12:26 PM
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#79 (permalink)
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Cyborg ECU
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Coastal Southern California
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daox
I got the control arms off the car last night. Everything is in the trunk of my car to go to the machine shop this afternoon.
I need to put in a parts order to get the ball joints, so I was thinking about what else I might need. I'm going to pick up an air filter and cabin air filter. I was going to pickup a tranny filter, but I hear there isn't one. Also, I was going to get a thermostat, but when I went on rockauto it says the OE thermostat is 170F?!? That seems low.
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My 1998 has no cabin air filter (the USDM Civics didn't get one for some reason). It also has no transmission filter. The FSM says, I think, that the thermostat begins to open somewhere in the 170s and it completely open at like 194. IIRC. I would bet the 7th Gen FSM will tell you what the specs should be.
__________________
See my car's mod & maintenance thread and my electric bicycle's thread for ongoing projects. I will rebuild Black and Green over decades as parts die, until it becomes a different car of roughly the same shape and color. My minimum fuel economy goal is 55 mpg while averaging posted speed limits. I generally top 60 mpg. See also my Honda manual transmission specs thread.
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07-24-2014, 05:03 PM
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#80 (permalink)
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.........................
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Buckley, WA
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Thanks: 391
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Quote:
Originally Posted by California98Civic
My 1998 has no cabin air filter (the USDM Civics didn't get one for some reason). It also has no transmission filter. The FSM says, I think, that the thermostat begins to open somewhere in the 170s and it completely open at like 194. IIRC. I would bet the 7th Gen FSM will tell you what the specs should be.
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170°F sounds about right for the thermostat. Before my headgasket issues, mine would typically run between 170°F and 194°F.
7th gen Civics have a cabin filter. Likely yours has never been replaced and will look as bad as mine was:
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