my '91 CRX build (MPG related plans, projects, and updates)

[myrefugeisintheLord]

Lol..... Ya.... Let me find my phone data cord to transfer some pictures........

Okay, so I ended up having to get different nuts. The locking ones I had weren't letting the bolt screw in easily. I thought that might be why a couple of RAVadoodle's nuts came loose from the epoxy. So I went back and looked for an alternative. Here's what I found:

Regular nuts with a spiked washer attached on one end. Both pieces spin independently. I forget what they are called. I figured they would stay in place better, and the bolt would screw in better too. Win win, right? We'll see. (I don't mind having to tightening them occasionally.)

Last Tuesday I FINALLY got to the actual process. I was careful to avoid getting JB-Weld around the securing bolt, but I always seemed to manage to get some near there anyway. I cleaned all threads and around the bolt before placing them in the holder I made. Good to go? Ya right....

The next time I saw them was Thursday evening. Plenty of dry time. I went to screw the bolts out, and it was tough, then not coming, then spinning easily but not coming out... I was WAAAYYY too tired to be messing with them at that time. (Pretty tired now. Just warning! ) So I fairly easily managed to strip one of the lug nut set up. I sat there for a few minuets trying to wrap my exhausted brain around what just happened, lol, and it hit me! DUH!!! I left a bit of the bolt extended through the nut, and during the cleaning process, ended up smearing JB-Weld into the threads.

I was trying to screw through JB-Weld! SERIOUSLY STUPID! Lol. Luckily the bolts I got to hold everything in place are long enough to be able to get to the tips to cut them off.

Another lesson learned!! But I have a feeling I'm not done learning from this particular project yet........

So, with all the other stuff that's going on right now, I'm having to take baby steps to get this done. I'm taking almost as long as my new job is taking to get me trained and on the job!!!!

[brucepick]

Yes, I had a few false starts on that project myself.

Here's a post I wrote a couple years ago, in a thread originally started by NachtRitter.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post249587

Today's notes -

You need to spread/wipe the anti-seize all the way to the tips of the long screws, including the flat ends. Of course you know that now!

Then - after you get the long screw out:
Be ready to drill out some epoxy where it may have covered over the little nut, down inside the lug nut. Just a drill bit between two fingers. Oh yeah - you used JB Weld so you might need a power drill, not just fingers. Drilling from the outside of the nut thru the little one guarantees you drill in the right place BUT don't press too hard or you can push everything out of the lug nut.

If drilling from inside out, I think you need a center punch. My bit kept wandering off center.

My covers were perforated aluminum for brake cooling. Discussion with aerohead later indicated they might or might not actually be giving the aero benefit I wanted. Two of them failed later, so I now have two perforated and two that are solid flat.

Oh yes.

Re. spacers behind your flat panels, and mounting screw length. A flat panel, if resting against the wheel rim recess, tends to land maybe 1/8" or so away from the domed lug nut tops. If the discs are curved of course the gap will be larger. I found the easiest solution is to NOT use a removable spacer behind the panel. Always a pain to keep it in position when attaching the covers. Instead, I found the correct length screw so the panel rests (or floats) against the rim recess when the small screw bottoms out hitting the wheel stud. For mine, I think I ended up using 3/4" long screws. YMMV. Just don't tighten the little screw super hard against the lug nut. The dome is soft metal and you'll distort it easily.

Stainless round head Phillips screws are nice, will stay clean. But I used hex head galvanized. Attaching them requires pressing in on a Phillips screw, I don't want to pop out a little nut one day. For hex heads, you don't need to press in on it to have traction to turn it. I never found stainless hex ones in my size in a hardware store. Need to get them from FastenAll or some on line source. One day, maybe.

Good luck with it!

[myrefugeisintheLord]

Thank you Bruce for pointing those things out! I TOTALLY forgot about using anti-seize!!! That would have made everything SO much easier! I'll see how things go with what I have. If I need to start over, that's fine. I can pick up a set of lug nuts for $1. And the inner nuts came to $2 something. I might also ask one of my sister's relatives if I can rent his drill press if I have to do everything over again.

With RAVadoodle, I didn't use spacers between cover and lug nuts. I'm using 1/2" hex bolts with a straight edge screw driver option. I got hex for the same reason. I also didn't want any possible stripping! Something that REALLY helped to get the covers on, is I used two 2" long bolts and got the cover in position, and then securing it with 1/2" was a breeze.

I REALLY want to have this mod done before I leave for Seattle on Wednesday morning! I don't have a lot things left to do before I go pick up my dad from the airport, so I think I will be able to get it done. As long as things go more smoothly! I'm going to be meeting Shorty_Boy over there (CRX owner), and it would be fun to have that mod done for that reason too.

[brucepick]

Cool. Good luck with it.

Seems your mount screws are a lot bigger than mine. I used 8x32, don't know the hex size but I think less than 1/4". In your size you might find stuff in stainless. Only a small $$ increase over galvanized, really. And they will look good forever.

[myrefugeisintheLord]

SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!?!
I don't know what it is with me, but things I touch just LOVE to brake! It was going in a little tight, but not bad one bit, and then pop.... SERIOUSLY? I'm SO ready to zip some coro covers on and be done with it!

My plate is too full and I've been giving all of my time to help everyone else with they're problems or concerns. I'm a little overwhelmed and spent right now...... Working with coro might do me some good. I'd love to make a test kammback for the Seattle trip, but that might be a bit too big of a project right now.

[Arragonis]

Probably too late, but have you considered the Tuneko covers ?

Less drag = Less fuel | Aluminium wheel hubcaps | Eco Tuning --> Tuneko Ltd

The guy who invented / makes them is a member here under the same name. Spendy maybe though but good quality by all accounts.

He is also into the 100+ MPG club with his VW Lupo 3L-2L project. (2 litres per 100 km)

And yes winter has hit here in Scotland.

[brucepick]

Bummer.

Yeah, doing a Kamm back for these Civics takes some attention to detail. BTDT and still driving with it. At least that's what I think. Leave it for another day.

I bet the little screw bottomed out on the wheel stud behind it. Ya can't go tightening one of those little guys with an 18" breaker bar, ya know. I use a screwdriver-type nut driver. Not a wrench with a handle.

I think there's enough screw sticking out into the inside of lug nut to get it out with needle nose pliers. You'll find out soon enough.

[myrefugeisintheLord]

After I got done throwing my fit , I kept working on it. I ended up getting all 4 on, and passenger side has two bolts per cover and driver's side has all bolts. I'll pick up a few more 1/2" bolts tomorrow, and commandeer a few lug nuts from RAVadoodle as well. (She's sitting at my parent's apt at the moment.)



Lol, I was using the flat tip as means of tightening the bolts. I need to pick up another 1/4" socket to replace the one I lost. WeatherSpotter did a much better job centering the holes in the lug nuts for the RAV, then I did with these lug nuts. Oh well, I can pick up another set and do a better job.

[myrefugeisintheLord]

I also hooked up another regular battery in parallel with mine. Hopefully that will allow me to avoid having to keep the engine on longer then nessesary.

[brucepick]

I also hooked up a 2nd battery in parallel. Voltage stayed up much better while coasting. My longest coasts here are about a mile and I could do that with headlights on, no issues. However the 2nd battery was a more "normal" size battery out of a Jeep, not the mini size we have in Civics.

Good move.