phyregod

There is a large misconception that Honda and Acura Throttle Position Sensors are "Riveted" in. This is false. Those "rivets" are actually screws with no head on them. You can either use a flat headed screwdriver and hammer to remove them, or you can cut a slot into them with a dremmel and unscrew them with a flathead screwdriver.


This is the "rivet-screw" that we are addressing.

THE HAMMER/SCREWDRIVER METHOD:
Get a good flat-headed screw driver that has a good edge on it. You need the good edge to dig into the screw material. Place the screwdriver at an angle in the position shown:


Tap the end of the screw driver with a hammer. The screw will rotate counter clockwise and loosen. You should be able to finish unscrewing it with the pad of your thumb. This way is kind of a pain.




THE DREMMEL METHOD:
Cut a slot into the "rivet-screw" Use a steady hand and cut carefully. Cut deep enough into the screw so that you can get a standard screwdriver blade into the slot.


Unscrew the critter.



RE-INSTALLING:
You don't want to re-use those crappy "rivet-screws". Go to the hardware/parts store and match the threads to a new, stainless metric bolt of the same size and length. If you have a Fast Idle Thermo Valve laying around, you can rob the screws from the cover plate, which is what I did.


Make sure the Plastic tab "A" fits into the slot "B" upon re-installation.


When you initially install the TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) It will be way-off.


Just turn it counter-clockwise untill the bolt holes line up.


Screw the bolts on finger-tight, plug it in, and whip out the multi-meter!


Start the car. With it Idling, Measure the voltage between the red and green wires. Adjust untill the voltage reads .45V at idle. Tighten those screws/bolts down! Re-check the voltage.

You're DONE!


A pic of the "rivet-screw" with a notch cut into it for screwdriver removal.



***If your TPS is set from the factory, DO NOT ADJUST IT***

__________________

K2e2vin

good info. i was about to drill out my TPS but now i think ill try one of those methods.

ef9civicgen4

if you dont have a dremel, take the throttle body off, and then use a hack saw to cut the groove.

TWISTEDIMAGE

also a pair of dikes work well and noce write up i have been doing this for years i also have extra sensors if any one needs them they area all the same as well

TWISTEDIMAGE

i vote diy section

YBLEGAL

Now, just forsay, you've installed a *brand new* throttle body, your going to have to adjust the idle too. I've found the tps alignment affects that. So how do i go about lining both up, other than a few hours of testing? I'm guessing there's a method but i'ma n00b.

go figure but my TPS had torx screws from the start. JDM SiR II....

K2e2vin

old thread, but you'd use a multimeter to adjust it; 0.47v closed, 4.53v WOT

angryasian

jdm tps' can be removed with a torx bit

K2e2vin

My JDM D15B VTEC didn't have removable TPS bolt. It depends on what motor you have I believe because the TB I swapped and am using right now has removable screws(Torx head also) and is not JDM.

angryasian

weird....
i replaced the tps' on both my dohc zc, and b16a1, and both had bolts with torx heads...
i thought it was a japanese thing... lol

novegi

Is it possible / should you replace the TPS with out taking off the throttle body?

- novegi

YBLEGAL

it's ok to do it while the throttle is still on, if you have sufficient access to it. no difference....

novegi

On a stock 97 (5th gen) prelude there isn't much room.

Should I even try?

YBLEGAL

it's up to you, i dont know, i've never worked on a prelude.

92civicb18b1

Just take it off. It's so simple and takes like 5 mins to get it off.

lzmdzsem

FYI the "rivet-screws" are actually "snap off screws"they have a double head and you tighten them till the heads snap off

CX Hatch

Can anyone update the pictures on this thread? Or present new pictures of the actual screw head and the compatible tool to take them off with.

D16SiHatch

thread's 5 years old, so chances of it being updated are pretty slim.

there are however other writeups for how to do this

DYI: Remove TPS (throttle position sensor) - Honda-Tech