Mechanic Rant

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B-18Hatch

Member
I bought two Civics last year. A smoking 89, red in color, and a red 91 that didn't start. I traded the 91 to a guy for a new engine for the 89 and installation. I had run it too low on oil too many times, and the ping grew into a knock. The 91 was a cinch to fix, as the keyway on the cam pulley was filled in by two parts of the key itself. He pulls my engine and takes two and a half months to get another one. In the mean time, he sells the 91. When he finally gets another engine (a D15B2), it takes him two weeks to get it in. But he can't get it started. So I wait. And wait. I get tired of waiting and tell him to tow it to my home so I can ask someone with some competence for assistance. This is where it gets funny. I start to go over the engine, looking for anything not connected, missing, or broken. I notice one of the valve cover nuts is missing. I figured it must be with my brand new wipers, because they were gone, too. I can't get it started or figure out why it won't, so this past Tuesday, I drive my happy ass to the Honda dealership. Walk in to service and explain what the car is doing and that I can't afford to miss any more work. Nick explains that the main ground for the ECU has to be disconnected. I drive my happy ass back home and, sure enough, I find a ground wire hiding under the harness near the thermostat housing. I put it on and turn the key and viola! it starts. I owe Nick a 12-pack. Put down my hood and go for a test drive. It doesn't take long to figure out that this ass put on a shot clutch. Wednesday, I take the tranny off and go to pull the pressure plate and the bolts are only finger tight. And one if THEM was missing too! Hell with it, I've already bought the clutch kit, on it goes. I use a bolt from a hardware store to replace the missing one. Get it back together at 230 Thursday morning and scrub off and get to bed. Thursday morning, I am pulling out of the neighborhood and making a right onto a fourlane. POP!VROOOM!!! NOW WHAT!!!!! The inside CV joint housing bust and threw a piece into the tranny. Work is definitely NOT going to like this. I make a trip to the U Pull & Save for a tranny. I end up getting a 88 CRX HF tranny. I know it is an HF, but who cares at this point, I just need it to run. I took Friday off and went to put it all together Sat. The clutchplate won't fit. Having simply had enough, I went back to the U Pull and borrowed the clutch plate from the donor car tranny and went back to the auto parts store. "This clutch plate is not the same as the one that I took out. The kit you gave me was screwed up." Luckily I got the one guy in every parts store that would help you look for pneumatic fluid. He brought out another kit and we tried to match it up. No good. Smiling inside, I told him to bring me a kit for an 88 CRX. When he did, is swapped him the big clutch plate for the little one and home I went. Put the tranny back on and replaced the CV shaft and off I went to the Zone for new wipers.

Anyone want a slightly used 4-spd tranny? Also I'm thinking on changing my S/N to something along the lines of ReluctantGreaseMonkey.
 
well, that of course preceedes doing shit yourself :)
 
thanks for the story, because i am about to buy an older hatch that isn't running, kinda similar situation, but i already planned to do it all myself, its the car with a rebuilt motor, that he can't get to run, + and extra motor+ an si manifold to rid of the 2 point injection crap, but yea always do it yourself
 
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