front end damage (working thread)
 

So I have no idea where I should post this, but I assume this is a good place to start...

I recently bought a 96 honda accord 5speed 2.2L off of a girl who wrecked it in a 3 car pile up...she was the last one. So I am going to post picture of what it looked like when I got it and through the entire build until it is complete. This is what I had a week ago.
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I took out the entire interior and drug it down to the car wash for a power washing...It was in dire need of it too! but when I got it home I noticed that everything else looked terrible after putting near perfect carpet in so I had to take nearly everything out and clean that too! So after cleaning all of that up I finally have a near perfect interior.
before
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after
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I did all the seats and all the plastic too, but will spare all of you all those pictures (found in a link below to see the entire album)

So now comes the engine and body work...should be pretty easy because it is a motor mount replacement and I have to drill a bolt out of the block. (which I now think has a chunk taken out of it...might be very bad news for my future car...) Will take and post pictures as I go along this step. It should be nearly completed this weekend...okay, maybe that is over optimistic. There is a lot of work to be done.

Here is a direct link to the entire album on photobucket, if you want to go and look through that, I'll just post a few pictures per page to help people with lower internet speeds...

Good to see you here. Yes, IMO this is the best place to get all of your answers.

posted pictures in the first post, before/after photos mainly. I still have the engine work to do obviously, but the exterior and interior are finished (minus the radio!) will likely get it running this weekend if things go well. Needs a battery first though... have you seen how expensive these batteries are??? I went to Pepboys and their batteries were like $150! I think I'll have to go with the walmart brand for now... :(

Nice pics! That carpet looks fantastic now. You may have inspired me to do the same thing. Was it hard to get it back into place one you had cleaned it?

Good luck on the rest (a.k.a the hard part)

The only hard part was putting it back in with one person. It just takes some finagling under the center console. Besides that, fitting it back into place only requires a little stretching (lifting it up and using your palm to move it over an inch here or there, nothing major). After I cleaned it I used a wet/dry vac on both sides and then let it sit in the sun until it was completely dry. (took three hours all together, but I live in Tucson and at the time it was close to 110 outside!)

Okay, so what I want to do with the car is eventually paint it...I was thinking Camaro green and gun metal. Gun metal would go on the raised part on the hood and the spoiler. I got inspiration from the pedal I found at pepboys a few weeks ago.
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I was also thinking about making my own grille seeing as the one I have is broken...for obvious reasons. lol

Was driving by a Buick dealership and noticed this really cool looking Kia grille and had to take a picture...would be pretty cool to make something similar to this.
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did a little work today. installed a radio (hopefully) the right way. i will likely buy a new mount...the one i bought doesn't fit perfect and it looks bad. wouldn't recommend scosche (or whatever it is called) for 5th gen accords.
it does not fit flush and is not sturdy at all.completely plastic and doesn't connect properly to the stabilizer that was originally with the car...they replaced it with plastic and it just feels really cheap. My honest opinion on it...I've installed their brand dash kits into a 98 camry and it was perfect. This one...less so. lol
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I love how the entire from of your car has to be dismantled in order to get to the stereo! makes for a fun install.
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okay, so now that the easy stuff is out of the way, I disconnected the majority of the electronics and vacuum lines and other things that I could easily get to.

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and this is what the car looks like now.

Driver side. Keep in mind that the lines are not what they will be once finished. the fenders/hood are mostly there right now to keep my neighbors from getting pissed at me for having a "junk" car in the carport.
Attachment 18267

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Tomorrow morning I'm heading out to get the engine out and the rogue broken bolt in the motor mount area and then it is off to the wrecking yard to find another few parts. I called ahead and the guys I know down there found a brand new 94 accord aluminum radiator and they'll sell it to me really cheap...then off to another yard to find the air bags (hopefully!) and the plastic shield that goes under the steering wheel. If all goes well I'll also find an A/C knob, drivers seat, center console arm rest, and possibly a 'new' ash tray too. I think I also need some other things but they are even more cosmetic than the other stuff! Will post more pictures of the bolt removal and the donation cars and the installation process as well as any questions that come up!

Pulled the motor today after much effort...didn't find what I was wanting to though. Rear motor mount was bent, and the driver side motor mount broke off part of the block, more than I realized at first. Here are the pictures I took.

Attachment 18253
The bolts that broke off and stuck in the motor.
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Bent rear motor mount.
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Got it out
Attachment 18258
leverage was not the key...
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It still runs, I just couldn't get the crank shaft pulley and bolt off with the Honda specific tool (pulley holder attachment). Used A LOT of leverage both ways, used a torch, and everything else. Was not coming off no matter what. Dad helped me on this and he said that he's never seen one that wouldn't come off with that much leverage. I'm not sure I can reliably use the motor the way it is. Is there an easier way to get that crankshaft pulley off of the block? Is it safe to have the block broken to that degree where the motor mount is located? I think it is an accident waiting to happen, but if there are ways of fixing this I would rather fix it than have to buy a new/refurbished motor. If I do end up having to buy a motor, which accord years can I reliably buy? just 94-97 or are they essentially the same up until 2000?

Any help would be appreciated.

It is amazing at how tight those crank bolts get.

Mine required a very high end Snap-On impact wrench along with the Honda Pulley holder.

I would drill out the old bolt and retap the threads on that motor mount.

BTW - you are doing a very good job.

Do you know if it is right or left hand threads?

Thanks, crispin, I hope it works after every thing is put back! That is the true test!

It is normal threads.

I think you will be fine, that is not really that bad of damage.

Alright, that sounds good to me. I'll give that a try tomorrow morning with an impact wrench.

Bought a high powered impact wrench (1000 ft/lb) and it finally got the pulley/bolt out after 5 minutes of continuous use. it was really in there tight! lol Will have to use some aluminum welding rod to fill a few small mistakes and re-thread a bolt hole that just was not going to work. but over all the motor is in great shape and should work perfectly once I find a rear motor mount bracket. When I find that I can put the motor back in and hook everything back up! Very excited to get this done!

This is the Impact Wrench that I ended up buying...I went around to 5 different stores to find a impact wrench 3/4 to 1/2 reducer and NO ONE sold them...except the place I bought the wrench from which happened to be on the other side of town. lol but I bought two sets because it is really far from me. This wrench should make getting it off at a later time a lot easier. (I already own the proper tools to replace the bolt in the pulley correctly). I had even called around to my friends who have worked on hondas before and none of them owned a 3/4 driver...sad thing is they all know I own one now and will be asking to use it!

I did drill out that old bolt. I tried to use a bolt remover but it just wouldn't come out...I ended up drilling a little to much and will need to either fill it and re-drill the hole or use a larger mount bolt. I think that is what I am going to do. I already have a bolt threading kit and the bolts are for sale at my local Ace Hardware. Should be pretty easy...lest hope.

I don't know how many of you have ever had the happen before, but the bolt in the motor block would not come out no matter what a tried...except drilling the motor block out larger than the bolt... I did use a bolt extractor but it kept pulling out. It finally came free with a drill bit! sadly I had a larger hole that I started with. However I went online first and found this product called alumrod (I think that is the name?) and was going to use that to fill the hole and re-thread it. However no where in town sells it, or at least not the welding shops I called/went to. They did however have aluminum tig welding wire and solid aluminum rods. I talked to them for a while and they said I need to shave the rod down until it is a tight fit into the hole and then weld the aluminium rod into place and then smooth the face off. So I did that tonight after working all day and going to the wrecking yard...I think it turned out pretty good. I'll take pictures tomorrow night when I get home. I hope it works out. If it doesn't hold I'll just make my own mounting bracket from high strength steel... _-_

At the wrecking yard I bought both air bags. They were super easy to get out! I thought I was in for a really easy install on my car...I should have known better after the other trouble I've had with EVERY $%*&^&# screw I come to. I ended up having to break the old air bag out of my steering wheel and cutting the screw under the plastic plate behind the cruise control button off with a dremel tool and then using a punch to get the head out of the steering column! Very frustrating when the one at the wrecking yard took less than 10 seconds to remove. I think the owner of this car had an obsession or lifelong supply of locktight/super glue. Seriously. Off to bed now, but I plan on posting more pictures of the build process tomorrow night, stay tuned.

Filled the holes last night and am going to drill them out today before the sun goes down. I hope to have the engine in tomorrow with the wiring and everything else. Hopefully I remember where it all went! (if not I have two books and the internet at my hands so hopefully with all of that I can get it working again). I keep not finding an important part when I go to the different wrecking yards, mainly because none of the yards have the same year/model vehicle. Do you know the little plastic circle thing that goes into the driver and passenger windows? That's the piece. no one locally can order it either which means I need to find the name/part number and order it online.

Sounds like you are doing a very good job.

Post some pictures when you can.

Apply heat to the crankshaft pulley bolt head w/ propane torch for 3-5 mins. This will help break the bolt loose. An air impact will work but requries one w/ at least 500 ft-lb rating. Harbor Freight has a special on one for $90 currently that I saw in a flyer, but you need an air compressor also.

Bolt is probably X-threaded is reason it's twisted off. I suggest getting a machine shop to tackle this job. Drill out and a thread insert will be necessary to maintain bolt size. If you want to DIY, check youtube videos on this subject. Lots of examples to learn from!

good luck

Well it seems that the 94 and 96 rear engine mounts are different, if only by a little bit. Got the eingine back into the compartment and found out that the mount bracket is about 3" too long. -_- I thought it was just due to the fact that my original was severely bent. Need to purchase one online and get it shipped. Took lots of pictures today, they will be uploading tonight and I'll try and post them tomorrow morning.

EDIT: I found the problem after a quick search...the difference is between an automatic and a manual trans. all the cars I took parts from were auto. Oh well. At least I can take it back for a full refund.

Yup the rear mount and the passenger side mount are different between the Auto and Manuals.

Being that I swapped my car from an Auto to a 5 speed, I know all the differences pretty good.

Well I now have the engine and everything else hooked up except for the drive belts, crankshaft pulley, power steering pulley (was bent in the accident and I need to purchase a replacement this week), and the driver side front engine mount bracket/mount. For the mount/bracket I will have to make my own...the tap and die set wouldn't work at all. :/ But my father is a great welder/craftsman so he said he would gladly make a bracket and mount. Just need a good place to mount it to now that the three bolt holes in the front of the motor are no good...any ideas?

Here are the pictures. Sorry that a few of them are dark (the last ones), it was last minute last night when I was putting everything away...and I forgot to take pictures before I started piling stuff on top of the motor lol.


picture of the timing belt and tensioner
Attachment 18218

The bolt that is missing was not actually there when I took the timing belt cover(s) off. Do any of you know what it is actually supposed to look like? Oh, and there was a tiny chip in the top of the water pump so I sealed it as well. hopefully it is not over more than 2000psi...
Attachment 18219

tried a little welding. I thought I was doing a great job until I tried to put the engine mount in this bracket. Turns out that the 94 I got the bracket and core support from is about 3/4" different than the 96. Now I have to cut this all off and move it back 3/4" :(
Attachment 18220

Of course I will not cut the entire thing off and redo it, I'll just cut the mounting bracket off and move it back...this is a picture of the weld my dad did. It was sputtering and spitting because of the paint and I don't own welding gloves...so he helped me out on this one.
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Well it is in, at least mostly. There is one bracket that is not attached among other things as well.
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And then today after I was finished. There wasn't much to see today. I attached the exhaust and all the engine wiring harness...broke the throttle position sensor when I was putting the engine in so I have to solder it back together...and of course I have one of the models where that sensor doesn't come off of the unit so I will need to save up another $300 for a new one eventually. Hopefully I soldered it back together good enough... Also added some epoxy to keep the plug together if it does end up working. lol
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Ah, took a cleaner picture after all. :P
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during the week after work I plan on buying all the fluids, filters, and oil for the car. Hopefully I will get this thing running in the next week!! So excited.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I rented a power washer (3500psi) and power washed the engine while it was out of the car. I also did the engine compartment. It made everything SO much nicer to work on when putting everything back together. I used purple power (or purple something) for the soap in the power washer and have been cleaning everything thatI happened to have missed by hand with a scrubber brush and the spray bottle (old armor all spray bottle you see sitting around in the pictures). It cleans the grease and everythign else off really easily, except a small part where the exhaust pipe goes under the motor...but you'll never see that when it is back in place...right?!?!?! wait, I just told everyone it is there now. :P Just don't look at it, okay?

okay, I have nearly everything for the car now...another $200 down the drain, well sort of. CV joints, power steering pulley, belts, oil, oil filter, passenger headlight and battery. Soon it will be up and running! I need a radiator fan and a radiator cap and an 80 volt/something fuse for the battery and a windshield. another $150-$200 it seems like. for a total of nearly $1600 I'll have a car that will be around for some time...I hope. Plus I got to learn how to take nearly everything off and put it back together again. I found out the things work on the inside at least. all the lights work and other various internal electronic stuff, so that is a good sign. ran into more problems though. There is a curse with the bolts on this car...seriously. I feel like melting them all down and making a few bars of metal for keep sake...to show them who is boss, you know. :P

Referring to the bolts from hell:

bolts in the steering wheel (to remove the air bag) had super glue on them.
three bolts that go into the front motor mount (by the radiator)
water pump bolt
side motor mount bracket, bolt closest to the fender well
ALL screws holding interior trim to the frame (I think that was the ugly mixture of drinks that were spilled on them though)
Rusted screws on the back of the front seat on the plastic headrest regulator - driver side
OH and I forgot the entire driver side motor mount fiasco...three bolts

I think I could get a few ingots out of those bolts/screws...lol Tomorrow I need to buy a new bolt for the water pump, SOMEHOW when I took it out the threads got messed up and now it simply will not thread properly and gets bound 1/2 way into the hole...I took it off by accident, I thought it was the back to the timing chain cover... oh well... :/ It is coming together quickly now. Have oil and all other fluids in the car now just need to make the bracket on the drivers side function and the other few miscellaneous parts...


QUESTION:

Will radiator fans from 94-97 work on my 96? I bought a brand new radiator but only have one good fan. I must buy one soon and need to know if they are interchangeable before I go to the yards looking for one. Thank you!

I'm pretty sure they are interchangeable. You can go to a Honda parts website and look up part no's for both years to be sure.

good luck

Thanks TexasHonda, I;ll be sure to look it up.

Got the motor to run today! it was amazing hearing it finally run after having to do everything that I did...and realizing that I did everything correctly and things were smooth. I had to replace the water pump like I thought. It broke off way more than I thought. Regardless, it runs.

Question:
The Idle weird...I broke the tps (throttle position sensor off the back of the throttle body when I took the motor out of the car and I had to solder it back on because I happen to have to model where the sensor is riveted to the !(#U(J$ throttle body! -_-' when the car is at idle it is consistently revving, RPM goes from 1k-2.5k and back again. I assume that is not how the car was built...lol is this the TPS or is it something else? Any ideas?

When I had to install the new water pump I think I may have moved the cam shaft gear a little. When I was finished with the water pump install I had to move the top gear back a little in order to slip the timing belt back into place. I think I'll have to re-time it now, but I'm not entirely sure how to do that. Is there any special tools I will require to do this and if so, what are they? Do you have any tips or advice on doing this?

I installed two new CV joints, one on each side, and I seriously hope that they last more than a few years. It was a pain in the butt to get everything right...and to top it off the axle assembly for the driver side will not fit through the small hole when all attached. was difficult getting everything back into place again but it's there and it is new again. Wish I would have replaced them all while I had them apart, just to save myself from having to take it apart again but money is starting to get tight and if I have to buy a throttle body I can't afford to waste anything on CV joints that don't need replacing yet. lol

Those "rivets" are actually screws....If you cut a slot into the top of them you can then use a screw driver and remove them....as this "could be part of the idle issue". Another thought for the idle, be sure to bleed all of the air out of the cooling system...air pockets can/will cause the idle to "loop".

Setting/checking the timing is not that hard. Check the manual, but basically you set #1 to TDC and make sure all of the "marks" on the gears are in the correct place.

Awesome, thank you Poorman! I'll see if that is the problem first, then remove the sensor and if it doesn't fix it, then worse case I'll buy a used one off of ebay for $80. I'll report back tonight with the results!

So I do have a question...is there any easy way of bleeding the air from the coolant line(s)?

I set the timing up properly and it turned over and started within seconds. Just need to make the custom motor mount and fix the idle issue.

Poorman was right, it is just a screw that appears to be a rivet, it even says so in the instruction manual. So I replaced it and set it in place and started the car again...worked for a few seconds idling at 1k then it started revving up to 2 and back down to 1k. I started started looking around and decided to remove the plug for the map sensor on the throttle body and...as soon as I did, it started idling right at 1k steady. I had to replace the TPS because when I took the old one out the spring popped out and away it went down the drive way and into some unknown place. the little plastic thing that holds it on had snapped when we crushed it. Good thing I replaced it. Now I need to track down a good priced map sensor. the local places want nearly $100 for it...unless that is reasonable.

okay so I have a question before I go out and buy the Sensor assy,map for the throttle body tomorrow. The part on my car says tn079800-3280 5V PS-30 but the replacement part that the auto parts store sells is 079800-4250 5v PS-33. The vehicle compatibility chart says that it works with my year and model (as well as about 300 other cars in the honda/acura lineup) Is this going to be an okay replacement or should I find an exact replacement with the same model number?

Here is mine
Attachment 18200
Here is the store's
http://images.oreillyauto.com/parts/...d/ec1746_1.jpg

I replaced it and it ran well for about 10 minutes and then it started happening again. I have not found any information about bleeding the coolant lines, so I cannot do that. I believe that I will just take it to a retail shop and pay them to use their computer diagnostic test to see what is failing. I cannot afford to buy all new sensors for this car!

However, it might be the evap canister/sensor. The canister is just hanging and I think there might be somethign missing from it, but since I have no idea what an intact one looks like...I cannot tell what that part might be. I'll have to look it up now that I know what it is...even if I do not know what it does yet.

The car is VERY close to being in operating condition. I need to buy a windshield last. First thing I need to do is get the front pushed over about 3/4"...I put the headlights and bumper on and closed the hood and found that the lines were great except that they were off...just a little. -_- Also found out that I need a power steering liquid reservoir and the upper windshield reservoir. After that I need to find out why it keeps having idling issues then it is ready to drive down the street and I've only spent $1400 so far.

I was talking to a parts store employee and he said he just bought a 95 accord with 151k miles (maybe, they bought a different tachometer), 5 speed. After driving it to tucson from phoenix he found out that it heats up after 45 minutes of driving in town, and has an bad oil leak. He bought it for $3500 and said that it was just slightly over priced. It was not a vtec motor and was just the base model. He had a fit when I told him how much I paid for mine.

To bleed the coolant, there is a bleeder valve on the t-stat housing - where the lower hose connects to the engine.

I'll hit the highlights......turn the heat to max heat so the heater valve opens. Open the bleeder and remove the rad cap. Add coolant "slowly" until a good stream comes out of the bleeder. Close the bleeder.

Here is the debate;
I start the car with the cap off and let it run until the fans come on or the t-stat opens.

Some place the cap back on BUT ONLY TO THE FIRST CLICK so that not much if any pressure can build up and start the car until the fans come on or the t-stat opens.

Turn the car off, top off rad and res tank. Install the cap all the way.

okay, so I went down to Checker/O'Riley auto and had them run a diagnostic computer check and it came back with the manifold air pressure sensor circuit high voltage.

The possible causes section of the handout says that it could be one of 5 things:

I need to look at my repair manual and see if it says anything about the ground circuit first... number 5 might also be an issue. I've no idea how to go about performing a PCM or what it is to be honest.


The good news is that it is derivable except the breaks need to be bled REALLY badly, the A/C needs to be charged, and whatever this idle problem is. The guy at the parts store said that there is a cleaner that is used to clean the throttle body/area where the MAP sensor connects to it (on the inside). I Then went online to find out what I can do to 'clean' is and the website said to go and drive it on the freeway, at 25 mph, and various other steady speeds. Disconnect the battery for 5 minutes when it is parked and then restart the car. apparently it is part of the idle 'relearn' procedure?

Oh...and the core support I took off of the other car was from a v6, not a L4...ALL of the holes were off by 3/4"...seriously a pain to get everything back together properly. Had to weld many pieces of metal onto existing components and make new holes. Had to beak the left side of the car over 1/4 of an inch and the right side by 1/2 inch just to get the headlights to mount properly. then all the fenders were no where close to being aligned so I had to drill new hole and bend the metal here and there in order for them to be remotely close to the marks...and then the front bumper on the drivers side was off by 3/4" (too low) and the passenger side was off by 1/2" (too high). There was A LOT of MONKEYING around with stuff to get it right. I hope it all works.

Okay so I have a question that I cannot find an answer to. Does anyone know what the base model of the 1996 LX accord came with? I swear, none of the 94-97 accords (base, ex, or LX) have been without an ABS system, however mine seems to not have it. Did that come stock or was it an option that was not chosen at the time of purchase?

I was just wondering because of the break problem. I also noticed that the black piece on the Idle control valve is slightly bent. here is a stock image of the one I have in my car. Could this be causing the idle problems? I'll go and take a picture of my part now and post that as well.
http://images.apwcontent.com/is/imag...?$APW_imgProd$

[EDIT]the one on my car. Sorry for poor quality, was taken quickly with my phone.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...711_153120.jpg

That doesn't look good....I'm going to bet that is the idle issue. Check a bone yard for a replacement. Be sure to clean it reall well before installing. Also you will loose a bit of coolant so you will want to be sure the air is out of the system.

Yes, the v6's were wider than the 4 cyl. One reason you can't put a v6 in a factory 4cyl car.

Google may answer the ABS question. I think ABS was an option on them in this year.

I'll have to search high and low for a used throttle body then because as of last week no one had a 96 accord 4cyl in stock at a wrecking yard with any fuel systems still intact. There are a number of used parts dealers that do sell parts off of junked cars...I'll go and check there saturday. Hopefully it is close to 75-80% off of the retail price or I won't be able to afford it! Online they are selling for $350 or close to it for an OEM or $100 for aftermarket replacement. Lets hope that it is close to the latter. lol

I completely forgot to post pics of the finished body work! I'll go take a few pictures and post them.

The hood is up a little because the cable that releases the hood latch was messed up in the accident and if I shut it all the way the only way to release it is by fishing my hand behind the fender and pulling on the cable! (it was bent and the little clip that holds it in place in the latch was broken. (Not the thing on the end that goes into the mechanism, but the other one on the outside-ish part of the mechanism...if that makes sense)

A little gap on this side...

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Less on this side

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And the complete front end.

Attachment 18162

I was able to buy the grill for 75 cents at a local retailer...I turned in a used part and with the credit I was able to get a brand new oem grill for only $0.75 Best deal on the entire car!

I however do have another question regarding the plastic clips that go on the hood to hold the gasket in place.they have a ****** head and are green...well mine are all broken from the accident and I cannot find them at any of the body parts stores. I'm also looking for the interior clips that are used to attach the backs of the seats...for some reason no one in town carries Honda body clips...I've tried about 5 different, but similar, clips and none of them fit in the holes! lol

Try a paint supply store for the clips.

Don't need the whole TB, just the IAC. So try looking for that, also try car-part dot com for local yards.....also, going on memory?, I think all of the 5th gens (94-97) had the same IAC.

Auto parts stores carry a variety of aftermarket clips. Measure hole size and match as closely as possible to get good connection. ebay is another source of good OEM style clips at good prices.

good luck