Ok, so i am posting to find some information about whats happening with the car my wife just got, it is a 89 Accord LX with the OEM engine and automatic trans.

the previous owner was full of lies about the car when we got it so I trust nothing he says, especially since he told me that it has a B18 swap out of a much newer prelude but it has a 2bbl carb and is a SOHC engine, so I think he knows even less about hondas then I do, which isnt much.

first issue is that the engine is smoking from somewhere on the back side of the head, not 100% sure of where from but it is either at the valve cover gasket like he said or it is coming up from under the intake manifold. can anyone give me any ideas as to what this might be? and can anyone give me torque specs on the valve cover bolts? he said that they are just barely on because he didn't want to "crush the gasket".

second problem is that tonight on our way to go somewhere it wasn't wanting to shift from one gear to the next until after we started using the shifter like a standard trans and dropped it into second on a back street and slowly accelerated until 3k RPM's and we up shifted it to 3rd, and followed till we were in D4.


any and all help is appreciated.


- Demon

 

Guy who goes by the name Poorman is your expert for the older ones. Hope he chimes in...

Don't overtighten the valve cover bolts, there are stories of people snapping them. If the VC gasket is anything like the newer ones, tighter isn't better. It sits in a groove while the bolts bring the surrounding metal into contact. If it leaks get a new gasket.

--------------------------------
EDIT...
I merged the posts from both threads together in here. So if it doesn't make sense, maybe I'll delete some of the duplication.

 

Not sure how to take that.....am I old or too poor.

1) Smoke: Well several things come to mind, but need to figure out if it is coolant or oil? Both could be coming from that area. Being the head is slightly tilted forward, I kind of rule out the valve cover gasket. Please confirm oil or coolant so we can go from there.

2) VC bolts: just like the newer ones, 7 ft pounds.....which is not much. I use an inch pound torque wrench.

3) Trans: Check the fluid condition and level. Replace if unsure, ~3 three drain and fills if it is really bad.
Check the throttle control cable for proper movement and adjustment.


Jim: Anyway you can move this to General Tech so I can keep up with it?.....I don't visit here much, if the OP had not sent me a PM....could have been a week before I saw it.

 

Ok, so i am posting to find some information about whats happening with the car my wife just got, it is a 89 Accord LX with the OEM engine and automatic trans.

the previous owner was full of lies about the car when we got it so I trust nothing he says, especially since he told me that it has a B18 swap out of a much newer prelude but it has a 2bbl carb and is a SOHC engine, so I think he knows even less about hondas then I do, which isnt much.

first issue is that the engine is smoking from somewhere on the back side of the head, not 100% sure of where from but it is either at the valve cover gasket like he said or it is coming up from under the intake manifold.

second problem is that tonight on our way to go somewhere it wasn't wanting to shift from one gear to the next until after we started using the shifter like a standard trans and dropped it into second on a back street and slowly accelerated until 3k RPM's and we up shifted it to 3rd, and followed till we were in D4.


any and all help is appreciated.

 

First, thanks....I can keep up better in here.

Did you read my post in the other section?

Quick recap.
1) Is the smoke oil or coolant?
2) 7 Ft pounds=not much
3) Fluid condition and throttle control cable movement/adjustment.

 

Does the D4 light or the S light start flashing when you are driving? You might want to check for error codes. In the common diy thread on top of the gen tech help forum, there is a link for online shop manuals. The honda-tech site has an 86 shop manual which should be pretty much identical to your 89.

You also probably want to check the ATF fluid level in the transmission. If the fluid isn't red or has a burnt smell, then I would consider draining then refilling with Honda ATF. It will take about 3 quarts.

 

I will move to there from here and then you can follow up..keep up the good posting for the other members..It's looking good for you..

Thanks from all of us..your looking like Mod Material to me...
WheelBrokerAng

 

1.) i believe it is oil smoke. although it has a somewhat "sweet" scent.
2.)the D4 light doesn't work, all the other lights work except the D4 light.
3.)whats the best way to get to that tiny little dipstick? it is covered with little hoses and both of the radiator hoses, and i have large hands.

 

1) If it is oil, start with looking at the oil pressure sending unit?
2) OBD0, not much on tranny codes.......fluid level, condition. Throttle control cable.
3)Stick.....Can't rememer if the 89 had the threaded dipstick or the pull.....memory tells me it is threaded....and I'm a small person so my hand "fits"....does the top of the trans dipstick look like a "loop" or a "spade"?

EDIT: Mod's and others, the OP sent me a PM. I asked them to post in this section so I could keep up with it....sorry for the confusion. So this might be in here multiple times, can we keep just this one and go from here?

 

where is that located? the entire car is complete and is used to get from A to B
fluid might be a little high, but i cant be 100% sure until i go cram my hand in there later when the ambient temperature drops.
it is a small gray threaded thing-a-ma-bobber