When we changed the air filter on the 95 we realized that the filter bolts had degraded into rusty nubs and broke off. Only one bolt towards the rear of the four bolts is holding the top filter housing cover on. The other three are just sitting there unbolted. Obviously this is terrible, the housing is not clamping on like it should.

I would expect the throttle plate to be covered in crap and the engine probably burned more debris than it should have. The car has been running like this for at least a year before the problem was spotted.

I don't see enough of a stump on those rusted nubs to even get a grip with the vice grips or pliers. But I do have new bolts from Honda. I'm thinking maybe I can drill these out but I don't know if the holes could be rethreaded.

Another option would be to get a new lower housing because the bolts are rusted into it but the bolts holding the lower housing onto the frame are also rusted on. Not going to attempt it.

What do you guys think about drilling holes into the little plastic parts that jut out from the filter housing lower and upper and then running plastic zip ties through and cinching it really tight? The holes would be drilled such that it's making holes through the area where the airflow occurs, just through the little plastic "lips" that hang off the edges of the filter box (where the bolts go).

I really wish I could remove those rusted bolts because I have those brand new Honda bolts but the zip ties may be the only way to go. I think I'll try hard to get those rusted bolts off.

I wonder what the throttle plate looks like and the inside of the intake tube. Can't wait to find out.

 

PB Blaster - let it soak for awhile on those broken bolts. If you DO have to drill them out, you can probably try long bolts with nuts on the other side.

Really, the zip ties will probably work if you can get them tight enough & evenly all around the housing. As long as the rubber around the filter is compressed a bit to keep air from getting around.

 

There should be a slight negative pressure inside the filter housing that would tend to reduce leakage.

I would suggest purchasing a used filter box from a wrecked car. Check ebay and car-part.com for a used intake assembly including filter box. Car-part has plenty at $20. you may be able to get new bolts and nuts w. retainers at Honda. Should be even cheaper.

good luck

 

Hey G... You never did tell me if you liked the Avatar I stuck in your Space up there..
Do ya like it..

 

Works well! Thanks. I wasn't sure what happened and thought perhaps was some sort of perque as moderator.

Regards

 

And Your Very Welcome
Angelo....

 

MessAround-If memory serves me, you can "push" out the bottom part...the nut end. It is a metal type of push in nut at the bottom of the filter housing.

How do I know this, my 95 has two bolts and two zip ties holding the upper part on...... The first time I changed the filter, one went. Then somewhere since I lost the other-the two towards the front of the car.

 

Wait what? I don't understand...

 

At the bottom part of the housing, there is a "nut" with little "wings" -the wings king of keep it from turning.

So I'm guessing that the bolt has rusted away, I'm saying, try to find a piece of metal (small screw driver, or somthing) to use as a punch and see if you can press out that lower nut.

 

This is for the filter bolts (the four that hold the housing halves together) or the two 12mm bolts that hold the lower housing onto the frame?

I'm guessing the four filter bolts?

The situation with those is this:
The bolts broke in half because they rusted. The top half (with the phillips visible) is stuck in the top half of the cover and they just rotate freely because the bottom half is missing. The bottom half of the bolts that are broken off are stuck in the lower half of the filter housing. These do not rotate freely. They're stuck in what appears to be some white tube that the filter bolts thread into.