Hi guys!

I am in need of some tech help. I just test drove an 87 Accord and it had several problems and I was wondering if anybody had same experiences and could offer some insight. I would really like to buy it but am worried I'll have to put a lot of money into it.

First, the Specs:

87 Honda Accord
Manual
167'000 miles

The first problem with it was the Incredibly loud squeaking noise it made when turned on. The owner said it always does that and it only does it at the first start of the day. It kept squeaking for about 10 sec. and then ran very smooth and nice.
Is there an easy way to fix this problem? I live in a neighborhood and my neighbors would get annoyed quickly if I start that car early in the morning.

Second problem was that the car started to "buck" a little when driven in the higher gears. I unfortunately only got to ride in it for a very short time but it started bucking in 3rd gear. It wasn't incredibly bad but very noticeable. It kept driving and also accelerating but it was very "bumpy". It then also stalled once when nearly stopped.
The owner said it just started doing that and that he thinks it's bad gas. It idles perfectly fine and runs very nicely in first and second gear.

I'd appreciate any comments!

Thanks!

Stephan

 

Squealing sounds like the alternator belt. They get hard & slippery with age & heat. Over-tightening it just makes the alternator bearings wear out, so probably a new belt is what you need. That's one of the easiest jobs...

Less likely is the squealing can be the alternator bearings themselves. Or the crankshaft pulley slipping (it has a rubber layer for vibration that gets old & shrinks).

Is the car carburated or fuel injected??

The bucking might actually be bad gas. But it could be that the carburator just needs a serious cleaning & adjusting. Besides that, it can be other tune-up stuff like old spark plugs or failing plug wires, distributor cap, ??

 

Thanks JimBlake!

I'm not sure if its carburated or fuel injected.

All of the problems you mentioned seem fairly fixable at low cost right?

Thanks!

Stephan

 

Carburators are becoming a lost art among mechanics. Theoretically it's just a job of taking it apart, cleaning everything, putting it back together, & adjusting. I used to do that all the time on my 72 Datsun when I was in college, but I've never owned a carburated Honda.

If the squealing is actually the crankshaft pulley, that's a PITA.

All the other stuff is easy.

 

Thanks again!

Well the car was only $665 so even if I need to put $200 into it, its still a good deal.

Thanks!