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Project Mad Max: 87 Crx Si 108k Restoration To Daily Driver


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#16
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

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    • Group: 2018 Contributor
    • Location:Foreign national in TX
    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion

Aras,  You able to get parts to keep yours running in Turkey?


Keepin' it OEM

#17
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

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    • Location:Foreign national in TX
    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion

Max and I drained the oil, removed the plugs and valve cover.

 

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Rats chewed off the injector wire covering, wires look in tact.   Lobes shiney but cam pretty dry.  Luckily no rust.  More carbon near the exhaust side than I expected.

 

The rubber valve gasket was still pliable.  Good ol' Honda!

 

 

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Bought the cheap $80 Harbor Freight camera.  All 4 cylinders shiney.  Hard to get a good image from the display to my camera while trying to hold it all steady.  I thought I could see machine cross hatching on the walls???  Doesn't make sense w the miles......

 

I let out a little oil and inspected for moisture/coolant.  Alls great.  Oil a little dirty, but looked normal.

 

Plugs had been replaced by PO.  Newer style and didn't have many miles on them.  Looked clean and even.

 

Appears 10yrs sitting since last motor run in my unconditioned storage did ok.

 

Dallas had the 2022 Feb hard freeze down to 0F.  The water pump leaked a little 10yrs ago and I topped w water.  My next risk is diluted/aged coolant still worked down to 0F???   We'll find out.

 

Will inspect the crank lobes through the oil plug port.  Then splash oil on the cam, fog the cylinders and hand crank.  Wont fire the engine until injectors, pump and tank are removed and cleaned.  Will replace water pump as well.

 

Removed the alternator while we were under there.  rebuilding that today as its cold again outside.


Keepin' it OEM

#18
CSPCRX

Got to love Hondas, can sit and will run!


Victor
86 K24 Powered CRX SI (SMF Solo2, HPDE-4 NASA & TA-A Time Attack

85 CRX DX totally original
07 Harley FXST Softail

2021 Tacoma Tow/Daily


#19
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

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    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion

Max and I disassembled the alternator.  It began seizing up on start ups a few years after I put it in storage (2004 ish).  I just assumed it was moisture in the bearings (and salt from up north).  after we got it apart last night, appears an aluminum fin on the stator housing was broken, a piece fell in near the rotor and jammed it.  Since I wasn't driving it, I just cut the belt and ran for a few minutes here and there at I needed to.  Upon disassemble, the bearings spun fine.  I could head the noise of them being dry.

 

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Were going to use one of the alternators I rebuilt the other month.  Keeping w the original 35 year old Honda ND read labelled alt theme.

 

Had max perform the electrical tests on the components: rotor, stator, diodes....  all tested fine.  Since the stator housing is damaged, I'm doing to keep the 108K alt for spare parts for future.

 

http://www.redpepperracing.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=59494&hl=   Here's the ND alternator rebuild post I did a few months ago.  More detail there.


Keepin' it OEM

#20
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

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    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion

Last month we took the tires off and were working to remove the rear shocks.....   Well the 18" breaker bar began to bend pretty good on the bottom bolt to the shocks.   %$&#!!!!  I broke both of those trying to redo the shocks on my #1 a few years ago.  Dont feel like drilling these grade 8 bolts outta the holes.

 

Soaked the bolts several times w WD40,  frustrated (and nightmares of living back in Michigan busting salt corroded bolts at every repair).  And left it.

 

Tonight, heated the bolt-nut w a propane torch, and voila!  They both came loose....   but, the sleeve inside the lower shock bushing rusted to the bolt and spun around.  I wasn't able to pull the bolt out.

 

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What a PITA!

 

We got the springs and old shocks out. I need to get some replacement bolts from Honda as they are still available.

 

Were going w KBY's from Japan.  And the 1" spacer to bring the ride height back to factory like I did for CRX#1.  Since Honda rubber is great, and I replaced CRX#1's axle w a 98-120K?? axle from storage, I don't plan on replacing the bushing at this time.

 

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   Exhuast was fine last time I drove it. That acidic condensate kills these muffers.

 

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Heres a link to the science project I did on the rear shock/spring refresh I did on CRX#1.  I have no plans on replacing MadMax's springs.  At 108K, theyre just getting broken in.  Especially if CRX#1 when 270K wo breaking.  No way i'll do aftermarket, I doubt the heat treatment/metalurgy will last longer than these springs.

 

http://www.redpepper...topic=59214&hl=

 

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Odd, I expected the shoes to have swollen w leaking break fluid and make it a PITA to remove the drums.  For some reason, the show pads disinegrated.    The drums were very smooth were there was no rust.  Had to have been aftermarket pads and a recent break job.

 

I think I'll get a new set of hubs as well.

 

Getting cylinders, shoes, lines in que.  And back to it when the bolts come in.


Keepin' it OEM

#21
CSPCRX

Shoes what shoes! WOW!


Victor
86 K24 Powered CRX SI (SMF Solo2, HPDE-4 NASA & TA-A Time Attack

85 CRX DX totally original
07 Harley FXST Softail

2021 Tacoma Tow/Daily


#22
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

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    • Location:Foreign national in TX
    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion
52121937392_1eff8119d8_c.jpg
 
At the speed of a turtle.....   
 
Finally got to the shocks and spacer this week.  Cleaned the original springs w gasoline. (Side note:  The Beater is the only CRX I've really worked on prior to madmax besides junkyard trips and tear-downs. Someone undercoated it before I got it.  So those springs are gooped in undercoat tar).  Was nice to see MadMaxs 108k springs clean up as well as they did.  I didn't realize they had color coding.
 
To the left of the box you can see the spacer.  Spacer part number is on the box.  But 99% of you want to lower your cars, I'm going the opposite direction and lifting it back up. 

when I bought CRX #4 around 2002-03, the guy had it on 16 or 17" rims w Tokico shocks/struts.  A buddy of mine towed it back while I steered the car.  I couldn't believe how rough and jumpy it road.  At this point in my life, I want as much comfort as I can get.   Need the full stroking distance of the suspension for DD and road trips .  i remember going over railroad tracks and almost hitting my head on the roof - so no lowered, super tight suspension for me.
 


 I had picked up the 2 new lower shock bolts a few weeks ago.  The part numbers on the bag above.  Honda still stocks them.
 
Digging through my storage and attic looking for all my phone dial rims.  Working on finding a good set for MadMax.  Since I have 3 other CRX's back on the farm, I need some crap rim sets w old tires ready to go as spares.  I hate going to the farm, dropping a car to move it around to find a tire rotted/flat.  Last thing I'm going to do is buy a new tire to sit in the barn for another decade....  A good way to appropriate my more recently worn out tires from the Beater, and use them to roll the other cars around.
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#23
na-spirit

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Suspension cleaned up nice!  I take it these were aftermarket springs to lower the car?  Hopefully rides great for you now.  btw I still have those 13 inch si wheels with tires. You can have them for free. One tire is brand new, the others have been on it sense I bought it back in 2015. 



#24
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

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    • Group: 2018 Contributor
    • Location:Foreign national in TX
    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion

yeah, crx#4 had tokicos and rear adjustables. i sold them and the rims back in 2003. probably should have kept them.  I have the subframe up in the attic.  I wonder if it has stiffer torsion bars??

I see cars cleaned for resale, ill have to research how they do it?. steamer? any hints welcomed

ur making great progress on ur hatch. looks like u got all ur suspension done in one day!


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#25
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

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    • Group: 2018 Contributor
    • Location:Foreign national in TX
    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion

Spent the day digging out my phone dials from 20 years of crap piled up in nooks and crannies.  

 

I've got 16 rims total.  1/3 are crap, most need the kinks fixed.  I only had 3 that had good enough finish and were straight and ready for use. I need 8 good ones (4 for MM, and 4 more for highway/roadtrip tires).  I have to straighten a bunch now......

 

52125554141_554e912396_c.jpg

 

These are all serialized now and documented.  I spun each one noting wobble/kinks/rash.  The trashed ones will be used as rolling spares for my other cars on the farm.  The other cars tires are 20+ years old.  I know once I drop those cars back on the ground off the blocks, the dry rotted tires  won't hold air.  I'll mount my 7-12 year old tires worn out from the road trips from the 
"Beater".  This should be good enough to roll those cars around when I need to.

 

I had followed a guy on Youtube who straightened his own rims w a torch and hydraulic jack.  I had posted this before.  I did this technique to repair several rims from my Lexi last year w great success.

 

 

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Seems like every part I touch on this old Honda is made way better than anything new,... rubber parts, CV, ball, tie rod joints..   I stamped/serialized the lexus rims.  Way, way softer than the CRX rims.

 

I'll post up success/failures when I get to straightening the CRX rims

 

 

The rear end looks pretty good on MadMax.  No accidents.  But the bumper bracket is rusting bad.  I need to treat and repaint.

 

52125550621_11dfbe79ef_z.jpg


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#26
na-spirit

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holy phone dials.. ha, wow. And you have 2 more for the collection!   Thanks again for helping me out on the parts! good talking with you.

 

Any paint/body questions let me know :)



#27
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

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  • PipPipPipPipPip
    • Group: 2018 Contributor
    • Location:Foreign national in TX
    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion

My pleasure - sorry your moving.  It was there, it was clean, it was a good price.  Glad you got it!!


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#28
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

  • Leadfoot
  • PipPipPipPipPip
    • Group: 2018 Contributor
    • Location:Foreign national in TX
    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion

Been traveling w the other CRX.  Winter is settling in and I have more time to work.

 

Picked up some parts for the next phase

 

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Alister of Civic Duty was selling some NOS ND radiators.  Picked one up.  Thnx Alister.  Not a fan of aftermarket.  Got brake pads/clips.  Will be working on revamping the brake system shortly.  The BCA hubs came w MTM bearings and NOK seal.  NOS pads are semi metallic.   I bought a set of both ceramic and semi metallic to try each one out.

 

 

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Picked up a set of tips for MadMax.  Top are p/n “150188 SET” out of Cypress - will be used for this car.  The left are 1993 aftermarket’s I got w my first replacement muffler.  Bottom right are Honda NOS.   I always liked these aftermarket’s.  Not a lot of options for 1.5” pipes


Keepin' it OEM