Elle wrote:
> "Leftie" <No@Thanks.net> wrote in message
> news:XlMPk.16054$7o4.9244@newsfe01.iad...
>> James Sweet wrote:
>>> jim beam wrote:
>>>> On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:26:48 -0800, James Sweet wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> A friend of mine has a 1989 Accord that I've done a
>>>>> little work on
>>>>> lately. My familiarity is with 80s Volvos mostly but
>>>>> I'm finding my way
>>>>> around this thing. Anyway, it has a carbureted 4
>>>>> cylinder engine coupled
>>>>> to an automatic transmission. The problem I'm seeing is
>>>>> that the
>>>>> transmission doesn't seem to downshift properly. Other
>>>>> slushbox
> snip
>>> I'm a very mechanically able person, I've rebuilt
>>> engines, manual and automatic transmissions, assembled
>>> the Megasquirt engine management system on my 240 from
>>> scratch, and have earned a reputation, quite well
>>> deserved as the guy who can fix or fabricate anything
>>> given some time to play with it so that is why they're
>>> letting me under the hood.
>>>
>>> That said, I stick mostly to European cars, of which most
>>> are fuel injected with manual gearboxes, I've never
>>> worked on a carbureted Honda with an automatic before and
>>> I was hoping there might be something that commonly
>>> breaks or gets out of whack on these so I don't have to
>>> take the time to figure it all out on my own. I guess the
>>> Honda community is not as friendly as the
>>> Volvo/Saab/BMW/VW guys, at least that's the impression
>>> you've left at this point. If you don't want to help,
>>> fine, just don't respond.
>
> Indeed
>
>> James, direct your questions to "Tegger" or "Elle" and
>> you'll get better results. Too many kids in this group!
>> BTW, I had an '84 Civic hatchback with a carb, and you're
>> right about the incredible profusion of vacuum hoses. I
>> waited for fuel injection to reach the Civic before I
>> bought one new.
>
> Since you have actually owned a carbureted Honda, I think
> you are way more qualified to respond. :-) Shucks I would
> just send the guy to honda-tech.com , which has increasingly
> been a resource to me for hard-to-solve problems.
>
> On bad behavior: I do think it unethical to sit on the
> sidelines when others are trying to tamp down conduct not
> helpful to the group. Mr. Beam, as a matter of science, when
> one is communicating, studies show that the tenor and tone
> wrapped around a message make a bigger impression on the
> reader/listener than the message itself. This is per Albert
> Mehrabian's much cited 1981 paper. If one wishes to be an
> effective communicator, I think this is interesting.
>
>

Thanks for weighing in on the side of civility, Elle. As for my
'expertise' in this matter, my car was both a Civic and a standard - a
four speed at that. Not to mention the fact that it was a 'Winter Rat'
that never got put on the road because of a burned valve. My father had
assured me it would be no problem to replace, but when I wanted to
actually pull the head, he looked at those hoses (I swear that some of
them just connected to each other in a roundabout manner) and remembered
a pressing appointment elsewhere. ;-)

 

"Leftie" <No@Thanks.net> wrote
> As for my 'expertise' in this matter, my car was both a
> Civic and a standard - a four speed at that. Not to
> mention the fact that it was a 'Winter Rat' that never got
> put on the road because of a burned valve. My father had
> assured me it would be no problem to replace, but when I
> wanted to actually pull the head, he looked at those hoses
> (I swear that some of them just connected to each other in
> a roundabout manner) and remembered a pressing appointment
> elsewhere. ;-)

Ha! With due respect to JT (Grumpy Au Contraire, who fixed
up and drives a c. 1983 carb'd Civic, I think mostly to
chuckle at the rest of us ;-) ), chalk one up for the
relative simplicity and reliability of fuel injection.

To the OP: www.honda-tech.com is free and is best searched
using Yahoo's search engine, restricting the search to the
honda-tech.com site. Or post a new query under the correct
forum of honda-tech.com. Lots of young fellows post there
(speaking a language that, uh, I am not hip on, but mostly
clean, I think... ) doing all sort of convoluted (read: way
over my head and/or just danged crazy and sometimes I think
somewhat reckless) engine and tranny swaps, but it has
plenty of expertise, too.

 

James Sweet wrote:

> Tegger wrote:
>
>> Joe <joe@no-spam.hits-nospam-buffalo.com> wrote in
>> news:slrngha1sk.2a0.joe@barada.griffincs.local:
>>
>>> On 2008-11-08, Tegger <invalid@invalid.inv> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Other than my old '76 Coronet's TorqueFlite and our '99 Tercel's
>>>> A242, automatics are a bit of a foreign thing for me.
>>>
>>> They don't have auto transmissions up in Canada yet? ;-)
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> Sure we do, just like in the US. I just happen not to like
>> driving cars so equipped.
>>
>> Automatics have this bad habit of changing gear all by themselves,
>> which drives me nuts.
>>
>>
>
> Agreed, the only time I ever mess with automatics is when I get suckered
> into fixing someone else's car as happened in this case.


When you get old(er) and drive frequently in urban areas, you really get
to appreciate an automatic.

I just acquired three more $100 early '80's Civic hatchbacks of which
two are automatics. Both drive trains are in good shape but one body has
a few dents including the rear bumper so it will serve as spare parts.
Highest mileage on any of the three is 134K (miles).

Besides, the hard parts rebuild kit for that era automatic is under $100
and the converter can actually be disassembled if necessary. Another
bright spot, is has a serviceable filter assy etc.

I love the old days of simplicity...

JT

 

Elle wrote:


snip



>
> On bad behavior: I do think it unethical to sit on the
> sidelines when others are trying to tamp down conduct not
> helpful to the group. Mr. Beam, as a matter of science, when
> one is communicating, studies show that the tenor and tone
> wrapped around a message make a bigger impression on the
> reader/listener than the message itself. This is per Albert
> Mehrabian's much cited 1981 paper. If one wishes to be an
> effective communicator, I think this is interesting.
>
>


Well quoted Elle.

JT

 

Elle wrote:

> "Leftie" <No@Thanks.net> wrote
>
>>As for my 'expertise' in this matter, my car was both a
>>Civic and a standard - a four speed at that. Not to
>>mention the fact that it was a 'Winter Rat' that never got
>>put on the road because of a burned valve. My father had
>>assured me it would be no problem to replace, but when I
>>wanted to actually pull the head, he looked at those hoses
>>(I swear that some of them just connected to each other in
>>a roundabout manner) and remembered a pressing appointment
>>elsewhere. ;-)
>
>
> Ha! With due respect to JT (Grumpy Au Contraire, who fixed
> up and drives a c. 1983 carb'd Civic, I think mostly to
> chuckle at the rest of us ;-) ), chalk one up for the
> relative simplicity and reliability of fuel injection.
>
> To the OP: www.honda-tech.com is free and is best searched
> using Yahoo's search engine, restricting the search to the
> honda-tech.com site. Or post a new query under the correct
> forum of honda-tech.com. Lots of young fellows post there
> (speaking a language that, uh, I am not hip on, but mostly
> clean, I think... ) doing all sort of convoluted (read: way
> over my head and/or just danged crazy and sometimes I think
> somewhat reckless) engine and tranny swaps, but it has
> plenty of expertise, too.
>
>


I will readily admit to the reliability of fuel injection although I do
see numerous injector problems here.

While the old CVCC carbs scare a lot of people, they are relatively
simple and also reliable. The best part, there is no freakin' expensive
'puter in these gen 2 Civics. No "check engine" light. No crank case
ventilation valve, no oxygen sensor.

And, all them thar vacuum lines... If you remove the head, all the
vacuum system control boxes simply unplug and come off with it.

Excellent industrial engineering on Honda's part!

Best part is that parts are cheap and readily available...

Regards,

JT

(Who believes that 'puters belong on one's lap or on a desk)