Willing to listen and learn - 89 Accord LX

[ryan427]

All -

I just bought an 89 Accord LX 4 door. I bought it from the original owner; an airplane mechanic who put quite a bit of work in to it in the past year. He installed a new head gasket, valves, cam, timing belt, water pump, fuel pump, distributor, plugs/wires, and master cylinder. It runs very good and is getting 30+ mpg on my daily commute. When I first picked it up, it was idling high. The previous owner gave me the shop manuals and advised me to get to know them. It was there I was able to find information on how to adjust the idle. It is idling happily now at 800 RPM's but there is a noticeable vibration that seems to be common when motor mounts are extremely worn on these cars (they look to be original). The vibration worsens when the AC is kicked on and/or it is in gear. Those motor mounts will be one of the first things I replace along with the shocks/struts. It leaks oil so I am also going to tackle that.

Back to the carburetor... it has never been touched and I'm pretty sure it could use a rebuild. I'm looking at rebuilt units on e-bay for around $180.00. I am also considering an aftermarket carb although I'd like to keep everything as OEM as possible.

I really love this body style and I can remember how much I wanted one when I was 11. I paid $800 for this one and feel like a kid on Christmas morning. I want to slowly replace worn parts here and there to restore it. It's my primary driver and I'm not ashamed of it. No car payment and it gets me from point A to point B just as effectively as the cars I've had in the past with monthly payments of $300 on up.

None of you drive my car so you can't possibly know what it needs. I guess I'm only asking for wisdom from those of you who know what I probably need to focus my attention on. I mentioned it leaks oil... I know the oil filter adapter, sending unit, and oil pan gaskets are prone to leak. Any other weak points? Any suggestions on motor mounts? I am willing to pay a little more for better quality mounts that will absorb as much of the vibration as possible. Thanks in advance and I promise not to be a pain in the ass. :blah:

[Oldblueaccord]

All -

I just bought an 89 Accord LX 4 door. I bought it from the original owner; an airplane mechanic who put quite a bit of work in to it in the past year. He installed a new head gasket, valves, cam, timing belt, water pump, fuel pump, distributor, plugs/wires, and master cylinder. It runs very good and is getting 30+ mpg on my daily commute. When I first picked it up, it was idling high. The previous owner gave me the shop manuals and advised me to get to know them. It was there I was able to find information on how to adjust the idle. It is idling happily now at 800 RPM's but there is a noticeable vibration that seems to be common when motor mounts are extremely worn on these cars (they look to be original). The vibration worsens when the AC is kicked on and/or it is in gear. Those motor mounts will be one of the first things I replace along with the shocks/struts. It leaks oil so I am also going to tackle that.

Back to the carburetor... it has never been touched and I'm pretty sure it could use a rebuild. I'm looking at rebuilt units on e-bay for around $180.00. I am also considering an aftermarket carb although I'd like to keep everything as OEM as possible.

I really love this body style and I can remember how much I wanted one when I was 11. I paid $800 for this one and feel like a kid on Christmas morning. I want to slowly replace worn parts here and there to restore it. It's my primary driver and I'm not ashamed of it. No car payment and it gets me from point A to point B just as effectively as the cars I've had in the past with monthly payments of $300 on up.

None of you drive my car so you can't possibly know what it needs. I guess I'm only asking for wisdom from those of you who know what I probably need to focus my attention on. I mentioned it leaks oil... I know the oil filter adapter, sending unit, and oil pan gaskets are prone to leak. Any other weak points? Any suggestions on motor mounts? I am willing to pay a little more for better quality mounts that will absorb as much of the vibration as possible. Thanks in advance and I promise not to be a pain in the ass. :blah:


If the car is running well and your getting 30 mpg I wouldn't mess with the carb.

[Dr_Snooz]

x2 on the carbs. They are notoriously finicky, and very difficult to rebuild or tune. You'll be opening a can of worms. The only thing I would recommend is to read the carb section in your manual very carefully. Then go through and test all the little solenoids, valve and dash pots that attach to the outside of the carb. Those go bad frequently and cause all kinds of interesting symptoms. Repair or replace anything out of spec. It probably wouldn't be bad to read up on loose venturis here on the site so you're prepared if and when that happens.

Instead of motor mounts, try upping your idle to 900-1000 RPM. Replacing motor mounts did nothing for me. These engines just produce a lot of vibration at speeds below 900. Obviously, if your mounts are cracked or crumbling, then you definitely want to replace them. Otherwise, it's another repair you can cross off the list.

I adopt a fairly low-key approach to oil leaks. Remember that oil flows straight down, so start with the leak highest on the engine (eg: the valve cover). Fix that one and see what happens to all the leaks below. If they stop, you've fixed your leak.

Repairs will come, so just save your money until they do. In the meantime, be scrupulous with all routine maintenance and enjoy the car. If you're not sure when something was done last, do it now so you're sure.

Congrats on the purchase and post pics of your ride.

[ryan427]

Thanks Dr_Snooz. Incredibly helpful and practical. I went ahead and cleaned the engine thoroughly (and carefully) to get a better idea on the leaks. Minor one coming from the valve cover gasket despite the fact it was replaced 2500 miles ago. Looks like some RTV sealant was used in the wrong place which I learned from studying this site. I can correct that one first and will go from there as you advised. There is oil spraying on the inside of the front driver wheel well so that's interesting. Seriously thinking about putting a camera under there and driving around a bit to see where it is spraying from. Again, my hunch is from the oil filter adapter and/or sending unit. We will see.

The motor mounts that I can see look very deteriorated. So does the tranny mount. I can tackle those pretty quickly. And I'll definitely up the idle some after replacement of the mounts if the vibration is still severe. The carb will be a learning curve. There are some tools I'll need to pick up to test some of those components you mentioned. I will commit some time and test everything out one piece at a time. I really like this old car and will try not to throw parts at it on a hunch. I feel fortunate to have found one in pretty good shape... good foundation to build on. MT swap soon...

[g.frost]

How many miles are on it? My magic elixir to keep the carb happy and smooth running for 164K+ without ever a rebuild is to use a good PEA based detergent cleaner like Red Line SI-1. Put a full bottle in a full tank, get it well warmed up and do a bit of spirited Italian tune up to clean out the valve and combustion carbon and the carb jets. See if that helps smooth your idle.
Treat your old 3g well and it will do the same for you.

[ryan427]

I like that idea. 265k miles but the top end is practically new. Compression check again this weekend yielded new car specs. The previous owner was a good mechanic and did common sense maintenance. I will try the Red Line cleaner. I used a bottle of Seafoam in the tank when I first bought it a couple of weeks ago. Red Line works better? What about the floats in the carb? Think they are done? Cold starts are great. Idles well, no hesitation, but there is a inconsistent "miss" at idle... more noticeable in gear/idling. Not sure if the big fuel filter in the back has been replaced. Thought I'd give that one a shot. The one under the hood has been replaced.

A buddy of mine has the same car... over half a million miles. He bought with almost 300k on it. So I am definitely going to keep it and take care of it! Best $800 car I'll probably ever find.

[g.frost]

I overlooked that your head was rebuilt, so not likely much deposits there. But yes, PEA detergent based fuel system cleaners are far more effective than the solvent based like Seafoam. I now just run a maintenance dose in every tank and use top tier fuel. ( Ran for a few years, about 10 years ago where I used cheap gas and then had fuel deposit and carb problems. Was able to clean it up with SI-1 and also switched to synthetic oil at that time; cleaned out the varnish & oil deposits too)

The other thing to get a really smooth idle is to make sure your valve lash is adjusted perfectly.
Relax though, sounds like the car is in good order and you got a great deal.

[ThatDumpedSedan]

I'm actually have a problem pretty similar. Mine is tunning at 600rpms when fully warmed up and shakes pretty bad. I just got the car and dont know much on how to adjust the idke or anything like that on it. Its got a carburator as well. Any suggestions on what needs to be adjusted to fix my idling issue?

[Oldblueaccord]

Carburetor Tech (http://www.3geez.com/forum/carburetor-tech)

we got a whole section to help with carb problems. Welcome and study up!

[ryan427]

I'm actually have a problem pretty similar. Mine is tunning at 600rpms when fully warmed up and shakes pretty bad. I just got the car and dont know much on how to adjust the idke or anything like that on it. Its got a carburator as well. Any suggestions on what needs to be adjusted to fix my idling issue?

Quick wisdom: idle stop screw is on the back of the carb and has a black "knob" on it so you can turn by hand. Adjust, rev, adjust. Make sure the engine is warm. If you're shaking persists, check those motor mounts. Replaced mine and cured about 70% of it. It still vibrates the steering wheel in gear at idle. Pretty normal for these motors. Download the shop manual and read up on the carb. Seems complicated bit makes sense when you start getting into it.