79cord
08-16-2007, 03:49 PM
Missadventures with my '79 Accord yesterday!
All ready to go to work but the 'cord wasn't up for it & refused to start so eventually I called work to say I wouldn't be in so I could sort it out...
Battery out to recharge.
Took a look at the distributor & found the stator base cracked which allowed it to move so that the 'contact' peaks on the central shaft collided with it when spinning, smashing those off !
BIG gap for sparks to jump!
Took a look at the '81 Prelude Auto Distributor I have lying around from my '81 Prelude project toy to see if I could raid parts from it but they didn't look interchangeable (5-spd here had vacuum advance but Auto's had dual diaphram for retard as well {?}).
So I raided the (5-spd) project car itself... & swapped that distributor in.
[Geez the '81 TEC distributor cap is annoying; has to be bolted on instead of just clipped on like the '79-80 Hitachi units, which means you almost need to remove the air-cleaner for access!]
Still not starting!
Go mad checking & re-checking timing.
Still not starting!
Remove valve-cover to remove timing belt cover just to re-re-check I haven't mucked thinks up & got things 180deg. out.
Still not starting!
Then notice fuel not getting through. Come to think about it haven't heard fuel pump either.
Now I've been having an intermittent problem for the last month maybe once a week or fortnight, of the engine suddenly loosing power while cruising & stopping, engine often still warming up. Restart the car & it's as though nothing has has happened.
Even found I could put the ignition switch back to the accesories & return to 'ignition' position while still coasting & the engine would immediately be back in action! So I was already suspicious of my fuel cut-off relay (supplies power to pump only when ignition on & power from distributor). And when my fuel pump began to die it would simply refuse to start (although a belting from a tool would normally jolt it into action), rather than stopping once in action.
Come to think of it painfull & drawnout experiance of my CR-X' s relay failing was also intermittent although that also involved failure to pump when starting occasionally.
Raided the remains of my Prelude parts car for its relay (-clipped to back of fuse-box instead of bolted to underside of plenum behind instrument cluster like early Accord) though that one didn't look too healthy either & surprisingly only had 3-pins, without a 4th 'earth pin' like the Accord.
Put a test light aukwardly accross the black/yellow power2pump pins in the connector, (One of those jobs that almost needs 3 hands & a mouth to hold the torch while you lie under the dash) no power.
Fuse in fuse box burnt out! (Even more suspicious of relay)
Replace & Power!
Refit relay & car starts!
Finally!
Though I still don't trust the relay not to short to it's earth again so I've removed it & by-passed it with a piece of wire in the connector for the time being.
Anyone know where I should get a new relay from, If there's anything special about them or if the they really NEED the 4th 'earth' pin ?
Tried one auto parts supplier who had no listing for such an item for the Accord, though I might yet take it down to them & look at what relays they can get for me to try.
Reluctant to bother with HONDA for such a generic part after being quoted $50 for a flasher can several years ago which only differed from $5 standard generic equivalents by the orientation of its connector pins! (Guess the use/design of such things wasn't standardized back then)
Still have to sort out parts to repair distributor as well or grab another from wreakers, pref. '79-80 so electronic ignition but can unclip cap easily!
Still have to replace clutch (original) & probably (hopefully) valve seals & due for oil change as well; having just reached it's 250,000 km birthday.
All ready to go to work but the 'cord wasn't up for it & refused to start so eventually I called work to say I wouldn't be in so I could sort it out...
Battery out to recharge.
Took a look at the distributor & found the stator base cracked which allowed it to move so that the 'contact' peaks on the central shaft collided with it when spinning, smashing those off !
BIG gap for sparks to jump!
Took a look at the '81 Prelude Auto Distributor I have lying around from my '81 Prelude project toy to see if I could raid parts from it but they didn't look interchangeable (5-spd here had vacuum advance but Auto's had dual diaphram for retard as well {?}).
So I raided the (5-spd) project car itself... & swapped that distributor in.
[Geez the '81 TEC distributor cap is annoying; has to be bolted on instead of just clipped on like the '79-80 Hitachi units, which means you almost need to remove the air-cleaner for access!]
Still not starting!
Go mad checking & re-checking timing.
Still not starting!
Remove valve-cover to remove timing belt cover just to re-re-check I haven't mucked thinks up & got things 180deg. out.
Still not starting!
Then notice fuel not getting through. Come to think about it haven't heard fuel pump either.
Now I've been having an intermittent problem for the last month maybe once a week or fortnight, of the engine suddenly loosing power while cruising & stopping, engine often still warming up. Restart the car & it's as though nothing has has happened.
Even found I could put the ignition switch back to the accesories & return to 'ignition' position while still coasting & the engine would immediately be back in action! So I was already suspicious of my fuel cut-off relay (supplies power to pump only when ignition on & power from distributor). And when my fuel pump began to die it would simply refuse to start (although a belting from a tool would normally jolt it into action), rather than stopping once in action.
Come to think of it painfull & drawnout experiance of my CR-X' s relay failing was also intermittent although that also involved failure to pump when starting occasionally.
Raided the remains of my Prelude parts car for its relay (-clipped to back of fuse-box instead of bolted to underside of plenum behind instrument cluster like early Accord) though that one didn't look too healthy either & surprisingly only had 3-pins, without a 4th 'earth pin' like the Accord.
Put a test light aukwardly accross the black/yellow power2pump pins in the connector, (One of those jobs that almost needs 3 hands & a mouth to hold the torch while you lie under the dash) no power.
Fuse in fuse box burnt out! (Even more suspicious of relay)
Replace & Power!
Refit relay & car starts!
Finally!
Though I still don't trust the relay not to short to it's earth again so I've removed it & by-passed it with a piece of wire in the connector for the time being.
Anyone know where I should get a new relay from, If there's anything special about them or if the they really NEED the 4th 'earth' pin ?
Tried one auto parts supplier who had no listing for such an item for the Accord, though I might yet take it down to them & look at what relays they can get for me to try.
Reluctant to bother with HONDA for such a generic part after being quoted $50 for a flasher can several years ago which only differed from $5 standard generic equivalents by the orientation of its connector pins! (Guess the use/design of such things wasn't standardized back then)
Still have to sort out parts to repair distributor as well or grab another from wreakers, pref. '79-80 so electronic ignition but can unclip cap easily!
Still have to replace clutch (original) & probably (hopefully) valve seals & due for oil change as well; having just reached it's 250,000 km birthday.