1987 DX carb/Running help

[vjz]

Hello all!

I picked up a 1987 Accord for an extra car to use for commuting.

It's a DX and very base model (Crank windows, manual locks, no passenger side mirror)

It has a few minor issues that are annoying.

NEW PARTS: Carb, fuel pump, fuel filter, lines, belts, full tune up, air filter

First: When you start the car, at any point (hot or cold), the belt area has a loud squeal. It goes away after roughly 15-30 seconds. I can't tell where its coming from.

Second: The car has a carburetor. The choke lever won't stay out when you pull on it, and the car will stall out until it has run for a few minutes.

After that, its fantastic little car. The interior is IMMACULATE, and the body is actually pretty good for being a 1987 Honda in the midwest. There's some minor rust corrosion on the rear wells, but a grind out and minor fiberglass would make the car totally rust free.

The previous owner said when the shop put the new fuel pump in, they had to run a wire to the fuse box (not a big deal, I have done that before), but since then the battery light came on.

Any thoughts?

We live in Indiana, so no emission testing. I could remove some vacuum lines and cap things if it could assist in simplicity of under the hood design, and running if need be.

[2oodoor]

You are lucky to have a manual choke somebody must have put that on. Get under ther and wd 40 the linkages and also always floor the gas pedal when you pull the choke before starting up the car. Not doing that can bind up the choke cable .
Squeals are usually a loose belt.

[Vanilla Sky]

Lever under the steering wheel, to the left under the steering column?

Having to run a wire to the fuse panel for the fuel pump is to bypass the main relay. They're easy as pie to fix if you can solder. I can have one out, resoldered, and back in the car in under 30 minutes. It's located on the A pillar under the dash on the driver's side. You have to lay on your back with your head under the dash to see it. I'd get that fixed properly so as to eliminate a potential battery drain.

A vacuum leak or faulty thermovalve will cause the stalling while cold issue. The thermovalves are on the back of the intake manifold and on behind the valve cover on the left by the distributor.

The Honda shop manual for these cars has been posted to this site, and the link is in a thread stickied at the top of this, the technical section.

My bet on the belt squeal is related to the battery light. Odds are you have a loose alternator belt. The adjustment is at the alternator bracket, which is at the back of the engine, approximately under the brake booster. Make sure it's not missing the adjustment bolt nor the set bolt. The shop manual walks you through this procedure.

For what it's worth, it's easier to weld up body work. I've done it with a second-hand Lincoln flux-core welder that I picked up for $125 and traded for a Millermatic 135XP, so I ended up ahead with that welder. Don't count real metal out when doing body work.

If you really want to eliminate some vacuum lines and cut down on failure points, this thread in the How-To forum (http://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11067) guides you through the steps of eliminating as much or as little as you want. I ran the "stage 4" setup on one of my previous cars, and it seemed to help with overall power delivery and it cleaned the engine bay up a TON.

Oddly enough, cars without the passenger door mirror are somewhat rare these days. You could choose to install one, or do what I'd do and leave it off. I've driven vehicles that only had the center mirror, and it's not difficult. As far as I know, as long as the car came equipped with a single outside mirror, it's not illegal to operate the vehicle without one, so why add the weight and drag? You'd end up with a manual mirror that's always just out of adjustment.

Another carb option you have is converting to a Weber DGV carb. Since you're emissions exempt, this is the path I would take, even though you have a new carb. The adapter plate is available used in the marketplace for $20, and you can fairly readily find the carb in a junkyard and rebuild it. Wever DGV carbs were popular conversions on late 70's and early 80's small pickup trucks and compact cars.

[2oodoor]

^^^When I had a dx it was hard to get used to no rt side mirror so I found a just as rare manual rt side mirror and put it on lol I dig seeing objects larger than they appear :D I think I was about to get one from you at one point?
The tilt lever occured to me too vjz that's not what you're pulling is it?

[vjz]

You guys have been a huge help!

Hopefully I can get time to start on it tomorrow!

[vjz]

Okay guys.

Well i had some financial set backs and i have to sell the car.

a guy came to look at it last night, bought it, and supposedly drove 25 miles and the car sputtered and crapped out on him.

I have only experienced the sputtering on idle. I let the car run for 20 minutes in my driveway last night after he returned the car and it didn't die once.

I'm not sure if he just decided he didn't like it or it actually crapped out. He was able to limp it back though.

What could that be?

[2oodoor]

I wouldn't sell a car until we both go on the test drive and let them check it out to make their decision. As is where is is the only way to keep the tire kickers away like that.
I don't know what is wrong with the car, any number of things but I think you're right, he probably got a comment from somebody or maybe it did choke out but evidently it cranked back up for him huh.

[Vanilla Sky]

My bet is still a vacuum issue.

I do think you're right on with the guy not wanting the car after buying it. Is it your car again?

[vjz]

Yes it is. He was very nice and drove for four hours to buy it. I don't know why anyone would drive four hours for this car, but okay.

Whoever buys it i will make them sign the title in front of me.

[2oodoor]

I don't know why anyone would drive four hours for this car, but okay.

.

I would do something like that :bandit: