87 Honda Accord Lx-i PGMFI A20A4 with a LOT of questions.

[Forte Kosakku]

I hate to even bother you all with this.

Question 1 : I know its best to clean and keep the EGR system but whats the deal with knock and higher combustion temps causing possible damage over time? If I run her really hard before the ECU kicks on the light, it seems a lot better at idle than before where it misfires and it wont kick on the light but the misfire is still there , even though its half better.

Question 2: Does my particular model have those egr passageways in the intake I need to clean? Ive taken off the fuel rail before when I replaced the injectors and I saw nothing like what ive seen in other models but maybe its somewhere else I cant see.

Question 3: The egr tube that leads into my exhaust manifold...is there a way to seal it , if there is a leak there besides replacing the whole egr tube and hope that the flange seats correctly?

Question 4: I redesigned the exhaust system starting from after the o2 sensor and stopping at the muffler. I didnt use the flex tube piece because I wanted a smooth flow and doubted that those flexi pieces wouldnt leak. Now im regretting it of course because at 2200 rpms and like....2800 rpms the sonic vibrations are shaking the entire exhaust system but while running hard and WOT it wont. Is there a way to design the system to cancel out those sonic vibrations like they showed me in school for racing engines or is that whole thing a lost cause and im stuck with a flexi pipe?

Not a big deal really but it seems to me to be a poor design. I redid my Rx7 exhaust and never had the issue with sonic vibrations at certain RPMS. I always open up the diameter around where the pre cat would be, and then shrink it back to stock after about 1 foot or so to give it a mid range boost while keeping good velocity and pressure for N/A. Maybe im screwing up this honda.

Parts replaced with new : Water pump, alternator, distributor , battery, fuel pump, injectors, filters, plugs and wires. Main relay under dash taken apart and soldered with fresh, main fuse under hood, ignition switch, rotors, ebc pads, calibers, rear drum kit and pads, coolant hoses with the intake manifold run rerouted to keep from taking off the intake to replace it. ECT sensor. A few vacuum hoses.

Question 5: First time owning a cable clutch. Ive been adjusting the cable periodically as it wears but it means my clutch pedal doesnt change , which means its hard to tell when the clutch is really getting low. Is that long threaded piece that the adjustment nut uses(plastic nut) the indication?

Question 6: My windows get stuck like crazy. They even jump the guide rails and get wedged. I was forced to pull out that rubber guide and cut it. Then remove bolts to realign the rail. Is this a rubber swelling issue from age and where the hell do I find a replacement? My door panels are falling into pieces like brittle fiber glass. Finding those replacements can be impossible. Can I swap doors that are manual windows that are lighter from another model or prelude?

Question 7: I have 185/70/13 inch rims and tires. I dont want to mess with the original steering geometry at all but would like some 205's Any stock rim from another car that would get me there with the original offsets intact? 195's would be acceptable. No spacers. Thats a deal breaker. I dont want the extra leverage against my thin little control arms and tie rod ends.

Question 8: My manual tranny was fine but it always grinds 5th every time since the day I bought it. It would take my downshifts through all the gear perfectly, even under racing and rev matching conditions. Now, 3rd gear grinds at high rpm upshifts. Does changing the oil help with this and can I use any 10w 30 oil for the manual 5speed or is this a rebuild situation?

Question 9: My flywheel , I dont think , is stock. The timing marks on the flywheel are 3. I got two whites and one yellow. I think the yellow was base timing, so I timed to that with the distributer advance plugged off like the book said(may be two yellow and one white) But my distributor is retarded to the max to get that base timing right. My idle is right where it should be at 700 and it does great and sounds great at high RPM. It worries me though that distributor is so far retarded at the limit that I question the timing belt position.

Question 10: Valve lash adjustment...I hear its something necessary on these engines. How often?

Question 11: Deleting cooling hoses. Ive already done the PAIN IN THE A intake manifold one but I hear people delete the throttle body ones and others. Especially for racing. Cool? Or not cool?

Question 12: the MAP sensor is , from what I hear, super hard to find and impossible to find brand new. Is this true? What have others done to replace it? Mine seems fine but Im looking to the future. Also the TPS.

Question 13: I really like the sound of this engine between 4-6000 rpm with my redesigned piping. Sounds like a really cool rally car. Id love to keep this engine and transmission setup because I hear its bullet proof. I dont care about power, i care about handling and fun and the time capsule experience.

Is it really that hard to find aftermarket parts?

I cant find CRAP and ive heard you all talk about pacesetter this, and aftermarket that but when I go to search for anything cool for this car, I come up with dead links, discontinued pages and parts and virutually NOTHING other than stock replacement parts from amazon , ebay, or autozone.

So, should I really think about a swap ?

I have a full rebuild master kit with pistons. I got two more full gasket sets with different materials for the best head gasket I could find. I got moog springs with kyb struts i havent mounted and installed, new flywheel, new exedy clutch, new harmonic balancer, timing belt kit with tensioner, and I had my heart set on a full rebuild with no power steering pump(too strong of an assist and feels good with the belt removed) no A/C (might change my mind because all the parts are there just removed the compressor belt because it didnt work when I bought it, but have lived without it in the ae86 and FC33 and didnt care because i loved the cars that much) But if I cant really get the support I need with the drivetrain, i guess id think about a swap, but Id hate to add even one more pound extra over the front axle.

Look, I know its a lot of questions, I know you guys all have covered some of this in other threads and ive read those threads but still dont have all the information im looking for. Im not expecting anyone to answer all of these nor do I expect you to be nice about it when you do. Just do what you want, and give it too me straight. As in INLINE straight. I want the truth and nothing but the truth. I really appreciate your time and your insights.

If you will excuse me.......

[ShiRen]

1: idk
2: yeah the intake runners, the actual egr would probably benefit from being totally clogged
3: by replacing or deleting it
4: put a flex pipe in it
5: adjust the cable until the throw out bearing touches the clutch, then back it off a bit, then leave it
6: on my manual regulators it was an issue with the plastic bushings
7: original steering geometry is pretty shit. put literally any set of wheels on it with a reasonable offset. Ive got some 16x7+30s on mine and I have some 15x8+35s for track
8: she will live until she doesn't anymore. Can't rebuild it, every manual is suffering the same fate. Keep oil in it if you want to keep it as long as possible, it doesn't seem to care about what oil
9: its probably not... if you question the timing belt then check the timing belt
10: idk like 10-15k mi
11: unless you live in siberia, delete
12: I have one of the magical fuel tubes, so not sure
13: I think the question was about aftermarket parts... yes. You can get a cam regrind from delta, you might be able to find a header, you might be able to find a cam gear from bisimoto, you can diy your own distributorless ignition and run the car off a speeduino or something, B series pistons fit, you can upgrade the intake valve springs with stock exhaust springs. Treat it like a hot rod if you want it to go fast, there are no bolt on parts. It would be very wise to look into making a b series trans adapter. If you do end up building this car, don't try to turn it 8k rpm, you will cock a piston in the bore.

[Oldblueaccord]

I would read up the how to section and then maybe the performance sections there is alot in there that would answer your questions.

#4 Pretty sure the 2.0L motor is a flat plane crank design and with no balance shafts its pretty buzzy. Honda spent alot of time with fancy motor mounts and as you can at test a flex pipe in the exhaust to try and cancel some of this out. A tuned header would be your best bet but be a custom piece and quite a bit of R+D to get right.

EGR can be finicky. I blocked off the pipe at the manifold with a large bolt but I didnt touch the EGR itself to avoid the ECU code.

[InAccordance]

7. I run 195/60/15s on 15x7 wheels (pretty sure they're +30 offset) and everything clears, no scrubbing or rubbing.

Aftermarket pretty much no longer exists for these vehicles. I had to have a one-off intake custom made from the UK for my Weber 45s.
Only header you can find is an OBX one and I can say from personal experience, they leak like all hell. I actually just welded the slip joints up in mine. Unsure how long they'll last this way, but it doesn't leak anymore.
Web cam used to have upgraded cams but haven't checked them in a while. I actually have one still in the box, one day I'll get around to putting it in.
The only place even making anything I'm aware of is Cheddasauto.com and even then they're limited and pricey.

It's discouraging for sure but look on the bright side, you get bragging rights for custom built stuff.