Newly registered in Napa, CA

[Eric R]

Hello all,

I've been luking here on and off since last year when bitesize visited the forum I've been a regular at for a few years now. ( http://http://www.ninja250.org/forums/ In fact, This is my public face there: http://www.ninja250.org/Eric%20R )

I've had the '89 4Dr. LX carb. for about six years now and it's been a fabulous little beast.
For some reason though, I am cursed with it all the same. I do not consider myself a good mechanic, but I do like to think I am at least competent. This car has made me worry about the competence part.

A couple of years ago, I missed that it was leaking water, and that the temp needle was pinned to to top of the scale while on a long driving trip in temps approaching 100F. When I could not get the intake and exhaust manifolds off to check for (optimistically) a warped head only, I gave up and had a shop put in a rebuilt engine.

Now, after months and months of leaking oil, I have replaced the valve cover gasket (done it before and it cured the leaking then), realised the oil filter base plate was leaking this time and replaced it's gasket, and then proceded to fill the engine WITH THE DRAIN PLUG OUT!
The only bit of good luck in this story is the fact that I had stuffed a rag in the drain hole so I wouldn't get dripped on, so not a drop had been lost.... *yet*. While trying to remove the rag and put the plug in, I dropped the plug and the crush washer fell off without me noticing -- until I had the plug in.
*sigh*
I pull the plug replace the washer quickly and reinsert thinking that was stupid and sucked, but all I need to do is replace the oil. Start the car for a few moments and then check to see if the base plate is holding oil.
Holy cows, there's still oil dripping down here.
It sure looks like I should have gone ahead and done the oil pan gasket at the same time. Unfortunately, the biggest drip is on the radiused area right under the timing belt.
Anyone want to lay odds that I'll find a blown crank seal tonight when I take the pan and belt cover off?

Somebody just shoot me.

[Acid X]

Sorry to hear about your problems! Welcome, though.

[Pico]

Man hope things get better for you
Welcome

[Eric R]

Thanks for the commiseration and welcome folks
Looks like I left out the biggest reason to be angry with myself: I replaced the oil that I dropped during the drain plug fiasco and *overfilled* it by nearly a quart (!) in the process.

I SWEAR I know better than (and never have before) made these kind of bone head mistakes(to wit not filling water, not inserting drain plug and overfilling oil) on any other vehicle!


@ 89cordlxi:
Hey! I didn't mention that I work for the Vallejo school district. I'm sitting in my shop on Oregon St. (behind the main distict/school board offices).

[Pico]

@ 89cordlxi:
Hey! I didn't mention that I work for the Vallejo school district. I'm sitting in my shop on Oregon St. (behind the main distict/school board offices).

Not to far from where I live.
We're trying to get a Bay Area Meet together maybe you can make it
here's the thread
https://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51163

[Eric R]

We're trying to get a Bay Area Meet together maybe you can make it

Normally I'd say I would try to come out after getting home from the Hot Air Balloon company that I work for on the weekends (summer is the busy season, of course ), but I'm actually trying to get my car together for a trip to Tillamook, OR on the weekend of 7/8 & 7/9!
I have GUARANTEED my wife that we will be there for her best friend's wedding, even if we end up renting a car and driving straight there and back!

We *could* always try to meet the two of you (Roger & Debra, right?) for a lunch or dinner (Eh, Gumbah's, perhaps?) one day while I'm still on vacation after the wedding weekend.

[Eric R]

Well, it looks like I am going to be one of the extremely short timers here.
I never did pull the timing belt cover. I got started on the work needed to replace the oil pan gasket and found one of the exhaust nuts partially rounded. I went ahead and tried to remove the sucker anyway, figuring that a trip to Sears for the craftsman rounded bolt/nut kit was the only other solution anyway, well no luck - no biggie right?
Pausing to ponder my remaining time to work on this thing, I then realised That the bloody head gasket is seeping as well.
That was it, I'm not going to do any more work on it. It's buttoned back up, properly filled with oil, running, and I've put an ad in the classifieds here.
https://www.3geez.com/forum/showthrea...456#post637456

[crazykamper]

wow, sounds like someones got the case of the mondays, i hope everythings gonna work out for you.

and Welcome!

[frantik]

Welcome! Sorry to hear you've got to sell your ride. I had to do the same recently because of a leaky head gasket and it sucked.

You interested in another 3gee? there's an SEI (top of the line with all sorts of perks) with 113k miles for$ 1300 listed in the for sale area..

[Eric R]

@ frantik:
Thanks for the pointer. I've drooled a one or two SEI's over the years that I have happened to park next to. Even had I known about it earlier, SJ is a bit of a trip to just look at a car and I was in "hurry-up-and-replace-it" mode.

Found a 98 Civic EX in Fairfield for a price I could put up cash.

Soo, I will no longer belong on the 3geez board (and I only just finally registered), but I remain Honda faithful.
Guess I should register over at the honda-tech forms, eh?



You think old farts like me look silly in a riced out car?