Newbie needing some help

[halfdawg]

Brand new here, have been searching for answers on my new to me 1987 Accord and found this site to be a wealth of knowledge. I own a small auto repair shop and picked up this 87 Accord hatchback a couple months ago with a broken timing belt for $200. My plan was to test a theory with interference engines and determining valve damage without much disassembly. So there were no bent valves and I put a new timing set on it right on the car trailer, drove it off. Plan was to just flip it, but damned if I didn't really start to like the little turd, plus it was much cheaper to chase parts in it than my powerstroke is. I want to put a tow bar on it and drag it behind my service truck when I go mobile jobs, F600 with a gas engine REALLY hurts to drive 30 miles for a part.

So heres my questions, I bought some 16" wheels and tires for it, but the rears rub the fender well if I put a few hundred pounds in the back. I replaced the rear ball joints after one broke, they were very worn. I also replaced the struts but I think it needs rear springs. The equivalent of 4 adults the rear is sagging 2 inches and rubbing on bumps and turns. Most are looking to lower, I would like a little stiffer spring at stock height. I'm not trying to make a truck out of it, just something stiffer.

Second, I'm cruising back to the shop a week ago at 60mph in 5th and it just lost 5th gear. Shifter goes to 5th fine, but just a constant grinding and now power transfered to the wheels. 1st - 4th and reverse are fine. Rebuilding it isn't a huge deal,but i was curious if I should be watching for a better gearbox out of something newer maybe?

Thanks for any help.

[Demon1024]

yeah... you lost 5th gear. I don't know anything about suspension yet tho sry. I do know that the only bolt on tranny's you'll find only differ in ratio between carb, Fi and preluded tho. That failure usually happens (when not just run dry) from people using the wrong (to heavy) weight oil in the tranny. If you're desperate not to remove tranny, the gear can be changed without removal, but at that point I'd just get a new one if you need 5th gear

[firefighterwhite89]

X2. Definitely get a new trans. It's a common issue with our 5th gear having a cooling deficiency and eventually either strips or comes to pieces. I lost 5th about 2 months before I lost the whole trans. My advice is change the whole thing. If you don't, eventually a small chunk will flow into a gear you're driving in and lock the entire trans assembly up. Luckily mine happened on a back road at 40mph. On the interatate could have really been a bad thing. I scored an Si trans for 300$. Good luck and welcome to the board

[halfdawg]

Thanks , what is an SI? You guys got some abbreviations that i don't know. I need to get to looking for a transmission from the sounds of it.

[niles]

SI is just one of the models, different features. You may have also found by now that there doesn't seem to be a single case where a 3gee bends a valve because of broken timing belts.

[89T]

The a20 is a non-interference engine. You should remove the transmission and clean it out before installing a new 5th gear. Inspect everything inside and make sure all the other gears are not damaged from the failier.