I am now an intergenerational Luder.

[wurlycorner]

Nice work stripping it down that far without breaking anything!

[BlackShadow]

It's been a while since I updated this. I have been pretty busy with work lately...

Work:


It's not so bad... I always get free parking at hospitals, and the uniform gets us discounts on coffee and stuff. Narrow Toronto streets and Scarborough drivers who wait until the orange hand flashes before pulling away from a stop light are a pain in the rear.

As I said, work has been keeping me pretty busy, and this winter weather has made it impossible to do anything. The '99 is on hold until the weather warms up. The '96 has been without much of its interior for a while now, as it's been too cold to do any wiring. I have a radio in there now, but the antenna makes scary sounds when it is really cold, so most times I leave the radio off.

Winter driving in the '96 is lively, and not in a good way. I find this car terrible in snow and on slippery roads. The back always wants to come around, which when you've got your front wheel drive hat on, is a little unnerving. When I used to drive the '99 in the snow, it was planted, and rode like a mountain. This car slips like a stone and spins like a record...baby right round like a record baby right round round round.


New Parts:

I scored a set of 4th gen fog lights with pigtails for $70! They're the clear ones, but that doesn't matter. I bought them for the brackets. I'm going to retrofit those yellow Lexus projectors I have into the 4th gen brackets.

I also caved and bought myself a JTC customs short shifter. While installing it, I was struck at the sheer complexity of the 4th gen. The 5th gen shifter is an L-shaped bar with a plastic ping pong ball on the end. The 4th gen has end caps, o-ring-like gromets, a bearing-like centre, nuts, bolts, and this pesky little cube pressed onto the end. It was that little cube that gave me the most problems. I got it off the old shifter pretty easily... but it snapped in two when I put it on the new one. After a bit of swearing and a cardiac event, I figured out a way to make it work.


Problems:

I'm pretty sure the power steering is on it's way out. The steering on the '96 was pretty light when I bought it. It felt more like a Crown Vic, compared to the '99. Lately it has gotten stiffer, and there has been more road feel. Its not full blown manual yet, but it definitely takes more effort, and doesn't want to return to centre on its own. Ruts in the road are an adventure. I become a passenger in my own car when I hit those.

The past couple of days the clutch engagement has been pretty rough. Jerky, as though I was new and dumping it. At first I thought it was the boots I wear for work (18 hole army boots), but they shouldn't have been a problem, as I've driven with those on for weeks. Then I began to wonder if I was losing my knack...or perhaps having a stroke. On the way into work yesterday, the clutch pedal definitely didn't feel as firm as before and I decided, I would have a gander at it when I got home.

After dropping a patient off in a really cushy hospice out in the boonies, we got sent home early (yay). I get in my car, start it up and something told me "try rowing through the gears...go on, I dare ya". The shiny brand new JTC customs short shifter was locked solid, like it was set in concrete. Aw crap...

Of course I would be at work... and it would be freezing. A call to CAA, and a series of exceedingly difficult skill testing questions (what is the address where you are now? What is your cell phone number? - both of which I drew blanks on), and I was on my way home. $100 to a tow truck driver, and I was dropped off at a local shop for what I suspect will be some sort of hydraulic system repair. Goody.

The only thing I hate more than taking my cars to a shop is working on them in the cold, so don't think I'm selling out. :ugh:

[wurlycorner]

I'm pretty sure the power steering is on it's way out. The steering on the '96 was pretty light when I bought it. It felt more like a Crown Vic, compared to the '99. Lately it has gotten stiffer, and there has been more road feel. Its not full blown manual yet, but it definitely takes more effort, and doesn't want to return to centre on its own. Ruts in the road are an adventure. I become a passenger in my own car when I hit those.

Strange, not known for giving problems.
Checked the fluid level and condition?
Checked hoses not kinked/collapsed?
Something up with the VSS?

[BlackShadow]

I took it in to my favourite shop...because it's ridiculously cold here at the moment.

I just picked her up and they were perplexed. There was an air lock in the system. They bled it out and it held pressure, so we're all scratching our heads as to where it came from. I think once the weather warms up, I will start piecing together some clutch pieces. I've got my eyes on an H23A VTEC... perhaps swap out all the lines when I have the motor and tranny out.

[BlackShadow]

Tiny update..

The roads where around the ambulance station are terrible. They always are pretty rough, but this winter has turned them into an artillery range. For the past little while, I have been hearing a rattle. From quick glances I suspected the say bar had snapped, and it appears as though I am right.




I have a CEL, which is coming from the cat working below its threshold, and my fuel economy has taken a nose dive. My last full full fullllll tank got me 550kms.

- I am tracking down a progress sway bar (or two. one for this car, and one for the '99)

- I'm not quite sure what to do about the cat. Obviously, I have to replace it, but with what? OEM-ish? Or should I invest in something bigger/better? A 2.25" OEM-ish cat would be cheaper to buy and install, but it seems wasteful, if I am going to upgrade the exhaust system later with 2.50" piping and components. Luckily I have till August to get the car emission tested, so I have some time to think about it.


Decisions...decisions...decisions...

[Donald]

my fuel economy has taken a nose dive. My last full full fullllll tank got me 550kms.

Some of us dream of that kind of economy

[wurlycorner]

Yep, that's definitely snapped alright!

[BlackShadow]

My venerable H23A1 is starting to make a lot of unsettling noises, tapping, clicking, and, slight knocking. I am finding it seems to like oil a lot more than it used to. I am constantly having to top it up. A couple of times it has caught me by surprise, right at the bottom dot on the stick. The oil itself smells strongly of gasoline. I think this engine is not long for this world.

I went outside today and topped it up with oil...again, and decided to do a little cleaning.

Before:



After about 1/2 hour with the degreaser and spray bottle of water:



I took off the heat shield to see what was going on underneath and I found a contributing factor to my CEL, exhaust smell in the cabin, and the source of my exhaust leak sound.



All things considered, I am thinking it is time for a swap on this car. I already have an H22 powered lude, and I have enjoyed the H23A1 in this car, so I am going to go with an H23A VTEC. I have the M2B4 (LSD) transmission to go along with it.


The only problem I can foresee is the fact that the car is a 19[pain in the ass]96 (OBD2), and off the top of my head I can't think of an OBD2 ECU that will work for an H23, and VTEC. The closest I can think of is a 97-01 Prelude, but the redline will be too high for the H23. I'm not an ECU guru, so I will have to explore the options.

ECU suggestions are welcome as that isn't my forte.

[wurlycorner]

Nice work cleaning the engine bay up and yes, that manifold will definitely be causing some problems
(surprised it doesn't also sound like a tractor though?)

Nice choice on going h23 vtec

[BlackShadow]

the weird think about the exhaust on this car is now the tailpipe is quieter. The whole car is quieter as a whole... except for that telltale hissing from the leak. I knew right away something was up when it got quieter. I figured the flex pipe went for a burton. I had no idea the manifold would fail like that. Crazy stuff.

I was looking around locally at some part outs and found this:

A running H22A4 + mounts, intake/exhaust manifolds and, dizzy. $240...or 130 quid!



I had to pick it up. It runs, but has some blow by. I figured I'd use it for some parts on my cars, and to tinker with.

I'm still sold on the H23 VTEC. I love the torque of the regular 23, and I'm looking forward to the added sweetness of high end power to go with it. I can't wait to get my hands on one.