Originally Posted By: wagsg
Picked up my son's replacement for his '96 Accord today. Prior to buying, I had a mechanic check the lim since it hadn't been replaced yet. He confirmed that it may be beginning to leak (factored this into the purchase price), so I am going to have the repair done this week (pre-emptive strike).
Question is, what other items are accessible and should be replaced/repaired during this job? Whenever I have major work done, I like to take advantage of the labor already paid for to replace other items that may end up being more or less parts cost only.
FYI, a new radiator was put in several years ago so the Dex-Cool has been gone for quite some time. This is probably the reason the lim hasn't needed replacement yet. Also, I will specify the Felpro gaskets based on info from BITOG.
This car is in A/A- condition and has always been garaged and rarely driven in winter. I will try to post a picture in the 'get to know you' thread later.
Thanks!
You'll need the FelPro gasket set, part number MS98004T. That includes the new rubber/metal lower intake gaskets, some RTV, upper intake gaskets, valve cover gaskets, thermostat seal, and EGR gaskets. Like somebody said earlier, the dealer has an "improved" LIM gasket, but it's still plastic and still leaks prematurely. IMO, you'll be much better off with the metal/rubber Felpro gaskets- they'll solve this problem permanently. Be aware that FelPro also sells cheap OEM-style plastic LIM gasket. You don't want these.
You'll also want to pick up a connector for the heater hose pipe that goes into the lower intake. It's about $10, and they ALWAYS break.
It isn't really neccesary to pull the throttle body off the upper intake, but some folks prefer to do it that way. The kit doesn't come with a TB gasket, so it wouldn't hurt to get one.
While you have the engine apart, you'll want to make sure the EGR port into the upper intake is clear- scrape it out with a wire/clean with carb cleaner if it isn't clear.
Also, the oil pump drive is a very common leak on these engines, and it's easy to get to and re-seal while the lower intake is off. It's basically just the bottom half of a distributor, sealed with an o-ring. GM has come out with an improved o-ring (it's brown) that takes care of this problem. IMO, it's worth a trip to the dealer for this o-ring. You remove the hold-down clamp, pull the drive out with some big pliers, change the o-ring, lube it, and put the drive back in. No big deal, and it can save you a lot of trouble down the road.
I agree with MGregior that you should flush and refill with G05 antifreeze. It works fine in these vehicles, and will not turn into sludge like Dexcool. FYI, "all-makes" coolants are essentially Dexcool. They'll work... but I wouldn't reccommend them.
Like Buffamn said, locktite the bolts. I prefer red high-strength locktite... but the important thing is that you put SOME kind of locktite on them. Also, be aware that the LIM torque specs have changed- that felpro set will come with a paper that lists the new specs. You'll torque wrenches that'll do 115 inch-pounds, and 18 foot-pounds.
And last but not least... if you take nothing else away from my post:
KEEP THEM PUSHRODS IN ORDER. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES CRANK THE ENGINE OR EVEN TIGHTEN DOWN THE ROCKER ARMS UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO BET ROUGHLY $1500 AND THREE DAYS WORK THAT ALL 12 PUSHRODS ARE BACK EXACTLY WHERE THEY WERE BEFORE.
The intake and exhaust pushrods are different lengths. If they get switched... valves will hit pistons and your $$ and time investment will quickly triple or more. I like to take a shoe box, mark it for direction, divide the lid into 12 marked partitions, cut slots and insert pushrods into the lid. And I lay the rocker arms in order inside the shoebox. Also, once you have the valvetrain back together, it's a good idea to turn the engine over SLOWLY! with a ratchet. If a pushrod is out of place, it'll clunk to a stop... then you can figure out what went wrong.
