DIY Automotive Guides
Learn to work on your car with step-by-step guides for maintenance, repairs, and modifications
Honda Civic EK 5-Lug Conversion Using CRV Parts
Converting your Honda Civic EK from 4x100 to 5x114.3 bolt pattern opens up a world of wheel options and allows you to use larger brake setups. This guide covers the popular CRV conversion method, which is one of the most cost-effective ways to achieve a 5-lug setup.
Installing Coilovers for Lowering Your Car
Coilovers allow you to lower your car while maintaining adjustability and ride quality. This advanced modification requires mechanical knowledge and proper tools. Consider professional installation if you're not confident in your abilities.
Replacing Front Brake Pads
Worn brake pads can compromise your vehicle's stopping power and safety. This guide covers the process of replacing front brake pads, a common maintenance task that can save you money when done yourself.
How to Change Your Engine Oil
Regular oil changes are essential for maintaining your engine's health and longevity. This guide will walk you through the process of changing your engine oil and filter, a fundamental maintenance task every car owner should know.
KW ST Coilover Installation on the Acura TSX, with Bushing Clocking
This guide covers installing height-adjustable coilovers (KW ST Speedtech) on an Acura TSX Sport Wagon; the procedure applies equally to the related TSX/Accord chassis. Beyond the basic remove-and-replace work, it details bushing clocking: re-torquing the rubber control-arm bushings at the new ride height. This step is usually skipped, but tightening bushings with the suspension at full droop forces them to twist far beyond their working range once the car settles, which damages them and is costly to fix. Bushings should always be clocked to the current ride height (within about 0.5 inch). The result on the original car was a firm but well-controlled ride with much flatter cornering than stock, with front spring rates (12 kg/mm) that appear chosen to also accommodate nose-heavy V6 variants. Adapted from a community writeup by B serious on Honda-Tech (https://honda-tech.com/forums/suspension-brakes-54/coilover-diy-review-pics-kw-sts-tsx-wagon-3250600/), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Honda Civic (1992-2000) Front Wheel Bearing Replacement
This guide covers replacing a front wheel bearing on 1992-2000 Honda Civics (EG and EK chassis; the same layout applies to closely related models such as the Del Sol and Acura 1.6 EL). A worn front bearing announces itself as a droning or growling noise that changes with speed and cornering load. The bearing is pressed into the steering knuckle with the hub pressed through it, so the knuckle must come off the car and the old bearing and hub must be pressed out and the new parts pressed in - either with a hydraulic press (many shops will do the pressing for $30-50 if you bring them the bare knuckle) or manually with hammers and a threaded-rod puller setup as described below. Adapted from a community writeup by black magic on Honda-Tech (https://honda-tech.com/forums/suspension-brakes-54/diy-92-00-civic-wheel-bearing-replacement-2833700/), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Civic/Integra Rear Trailing Arm Bushing Replacement (On-Car Method)
The rear trailing arm is the member the rear suspension pivots on, and its large front bushing controls how the rear axle behaves under cornering load. Worn (cracked) rubber bushings add play, and aftermarket polyurethane bushings are known to bind: the writeup's author traced an abrupt rear-end step-out at track speeds directly to binding ES poly bushings, and replacing them with Mugen hard rubber bushings transformed the car's rear stability. This procedure replaces the trailing arm bushings with the arms still on the car using a dedicated puller tool, avoiding removal of the trailing arms and brakes or a trip to a machine shop. Two measurements taken before removal — the bushing's rotational position (clocking) and its installed depth — are critical to bushing life, so do not skip them. The whole job took the original author about an hour. Adapted from a community writeup by rmcdaniels on Honda-Tech (https://honda-tech.com/forums/suspension-brakes-54/how-quick-easy-civic-integra-trailing-arm-bushing-replacement-also-es-poly-vs-mugen-1589298/), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Chipping Honda OBD0 and OBD1 ECUs for Programmable Tuning
Socketing (chipping) a Honda ECU replaces the factory ROM with a 28-pin socket and a programmable EPROM, letting you run custom fuel and ignition maps, raise limiters, and datalog through free tools such as BRE and Turboedit (OBD0) or Crome, Uberdata, and Hondata (OBD1). This guide covers the classic chippable ECUs: OBD0 PR3 and PW0 (difficulty 3/10), OBD1 P05, P06, P08, P28, P30, P74, P75, and OBD1 PR3/PR4 (difficulty 4/10 if the latch is already on the board, 8/10 if you must add it), plus notes for the City Turbo T2 ECU (code 108, difficulty 6/10; a T1 should also work using the T2 ROM image). Important limits from the author's follow-up answers: automatic-transmission OBD1 ECUs cannot be chipped, and neither can ECUs made after 1995 (e.g. a P72 must be a manual, pre-96 unit). This is precision soldering on an irreplaceable board - damaged traces can total the ECU - so work carefully. Adapted from a community writeup by bmgjet on OzHonda (https://ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?162731-How-To-Chipping-Honda-ECU-s), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Honda Civic (EG) Fuel Pump Replacement
This guide replaces the in-tank fuel pump on an EG Honda Civic; the pump is accessed under the rear seat, and the same approach applies to most Hondas of the era. Common causes of fuel pump failure include prolonged use of poor-quality fuel, habitually running the tank below reserve (which lets the pump run dry), bad electrical connections, and plain old age. Failure symptoms and diagnosis aside, the mechanical swap is straightforward: drop the rear seat, open the access cover, disconnect two fuel lines and one plug, lift the pump cradle out, and transfer the new pump onto it. Note one platform difference reported in the discussion: some 1994+ Civics use a yellow plastic clip connector on the fuel feed line instead of the 17mm banjo bolt shown here (though the source car was a 1995 EG with the banjo bolt — check which fitting your car has). Adapted from a community writeup by tiksie on OzHonda (https://ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?164462-How-to-change-a-Fuel-Pump-on-a-EG-Civic-(Can-be-applied-to-most-other-Honda-s)), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Honda B-Series Harmonic Damper Inspection and Fluidampr Upgrade
The harmonic damper (crank pulley/balancer) on the crankshaft snout does more than drive the water pump, alternator and A/C compressor: it counters torsional twist and resonance vibration in the crankshaft. The OEM elastomer damper is tuned to a narrow frequency range for the factory setup; once forged internals, cams, forced induction or nitrous alter the engine's harmonics, the stock damper protects less and robs horsepower and torque, and its rubber bond degrades with heat and climate cycling - a failure mode the factory service manual never schedules for inspection. Uncontrolled resonance can wear or destroy the crankshaft, bearings, oil pump and even the valvetrain. This guide covers inspecting the stock damper, choosing a replacement for a modified B-series (which is internally balanced - the stock damper carries no counterweights), installing a Fluidampr viscous unit, and verifying the result. The author fitted one to a forced-induction B-series rebuilt from the ground up and measured a 36.4 dB peak noise reduction at idle. Adapted from a community writeup by jetspeedz on Honda-Tech (https://honda-tech.com/forums/forced-induction-16/fluidampr-jetspeedzs-personal-impressions-review-how-install-write-up-3329855/), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Hardwiring a High-Flow Fuel Pump with a Dedicated Relay (Honda/Acura)
High-flow aftermarket fuel pumps such as the Walbro 450 LPH draw far more current than the factory fuel pump circuit was designed to carry. This procedure hardwires the pump through a dedicated 40 A relay fed directly from the battery with 10 AWG cable, using the original fuel pump power and ground wires only as low-current relay trigger signals. The result is full battery voltage at the pump and reduced load on the factory harness and main relay. The writeup was performed on a 1999 Acura Integra GSR (DC2) ahead of a Walbro 450 LPH install, and the same approach applies to other Honda and Acura models of the era with model-specific wire colors. Every crimped joint is also soldered and double-layer heat shrunk for vibration resistance. Adapted from a community writeup by Destructive- on Honda-Tech (https://honda-tech.com/forums/forced-induction-16/official-how-hardwire-fuel-pump-3279999/), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Honda DOHC Non-VTEC Rocker Cover Gasket and Cam Plug Reseal
Oil weeping down the upper block, grime around the cam cover, or unexplained oil consumption on a Honda engine past 100,000 km is very often a failed rocker cover gasket or camshaft end plug (cam plug). This procedure reseals every upper gasket and O-ring on the head: the rocker cover gasket, the spark plug tube O-rings, and the notorious rubber cam plug behind the exhaust camshaft end holder. A leaking cam plug can contribute to significant oil loss over time, so a full reseal is the proper fix rather than smearing sealant on the outside. The writeup was performed on a D16A8 and applies to Honda DOHC non-VTEC engines (D16A8, B18A, B18B); DOHC VTEC heads are about 95 percent the same process except the rail above the camshafts must also be unbolted before the cam end holder can come off, and SOHC rocker covers follow almost exactly the same principle. Note the forum title says "upper head gasket" but, as corrected in the replies, the part being replaced is the rocker (valve) cover gasket - the actual head gasket is not disturbed. Work on a cold engine, preferably after sitting overnight. Adapted from a community writeup by bennjamin on OzHonda (https://ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?22561-DIY-Upper-head-gaskets-replacement-reseal-(non-vtec-DOHC-engines)), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
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