[FirstAccord]

Well not new, but its my first and I have alot of questions, google showed me here. It needs a fair bit of cosmetic work, its got some bumps and dings, needs new paint, the front two seats are ripped and theres no radio, but the engine works for now so its what I really need. My big problem, however, is the engine, it needs new spark plugs really bad (kinda surprised it started up) and new belts and a full oil change plus whatever else I find. I was just wondering, is this car going to be forgiving of a newbie trying to do some of that with the help of friends who know about cars? I figured I would do the belts and oil change no problem but the spark plugs, would I be better off buying some and having a mechanic install them or would it be ok to try it myself. I dont know if anyone has any experience with auto parts in Georgia (I am right on the border with Florida) but if you do, I could really use a ballpark estimate of costs. On an almost unrelated side note, the car had no tags or insurance on it since I bought it from a mechanic and not a dealership, and untill I get paid on monday I wont be able to get the insurance and drive it to my house down the road a ways, he offered to keep it parked there out of the way, I appreciate it but I cant stop this nagging feeling something bad is going to happen, or he will mess with it. Am I being paranoid or did this happen with alot of peoples first cars? Lol.

 

[MetaEnder]

IMO a '95 Accord would be a great car to try and do a lot of the work yourself. The newer the car the more technical expertise you seem to need in order to mess with anything.

I can't give you any costs really, but I can tell you that I'm sure the mechanic'll just leave it. If he's trying to get rid of it because it's sitting around then I doubt he'll mess with it... Too much, depending on the cost that is.

 

[reframmellator]

Spark plugs are really, really easy on that car. You'll need a fairly long extension to get to the plugs, but they sit right on top of the engine. Don't panic if the plugs are covered in oil. It means your valve cover gasket is leaking and should be replaced. Never did it on an Accord, but very easy on any other car I've owned.

Key thing for you is to find out when the timing belt was last replaced. They must be faithfully replaced every 90,000 miles. That is not a job for a noob. A dealer or good independent mechanic can do that for you, and you should probably replace the water pump while you're in there. there's very little extra labor to change the WP once you're into the timing belt R&R. Unfortunately, that could set you back as much as $450-700 depending. I'm pretty fearless when it comes to car repair, and I'm sure I could do the timing belt if I needed to, but too many things can go wrong if it's not done correctly, which is why I say it's not for rookies. Others who have done their own timing belts may have a different opinion that carries more weight than mine.

You may already know this, but here's why you can't skimp on the timing belt. Your engine has what's called an interference design. That means when the valves are fully open, they go past the point the crown of the piston reaches at full compression. The timing belt keeps the valves and pistons from trying to occupy the same space at the same time. Should the belt break - and it has been known to happen - the valves lose all self-control and try - once - to push the piston out of the way. This is bad. Bad for your engine (more precisely, the pieces of what used to be your engine - seriously) and very bad for your wallet.

In general, fifth gen Accords seem to be pretty reliable and durable. My '94 was my first and I loved it. Mine actually rusted out in upstate NY before it gave out mechanically. I'm confident I could have taken that engine past 400,000 miles.

 

[htekken]

Yes, spark plugs are fairly easy to replace. and can be done by yourself. If you want to try at it as well as other things, look into buying a Haynes manual or Honda shop manual. Body parts exterior and interior are easy to fix/replace too. Thats why i love working on mine.

 

[A&Fbro28]

Well not new, but its my first and I have alot of questions, google showed me here. It needs a fair bit of cosmetic work, its got some bumps and dings, needs new paint, the front two seats are ripped and theres no radio, but the engine works for now so its what I really need. My big problem, however, is the engine, it needs new spark plugs really bad (kinda surprised it started up) and new belts and a full oil change plus whatever else I find. I was just wondering, is this car going to be forgiving of a newbie trying to do some of that with the help of friends who know about cars? I figured I would do the belts and oil change no problem but the spark plugs, would I be better off buying some and having a mechanic install them or would it be ok to try it myself. I dont know if anyone has any experience with auto parts in Georgia (I am right on the border with Florida) but if you do, I could really use a ballpark estimate of costs. On an almost unrelated side note, the car had no tags or insurance on it since I bought it from a mechanic and not a dealership, and untill I get paid on monday I wont be able to get the insurance and drive it to my house down the road a ways, he offered to keep it parked there out of the way, I appreciate it but I cant stop this nagging feeling something bad is going to happen, or he will mess with it. Am I being paranoid or did this happen with alot of peoples first cars? Lol.

Might help to fill out you personal info so it shows where you are located etc. See how up in top right of this post you can see mine? reason why is because there may be a loyal member close to you willing to help you out.

Welcome to the board. Post pix soon. The F22 engine is very reliable motor.

 

[FirstAccord]

Thanks for the replies, I changed my details so hopefully that will help. My bank is closed till Monday so I cant do anything till then but hopefully I will be able to get the engine fixed up. I was wondering, I looked for the specs on the EX and alot of it is incomplete, I was just curious what the difference was and what makes my Accord an EX instead of, say, a DX.

 

[A&Fbro28]

Thanks for the replies, I changed my details so hopefully that will help. My bank is closed till Monday so I cant do anything till then but hopefully I will be able to get the engine fixed up. I was wondering, I looked for the specs on the EX and alot of it is incomplete, I was just curious what the difference was and what makes my Accord an EX instead of, say, a DX.

EX has power windows, door locks, moon roof, 80 watt cassette player w/ 6spkrs. 15in alloy wheels w/ 195/60 performance tires vs DX/LX 14in 185/70 tires w/ hubcaps, ABS w/ 4 wheel disc brakes. Body colored door moldings and mirrors. Premium cloth or leather. The engine is 2.2 liter VTEC 145hp vs DX/LX 130 non-VTEC. EX also has dual tipped muffler vs DX/LX's single tip. I'me sure there is more but I hope this helped.

 

[FirstAccord]

Wow thanks, cant wait to restore this thing to its former glory lol.

 

[A&Fbro28]

Wow thanks, cant wait to restore this thing to its former glory lol.

I'd love to see a b4 pic. I love this model. I remember back when i was 16 the mother of a boy i used to watch at the roller skating ring had one. She'd let me drive it. Had great top-end compared to my moms 94 Nissan Altima at the time...lol.

 

[FirstAccord]

Yea, problem will be my funds are very limited so it will probably take a while. Now I have a car I can try to find another job lol.

 

[A&Fbro28]

Yea, problem will be my funds are very limited so it will probably take a while. Now I have a car I can try to find another job lol.

whats exactly wrong? i can help. That car has a lot of stuff on a budget.

 

[FirstAccord]

Well I know it needs spark plugs and wires. It also needs some bodywork, spoiler has a crack in it, lots of small dents, and the front seats are torn/ripped so I will need to see how that works out, if its comfortable I can get away with seat covers but I might have to replace the seats. Unfortunately I dont really know alot past initial inspection so I will need to wait till I have a mechanic look at it, hopefully prioritize.

 

[FirstAccord]

Bad news, the head gasket was burntout, there was water in the oil and a dead cylinder. I took it back to the guy I bought it from he is looking over it. Right now I am checking my legal options but I have no idea whats gonna happen. Hopefully this will get worked out, I really want an accord lol. I'll keep you posted.

 

[A&Fbro28]

Bad news, the head gasket was burntout, there was water in the oil and a dead cylinder. I took it back to the guy I bought it from he is looking over it. Right now I am checking my legal options but I have no idea whats gonna happen. Hopefully this will get worked out, I really want an accord lol. I'll keep you posted.

Oh that's ****ed up bro. Get your money back, I'll help you find something when you do. PM me.

 

[FirstAccord]

I dont think I will be able to get my money back, but he said he will fix it free if I give him the part. The problem is he says it might be cheaper to just buy an older used engine. My problem now is I dont know where to find an engine or how to know if its in better condition, I will probably go look tomorrow but if you know any sites I could really use the help lol. Another thing is how much the head gaskets are, I was pretty sure they were cheaper than a whole used engine.

 

[lpaudio2]

Why not do a h22A swap. Common swap in these cars a huge power increase (its the prelude engine)

 

[A&Fbro28]

Why not do a h22A swap. Common swap in these cars a huge power increase (its the prelude engine)

That's exactly what I was thinking. If you have VTEC already which EX's do, i'd look for H22a1(190-210hp/156-158tq). If non-VTEC, I'd do H23 (160hp/158tq). Both can make added power from bolton's too. Let us know if you have any other questions.

 

[FirstAccord]

I feel a little better knowing the engine I am looking for but I am curious how much the engine itself costs, most of what I have seen online are parts and total swap including labor hours. A few more questions: How will I know its a genuine H22, I saw a pic of the H22A1 stamp on an engine but I dont know where to look for it. Also, if the head gaskets are the main problem do I need to buy the complete engine or could I get away with just the engine block and cylinder heads?