For the past couple of weeks, I’ve had to put the blog, my dad’s CRV, and my B16 swap on the backburner because I’m applying for a better position at work and have had to focus all my attention on that. Resumes, action plans, due diligence, and chatting with corporate execs have pretty much used up any free time I’ve had.
I even thought about not posting the blog this week just because I haven’t done any work on any cars since we got my brother’s car all up and running last week. I’m extremely passionate about the blog, and just the thought of not posting this week was making me feel like a failure. I knew though, that it would be in my best interest to focus all my time and energy on applying for this position because, after all, my career is more important than not posting once on my blog.
This coming Monday, I will have my interview, and either way it goes, I’ll know that I gave it my all, which, for me, is what matters the most. After all, what’s the point of doing something if you’re not going to try your hardest? Whatever the outcome is, I will just be happy the stress is over, and I’ll finally be able to go back to working on cars (which I’m missing like you wouldn’t believe). Working on cars for me is more than just a hobby; it’s a stress relief, it’s my happy place, and it’s extremely gratifying.
I’m always trying not to make excuses for myself, and I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I couldn’t meet the goals I have set by not posting. There’s plenty of time in the day, I just have to not be lazy. So, with all that being said, this week’s post is not as in-depth as usual, but I wanted to make sure I was able to get some content out about where the CRV is at and what still needs to be done on it. Parts do continue to roll in for it, and I am still waiting for more to come in as well.
So here is what I have done with the CRV since it’s been back up and running.
I started off by restoring the headlights. Restoring the headlights is actually quite simple, and it can have a dramatic effect on the car’s appearance. Below, you can see how bad the left side (driver’s side) was, and you can also notice how the right side (passenger’s side) was oddly discolored only on the top portion.
You can click the link below to read my write up on how to restore headlights.
I begin by taping off around the headlights so I don’t damage the paint while sanding.
Then the final product. You can really see what a difference it makes, and how they are able to be restored to almost brand new.
Next, the thing I had to do was a valve adjustment. I decided not to do a complete DIY for this but rather just take a few pictures as I went through it. I will do a complete “How to” on doing a B-series valve adjustment once I start to dive into my B16 swap project.
It’s always a good idea to perform a valve adjustment on a motor if you’re unsure about its history. B20 engines are susceptible to misfire issues when the valves are not within proper specifications.
Above you can see the motor as it sits now. I bought a new K&N filter, had to replace a heater core hose, and reattach the pcv line. Below I dive into the valve adjustment.
The sticker under the hood will tell you the proper valve lash specs. Make sure you are using the correct measurement on the feeler gauges. It’s listed in inches under the hood, but usually the feeler gauges will list MM first. The feeler gauge will have both in/mm, just make sure you’re paying attention to which one you’re referencing.
For all VTEC B series, K series, D series, and F series, the jam nut is a 10mm. I have a tool specifically designed for the job, but unfortunately, the B20 uses a 12mm jam nut. This means that I would have to improvise and just use a 12mm wrench and screwdriver.
I had only driven the car fifty miles before I did the valve adjustment, and the valves were a little on the loose side, but nothing that would be worth worrying about. Since then, I have been driving this car every day just to put it through its paces. This would ensure that the car would be dependable for my dad, and I would feel comfortable giving it back to him, knowing that it would be issue-free. One day, as I was driving to work, the CEL came on. I was pretty bummed out because he had a CEL on the old motor, and I had promised him that I would take care of it and make sure when I gave it back to him, there would be no CEL. All day at work, the day I was haunted by that CEL, I was perplexed. Once home, I was able to use my scanner tool to read what the code was.
As it turned out, this was the same code that was popping up for him previously on the old motor. I was confused because I changed out the trans and the torque converter for the JDM one. How could I end up getting the same code? Well, believe it or not, the JDM swap actually had one damaged sensor on it. This meant that I had to take the sensor from the USDM (old trans). The sensor I had to swap over was this.
It’s the Linear Shift Solenoid, and after some research, it seems to be linked to the reason why I’m getting the P0740 code. I have since ordered a brand-new OEM one from Honda in hopes that it will fix the issue (I’m still waiting for it to come in the mail). I’m confident that it’s the issue because it’s the only old part I used other than the intake manifold.
I also got a CEL for misfire after I had done the valve adjustment, which didn’t make sense because it shouldn’t be getting a misfire with the valves in spec. I did some more research on the interwebs and was able to deduce that it might be the spark plug wires. As you saw, I put a ton of brand-new OEM parts on the JDM motor, but I neglected to change the plug wires. I bought new OEM wires and haven’t had the misfire code come back (there are five hundred miles on it now).
Below are some of the parts that have started to roll in. I’m still waiting for a few more, obviously the linear shift solenoid is one of them.
He requested to get two new wheels because he was told his old wheels are slightly bent, and that makes it hard to balance them perfectly. I really wanted to get all four so it would make the car look really nice, but it started to get pricey.
Going to be doing a complete brake fluid flush, new pads, shoes, rotors, and drums (I’m still waiting for the rotors and drums).
I’m also going to be replacing all four tires too, nothing fancy, just some all-season with great tread life.
The damn CEL that is driving me nuts.
Along with the headlights, I’m going to be clay barring the paint and performing a detailing on it. I started on the hood and fenders but just need more time to finish the rest of it. I’m also attempting to restore the plastic bumpers, fender flares, and side moldings to black. You can see I started on the front bumper, and it made a noticeable difference.
Below, you can see the difference between the fender and the door. I polished the fender, but I haven’t done the door. (You can really see how bad the paint is on the door).
The paint on this car is horrible. I have clayed and polished the hood, but you can still see the bird droppings that have burned into the paint from never being cleaned off.
Here you can see the difference in the restored plastic (the fender flare) and the non-restored bumper.
I know lately some of the content hasn’t been the most interesting, but trust me, there is good stuff on the horizon. I’ve just been really tied up with finishing my dad’s CRV and wrapping up my brother’s car. Once these cars are done and gone, it will open up the space for me to start diving into the B16 swap in my four-door.
Some people think that I shouldn’t worry about putting out content weekly if I don’t have quality stuff to publish. Others really enjoy the weekly posts because it gives them something to look forward to. What do you think? Do you mind if sometimes the content isn’t that interesting? Or would you rather me skip a week or two until I can create more enjoyable content?
Hopefully, you enjoyed reading about some of the progress I’m slowly making on the CRV, and hopefully this will motivate you to get out and work on your car. It doesn’t matter if you’re making slow progress. If you’re moving forward, then you’ll always be getting closer to finishing your project. I was a bit too ambitious when I first got the car, thinking I would return it to showroom condition. I’m not going to lie, I’m a bit discouraged after seeing how the paint and plastic aren’t really cleaning up exactly like I wanted. I also don’t want to put too much effort into the paint because the car is just going to live outside and get hammered by the elements. In the end, as long as it’s dependable and runs smoothly, he’s not going to care what it looks like.
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