apalileo : 1993 Accord DX

[apalileo]

January 2016 - Nardi Personal Blitz 330mm steering wheel and Nardi Personal hub!









Preparation included making a new harness for the horn along with the SRS bypass. I used a clock spring harness from the yard.




2.2 ohm 1/2W resistor from Fry's for the bypass (they didn't have 1/4W in small quantities):


Resistor bridging pins 1 and 3 for the SRS and a length of wire for the horn:


Ready! If I had gotten a 1/4W or even a 1/8W resistor, I would have had it tucked into the plug, but the 1/2W was just too wide.


This 5/8" ID washer serves two purposes: 1) it will ground the horn and 2) it pushes the hub back 1/8", allowing it to engage the turn signal cancel switch. Also, the hub was just shy of being tall enough for the splines so the nut would lock but the hub was still loose.


I found these blade fuse taps to create the positive contact for the contact ring on the back of the hub:


Measured and trimmed the lead from the clock spring harness to the horn contact. Used the original clock spring screw hole to mount it:


I also revisited the Prelude shift lever. Pulled the first one out of the Accord base plate and brought it to a machine shop. Turns out my delrin shift knob isn't threading all the way down because of the step where the threading ends. I had the shop cut the lever about 1/2" beneath the original taper and they pressed in a new solid steel threaded shaft.



OEM vs. modified OEM (both have been shrink wrapped):


Finished!


SRS light turns off after the initial check, horn works and steering wheel is solid and straight! The shift lever is only about 1/4" shorter overall, but because the shift knob can thread all the way down onto it, the knob sits about 1/2-3/4" lower. The nice thing is that the weight of the solid steel add on gives the shift a great feel! The shortened overall height gives a nice proportional shortening to the knob travel!

[excalibur02]

Installation of the wheel is very clean! Looks really good. Subtle upgrades like the shifter makes the car look and feel better.

[apalileo]

February 2016 - After passing my smog check in December I had been losing prime in the fuel system over night, especially when my car was parked facing uphill. There was also the faint smell of gasoline in the first few minutes of driving in the morning. I guess the fuel line got damaged when they conducted the evap test (which it passed).

I contacted my local Honda dealer and they informed me that the fuel line is discontinued. The parts staff even told me to go to a junk yard. I was thinking of building a custom AN line with Techna Fit parts and I ran across a Russell fuel line for the 96-00 Civic that looked like it would fit. Overkill? Yes, but it was necessary for proper function.

Russell part number 641110:


Versus the old OEM line:


Mounted on new fuel filter:


Clears the EGR just like the OEM one:


Routes exactly the same as OEM:


It's a bit snug beneath the vacuum box because it doesn't have the slight down turn on the fuel filter side banjo fitting, but everything mounts up fine.


I wish it wasn't all anodized blue and red, but it fits and that's what matters. I probably will build a custom line before my next smog test that includes a flow valve so the station doesn't risk damaging anything during the evap test again.

[cb9love]

Now that's a bit of bling i can get behind!

[apalileo]

@cb9love - I guess that makes two of us! It sticks out like a sore thumb to me, but better that than hard starts due to low fuel pressure!

I just got home from a drive and I'm wishing I had changed out the fuel filter when I first got the car! Feels like I relieved a lot of obstruction in the fuel delivery. Looking at the old unit, I have reason to believe it was the original one! There wasn't a single marking on the banjo bolt nor the flare nut going into the filter. That is until I had to unbolt them.

[Mike1357]

The time you took on doing the steering wheel the right way is fantastic. I also love the fuel line. If my line going to the filter hadn't snapped i probably would've used the same thing. Try looking online and see if they make the fittings in black; I recently made a bunch of lines for a customer with all black fittings.

[apalileo]

Thanks Mike! I intend on keeping the CB for a long time so I want to do everything right. The forums have been invaluable in that aspect.

I do plan on putting together a replacement fuel line with black or silver parts that includes a flow control valve (for the evap test during smog tests so they don't have to pinch the line). The Russell line was simply a convenience since it was pre-fitted. It's also a good option since the OEM part is discontinued.

[excalibur02]

fuel line looks good!

The same thing actually happened to me. Fuel line bent so had to get a junkyard replacement. This was a couple years back. When you do change it up you can always sell that one on here to another member.

[apalileo]

Thanks excalibur! I'll keep that in mind when that times comes!

Just a side note on the steering wheel install: That 5/8" washer forced the hub further down that it was intended to be mounted (most likely intended for non SRS Honda's). The splines of the steering wheel shaft "cut" the splines of the soft metal hub deeper. After first fitment, I was forced to use my large gear puller to remove it. It's really on there, but it's definitely solid.

[Darkcloud]

Good work so far, like how simple you're keeping the cb.

What's next on your list?

[apalileo]

Thanks Darkcloud! I do love the simple clean lines of the CB! I do appreciate a proper build with lips, spoilers and the like, but it's not my personal preference.

I'm actually gathering parts to upgrade to coilovers... soon.

[apalileo]

February 2016 - Power Steering Delete! A mod I had put aside for a while. A week ago I removed the power steering belt and fought with my CB, getting used to the idea of manual steering. This forced me to properly delete the system this weekend.

No pics of the process because it was tedious and very messy. Started out trying to preserve the bits and pieces and after a few hours and a lot of cursing, started hacking at it! The aftermath:


Per Rilas' information, I took out these bits from the housing, leaving the four way valve to prevent play:


Looped lines:


The new void under the hood (tempted to tuck wires now):


After a few days driving with this I was almost pleased. New information was found that others have added a reservoir to serve as an expansion/overflow tank, so I followed suit. Added a CB7 clutch reservoir on the passenger side along with 3/8" ID power steering return line and a 3/8" tee fitting.




This little addition helped free up the wheel a bit more at stand still and low speed. If fully functional power steering is a 10, then looped lines is a 7 and the addition of the reservoir is an 8. Only one point because it's only at idle and low speed is there a noticeable difference. I do love the overall feel of the steering now that I am more directly connected to it.

Also, I came to find out that my power steering was leaking at the VSS, one of the lines was not secured properly. I couldn't quite pull it off, but it spun freely on the nipple. That would explain my steady fluid loss and occasional fluctuation of power assist. I sometimes felt it become difficult at lower speeds, meaning the system was probably losing pressure and therefore reducing assist.

[apalileo]

I should also add that removing the belt alone is -3 out of 10.

[sonikaccord]

I had the belt off on my Lude and its way too hard to turn...even at neighborhood speeds, but then you get used to it. I might have to give the full conversion a try on the CB.

[Raf99]

Looks mighty clean under there! Great job. I tried the no PS too but decided against it. I found at slow speeds you were having to put your coffee down too much