General maintenance (Replacing factory parts)

[idk706]

Since I had just purchased an imported gen 1 NSX I had a 3rd party garage look at the whole thing for me for a couple hundred bucks. Overall everything was good, (radio doesn't work but that seems to be normal) just needed to change oil/filter, coolant which I had just gotten done. Have new spark plugs and an engine air filter and fuel strainer coming in too and I can do all of that myself.
The car has about 70k miles on it and I'm afraid that without any service records I don't know if the original Japanese owner had done anything like replace the timing belt/control arms. He still had front tires from 2014 and rears from 2019 on it which I am getting replaced this week.
Should there be anything else I'm on the lookout for? I have driven about 250km on it already in the month i've owned it (lol) and it rides like a dream (pulls very very slightly to the right)

 

[Old Guy]

You did not specify a model year which is always useful. Since it is a JDM vehicle, is that 70 k actually miles or km?

The timing belts sold by Honda in Japan have a little sticker in the package for marking the service date. Check on the engine timing cover or in the engine area to see if you can find the sticker. Absent a sticker or any other evidence, if the distance is actually 70 k miles then I would be planning for a timing belt replacement along with the tensioner. Your picture indicates a pre 2002 model so it is now more than 20 years old. Replacing the water pump at the same time as the TB is being done would be prudent. It would also be prudent to replace all of the coolant hoses if they are original. Water pump replacement requires removal of the timing belt so don't plan to replace the water pump after doing the timing belt.

You mentioned control arms. I have never heard of anybody suggesting control arms as a regular maintenance item. That is typically something identified by inspection. Since you mention 'pulls to the right', an alignment check after the tires are replaced would be in order which might identify suspension issues.

Depending on the model year you may have the original design lost motion assemblies (LMA). These can get sticky and noisy and in 2000 Honda revised the LMA to a simpler design which was immune to sticking. I believe this requires lifting the cams so co ordinate it with TB replacement. SOS sells an LMA replacement parts package.

ScienceofSpeed Lost Motion Assembly (LMA) Kit - NSX, 1991-99

ScienceofSpeed Lost Motion Assembly (LMA) Kit - NSX, 1991-99 The lost motion assembly (LMA) is a spring device that puts pre-load on the center VTEC rocker when it is the unlocked position (when the engine is not in VTEC mode). The early NSX (1991-99) LMA

www.scienceofspeed.com

Main EFI relay failure due to solder fractures / solder migration almost appears inevitable on the NSX if the car receives regular use. The relay on my 2000 failed in 2019 or 2020. You can purchase a new replacement relay now and install it or remove the existing relay, pop the cover off and reflow all the solder joints.

 

[Honcho]

The timing belts sold by Honda in Japan have a little sticker in the package for marking the service date. Check on the engine timing cover or in the engine area to see if you can find the sticker.

On all JDM NSX models, the service providers place the timing belt sticker just below the tire pressure information sticker on the driver side door jamb. They typically write the date (using the Japanese imperial calendar) and the mileage in km. If your car had the TB/WP service, the sticker will be here.

 

[Old Guy]

Now I know the correct placement for the sticker that came with the belt I got from Amayama.

 

[idk706]

You did not specify a model year which is always useful. Since it is a JDM vehicle, is that 70 k actually miles or km?

The timing belts sold by Honda in Japan have a little sticker in the package for marking the service date. Check on the engine timing cover or in the engine area to see if you can find the sticker. Absent a sticker or any other evidence, if the distance is actually 70 k miles then I would be planning for a timing belt replacement along with the tensioner. Your picture indicates a pre 2002 model so it is now more than 20 years old. Replacing the water pump at the same time as the TB is being done would be prudent. It would also be prudent to replace all of the coolant hoses if they are original. Water pump replacement requires removal of the timing belt so don't plan to replace the water pump after doing the timing belt.

You mentioned control arms. I have never heard of anybody suggesting control arms as a regular maintenance item. That is typically something identified by inspection. Since you mention 'pulls to the right', an alignment check after the tires are replaced would be in order which might identify suspension issues.

Depending on the model year you may have the original design lost motion assemblies (LMA). These can get sticky and noisy and in 2000 Honda revised the LMA to a simpler design which was immune to sticking. I believe this requires lifting the cams so co ordinate it with TB replacement. SOS sells an LMA replacement parts package.

ScienceofSpeed Lost Motion Assembly (LMA) Kit - NSX, 1991-99

ScienceofSpeed Lost Motion Assembly (LMA) Kit - NSX, 1991-99 The lost motion assembly (LMA) is a spring device that puts pre-load on the center VTEC rocker when it is the unlocked position (when the engine is not in VTEC mode). The early NSX (1991-99) LMA

www.scienceofspeed.com

Main EFI relay failure due to solder fractures / solder migration almost appears inevitable on the NSX if the car receives regular use. The relay on my 2000 failed in 2019 or 2020. You can purchase a new replacement relay now and install it or remove the existing relay, pop the cover off and reflow all the solder joints.

Whoops I always forget to do that. My mistake. It is a 1991 RHD JDM auto. It is about 74k in miles. (119k km)
I found the sticker in my door jam. Does this mean it was replaced in July 2014 at 77k km?
If so great.
I'll purchase a relay set I watched a video on that.
If the LMAs are not a huge thing to replace I can wait on that.
Coolant hoses I'll order from SOS and do that too.

I really do appreciate you guys taking the time to reply to my posts. I'm just so happy to have the dream car finally.

 

[Honcho]

Whoops I always forget to do that. My mistake. It is a 1991 RHD JDM auto. It is about 74k in miles. (119k km)
I found the sticker in my door jam. Does this mean it was replaced in July 2014 at 77k km?
If so great.
I'll purchase a relay set I watched a video on that.
If the LMAs are not a huge thing to replace I can wait on that.
Coolant hoses I'll order from SOS and do that too.

I really do appreciate you guys taking the time to reply to my posts. I'm just so happy to have the dream car finally.

Correct. Heisei 26 is 2014.