NSX Refresh!

[kaede]

Hi Everyone,

I have been neglecting my NSX for a couple years and haven't really driven it as I often work overseas. She has been sitting around in the garage and haven't had any proper maintenance done on her. BUT THIS YEAR is going to be different, i am gonna sent her to the shop, get things done to her, and make her alive and well again!! Here is a list of things i am planning to do, please suggest me anything else i should do!! Thanks!

- Motor Oil (Motul 300v 5w-30) and Denso "Tall" oil filter
- Tranny fluid (going with 2 parts GM Synchromesh Friction Modified and 1 part normal GM Synchromesh)
- Clutch fluid (Motul RBF600)
- Walbro 255 LPH Fuel Pump
- OEM Coolant
- Venair Reinforced Silicone Coolant Hose + all the other OEM coolant hoses
- SS brake Line
- Brake Pads (Hawk HPS)
- Brake Rotors (probaby Power Slot)
- Prospeed Injectors + ROM tune
- Headers (i picked on up from Prime couple years ago, dont recall the brand, i think its top speed?)
- NA2 Type R Suspension

That's probably all the stuff i'll be doing to the car soon.

As for car experts, something REALLY scary has happened several times recently and i am VERY paranoid and don't think my NSX is fit to be driven. The brakes feels EXTREMELY WEAK. Sometimes when i press on the brake pedal the car doesn't even stop, it feels like as if the brake has completely gone (NO BRAKING POWER AT ALL, can not feel the brakes one bit)!! but after a couple more pumps the brake weakly comes back in. What could be wrong? what do i need to replace? maybe the whole brake master cylinder? I hope it is not something major as i am running on a tight'ish budget.

Thanks guys!!

 

[LJSB]

Take your car to a mechanic you trust and get whatever is wrong with your brakes diagnosed and repaired. If you're on a tight budget forget that other stuff. Fix your brakes.

 

[kaede]

Most of the stuff i already stock piled over the years. The only thing i need to buy is spark plugs, coolant, tranny fluid, and brake fluid (for both brakes and clutch). Everything else i have lying around xD

 

[BB]

As for car experts, something REALLY scary has happened several times recently and i am VERY paranoid and don't think my NSX is fit to be driven. The brakes feels EXTREMELY WEAK. Sometimes when i press on the brake pedal the car doesn't even stop, it feels like as if the brake has completely gone (NO BRAKING POWER AT ALL, can not feel the brakes one bit)!! but after a couple more pumps the brake weakly comes back in. What could be wrong? what do i need to replace? maybe the whole brake master cylinder? I hope it is not something major as i am running on a tight'ish budget.
Thanks guys!!

I had the exact same thing happen to me about a month ago. I replaced the master cylinder and flushed the system with new brake fluid. This solved the problem and the brakes feel normal again.

The part number for the master cylinder is 46100-SL0-954 ($283 from oemacuraparts.com). You will also need to get a 10mm flare wrench for removing the brake lines from the master cylinder. Do not attempt to do the job without this wrench or you may hurt your brake lines! I picked up a wrench at Lowes for $5 that worked perfectly.

With the flare wrench replacing the mater cylinder is extremely easy. The more frustrating part is bleeding the brakes. I went through 4 liters of brake fluid before all the air bubbles were completely gone. Definitely have more brake fluid on hand than you think you need!

If you're low on money then you could look at rebuilding your existing master cylinder. Do a search on the forum. I recall seeing some old threads where others were discussing this.

 

[Yes!NSX]

As suggested above, prioritize the brakes, x2!

If the brake pedal goes all the way to the floor and you don't feel any braking, it could be that you have a leak in your braking system somewhere. It could also be a bad MC. Since you are changing the brake lines and fluid anyway, just get someone to check your MC out, too. If it needs to be replaced, let them do it all together.

I would suggest that you take it to a good NSX mechanic in your area (doesn't have to be one from the stealership, necessarily...just someone who knows these cars)

Totally agree with getting the flared wrenches. I needed to change a brake caliper but couldn't get the coupling nut out without one of those wrenches. I thought about going with SNAPON but then found a complete set at Can Tire for like 20 bucks on sale and just picked it up. You can also check Princess Auto.

Cheers and good luck

 

[robbiedawg]

you might consider replacing the main relay.it's fairly cheap and easy to replace,and could prevent future problems.
other preventive maintenance i've done over the past few years includes a new coolant tank,thermostat, fuel filter, hp fuel hoses,and hp abs hoses (the only one of these on the factory schedule at 4 years or 60k miles i believe.)

i've probably gone a bit overboard,but i would rather over-maintain and hope to avoid breakdowns. i'm balancing if it ain't broke don't fix it,with yes,but it's 20 years old.

the car runs strong,is a pleasure to drive,and this work gives me confidence driving it.

 

[kaede]

i've probably gone a bit overboard,but i would rather over-maintain and hope to avoid breakdowns. i'm balancing if it ain't broke don't fix it,with yes,but it's 20 years old.

Exactly what i am doing, want to replace as many things as posible as form of preventative maintenance. Main relay noted! Will replace that as well.

As for the brake that is for sure my priority!! I'll probaby just replace the Brake Master Cylinder as well since it is not an overly expensive part form oemacuraparts.com.

Thank you very much guys! Anymore suggestions will be awesome!! Thanks!

 

[Yes!NSX]

May want to get the various bushings and rubber bits checked out too... why not

Also check your coolant tank. Mine just crapped out on me suddenly couple of weeks ago. Check around the plastic mounting tabs and around the seam. If you see any sign of cracks or damage, just replace the damn thing. What else... plugs if you haven't done them for a while. Check the air filter also

Ok thats it... now, go donate some money to your friendly mechanic and parts place!

 

[kaede]

I didnt include plugs on my list xD but i have those sitting around ready to go in as well :tongue: bushings and rubber bits... hmmm mind if you elaborate which ones specifically? haha sorry, sorta a mechanic noob. Ususally i just bring the car to my friendly Indy shop and tell them to take care of everything. Thanks!

 

[BB]

you might consider replacing the main relay.it's fairly cheap and easy to replace,and could prevent future problems.

+1 on replacing the main relay as good preventative maintenance. Both myself and nearly everyone I know has experienced this failure on our 20+ year old Hondas. It is so incredibly common that you're extremely lucky if it never happens to you. If it fails your car may suddenly die in the middle of the road and refuse to restart. This finally happened to my NSX last year. Fortunately I was on a non busy road when it happened.

The main relay part # is 39400-SL0-003 for $68 and it takes only a few minutes to replace. You can also fix it yourself with a soldering iron and solder sucker. Generally all you have to do is re-solder all the joints and it's as good as new. I recommend buying and installing a new one, then fix the old one and keep it as a shelf spare.

Also, what about the ignition switch? These seem to wear out on older Hondas too and are also cheap and easy to replace. Again it's another simple thing that can potentially leave your car dead in the middle of the road. I recently replaced mine just to be safe. Part # is 35130-SL0-003 for $34.

 

[ftuhy]

As to using 4 liters of brake fluid - did you bench bleed the master cylinder? (Its required per the factory manual!) I did the bench bleed, resulting in few air bubbles and using just over a liter of brake fluid.

I had the exact same thing happen to me about a month ago. I replaced the master cylinder and flushed the system with new brake fluid. This solved the problem and the brakes feel normal again.

The part number for the master cylinder is 46100-SL0-954 ($283 from oemacuraparts.com). You will also need to get a 10mm flare wrench for removing the brake lines from the master cylinder. Do not attempt to do the job without this wrench or you may hurt your brake lines! I picked up a wrench at Lowes for $5 that worked perfectly.

With the flare wrench replacing the mater cylinder is extremely easy. The more frustrating part is bleeding the brakes. I went through 4 liters of brake fluid before all the air bubbles were completely gone. Definitely have more brake fluid on hand than you think you need!

If you're low on money then you could look at rebuilding your existing master cylinder. Do a search on the forum. I recall seeing some old threads where others were discussing this.

 

[BB]

As to using 4 liters of brake fluid - did you bench bleed the master cylinder? (Its required per the factory manual!) I did the bench bleed, resulting in few air bubbles and using just over a liter of brake fluid.

Yes, I bench bleed the master cylinder. I saw only a few air bubbles at first too, but they kept coming and coming. I finally decided that I was pumping the brake pedal too quickly. Pumping it super slow (i.e. 5 to 10 seconds to do a pedal down stroke which seems like an eternity) resulted in fewer bubbles.

Also I ended up bleeding my brakes 3 separate times since my pedal kept feeling like it had too much free play before the brakes would really bite. It wasn't until my 3rd bleed attempt that the pedal engagement point felt 100% normal again. I guess I was being a perfectionist as my brakes did feel reasonable after my first bleed, but there is no denying they felt even better after my 3rd bleed.

 

[Old Guy]

This seems really obvious - timing belt. You didn't list it and unless it has been done in the last 7 years, you should consider adding it to your list. Honda's recommendation for time limit on the belt for cold climates is 7 years (although Vancouver doesn't really qualify as cold climate).

 

[Larry Bastanza]

As to using 4 liters of brake fluid - did you bench bleed the master cylinder? (Its required per the factory manual!) I did the bench bleed, resulting in few air bubbles and using just over a liter of brake fluid.

Agreed, I use about a liter for a complete system flush, including the bench bleed.

HTH,
LarryB

 

[robbiedawg]

This thread,some comments honcho made on another thread about wanting to make his car like new,and noticing that SOS has an nsx refresh program (and looking at various upgrades they have) got me thinking. My car is almost 20 years old,and i hope to keep it another 20 years or more. So,what do I need to do to it to keep it running great long term?Here's a somewhat alphabetical list i've made,with things already done in parentheses.

Battery- cables,terminals,other grounds,ignition switch (got new holddown bracket)

Brakes- abs upgrade or delete (s/s lines,abs hp hoses)

Clutch- master and slave cylinders,sos damper delete

Cooling-radiator (expansion tank, all hoses,thermostat)

Fuel-lines,pump (hp hoses,filter)

LMA's-sos replacement kit

Main Relay- done

Oil Pressure- sos relocation and sensor kit

Seals,Misc- sos cam plugs,could use some suggestions for others in engine plus what weatherstripping besides targa seals to get

Shocks- Bilstein or oem

Stereo-briank rebuilt amps

Suspension- bushings,tie rod ends?

Targa- stupidly expensive seals

i'd love to get some comments and suggestions.thanks

 

[scammy]

This list could go on for a while, there is a brilliant thread created by Kaz from the UK forum on all the bits you should do to the NSX over time, the thread is that good (66 pages) that it should be a sticky on here. One thing to add when i did some massive maintenance on mine was drive shafts with new boots and grease.