timing belt & tune up

[JJCNSX]

Hi all,

I am planning on doing timing belt and tune up on my car

it has 34k miles.. it's 93. For peace of mind, i think i will do it just for the heck of it..

I am planning to do

Drive belt
serpentine belts
water pump
thermo stat
cam seals
crank seals

maybe be valve adjustment too..

(1) what else should i do?

I dont know if i want to replace all the radiator hoses.. but, i think i will replace the ones that will be easier to get to with timing belts off, and the ones that burts often

(2) what hose should i replace?

Please help!

Thanks

-jjc.

 

[slashmatt]

I've done all of that +

ABS High Pressure Hose
Check Coolant bottle for crack near mounting point (will become a problem)
Clutch Master Cylinder
I replaced all the hoses

 

[Zishan]

Re: I've done all of that +

ABS High Pressure Hose
Check Coolant bottle for crack near mounting point (will become a problem)
Clutch Master Cylinder
I replaced all the hoses

Yup, I did all that also plus a clutch, minus ABS hose. Btw, be ready, it cost a lot of $$$$!!!

 

[nsxtasy]

When you say "tune up", I assume you are referring to the 30K/60K/etc service, which includes changing fluids (engine oil, brake fluid, etc) and filters (air filter, oil filter, fuel filter, etc).

Expect to pay $1200-1500 for the timing belt / water pump, $1000-1200 for the 30K/etc service, and smaller amounts for the hoses etc.

 

[EIFFEL]

To replace cam seals, engine will have to come out to access the seals. it may be good idea to replace all seals if you are pulling the motor.

 

[JJCNSX]

To replace cam seals, engine will have to come out to access the seals. it may be good idea to replace all seals if you are pulling the motor.

WOOW,, this is a surprise.. Are we sure about this? This is the first time i've ever heard about having to pull the engine to get to the seals.

-jjc.

 

[JJCNSX]

Re: I've done all of that +

ABS High Pressure Hose
Check Coolant bottle for crack near mounting point (will become a problem)
Clutch Master Cylinder
I replaced all the hoses

Sorry, to sound dumb..

what is ABS high pressure hoses? where are they located.. or better yet, do you have the Part number?

thanks

-jjc.

 

[slashmatt]

I'm sorry I can't tell you

I had the service done for me...

Some other problems I've resolved are
brake pads/rotors
clutch
AC Control Panel/Motor
Starter
2 O2 sensors


Ouch, the NSX isn't quite the "everyday" supercar that everyone seems to believe it is. In fact, after all the service I've had done + the price of the car, I think I'd have been better off with a certified Porsche Carrera 4 ('01) with a warranty.

 

[EIFFEL]

You got to pull the cams to do the cam seals, or we use to drop the motor and make the whole job alot easier. ( tech's personal preference)

 

[JJCNSX]

You got to pull the cams to do the cam seals, or we use to drop the motor and make the whole job alot easier. ( tech's personal preference)

shit... is it worth the trouble??? have to drop motor to get to CAM seals.. or pull CAMS to do CAM seals?? woow!

 

[nsxtasy]

I had the service done for me...

Some other problems I've resolved are
brake pads/rotors
clutch
AC Control Panel/Motor
Starter
2 O2 sensors


Ouch, the NSX isn't quite the "everyday" supercar that everyone seems to believe it is.

More likely, you either haven't taken good care of your car, or you bought the car from someone who didn't. I haven't had any of those last three problems, and the first two are normal wear and tear on any car.

 

[Meeyatch1]

Re: I'm sorry I can't tell you

...Ouch, the NSX isn't quite the "everyday" supercar that everyone seems to believe it is. In fact, after all the service I've had done + the price of the car, I think I'd have been better off with a certified Porsche Carrera 4 ('01) with a warranty.

You mean like the Carrera 4 Cabriolet that we have that spent ONE YEAR in the shop trying to figure out a transmission problem when the car was 2 years old with 10,500 miles?? I think not. After that the motor for the top gave up, and the top itself had to be replaced. Not counting winter storage, the car has almost spent more time in the shop than on the road. Warranty or not, that is a pain in the a$$.

(*I will take an NSX any day of the week.)

 

[slashmatt]

More likely, you either haven't taken good care of your car, or you bought the car from someone who didn't. I haven't had any of those last three problems, and the first two are normal wear and tear on any car.

You think I DON'T take care of my car. Is the list of maintenance done since I bought the car in the summer not enough to prove that I DO take care of my car.

Every problem I've listed and repaired IS a NORMAL problem for the NSX. My car only had 29,000 miles on it when I bought the car. It was taken care of, but this 10 year old limited production car was much more expensive than I was lead to believe by the NSX's much lauded reliability.

 

[nsxtasy]

Every problem I've listed and repaired IS a NORMAL problem for the NSX.

Not true. Just because a few cars have a problem, doesn't mean that all the cars, or even a lot of the cars, have it. For example, of all the hundreds of NSX owners who I know and who report their problems here, I can count the number of starters replaced on one hand - and have fingers left over.

And as for the first couple of problems you list, EVERY car - including the 911 - wears out brake pads, rotors, and clutches. You bought a used NSX in which the previous owner abused the clutch; if you didn't want to risk that, you should have bought a new car.

However, no car is guaranteed to be perfect - not the NSX, not a new Accord, and certainly not a new 911, as Meeyatch1 notes. Your problem is that you didn't want to spend more to buy a newer car with a warranty, and you thought you would save some money by getting an older car without a warranty. And you did save money on the purchase, but you need to spend some on repairs. That's the way it goes. If you don't want to risk the cost of repairs - with ANY car - then get a new one, or a certified used one. Whether it's a 911, or an NSX. A certified '01 NSX comes with a warranty, too. Heck, even an un-certified '01 NSX is still under warranty. But a newer NSX with a warranty costs more than an older one; you'll pay more for the purchase, but not for the repairs. You decided to take a risk by buying a used car with no warranty, and you paid what, $30-40K less than a new one - and you ended up paying a few thousand (I'm guessing under $5K) for some repairs. Big deal; you STILL came out ahead. If you're sorry you took that risk, then buy a new car and you won't have to worry about repair costs for the first four years you own it. And you'll pay $30-40K more for it. (Or $20K more for a certified used one, which will have a warranty for a shorter period than a new one.)

 

[RyRy210]

slashmatt, I've seen early models NSXs (recently a '91 w/ 2K miles) that many think is in the same condition as an '04 NSX that just rolled off the assembly line. I've looked at this car closely and 90% of the hoses are dry and brittle. Fluids are all discolored and smell really funny.

I'm on my 2nd NSX and I have none of the aforementioned problems at all. Every dollar I've spent was on normal wear and tear items and normal maintenance. Like what nsxtasy said, I suspect your NSX wasn't as nice as you initially thought. It might have only 29K miles, but it's still a '95 and should have at least 9 yrs of maintenance done to date.

 

[Ennesssex]

slashmatt,

Obviously paying 5 to 7 grand in maintenance is alot for any vehicle regardless if its a honda, porsche, etc. In general I think the people on this forum are trying to lead people to believe comparatively speaking to other vehicles in its class the NSX is cheaper to maintain. However, cheaper to maintain would not necessarily mean that it is going to be cheap. For example a 10 year old porsche might need 8 grand in routine maintenance whereas a 10 year old nsx might only need 5 to 6. All in all I hope you still enjoy your nsx for what it is.

 

[DanO]

****... is it worth the trouble??? have to drop motor to get to CAM seals.. or pull CAMS to do CAM seals?? woow!

Somewhere there is/was a discussion re: cam plugs and how to replace them w/o complete cam removal. I cannot find the thread--think it was in the DIY Forum.

DanO

 

[JJCNSX]

I never anticipated that replacing cam & crank seals will be such major task.. pulling the engine sounds like a major overhaul .. i am not sure if i am willing to do that on a 34k miles car.

well, let me understand more .. when you said removing CAM, you mean the CAMSHAFTS or the CAMGEARS?

also, would it involve with replacing the headgasket?

how often do ppl replace CAM and Crank seals anyways?

thanks in advance.

-jjc

 

[nsxtasy]

how often do ppl replace CAM and Crank seals anyways?

I have never heard of anyone doing this as part of a scheduled maintenance routine.

What makes you think you need to do this?

 

[JJCNSX]

I have never heard of anyone doing this as part of a scheduled maintenance routine.

What makes you think you need to do this?

i thought it is a good idea.. since i already have timing belt off.

well, i heard of ppl doing so on NSX...

on a supra tt, when you do timing belt, this only take another few min.. and the parts is like 5 dollar each. 2 cams and 1 crank.. for peace of mind.

should i or not.. um..........

btw, anyone has the online manual on which ABS hoses to replace? i am confused .. pls help


-jjc.

 

[slashmatt]

Look...

I'm not trying to bash the NSX. It's a great car. But my costs have been in the $15k range, not 6-7. For that much money, I could have purchased a newer NSX, a newer porsche, or a brand new M3. The total cost of car + repairs is $55k.

Also, I should mention that the dealerships I've had my NSX worked on have been far from professional. The first one (I'm not mentioning names), adjusted my valves incorrectly and installed a new starter incorrectly.

When I had the 02 sensor problems, I asked the (2nd dealership) tech what could be causing this problem. He said that he had no idea, and they would need to keep the car and drive it 1000 miles to figure out why my sensors were failing. We looked under the car and I saw oil seeping out around the oil pan. The tech just said "they all do that", and left it at that.

I finally found a good NSX tech, Mike @ MCA in Homestead, FL, who showed me all of the problem areas the dealerships missed and immediatly knew what was causing my 02 sensor failures. He charges $30 less per hour than the dealership, and is a real pro. When he works on my car next week, all of the problem areas will be resolved. It turns out the Cam seals (leaking oil) probably caused the 02 sensor failures.

I want my car to be perfect, and haven't spared any expense in getting it fixed. The problem is that I'm used to Porsche, BMW, and Ferrari dealerships (for my Dad's cars) that really know how to use "Due Diligence" when a customer has a problem(maybe not all Porsche dealerships). The Acura dealerships act like little kids running into Justin Timberlake for the first time whenever I bring in my NSX.

 

[JJCNSX]

Hi Slashmatt,

i'm sorry for what you had to go thru. But, you have to understand that when you purchased a rare car (NSX), you need to find a trusted tech. to fix your car. Dealership might not be your solution, there are tech. in the dealerships that have never worked on NSX. Maybe you should ask if the tech who work on your car is NSX-certified.

For Supra tt owners, we dont bring our supra tt to dealership, because more than likely we (the owner) know more about it than the tech.

i dont mean to bash those tech., just the fact that Acura/Toyota tech are not specialized in NSX/Supra tt.. Unlike porsche and Ferrari, their tech only see sport cars, they were probably trained differently.

anyhow, this is getting a little away from the topic, i will stop here.. and let's start another complain thread outside of my topic..

i am in need for advice on ABS hoses, and if there is an easier way to pull CAM seals.. thanks

-jjc.

 

[DanO]

I never anticipated that replacing cam & crank seals will be such major task.. pulling the engine sounds like a major overhaul .. i am not sure if i am willing to do that on a 34k miles car. well, let me understand more .. when you said removing CAM, you mean the CAMSHAFTS or the CAMGEARS?

also, would it involve with replacing the headgasket?
how often do ppl replace CAM and Crank seals anyways?

Replacing the cam plugs involves partially or completely removing the camshafts, not the head, but the pulleys too. If your plugs are leaking then the t-belt replacement is a good time to have it done since the t-belt might have to come off to replace these anyway.

DanO

 

[nsxtasy]

If your plugs/seals are leaking then the t-belt replacement is a good time to have it done since the t-belt might have to come off to replace these anyway.

DanO,

If there is no sign of leaking, would you do this as a preventive measure, or not?

 

[DanO]

If there is no sign of leaking, would you do this as a preventive measure, or not?

Nsxtasy, good question. Personally, I would not replace them as preventative maintenance. However, it is not an easy decision. To do the cam plugs right, the t-belt has to come off so if the plugs are going to need replacement within the next 6-7 years, it might make sense to replace them.

Replacing the plugs involves removing the cam pipes across all four cylinder banks. This requires many (over 20 per head) bolts to be removed and installed and re-torqued in sequence. Personally, I would loosen all of the sprung tappet set-screws so that there is even tension on the cam during installation therefore a valve adjustment would be necessary. For a good mechanic, this is relatively easy work. For a bad mechanic, he could do more harm than good or a simple mistake could end up messy.

The risk of potentially messing up the engine to replace plugs that probably don’t need replacing is enough for me to shy away from this as preventative. And so what if the plugs leak a few drops of oil—it builds character.

.02

DanO