HondaCivicForum.com - What I learned about DIY tuneups...

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What I learned about DIY tuneups...

in a nutshell: be prepared to sweat yo ASS off.

my dad and i did my teg's 90,000 mile AND 115,000 mile tuneup in one weekend, and it was knucklebusting tedium to the last drop.

I changed my timing belt, alternator belt, power steering belt, AC belts, water pump, timing belt tensioner, tensioner spring, valve cover gasket, radiator coolant, oil, dizzy rotor and cap, thermostat and did a valve adjustment in the span of 9 hours over two days, and I STILL had to take my car into the shop to get the timing corrected because the timing belt apparently jumped a tooth. cost to fix: $250.

figure that in with the cost of the OEM parts i bought online for $350 and I saved roughly $1,500 to $2,000 this weekend.

everybody can do their own tuneups, but be prepared by arming yourself with a HELMs repair manual that's for your car's model and year, as well as having as many tools as you can.

I didn't need any power tools, but I did need a $20 honda crank pulley bolt holder so i could take the crank pulley off to change the belts. this tool is worth its weight in gold. It makes a nearly impossible job, fairly easy.

btw, changing your timing belt is much easier on single OHC cam cars because the single cam gear doesn't jump out of alignment as easy as it does on a DOHC engine like a B or D series engine.

BTW, i did my tuneup and then drove three hours out of town and changed my brother's radiator and thermostat in no time flat because his EG civic had so much room to work with. all you EG owners are lucky as hell.