Subtopic	Posts		Updated
	EK1 Engine Upgrade Question	1		10/07 07:42pm

By CC (203.56.239.113) on Monday, September 10, 2001 - 02:48 am:

Anyone know how much to cut off of the pushrod from an 81 civic hatch brake booster so it doesn't foul the brake pedal when put in a 75 civic?

Also has anyone done this brake booster conversion leaving all else as standard first gen brakes? There seems to be a lot more brake lines connecting to the 2nd gen booster.

By Anonymous (168.30.217.71) on Monday, September 10, 2001 - 05:38 am:

I'd also like more info on brake master cylinder/booster options. I recently put on wagon brakes, and I am unimpressed, I think I need a different master cyl./booster for full benefit. In the future I plan to go 4x100, and I know that I will need a better booster/m-cylinder setup than stock, but no one has commented on this part of the brake system.

By Anonymous (63.15.218.211) on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 - 04:33 pm:

it my understanding you can use the booster off first gen accord. with out doing much farting around

By CC (203.56.239.115) on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 03:39 am:

There's a past thread where Adrian spoke of cutting the pushrod down from an EN booster to fit a first gen car. Adrian if you're out there, have you done this mod? Do you know how much to take off? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

By Adrian (Civicguru) (203.42.97.227) on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 05:57 am:

Yep, I have. I'm using an EN booster with an EB dual reservoir master cylinder on it. I can't remember exactly how much you need to trim off the end of the push rod but I'd say probably about 5mm. Basically you put it together and cut enough off the end so it doesn't foul the brake pedal.

By Anonymous (208.60.186.98) on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 08:03 am:

Adrian,what is the benefit of the EN booster? I also have an EB dual reservoir m-cyl, I haven't noticed a difference with it. I have already converted my 1200 to '79 accord brakes on the front, I plan to put crx discs on the front, and civic wagon drums on the rear, Would the EN booster work well with both syetems? What part of the pushrod do you trim, the part that connects to the piston or the part that connects to the brake pedal? Keep in mind that my civic is LHD, us yanks drive on the *right* side of the road. Also, does anyone care to suggest what to do for putting on late model brakes on the rear, boring out the hubs to take bigger bearings, or cutting down the spindle shaft that the bearings go on. If you cut down the shaft, is the machining the same wether you want to use rear-discs or rear-drums, or is it different for both. I have also found a set of 4x100 mini lites, but the guy at the yard won't come down on the price, are these common in the states, or should I pay more than I want to pay for them? Thanks, for your time

By John S. (207.160.161.180) on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 11:47 am:

Unnanomuss,
Minilites...if they are true minilites, are not all that easy to come by in (USA)...depends on how much the guy wants, and how much you want them.

By Adrian (Civicguru) (203.42.97.227) on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 04:39 pm:

There may be no benefits to using an EN booster. I've gone through several EB boosters and they all eventually died. I was at the wreckers one day and found an EN that had been really well looked after and the booster looked almost new so I grabbed it to see if it worked. It's a few years newer than any EB booster and Honda should have improved the design I would think. It fits, it works and is better than any EB booster I've used (in that it works), but that doesn't mean it'll make a difference if your EB booster is in good nick.
The pushrod has an adjustment on the pedal end. I had to wind the adjuster all the way in at which point the end of the rod touched the brake pedal, I just trimmed the end off ... no big deal.
I forgot about the LHD issue ... I have no idea how your linkages are set up but even so there is no reason for it not to fit.
I'm using CRX brakes on the front, EN wagon drums on the rear and when the car actually runs its braking is fantastic.
Brake swapping has been covered in HUGE detail. Don't bore out the drums. The standard inner bearing has a larger ID and the outer a smaller ID. You modify the stub axle with minimul machining rather than the drum. I haven't tried a rear disc conversion yet (not really necessary) so I can't say what to do with the bearings ... it would of course depend on what you use.

By Anonymous (208.60.186.81) on Thursday, September 13, 2001 - 08:48 am:

I don't know if the wheels are actual minilites, but they are that style. They are 4x100, and 13", I found them on an older (84?)prelude. The guy at the yard wants $75 bucks U.S. for the set because they "got good 'tars on 'em", which might be reasonable if I wasn't poor. Adrian, I have read in detail and memorized the 4x100 conversion, I just want to know about the boosters and cylinders to suit the bigger brakes. I am sure that my EB booster is shot, I will look into something. Is it safe to assume that a booster is a booster, or can putting on a larger booster have a benefit. I think it's going to be a while before I can get to anything on the car, there is oil coming from the hole in the valve cover, I think its time for a new engine Thanks all, the no longer anonymous Tony. T

By Todd (63.50.56.41) on Thursday, September 13, 2001 - 01:44 pm:

Hey Eric,
How wide are those rims? I'd jump on them for 75$.

By CC (203.56.239.113) on Friday, September 14, 2001 - 05:54 pm:

Hey Adrian, did you have to move the clutch and choke cable to fit the EN booster?
Also do the brake lines to the master go on the same way, as in the line from the front connection in the old master to the front hole in the EN master. I dont have a manual for 2nd gen civics to know which line is for the front or rear brakes.

By Tim Harding (Timh) (63.161.30.183) on Friday, September 14, 2001 - 07:38 pm:

Hey, if anyone cares: I'm putting the brake booster, master cylinder, and proportioning valve from a '91 Integra into my '76. These parts were going to go into my '88 CRX, but then I started dreaming... I pretty much ripped out all the brake lines under the hood (engine was already out) and am just about done re-plumbing all the lines. The booster fits with a few minor mods, but I think it's going to work fine. My master plan calls for Integra spec brakes (or close), so I figured I might as well upgrade everything under the hood while it was easy to get to. The car is far from being driven, so I can't report on performance.

By Anonymous (208.60.186.130) on Saturday, September 15, 2001 - 10:49 am:

I have no idea how wide the rims are, but the tires on them are too big for my civ, so you have to consider the price of getting the old tires removed and putting the new ones on, balancing, etc. The shop might accept the old tires in exchange, I hope. I hope the guy still has 'em, honda patern mag rims are in high demand by the "3 with way too much offset, and one doughnut spare" sect. I found a similar set on an 89 saab, anyone know what pcd saabs are? Thanks all, Tony T.

By Adrian (Civicguru) (203.42.97.227) on Sunday, September 16, 2001 - 04:26 pm:

No, no cables need to be moved to fit the EN1 booster. About lines to the master cylinder - I don't know. As I said I'm using an EB master cylinder and I've completely re-plumbed all the brakes anyway (changed from diagonal split to front-rear split so I can change the bias easily and get the hydraulic handbrake to work).

By CC (203.56.239.117) on Sunday, September 16, 2001 - 05:34 pm:

Thanks for the info, I'm gonna do the refit this weekend and see how it goes.

By daniel andersen (208.50.80.71) on Sunday, October 07, 2001 - 04:05 pm:

i think the saab offset is 4x114
i have a few older saads at my house in the woods and an 84 prelude with the engine in good condition but i am opting for a different engine
ok hope that helps

By Daniel Andersen (166.82.55.141) on Sunday, February 10, 2002 - 02:28 pm:

the brake master cylinder from the 88-91 civics will bolt right on to the firewall... the only thing different about it is that it uses a clevis type connection to the brake bar. it doesnt stick out as much into the engine bay giving more room for the later engine transplants. hope this helps anyone.