Project Steph's 1978 Honda Civic 1200

Bill · Post by **Bill** » October 5th, 2013, 5:28 am

Wow, 5k AUS is a bargain, I can't touch that level paint here for 9k US, and I get a deal on it at that!
Can't wait to see the Valve Cover and assembled Alternator!

Steph · Post by **Steph** » October 5th, 2013, 6:06 am

I've been meaning to ask, which way do the brushes go back in... with the long 'tail' trailing rotation (underside), or is sitting on the upside, as in 'chiseling' the surface? That's the best i can come up with as an explanation, I'm exhausted, been working on the car all day...

amifsud · Post by **amifsud** » October 5th, 2013, 5:23 pm

I think from memory they go in with the long end facing away from the direction of rotation. I recently replaced a set in my dads Ford Laser, and I'm sure that's they way they went in too. It has a similar alternator to the Civic.

Steph · Post by **Steph** » October 5th, 2013, 6:47 pm

amifsud wrote:I think from memory they go in with the long end facing away from the direction of rotation. I recently replaced a set in my dads Ford Laser, and I'm sure that's they way they went in too. It has a similar alternator to the Civic.

Thanks Adrian, that's the way I intuited they would go. Steph

Bill · Post by **Bill** » October 6th, 2013, 4:00 am

Thats okay on the little pigtail. Most of the wire should be in the brush well so that there is enough for the brush to stay engaged as the brush wears out.
just more notes from the other side...

=Bill

Steph · Post by **Steph** » October 6th, 2013, 4:26 am

Thanks Bill, that's excellent info!

Steph · Post by **Steph** » October 9th, 2013, 7:00 pm

trying to get the crank pulley off and I came across this...

steve.ewing@ottawa.ca · October 10th, 2013, 6:32 am

Will you be replacing the v-belt as well?

Steph · Post by **Steph** » October 10th, 2013, 6:59 am

Yes, that's how I change all my belts, I combine it with a little trick I like to do with a jimmy bar, were I bounce the engine up at the top mount just enough so I can slip the belt under it. So, it basically adds about 5 extra seconds to the operation, but who's counting?.. I'll upload a video of it shortly. :P

Steph · Post by **Steph** » October 24th, 2013, 6:42 pm

I have been working day and night for 8 weeks now, and it never ends... which is OK, coz I'm loving it...

...anyway, much progress has been made... I'll post photos when I have time to process them, but seriously, I just haven't had the energy, I'm working that hard... I've come to have a special appreciation of Justin and his counterparts. Doing a non-swap custom is huge enough as it is, but doing a swap would be a whole different world of hurt IMO!

... next time maybe... we'll it's the natural progression I think...

I was trying to add 500mls to the oil capacity, as well as provide some baffling for hard turns, and the extra windage tray on the other end/side of the sump. I also wanted it to be super clean once it was painted, so it looks like a Milodon, etc,

the baffle is angled to encourage fast drainback to the pickup after hard braking, as well as trapping a good amount, and directing it back towards the pickup on the initial jamming on the peddle, rather than having it all sloshing to the front and ski-ramping in the air where the crank hits it and drag occurs (power loss), not to mention oil gets atomised and such, so it's more likely to find its way through the crankshaft breather. The baffle also holds the oil next to the pickup on hard right turns, and directs the initial slosh back into the pickup...