Thread: New '91 Classic Owner - new to Japanese, low on funds, in need of advice

Your crank angle sensor is located in the distributor on the right side of the valve cover. I would venture a guess it might be time to replace it with a used one, but perhaps someone else will have more insight on that particular problem.

If your axle is clicking, sorry to tell you but it is really not fixable, I would suggest replacing it. oem ones are hard to find but the best option, you can also visit your friendly napa or advanced auto. A buddy of mine said advanced auto has the lifetime replacement for the duralast axles, which are far from oem "green" axles, but I have been running a napa for a year or two now with no problems yet.

Sounds like you got everything else under control. I would ditch the egr if your state does not smog, but that is my personal hatred of the clutter in the engine bay. And it is a project to delete it.

Keep us posted.

Dudeman

Thanks Dudeman! I'll poke around and see what I can find for that crank angle sensor. Will the JDM engine have a different sensor? Also, since it's JDM shouldn't it be missing the EGR? I need to post a bunch of pics of my engine bay to see if anyone can help me figure out exactly what is under there, as well as the exhaust. I like it, but all I know from my seller is that it's not stock. I'll post those when I've got more time.

By the way, the clunk is only once per time it does it, kinda like when you shift from drive to reverse in an old Chevy truck and the driveshaft kicks a bit. I think that's what you mean by clicking but I'm just making sure. Changing an axle seems like a pretty involved job, I may have to live with it for now. I think once I get that cleared up and do a tranny, radiator, and brake fluid flush in the coming month or so, I can start thinking about a stereo. I'm excited!

An update on what's going on: I came across a free Pioneer DEH-1100MP head unit from my brother and installed it, although I've only got one 5.25" connected to it because the other one's dead and the rear 6.5"s are missing. I'm thinking that in the interest of keeping costs to a minimum this'll do for a bit, then I'll buy poly-propylene Pioneers all around mostly because I can do that for under $90 and I like Pioneer. Then later for bass I'll look into that Boss Bass600 that Shawn found so satisfying and stuffing it under the driver's seat. That and my trunk's not sealing out water, so having a voltage/wattage-heavy appliance back there is a bad idea.

My project got a little sidetracked because I discovered that the rubber hose on the tank ventilation tube from the filler neck was leaking; 10 days' waiting and $60 to the stealership later I've replaced that. Now on to trying to find a shop to take out what little's left of my R12 so I can retrofit my A/C using a kit I purchased at PEP Boys. Any advice? I had a guy quote me $189 to remove it and the oil, replacing o-rings and whatnot, but that's a definite no-no for now, due to cash limitations.

I also do have a concern - my trunk becomes a swimming pool every time it rains, particularly with Texas' it-doesn't-rain-it-monsoons weather. I read somewhere this was common. Is it just the weatherstripping? And if so, would I have any luck at a pickapart or should I just contribute more to the stealership employees' kids' college funds? The current weatherstripping seems to be in better shape than other rubber on the car (my washer fluid line is like a slack shoestring. I felt like double-dutch after discovering it).

One final note: I'm taking pictures of the engine bay but I won't have time till later to post them. Keep a lookout for those.

Update to the update: The replaced fuel hose on the ventilation tube created more pressure on the rest of the line, so yesterday when I got off work I came back to my car leaking fuel all over the place in the front this time. Turns out it blew the rotted out fuel hose between the bottom of the fuel filter and the steel lines heading back to the tank. That was...fun. If anyone was wondering, that line's ID is 5/16". It took a while to figure that out.

Yeah, these classic does consumed cash and most people bank account.

I had the same problem with water in trunk..well, silicone around the rear light, there aer tabs that allow water to enter.

arcangel187,

Welcome to the forum. If you're looking for parts for your car. I still have some things (pretty much doing the Shawn B resto on my '92 B13 too!) you might need, just pm me for what your looking for. Don't forget to "Enjoy The Ride"

Hey man, if you're buying parts from the stealership, ditch that idea and go with Greg Vogel of G-Spec performance. He'll get you any OEM and most aftermarket parts you'd ever want for better prices and he'll know exactly what you're talking about when you say you need part x that's under part y about 2 inches to the left of part z.

The water in the trunk is due to one or both of the rear tail lights no longer sealing properly I believe. You can unbolt them and you should see sticky/tacky black tar goop that seals them. Yours are probably brittle and cracked or nonexistent in many places. It's any easy fix with some new goop.

Welcome to the forum neighbor. I am down in KilleenFt. Hood. I used to live in Irving off Story Road by Las Colinas. Maybe after I get this annoying Iraq tour out of the way we can link up and trade stories.

I have a white 92' myself. You are going to be very happy with the car if you are a budget minded person. Whether you want a spunky daily or a beastly turbo car both can be done affordably on the b13 se-r platform.

Soak up all the knowledge you can on here, as that will save you more money then anything. I don't know how much money I wasted before I got on this forum.

My personal suggestions for cheap upgrades

1. Move the pivot ball on your shifter down to make a short shifter. This is the best short shifter I have used, and its free!

2. Flush your brake fluid. If its the same fluid thats been in the car for 5+ years it needs to be changed. For $10 it makes a big difference.

3. Advance your timing. If you don't mind paying for premium it seems to make the engine feel more responsive. Atleast try it out and see what you think. here is a link http://www.sr20-forum.com/naturally-aspirated-all-motor/2566-how-adjusting-ignition-timing.html

4. If you stay N/A then stick with lightweight wheels. Bigger wheels will kill your performance. 15's are a good in between, but still try to find some lightweight ones (14lbs or less)

5. Find some people in your area with the same car Free parts and help!

Agreed on the GregV statement. He knows these cars backwards and forwards, great prices, great service. I call him regularly. Like about an hour ago, I have a B15 LSD tranny and clutch on the way. If necessary, he will also help you with advice during your install. He was talking directly to my mechanic (Mike) the other day about stuffing that B15 tranny into my B13.

And the proper name for the "sticky/tacky black tar goop" is dumdum. No kidding. And many folks will not know what the hell you are talking about. You can try the various auto-parts stores, or see if a local body-shop will sell you some.

The only issue with the "silicone fix" for the taillights is removal of said taillights. It can be a PITA if you ever decide you need those taillights off your car. The dumdum is what you really want.

i can just picture him asking for some dumdum..lol
that dumdum crap is a PITA to get off ur hands too.