It’s T-Belt Time!!! - Our Garage - Super Street Magazine

With an engine swap still out of my budget range I figured I might as well do some maintenance on Leroy so I could get him on track and start sorting the car out. The problem was I had quite a few issues that left me less than confident to push the car on track. The first order of business was the timing belt. With over 190k miles, the car was past due for its second timing belt change and I wasn’t even sure if it had been changed once. Next on the agenda was getting the axles replaced since they have been clicking for over three years now. The rest were minor details I might as well complete while working on the car; let’s take a look at the recent progression.

Look at all that crud caked onto the engine internals, you can tell the previous owners and I have not been keeping proper oil change intervals.
Look at all that crud caked onto the engine internals, you can tell the previous owners an
Here I am taking out the old belt, it actually didn’t look too bad but the fact that my ignition timing had advanced 7 degrees from my last smog test was a pretty good indication that it had stretched and should be replaced.
Here I am taking out the old belt, it actually didn’t look too bad but the fact that my ig
Whenever you replace a timing belt it’s a good idea to go ahead and replace the water pump. It will only take a few more minutes and is well worth the risk of pump failure later down the road. Here you can see me applying three-bond gasket (aka Hondabond) to ensure a proper seal when I install the supplied rubber gasket.
Whenever you replace a timing belt it’s a good idea to go ahead and replace the water pump

Next on the agenda were the axles. Fortunately, I was able to snag a good used axle that was lying around at the Project Car garage (hey they steal parts from me all the time!).
Next on the agenda were the axles. Fortunately, I was able to snag a good used axle that w
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find an axle for the passenger side so I sourced one from RPM Auto Parts in Costa Mesa, the same place I picked up the timing belt, tensioner and water pump from.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find an axle for the passenger side so I sourced one from RPM Au

Since the suspension was already off the car I figured now would be a good time to finally install my Buddy Club roll center adjusters. I was really amazed at how much of a difference these things made and would highly recommend them to anyone with a lowered car, even if you don’t plan on tracking it. To remove the old ball joints I found a socket that matched the outer diameter of the base and pounded it out with a sledge.
Since the suspension was already off the car I figured now would be a good time to finally
Here’s a side by side view of the Buddy Club ball joint compared to stock, so you can easily see how much longer it is. By having a longer ball joint on a dual wishbone car it allows you to keep a lower ride height but have a longer strut length which keeps the lower control arm at a more normal angle. This level angle is what corrects the roll center and improves handling characteristics.
Here’s a side by side view of the Buddy Club ball joint compared to stock, so you can easi
A press with a full selection of dies would probably be the recommended way of installing the ball joints, but I used what I had on hand: a hammer. Since I didn’t care about the pretty sticker on the top it wasn’t much of an issue but be forewarned, even with assembly grease these joints are still difficult to seat. Once in place, I installed the supplied snap ring to prevent the ball joint from backing out at the back.
A press with a full selection of dies would probably be the recommended way of installing

With the suspension out of the car I wanted to address a serious problem with the EK (and other FF Hondas), the seam inside the fender well. Under track conditions the tire will often make contact with this seam and the result is a groove cut in the tire, often causing loss of tread but in extreme cases can lead to a puncture. I have marked along the seam places I will cut in order to make bending the seam flat a little easier.
With the suspension out of the car I wanted to address a serious problem with the EK (and
Using a pneumatic cut-off tool I make the notches along the marks.
Once cut I simply pounded the seams flat against the frame. By cutting the notches the seam lays nice and flat instead of having to stretch and warp the metal. Much better!
Once cut I simply pounded the seams flat against the frame. By cutting the notches the sea