Cobl18's 98 Civic Ex Slow build thread

Cobl18

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yeah my dad has perfect credit and he was giving me tips last night on what i could do to build my credit. Even if I don't need to replace my head ill take that loan out so i can at least have some sort of credit just in case i need a loan for my car again haha! So If i do replace my head should I go with a OEM head gasket or a Cometic headgasket? Also I noticed that ARP calls the head bolts head studs. Is there a difference in how their put on or work or something? I took a look at mine and there just big bolt and it looks like the ARP ones are like studs with a nut that goes on the end? Just a bit confused I dont want to spend 100 bucks and get the wrong thing.
 

Failsafe88

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Your dad could help out your credit if he got a joint credit card and used it. Small loan will build up your credit it just takes a little while.
 


Cobl18

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tomorrows the day that i finally attempt to fix my car. After collecting all the tools necessary tomorrow I'm tearing it all apart to put the belt around the cam gear. I got a 3/4 inch drive 18 inch breaker bar, a 16, 10, 5 and 3 inch carbon steel extensions and a hefty 17 mm socket. I also grabbed the harmonic balance holder tool thing to hold it still. ill post pictures tomorrow, hope it works.
 

Cobl18

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so that harmonic balancer bolt was the easiest part of the whole ordeal of fixing my car today, its amazing what the right tools can do when it comes to getting a job done. Good news i don't have any busted valves, by some miracle they all tested out and when i took it for a test drive it ran perfect and that weird noise i had been hearing had gone away. I have a feeling the cam gear was just a bad one from the factory and i realized that the torque specifications for it were in foot pounds not inch pounds like i had told my mechanic leading me to believe that this was the reason that it failed so horribly. The timing belt was in near perfect shape so I didnt replace it since it only had 6,000 miles on it. I torqued everyhting down and when I went to start it nothing happened! no power anywhere. I id a quick check and my 80 amp battery fuse had blown somehow. I took my girlfriends car to auozone and picked up 2 just in case and as soon as i put the new one in it fired right up. I did a bit of work on the valve cover and cut off the lip that hold the top of the timing belt cover on so i can slip it off at shows and leave it on while in DD to keep it safe =) Now my next project will be to finally put in my birthday present from my grandma maybe this weekend since i have work and college all week. I'm glad it went smoothly but i was wondering if anyone would be interested in loaning my breaker bar, extensions, harmonic holder tool, and the socket for shipping and 10 bucks to do their harmonic bolt? just a thought.
 

MistahJuice

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Yeah the whole inch pounds thing could DEFINITELy have been the problem. Anyway read through your build and looking good, keep up the good work.
 

Cobl18

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Yeah my dad was like "how are you ever going to be a engineer if you can't even read" lol!
 

Cobl18

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yeah im kicking myself in the head not being able to read the difference between FT/pounds and IN/pounds. I drove it to school this morning and she purred like a kitten. My next step is installing those gauge bezels and stuff that i got for my birthday. After that its bill time for car insurance and my phone so ill be broke next week then Christmas presents for my family and it looks like ill just be doing clean up and just some easy DIY stuff until after Christmas. I'm debating on what i want to get with my Christmas money, what do you think?
 

Cobl18

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probably about 250 bucks. i need a new radiator because the one i have sucks so bad in Texas heat and a new front radiator and A/C condenser bracket would fix my headlight problem, but i also want my interior looking nice. my girlfriends getting me something for my car just i dont know what though. i gave her a list so she wouldn't get the wrong thing, believe it or not she was really helpful yesterday while doing my timing belt!
 

MistahJuice

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Sounds good man glad it worked out. I'd probably look into suspension with ur Christmas money depending on how much u get
 

emerican

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I would prolly go suspesnion or some bolt ones for the motor something youd actually get something out of for your money.
 

Cobl18

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makes sense, hmm i think ill go suspension. a nice lowered ride would look better than a regular height civic. plus its winter im pretty sure my car wont over heat this time of year. i know i already discussed the tein lowering springs and shocks but is there anything else i should throw in there to make it ride tighter around corners and look better? besides the strut bars i know that but like things that go with the suspension.
 

MistahJuice

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Yeah a stiffer spring/shock or coilover setup will help. Strut bars and sway bars will also stiffens her up in the corners but I u get a sway bar in the rear don't go too stiff unless u get a subframe brace as well. Also I'd say get a lip. Paint it an slap it on the bad boy. Oh and yea LCAs are a nice pretty add on the blacks works ones were on sale in the cc store
 

Cobl18

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So paint match the lip right? And I meant to say eibach not Teins, my bad. Hopefully when I got to get tires next I'll get some rims and rubber bands for tires. what exactly do the lca and black works products do?
 

emerican

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Lca's = lower control arms basically the only reason to get them is for looks, plan on doing a sway bar, or the bushings on your stock ones are worn out.
WHat juice meant by subframe brace is that if you run a really stiff sway bar you run the risk of messing up the subframe so the subframe brace just re enforces it and makes sure that dosent happen and allowes you to run big sway bar

Black works racing is sold on here and makes both of these parts i have them both and would defintly recommend them to anyone.
 


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