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danteisme's 1996 DB8-Found and Rebuild Thread

131K views 895 replies 52 participants last post by  danteisme 
#1 ·
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dante and car, reunited!

Inspection and initial tear down
A floating GSR and MOAR Tear Down
Chassis Saving the...ummmm....Chassis
Chassis Saving Continued and Undercoated!
Moving Day!
Coated Fuel Tank and Misc. Pieces
Engine Tear Down Part 1
Subframe Pulled, Stripped Block Threads Repaired
Rattle Can Engine Bay
New Fuel Lines, Brake Lines, and Coolant Hoses
Subframe Back in, Transmission Out
ITR Oil Cooler Install, Evap Canister Re-Install, Speed of Science LMA Install
Timing Belt and Water Pump Kit, Valve Lash, New Fuel Meter and Fuel Pump
Valve Cover, Cap and Rotor, Plugs and Wires, New Drive Belts, Start of Body Work
Re-install Intake Manifold, Throttle body, misc vacuum and fuel lines, and start slicing the body!
Front Wheel Arch Repair Completed, Alarm Work, and Security Measures
No Good Bodywork Update + Shaved Door Mouldings and Front Bumper Repair
The Beginnings of an Electrical Nightmare and MOAR Bodywork
Minor Painting and Passenger Wheel Arch Replacement
Passenger Rear Wheel Arch Replacement Complete and Rear Bumper Install
Electrical Demon Captured!
First Start and Front Bumper Install
Uninstalling things I have already installed....diagnosing poorly running motor
Misc. Underhood work and Exterior Work
ECU Wire Harness Repair = Success + First Trip Out of the Garage in 2 years
So close....then it came crashing down...literally.
Out and about!
Random Pics and 4,000 mile since restoration
6,000 miles since restoration, winter storage and winter plans
Starting winter work: access to core support and investigating DIY Ice Box Intake with AEM Short ram piping
Window Motor and Door Glass Replacements
Bent Core Support Removal
Core Support Replacement and More Rust...
Front Windshield Removal and Rust Repair
New Front and Rear Windshields Installed!
Air Conditioning Diagnosing and Open Loop Error Diagnosing
Installed Wheelskin Cover and Road Trip to Melt Bar!
Mileage Milestone and Away for the Winter 2018
Beginning Tear Down and Body Work and Paint Prep!
Dashboard out for Wiring Harness Swap, and Seat Cover Swap!
Finally....FINALLY the Bad Harness is Out and Shows Where my Electrical Issues Came From!


For rust repair and working with rusty parts, just reference every page here...


First i'd like to warn people up front. This will probably be the longest, slowest moving build thread ever. I just bought a house that needs some attention to say the least, so the car will have her turn when i'm sure the roof over my head is secure.

Anyways, here is my story. I'm not sure how many people on here even would remember me. I bought my 96 DB8 with 64K miles on the clock back in the spring or early summer of 2003. put well over 100k miles on the car and then i decided to part ways with her in 2009. i had just graduate college, had a "real" job and the integra with 172K miles on her was starting to concern me. i sold the car, and i picked up a 2009 Tacoma. Well, maybe a year after that i started really regretting my decision selling that car but i was in no financial status to go out and buy another one.

Here is my old for sale thread, you can see all of the hard work i put into her.

https://www.team-integra.net/forum/69-pa-forum/196308-fs-96-gsr-sedan-4500-sold.html

This year and some of last year i've been telling my fiance how much i regretted selling that car and how rare it was and how i would never find one again. with our wedding coming up this fall, $$$ is tight so even when i did find something that peaked my interest, reality set in and i realized it would have to wait.

So lets fast forward to this past Friday. I have my usual routine at work. Get in, log in the computer, check woot and craigslist just to see what is out there. For whatever reason, i searched for integra. The first ad that popped up said 1996 Gsr $2500. I started thinking, same year as mine...i should look at it. I clicked the ad and HOLY CRAP. There was my car. I immediately started texting the seller. Sure enough,he bought the car 2 years ago from the guy i sold it to. I HAD to get her back, this wasnt just some other car that i could make like mine. This was my old car. I talked to the future wife, and she said she would be really upset if I didn't go get it. Worked out a deal with a small personal loan, and yesterday i brought her home.

Needless to say, i was grinning from ear to ear all day yesterday lol.

I do have my work cut out for me. She has been neglected and needs some TLC. motor wise though, she runs great. still pushing great oil pressure, no terrible sounds, no knocks etc... 214K on the clock now, transmission still shifts great (noticed it definitely needs new shifter bushings). the body is where it needs the most attention.

Here is a few pics of what she looked like when i picked her up. These are the sad pics...





You can see my tacoma in this one





 
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#293 ·
Wooooooo, i worked on the car this weekend! i removed the intake manifold and the other appurtenances along with that yesterday. it was actually easier than i thought, even with those 2 stupid nuts in the center of the IM behind everything else. not quite sure how i will get those back on there, but i'll cross that bridge when i get to it.

the main reason for removing the IM was so i have more access and a little more working room to replace some heater and cooling hoses, install my type r oil cooler, and to reinstall the powersteering and a few other items i'm sure i'm forgetting.

not a huge update really, but it is to me considering i havent really turned a wrench on this car in what seems like forever. also working on a new timeline for this car, always having to adjust that lol





 
#294 ·
i started to remove the factory 215K mile fuel line from the filter last night and broke 2 rusted bolts on the firewall. doh!

i also never realized what a spider web of coolant hoses there are under this manifold. this is my first time removing it. I'm willing to bet they all have 215K miles on them as well. i didnt grab a pic of the actual piece i found, but i found the part online. and...it is discontinued. this piece is all rusted up on my car. i'm not sure what the heck to call this piece, i'm searching ebay to see if anyone has one on there.

it comes up as this: 19504-P72-A00 PIPE B, CONNECTING..........DISCONTINUED
number 5 in this image.
 
#295 ·
spent a little more time this weekend with the car. and as always, i got some work done, and then found some more work that will need to be done. i started removing the fuel pipe for the feed and vent line when my drop light battery died. so i moved towards the engine bay and removed a few other items for a little more space.

i removed my power steering loop, temporarily relocated some coolant lines, and removed the abs unit from the fender well. the abs unit will be replaced with a new to me unit, and i plan to reinstall the power steering system for this rebuild.

before my light died, i noticed 2 compression fittings on some hard lines in the fuel/brake line area. i didnt get a chance to determine if they were on the fuel or the brake line though before my light went out. if they are on the fuel lines, no big deal because i have new lines for that. if they are on the brake line, well, now i have added something else to my list. ugh.

also, because i am a dork and stickers add hp



messy messy messy

 
#300 ·
i was thinking of a plan of attack to get some things done on the car this weekend, but now i have some questions. i have oem pre bent fuel feed and vent lines to replace the rusted and hacked ones on the car. removal will be easy because there is not much holding them together at this point. BUT...where the go up the firewall looks to be tricky. i unbolted everything from the firewall and its all loose, but am i going to have to remove the subrame to put in the new ones? i'm really not trying to kink these things with how much they cost.

if i do have to remove the subframe, i have never attempted anything like this before. can i lower it away from the motor and leave the motor in the car?

this all just occurred to me now as i try to plan my weekend wrenching lol
 
#302 ·
good info, i'll have to do some digging to see if there is a step by step to follow anywhere. i want to make sure i dont leaving anything connected that shouldnt be lol.

i had the front LCAs off when i was coating and recoating everything last summer so they should be good.
 
#306 ·
i feel like i've been here once before during the initial tear down...ugh...

re-ripped out the front suspension so i can drop the subframe hopefully some night this week. then i will attack the questionable brake lines and replace the fuel lines. then, while i have the subframe out, i'll take a look at anything else i should take on while its out and i have the extra room.



 
#309 ·


this came out way easier than i expected. i do see it being an issue trying to line up the rack with the steering column, but i;ll cross that when i get to it. while i have this out, i'll clean it up and coat it when the black chassis saver like i did everything else. with this out, there is a lot of room to work on some other items i want to tackle so this wont be going back in the car in a hurry lol.

with the subframe and the rack out of the car like it is, is it easier to replace the tie rods like this or is it easier in the car? the outer ones are kinda meh...i think when i checked the inners i didnt notice any play. i may replace them still, especially if it is easier to do so like this.

also, i found a thread on a civic forum by accident when trying to figure out how to remove the subframe and i thought i would pass the information on here. apparently there is a ford green paint that is pretty close to cypress green pearl. close, but its a little lighter. i sprayed the bottom edge of the door just to see how it matches, i think i may buy a couple cans of this and rock the car like that rather than all primered up when i finish the body work. long ways away from that, but its good to know.

i tried taking as good of pics as i could, but the garage light wasnt showing the paint correctly i dont think. i sprayed over some of the orange rust killing primer stuff at the bottom of the door edge.











this whole bottom edge was all orange before

edit: also forgot to mention, that rear motor mount came out in 2 pieces...added that to my list of parts i still need..
 
#313 ·
let me first start out by saying i should be able to work all winter on the car this year. i have two kerosene heaters in the garage now, and with them both operating it was nice and toasty in the garage compared to outside. i'd estimate it at at least 60 degrees inside of the garage yesterday.

i started out yesterday by finishing up my headliner and reinstalling that back in the car. i dunno why i didnt take any pics, next time i'm in the garage i will. honestly, it could have been better, but it would have been way to much of a PITA to take back out, strip all the glue, get another piece of fabric, etc.... there is a couple of places the glue bled through, and there is a couple of places where the fabric got a little folded up and there is a crease, but it will do.

then i moved on to the fuel lines etc.. of the car. i replaced the fuel feed and return line, i need to make a new vent line. i also need to order the rear brake lines because i dont feel like dealing with them when they are available at the dealership.

i went to replace the rear motor mount and 2 of the 3 bolts came out, the other one just spun and spun. the welded neut on the back broke off in the subframe. awesome. so i removed the brace and the rack to get access to it. a rusted bolt on the frame broke off in the frame as well....double awesome.... so i cleaned up the metal and welded the nut back in place and sprayed it with some rustoleum black.

here is the stupid bolt that broke...i cant get it to budge. i think i'm going to have to cut it flush and drill it out. any other ideas?



rack removed, broken mount and new mount


and the fixed subframe ( i just now realized this is a pic of the backside of the repair lol)



so next on the list was the timesert those holes in the block where the axle support goes. they have been bad since probably 3 years before i sold the car last time. this is such a neat tool


during


and of course, this wouldnt be my project without something going wrong....
one would not thread any farther than this (look at the one on the right compared to the left)


any ideas on getting this guy out? it def wont go in any further, i'm not sure what happened. i did all 3 holes exactly the same. should i just get some vice grips on it or a pair of channel locks on it and try unthreading it?

also, not sure if this was left over drip from disconnecting something above, but it looked like i had an oil seep where the shifter plugs into the transmission. is there a seal in this area i should be worried about replacing? i check a few of the part diagrams and it was hard to tell which part went where.



last pic, i love how much room i have to work on this car with all of the junk out of the way. looking for some ideas in this area.

i would really love to be able to have this much room working on the motor, but i'm not sure how i can do this. here is a list of the main items i need to work on with the motor and transmission:

-timing belt, water pump
-front main seal
-skunk2 LMAs
-change clutch
-change flywheel
-replace rear main seal.
-change oil pan gasket

now this is in no particular order. how do i support the motor so i can do all of this work, or is it unrealistic? i do not have an engine lift, nor the room to work one with the garage door closed. there is so much freakin room to move and wrench, i would love to be able to get as much done as i can with all of this extra space. once the transmission is out though, there is only one mount holding up the motor. i can't put a jack stand and wood under the oil pan though, because then i cant get the oil pan out, and if i cant drop the pan i cant change the rear or front main, and so forth and there is my dilemma. i'm open to any ideas, i probably wont get a chance to get back in the garage and wrench on the car until Friday night.

couple of other things to note, i wired up the headunit for the car while i was in the house waiting for the garage to warm up, i put my gauges in my quad pod, and i ordered new MOOG inner tie rods to match the outers i already have. and i dont think i added a pic of these yet. i figured why not, whats another few $$$ into the build at this point lol just a few pieces i ordered when they were 25% off.

 
#320 ·
worked perfectly! cleaned out the hole, then re-threaded it to make sure i got the full depth then cleaned out the hole again and they sat perfectly in the block. i have 2 time-serts stuck on EZ-outs but i can deal with that later lol.

as it turns out, one kero heater is NOT enough to keep me unfrozen when the temps outside are 14 degrees. i was only in the garage for about 35-40 minutes and yikes was it cold. need to order a new wick for the other heater, it pooped out on me.
 
#317 ·
One protip:

Make sure the hole is super duper clean. Run a cleaning tap though it if you have one. Blow it out with compressed air and brakeleen, anything else you can think of to clear chips before you thread the TimeSert in. Make sure to use just a drop of oil on the driver and the insert, per the instructions. Things want to be very clean when you do an insert. It makes all the difference in the world.
 
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