There are only two different distributors. The Hitachi distributor has the ignition coil integrated into the distributor housing and the TEC distributor has a separate coil.
Bought a Cheap Accord
- Thread starter JoeDirt41
- Start date
The Accord EX of this year (1997) had a Hitachi brand distributor with the ICM inside the distributor housing. It is very similar to the Hitachi model on my 96 Civic HX. The posted previously picture definitely looks like the Hitachi in the engine bay..
I've got an extra Haynes manual for 5th generation Accords if you want it.
I realize that now. Pulled mine off today and yep, it's a Hitachi.
Got the ICM from Autozone today. Installed it in the distributor and the car started right up. Seems to run okay, idle got a little strange a couple times but smoothed out for the most part.
There is a slight rattle noise that has gotten quieter the more the car has been running, but definitely noticeable. I got my mechanic's stethoscope out and it seems to be coming from the top end best I can tell. Valves need adjusted? I've got a video of it where you can hear it pretty well.
The transmission was extremely low on fluid. I added about 2 and a half quarts. Used a Fram Global Multi-Vehicle fluid that listed Honda specs on the back. After adding the first 1.5 quarts, I took it for a short ride around the neighborhood, only about a mile. It shifted a little harsh, but it was still low on fluid at that point. Also first time it's been driven in quite a long time.
Got it washed and got all the tint off.
I'll take you up on that offer!
at first I thought your video was going to be piston-slap.. typical of that era.. but that noise is not piston slap, I'd say a valve adjustment would improve that, a little.. It sounds like it's running very well, it's how they sound, it's really normal.
Yup Hitachi, that's what I was saying it would be and yup ICM was toast, glad you got it running and it looks really good after you cleaned it up!
Now it looks like a OEM Accord. I want Tupac CD back.
Ok. I've had the book for a very long time. I had a '96 that got totaled way back in 2006 and I've been trying to get it to someone who could use it. PM me.
These engines do run fairly noisy at idle.... but some more recent direct injection engines run even noisier fwir. Yours is more than average from what I am hearing. My Mom's sounded like that and I did an oil change with about 3.5 quarts 5w40 and about half quart of MMO which is designed to run in the engine.. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Marvel-Mystery-Oil-Oil-Enhancer-and-Fuel-Treatment-32-oz/16889008 ..... and I left it in there until the next oil change and noticed it smoothed out pretty good even before the change but went ahead and repeated the process. That was a few years ago and it is night and day now compared to back then.
Thanks! It's a got a lot of hailstone-like dents on it, and it definitely has a cheap repaint, but looks good at a glance. I wish they had repainted it with the original color. Definitely looks less ghetto now.
It is running pretty well, considering its the first start in quite a few years and considering the gas is old and I have yet to reset the timing since removing the distributor (forgot to mark it, oops). No idea what the air filter or throttle body look like, and I'm sure a fuel filter would help too.
A valve adjustment is definitely on the agenda.
It still has a pretty sick 2000s head unit complete with removable faceplate...
Will do!
There is definitely some clatter going on. Its gotten quieter since first startup, but seems to have settled at this point. A few ounces of Seafoam or MMO with some cheap oil and a short OCI are probably a good idea.
That’s got to be an OBDII vehicle and you can’t adjust the distributor. I thought all the ‘97s were II. 1996 they were a mix of I and II.
Okay, so the ECM adjusts for the position of the distributor, meaning that clocking the distributor forwards or backward doesn't change the timing? Am I understanding that right?
An OBDII distributor cannot be adjusted. On OBDI vehicles the distributor mounting ears have three slots, on OBDII one of the slots is a round hole. This fixes the distributor in one orientation - at least on the TEC distributors. I do not have personal knowledge about the Hitachi ones.
Is there an OBDII diagnostic port behind the ash tray?
Ah, I didn't even notice the mounting slots. One is in fact round. Saves me that trouble!
I checked the valve adjustment today. All were in spec as far as I could see. The engine is not the dirtiest I've ever seen, but not the cleanest either. I also changed the spark plugs. It had Autolites in it. Now it has the proper NGKs.
I drained the old oil out and put in a mix of whatever oil I had laying around just to get some clean oil in it. Some was 5w30 Supertech, some was 15w40 Delvac. I also put in 10 oz of MMO. I have not touched the filter yet. I took it for another short drive after and the engine is getting quieter.
I did notice the oil light trying to flicker at idle once the engine was hot. It wouldn't come on all the way, but it was a dim intermittent flicker. I really think I need to get proper oil change with a good filter before I can draw any real conclusions.
I drained the old oil out and put in a mix of whatever oil I had laying around just to get some clean oil in it. Some was 5w30 Supertech, some was 15w40 Delvac. I also put in 10 oz of MMO. I have not touched the filter yet. I took it for another short drive after and the engine is getting quieter.
I did notice the oil light trying to flicker at idle once the engine was hot. It wouldn't come on all the way, but it was a dim intermittent flicker. I really think I need to get proper oil change with a good filter before I can draw any real conclusions.
That is not true at all. Just because it is an OBDII doesn't have anything to do with adjustments. If you look at the service manual (free online) that I linked, you'll see it is adjustable. My 96 was OBDII and can be adjusted for base timing like any distributor in history. Just have to find the service connector and jumper it (it's a 2 pin connector by the ECU, lower right passenger kick panel location)
And OBDII came into existence in 96, some 95 early were also OBDII, It 94sthat was the end of OBDI into 95.
Nope.. You can adjust it the ECM will adjust automatically off of base timing depending on load, Just as vacuum advance did on a distributor back in the day before computers. That's why you saw slots in the distributor housing for adjustment.
I'm not surprised I knew that engine (from your video) sounded like it was running correctly. But still nice that you checked the valve adjustment anyway. OH wow.. that car was NGK from the factory, glad to hear you put the right plugs back in.
It would be interesting to see if you get a proper oil change with a good filter if the oil pressure light doesn't flicker. It could also be some stuff in the oil pick tube of the oil pump.. But changing the oil a couple times should fix that. Otherwise you're dropping the oil pan to check out the oil pick up.
Sounds like you're on your way, getting it back into shape.. also check the color of the brake fluid if it's dark it needs to go. Honda asks for every 3 years, replace the brake fluid.
OBDII Accords from 1996 and all 1997 Accords have non-adjustable distributors. The manual which we both have is based on prior year vehicles and is not correct for the OBDII engines. The distributor cannot be adjusted on these engines as the mounting slots in the distributor flange were changed.
