Honda Design Flaw: Bolt Clearance

[wed3k]

Sounds like the design flaw is not the bolt, but the fact that the car is equipped with an automatic transmission. That tranny in itself is a design flaw.

true story.

[ZigenBallZ]

Great post/thread Tnwagon.


Never would of believed it if you hadn't showed us. Thx.

[texasvtak]

I still dont believe it.

[tommi]

I forever hate the rear lower shock bushing. If it doesn't come out u 1 snap bolt or demomolish the whole bushing. And needs chiseled out. Or the nut holding the god forsaken front bumper on. Right behind the headlights or bumper support bolts behind the bumperlights.

[WilliamW]

EPIC photobucket fail! LOL

[texasvtak]

EPIC photobucket fail! LOL

lolque

[mayberry]

on rear discs, one of the bolts that hold the caliper on dont actually come out. just kinda sits in the hole and the spindle is in the way.

not sure how many of you work on lexus/toyota but thier v6's. the intakemanifold bracket on the back is held on by a 14mm bolt. that bolt is literally impossible to get out. took me an hour to get that bolt out, laying across the motor, loosening the upper intake and snaking my low profile ratchet back there and screaming so loud my neighbors think im mentally ill.

needless to say, that bracket didnt go back on. i never put brackets backon, waste of time and conflicts with work space.

After a while the road vibration will destroy the seal of the intake manifold gasket and create a vacuum leak. When you work in a shop it can be a conflict when the car comes back. Those brackets are on cars for a reason.

[crazymikey]

true story.

I speak from experience haha.

As my 5 speed donor waits quietly in the garage.

[wed3k]

After a while the road vibration will destroy the seal of the intake manifold gasket and create a vacuum leak. When you work in a shop it can be a conflict when the car comes back. Those brackets are on cars for a reason.

not if the bolts are on tight enough. the manifold isnt going to go anywhere.

[wildBill83]

Ok, so I know this is technically related but the main point of this thread is to just get the word out and see what other design flaws others have found while working on their cars.

Up until today I'd never come upon anything unreasonable while working on my CB. Sure, this aren't always exactly easy to get to (like wires under the dash) but that's a small sacrifice to get the fit and finish we expect from these cars.

Well, I was working on the front passenger side suspension, trying to swap out the last of my bushings when I ran into quite a big problem.



What you are looking at is the inner control arm through bolt. It's blocked from being removed by the automatic transmission case. Now, the other side clears just fine because there isn't a gigantic transmission case in the way. I'm willing to bet that this bolt clears just fine on manual equipped CB's because of the smaller case.

I found this a bit unsettling coming from Honda. I mean, is there really no other choice but to unbolt the engine and try and lift it until you have clearance for this one tiny little bolt? Sure, I could cut it but then how would I fit a new bolt in?

Just wondering if anyone else has ever found similar design flaws

Thank Dog I'm not the only one who found this! I had to unbolt the subframe and jack the transmission up...

[GeoffM]

I don't recall ever having to do this. I think I had the axle out, and turn turned the control arm to give that bolt a different angle.

[Tnwagn]

This is the most ridiculous late-post I've ever seen. A technical thread in off topic that is over two years old.

I am as shocked as I am impressed that you searched and somehow magically found this thread and commented in it rather than starting another thread.

Bravo

[wildBill83]

I found it at random and the title was interesting so... I just felt I had to agree on the topic. But was not searching for this specifically, more or less stumbled upon the thread and it reminded me of being like when replacing my control arms... Why Honda? Then wishing I had a MT for a moment...

Dug up an old photo of when I did it...

[cloudasc]

I wouldn't say its a design flaw, due to the fact that you can easily pull the bolt once its on a lift, as they expect you to have all your service work done through their dealerships.

For example, is it a design flaw that if I want to change the transmission fluid on my 09 fit, and I do not have a pump system, I have to remove my plastic intake so I can get a funnel to the fill hole? How about the fact if I want to change the spark plugs, I have to remove the entire intake manifold off the top of the engine?

Just some food for thought.

[Fleetw00d]

It doesn't even need to be on a lift and you don't have to lift the transmission. If you are removing the lower control arm and disconnect it from the radius arm, lower ball joint, strut fork, and stabilizer bushings, you create enough play at the inner end to get the bolt to slip out.