Fit Race Kit Assembly Questions

[Sean Maisey]

As I get near the midway point in my conversion of the Honda Fit crate motor to race specs, I have a few questions...

1) The manual makes no reference to the need to remove the flywheel and starter, but their pictures show them removed. Is it necessary to remove them to install the race kit supplied dry sump pan? Is it any easier? Anyone tried this yet?

2) Same question for the Harmonic Balancer. (Manual does say to remove this, but I am just wondering since they are always a pain in the @ss to get on and off).

3) What do Hondaloc #2 and #3 equate to in Loctite's color system? (I have red/blue/green on hand).

That's all for tonight. I am about to put the engine on my stand and remove the stock pan. Unfortunately I need longer bolts for the arms on the stand. So, back to the local hardware store tomorrow.

Follow my build on my blog: http://seanmaisey.blogspot.com

Regards,
Sean

[RussMcB]

It's been a few months, so not 100% sure about the accuracy of this post.

I left the flywheel bolted on, and used (as you plan) longer bolts and spacers to connect the back of the engine to the stand.

I think you have to remove/replace the harmonic balancer. I don't remember it being too difficult to remove (with an impact gun?).

There may be a few things that will need to wait until the engine is off the stand, due to limited access.

If you plan to use the optional harness with oil pressure sender, install the sensor before the water pump parts.

The pioneers did a pretty good job of sharing their obstacles on the Honda FF Conversion forum. The only obstacles I've run across (not mentioned by others) have been minor and not hard to overcome.

[TimW]

I recall there are two bolts for the rear of the pan that are not accessible with the flywheel on. Not sure how longer bolts will solve that. I had to take the clutch and I think the flywheel off to put it on the stand anyway.

You do need to remove the balancer to put the oil pump belt on. There should be a longer crank nose bolt to accomodate the two pulleys.

Tim

[John Robinson II]

IIRC, honda 2 is blue and honda 3 is red

[Sean Maisey]

Thanks everyone for the advice so far. Yesterday I got the engine up on the stand and ready to proceed with the next steps. But it was getting too late to run the compressor and annoy the women of the house...

So tonight here I am and the next step says, "Remove the Harmonic Balancer"

Mine WILL NOT come off. I have tried the following:

1) my trusty SnapOn 275ft/lb Impact wrench with the compresser edging in the red...
2) A 2 foot breaker bar... (with a punch jammed into the flyweel teeth to hold it).
3) My 3ft Quickjack handle as an extension on the breaker bar
4) Heat applied around the head of the bolt and then both of the wrenches above...

I put so much tension on the breaker bar with the quick jack handle that the breaker bar was flexing 2-3"... But no love.

Any ideas? Do I need to go out and buy the Honda "Harmonic Balancer Holder" tools?

Thanks in advance.
Sean

[scorp997]

its not something like a LH thread, is it? In some later years of FIATs the crank pulley bolt is LH. I don't have a Honda, so I can't tell you if that is the case - I know someone here will be able to tell you how to remove it.

[Mike Scanlan]

Sean
I ran into the same problem on both motors I've done so far and found that a really good impact gun along with solvents and a tool I fabricated to lock the Honda pulley into position (basically I copied the tool in the Honda manual that they will sell you) and the bolt finally loosened up. Breaker bars didn't seem to work at all, there has to be some impact going on, those bolts must get some torque at the factory. Heat also didn't work, I was afraid of everything else around there getting too hot.
Not sure why they made it so tight from the factory, because when you replace it they only recommend a very low torque number and that has worked fine. On other motors over the years where I've run into the same problem I've removed the pan and placed an aluminum block between the crank and block wall , but I made the tool instead figuring I'd need it anyway. It is a RH thread.
Good luck

[Sean Maisey]

After getting some great feedback from this and the Honda Fit conversion forum, I did a little web searching to see what the large population of Honda Hotrodders are doing to deal with this problem.

That search led me to this: [FONT=Calibri]http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/OEM-Honda-harmonic-balancer-holding-tool/_/N-26bx?itemIdentifier=217379&_requestid=7448[/FONT]

My local AutoZone sells the Honda Harmonic Balancer holder socket for a mere $35.99. I stopped in to special order it this evening, and they told me it would be in the store after 3:00 tomorrow!

This tool is pretty much like the Honda unit in the Fit Factory Shop Manual. It is a 50mm hollow hex wrench that has a tab for a 1/2" breaker bar to attach. This allows you to use two breaker bars against each other...

I will post the results once it comes in and I try it out.

Sean

Oh, and I did prove last night that you CAN remove the original oil pan with the Harmonic Balancer and the Flywheel still installed.

Also important note - then engine ships full of synthetic oil, so drain it first or make a huge mess.

[Sean Maisey]

Well the work has continued through the New Years weekend. The motor is now almost done. My "Harmonic Balancer Holder" tool still hasn't arrived at the local AutoZone, so that part is still to be done, but just about everything else is in place.

I did discover that Mike is correct about the need to remove the flywheel and clutch to get at the last two oil pan bolts. Turns out that the HPD pan obscures these, and even with the flywheel off it is a paint to get them in. (They are in two recessed slots in the casting limiting wrench access. Also it is best to get them in BEFORE the RTV sets up - don't ask me how I know that )

So now it is on to the disassembly of the chassis so I can truck the whole lot up to Eric Langbein's shop for some fabrication work...

Sean

More pics of the process are now online at: http://seanmaisey.blogspot.com

[Sean Maisey]

My tool came in last night, so between other odd jobs, I made a stab at removing the Harmonic Balancer. Even with a stout special tool it was a real bear to remove. I ended up bending the new "holder" tool and having to improvise a stouter way to attach it to a larger stronger lever arm.

But in the end, off it came. It just took two 6"+ lever arms and all of my strength...

Sean

(pics and description of the process are on the blog now).