1987 Honda Accord

I brought my car into the shop at work yesterday and plugged that hole in the left rear tire. I also snugged up the alternator belt to stop that intermittent belt squeal. I hate using those quick tire plugs that you put in from the outside, because I just don’t think they last very long. But I’m prepared to replace the tires (they are eight years old) so the plug is really just temporary.

I modified my carburetor again. I bent a tab on the choke which prevents it from be able to close completely. Doing this has made it run much, much, much better when cold because the mixture isn’t so rich. It hasn’t made the car any more difficult to start, which is a good thing.

I also tested my battery, and it came up as good on the tester (a VAT45) but it showed only a 58% state of charge. Given my driving habits, I believe that it should be fully charged, so the reduced state of charge is really more an indication of the battery’s age. I intend to keep the battery until it gives me trouble starting the car.

Lastly, now that I’ve learned how my car liked to be shifted, I’ve virtually eliminated the grinding I was getting in first and reverse. The trick is to shift quickly into first, before the mainshaft has a chance to spin down. But to pause for several seconds when shifting into reverse to let the mainshaft completely stop spinning. And the 10W-30 that I put in the last time has had an effect on the shift feel, but I think it’s an improvement. The 10w-40 that was in there made for a slightly mushier feel, compared to the slightly notchy feeling from the 10w-30.