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Newer Accords

CRV--changing the differential oil

Supplies Required: (Photo 2) (Available at your dealer or HandA)

A) 2 Quarts of Honda Dual Pump Fluid II (Capacity of the 2007 is 1.3 quarts)

B) 2 Crush Washers, 20 mm, Honda Part Number 94109 – 20000

Caution! You must use Honda Dual Pump Fluid II. Using any other fluid will result in the destruction of the clutch plates in the rear differential. (Photo 3)

Tools Required: (Photo 2)

A) 3/8" ratchet

B) 3/8" extension 3” long (optional)

C) collection pan – big enough to hold 1.3 quarts (I cut down a windshield washer fluid jug, milk jugs are too flimsy)

D) rags or paper towels

E) 5/8" Outside Diameter Hose 10’ long Weber brand available at Lowes.

F) Funnel and hose clamp also available at Lowes (Items E & F were $6.00 total)

G) Scotch Bright or a pan scrubber

Time Required: 30 to 45 minutes

Procedure:

Step 1. Change into some grubby clothes. To protect your skin from contact with the fluid, wear oil resistant gloves.

Step 2. Shut off your engine, make sure the car is in park and the brake is set.

Step 3. Collect your supplies and tools. You don't need to jack the car up. It is a little harder without the car elevated, but it is much safer. Do not jack up your car unless you are very knowledgeable on how to raise the car and support it safely.

Step 4. (Photo 4). Gather your drain pan, ratchet, 3” extension, and paper towels. Let’s take a peek in the nether regions and see what we are getting into. Photo 4 shows the rear differential and the locations of the fill and drain plugs. Each plug has a square 3/8” hole that matches the square drive of a 3/8” drive ratchet. We will use a short extension to get the ratchet head out away from the housing. Personally I hate that “righty tighty lefty loosey” nonsense. Before you climb under, set the ratchet so that it turns the extension in the counter-clockwise direction, and ratchets in the clockwise direction. Under the car, facing the wrong way, it is easy to get it backwards.

Step 5. (Photo 5) Take a piece of Scotch Bright or a pan scour pad and clean the areas around each plug. The goal is not to make it shiny, but to knock off the loose crud so that it won’t end up in your differential. Caution! If you have driven the vehicle in the past few minutes, feel the differential housing. If it feels hot to the touch, let the differential cool some more before working on it.

Step 6. (Photo 6) OK, now the fun starts. I was totally amazed at how tight both plugs were. Make sure your ratchet is set to spin the extension Counter Clockwise and ratchet in the Clockwise direction. You really don’t want to tighten this plug. We are going to loosen the fill plug first. Why? There have been reports of being able to get the drain plug out but not the fill…a bit of a sticky wicket one would think. Alright, put the square end of the extension into the plug. Try to pay some attention to where your knuckles will end up when the plug breaks loose. Pusssshhh! Agggghhhh! Crack! Sounds like a gun going off. Use one of the paper towels to wipe up the blood from your knuckles. Don’t take the plug out, just loosen it.

Step 12 (Photo 12 a & 12b) When you open your bottle of Genuine Honda Dual Pump Fluid II (the only thing you can use), be sure to remove all of the foil seal. While her ladyship, the lovely Dame Black Pearl provided precision pouring (photo 12 a), I manned the nether regions to keep an eye on the progress (photo 12 b). Pour in the entire first quart. Then slowly add the 0.3 (9.6 ounces) of the second quart. Somewhere between 8 to 10 ounces, it started to run out of the fill hole.

Step 13 Place a new crush washer on the fill plug (photo 13 a). When the fluid runs out the fill hole, pull out the fill hose and re-install the fill plug with the new crush washer. Torque the plug to 35 ft-lbs. (photo 13 b). Remove the fill hose from the nether regions of your V. Use care not to slop fluid on the exhaust pipe or rear brake disk and calipers.

Step 14 Tightly recap the unused portion of remaining second quart. Drain the residual oil from your fill hose and store it in plastic bag so it doesn’t get dirty. Clean up the mess. Recycle the fluid. If your other scheduled services are done, reset the Maintenance Minder. (Photo 14) Record the mileage and date in your maintenance records. Keep your receipts to protect your warranty.

Photo 15: The used oil. Hmmmm! Not the greatest looking stuff. It didn’t smell bad. I checked the bottom of the pan and there was no particulate. This oil has 16,000 miles. Suburban driving, no off road, no immersions in water, and a little winter action but not excessive. I have had no noise problems.

Camry oil pan gasket

All you have to do is: Remove all bolts holding it on after you drain the oil from it...I don't use no kind of gasket sealer on oil pans...Only around the front and rear seals of it,I clean both areas with denatured alcohol before installing.Use the Fram brand rubber gasket set with the metal inserts in it for the best seal.

The pan is not hard to remove, you do have to move the exhaust also and there is 1 bracket that needs to be removed.The gasket is FIPG (Form in place gasket), that is what Toyota uses.It is just fine to use that.
Source(s):
10 Year Toyota Master

I don't think the sealer is the problem but rather the application of it.Make sure that at the rear of the oil pan the sealer is applied all the way across the sealing area, I have seen many mechanics, including myself make this mistake,if you apply the sealer just to the middle it will leak at the rear of the pan because of the way the rear mainseal housing lines up with the oil pan, take a close look.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4521017_drop-oil-pan-toyota-camry.html

Use a jack to raise the vehicle off the ground and support it using a jack stand. Follow the jack manufacturer's directions for proper use.
Step 2
Drain the oil from the Camry by sliding under the vehicle and locating the oil pan in the center portion of the engine block, just center of the front tires. Place an oil drip pan below the oil pan, use a wrench to unscrew and remove the oil drain plug, and allow all oil to drain before replacing the drain plug.
Step 3
Open the hood of the vehicle and remove the negative battery cable located on the battery box towards the very front of the vehicle on the left-hand side. Use a wrench to disconnect the bolts holding it in place.
Step 4
Remove the fender apron seal, under cover and the front exhaust pipe bracket from the oil pan using a wrench to remove the bolts holding these in place. Use a wrench to remove the flywheel housing undercover by removing the bolts holding it in place.
Step 5
Unscrew each of the oil pan bolts located around the outer edge of the oil pan. Support the oil pan with one hand while removing the bolts as the oil pan will fall slightly.
Step 6
Disconnect the oil strainer and gasket before removing the oil pan. To pull the oil pan off, remove the baffle plate from the oil pan using a wrench.


I own a 1996 Toyota Camry and it cost me about $20. The job is easy enough that you yourself can do it, rather then paying a mechanic an arm and a leg. Your best bet is to put the car up on ramps.. If you don't have ramps try to borrow them from a friend. Jacks are too unsturdy for a job like this. Afer you have the vechicle safety up on ramps then you must first drain your oil pan. The plug is located right on the bottom of the oil pan, just unscrew it. Be sure to have a pan underneath to catch the oil. Then after all the oil is drained you can now remove the exaust pipe that has blocked a part of the oil pan. If you follow the exaust all the way to the front where it ends you will see three bolts holding it onto the car.. Remove these bolts. You will want to make sure you have purchased not only the oil pan gasket and sealer for the gasket.. But also the sealer and gasket for the exaust.. These only run about $5-10 each. Then after removing the exaust push it to the side.. Then you may now start to unbolt the twenty something bolts that connect the oil pan.. After doing this be sure to scrap off any remaining gasket left on the oil pan... The stores sell gasket remover to make it easier to scrap off. Then apply the sealer directly to the oil pan then add the gasket.. Then put the new oil pan gasket and pan back on the car.. And that is all... This process takes about One hour if done correctly.. One hour from start to finsh.. Hope this has helped you in some way.

I know i have a bad cv joint. My question is this causing the rotating road noise coming from the front. It sounds like a bad tire but the tires are new.

cv joints normally cause a knocking noise when turning, the noise you mention may be the joint, but it may be a wheel bearing going out. it's really hard to know without hearing the noise, i would get it diagnosed and have both repaired at the same time.

Camry getting old

Changed the oil today, and after refilling the crankcase, I started the engine. Oil started dripping on the ground. Turned out to be from the oil pan gasket. Tightened it up, and put in oil thickener.

Driver side CV boot looks cracked, and throwing grease. Wouldn't you know it, one side goes, the other side is right behind.

Maybe that is the grinding road noise we've been hearing.
Or is that wheel bearings?

Honda Mower Parts

Honda HR215 SDM with GV-200 engine

http://www.planopower.com/store/honda/gv200.shtml



Look around your local garden store or auto parts store and find the right replacement plug (Honda mowers use a special NGK plug. Some Autozone plugs will also work).
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http://www.chainsaws-etc.com/honda_belts.htm
http://www.chainsaws-etc.com/honda_air_filters.htm

http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/dealerlocator/
Farm & Fleet Of Decatur #23
1191 W South Side Dr
Decatur, IL 62521-4070
(217)423-3720

Macon County Rural King Supply, Inc.
1920 S Mount Zion Rd
Decatur, IL 62521-9716
(217)864-5700

Heath's Outdoor Center
600 W Bridge St
Monticello, IL 61856-1034
(217)762-2534

http://www.rcpw.com/aftermarket/honda-140.asp
http://www.rustrepair.com/lawn_mower_parts/onlinecat.htm?r=mp&p=mm-hondam
http://www.rcpw.com/aftermarket/265694.asp
http://search.cartserver.com/search/search.cgi?cartid=a-8491&sm=4&maxhits=20&category=HONDA&keywords=23161-***-771&go=GO%21
http://www.planopower.com/store/honda/index_mowers.shtml
http://www.psep.biz/store/honda_mower_belt.htm
http://www.planopower.com/store/honda/hr21-5sda.shtml

Finding Model and Serial Numbers:
Older (Pre-1995) Models

On most Honda lawnmowers made prior to 1995, it's a little difficult to determine your precise model number. The model ID tag (right) may have something like HR214-CF, HRA214-DL, HR215-EF, HRM215-OL, HRB215-FJ, etc. In such cases, the last two letters in the silver box are not part of your model number. We repeat, those last two letters on the model tag are not part of the model number. We've been selling Honda lawnmowers for over 25 years and still have no idea what those last two letters mean.

Once you know your basic model (such as HR21, HR214, HRM215) found on the shroud, you need to know which model type you have. These are the model number suffixes like PDA, HXA, and SMA. If your model number tag doesn't give you a complete model number, Look on the front of the deck near the muffler. You should see a PX, PD, (push models) SD, SX, HX, TD (self-propelled models) or something similar. These tell about some of the features of the mower and are part of your model number. The A means that the mower was made for the American market. Since all of these models are for the American market, the final A is implied. If your mower is where you can't look at it right now, you might be able to pick it out by comparing the features with the models listed below. Here's what these extra letters in the model number suffix mean (At least since 1985):

First Letter:
S - Self Propelled (Gear Drive)
P - Push
Second Letter:
X - Blade Brake Clutch (Only blade stops when handle is released)
D - Flywheel Brake/Zone Start (Engine Stops when handle is released)
M - Electric Start, Blade Brake Clutch
You will also need to know which version you have. Honda may make small changes in a model from time to time. The new version will have approximately the same specifications as the previous one, so it's not given a new model number. Instead, Honda gives it a new K number. The HRM215 is replaced by the HRM215K1 which is replaced by the HRM215K2, and so on. Some of the changes are obvious, but some are not. The most reliable way to tell which K number your mower has is by using the frame serial number, usually located on the deck near where the handles are connected. Where needed, we list the serial number ranges for the different versions below.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Key
S/P = Self-Propelled
BBC = Blade Brake-Clutch - Only the blade stops when handle is released.
Zone = Zone Start (Flywheel Brake) - Engine stops when handle is released.
E/S = Electric Start
Cast = Cast Aluminum Deck Construction
Steel = Steel (Sheet Metal) Deck Construction
Poly = Polymer (Plastic) Deck Construction

Really Old (before 1985) Models

HR21PDA* (1978-1979) 21" 3.5 hp Push BBC Points Ignition Cast
(Frame Serial HR21-1000001-1051093)

HR21PXA* (1978-1979) 21" 3.5 hp Push BBC Electronic Ignition Cast
(Frame Serial HR21-1000001-1051093)

HR21SDA* (1978-1979) 21" 3.5 hp S/P BBC Points Ignition Cast
(Frame Serial HR21-1000001-1051093)

HR21SXA* (1978-1979) 21" 3.5 hp S/P BBC Electronic Ignition Cast
(Frame Serial HR21-1000001-1051093)

HR21K1PDA* (1979-1980) 21" 3.5 hp Push BBC Points Ignition Cast
(Frame Serial HR21-1100004-1127597)

HR21K1PXA* (1979-1980) 21" 3.5 hp Push BBC Electronic Ignition Cast
(Frame Serial HR21-1100004-1127597)

HR21K1SDA* (1979-1980) 21" 3.5 hp S/P BBC Points Ignition Cast
(Frame Serial HR21-1100004-1127597)

HR21K1SXA* (1979-1980) 21" 3.5 hp S/P BBC Electronic Ignition Cast
(Frame Serial HR21-1100004-1127597)

HR21K2PDAM* (1980-1983) 21" 3.5 hp Push BBC Points Ignition Cast
(Frame Serial HR21-1200141 and up)

HR21K2SXA/SXAM* (1980-1983) 21" 3.5 hp S/P BBC Electronic Ignition Cast
(Frame Serial HR21-1200141 and up)

HRA21SDA/SDAW* (1982-1983) 21" 3.5 hp S/P BBC Points Steel (Frame Serial HR21-5-1000001 and up)

HR21-5SDA/SDAM* (1981-1985) 21" 5 hp S/P BBC Cast (Frame Serial HR21-5-1019070 and up)