NSX, easy car to work on?

[Simons2k]

I've always enjoyed and got much satisfaction working on my own cars. I plan on doing the same once I find my NSX.

Is it pretty straight foward if you're mechanically inclined?

What part of routine maintenance would you consider to be challenging, if at all? I would assume a valve adjustment would be the most difficult.

 

[hlweyl]

Here's a great site to check out for DIYers: http://www.danoland.com/nsxgarage/index.html

I feel like the engine is harder to work on vs. front engine, it's just harder to reach around. The advantage is that having this website makes it easier because you can get so much good advice.

Good luck

 

[VBNSX]

Here's a great site to check out for DIYers: http://www.danoland.com/nsxgarage/index.html

I feel like the engine is harder to work on vs. front engine, it's just harder to reach around. The advantage is that having this website makes it easier because you can get so much good advice.

Good luck

I'd have to agree... the basics are all there.. just finding new ways to get 'there' is the challenge..

x

 

[Dave Hardy]

I've always enjoyed and got much satisfaction working on my own cars. I plan on doing the same once I find my NSX.

Is it pretty straight foward if you're mechanically inclined?

What part of routine maintenance would you consider to be challenging, if at all? I would assume a valve adjustment would be the most difficult.

I've been researching this a bit too, as I have the same plan. It looks to be a pretty simple car to work on once you've gotten access.

Word of caution - As I've quickly discovered, some people will act like you're crazy when you say you want to work on it yourself. I get the impression that the DIY mechanic is a rare bird here.

I guess most difficult depends on how you define routine. Timing Belt looks like the most difficult part of scheduled maintanance. It looks like even most DIY guys farm that one out. It looks like it's no more complicated than any other DOHC twin bank though. One thing that makes it look a good bit easier is that Honda provided pin holes on their DOHC heads to lock the cams to the head at TDC. This is simpler than say a Subaru WRX, where you have to get the cam positioned correctly by the sprocket indicator.

 

[Simons2k]

Thanks everyone.

The main thing that I'll be doing are oil changes, brakes, and other fluid changes. I'll leave the bigger jobs to the mechanic.

 

[drew]

The quality engineering and materials make it very easy to work on.

While access might be a bit difficult, the NSX folks put great thought into maintainence.

This is why it is so easy to work on an NSX: bolts don't seize, parts don't crack or gall or become destroyed with removal, things come apart and can be easly put back the way it was intended. No guessing or hoping things went back together as planned.

Most importantly: it just doesn't break, so you don't have to fix it in the first place. This by far is why the car is so easy to work on: because you don't really need to. The extra effort to get around the mid-engine is well worth it.

It really is a pleasure to work on...

Drew

 

[Dave Hardy]

The quality engineering and materials make it very easy to work on.

While access might be a bit difficult, the NSX folks put great thought into maintainence.

This is why it is so easy to work on an NSX: bolts don't seize, parts don't crack or gall or become destroyed with removal, things come apart and can be easly put back the way it was intended. No guessing or hoping things went back together as planned.

Most importantly: it just doesn't break, so you don't have to fix it in the first place. This by far is why the car is so easy to work on: because you don't really need to. The extra effort to get around the mid-engine is well worth it.

It really is a pleasure to work on...

Drew

Sounds like every Honda I've turned a wrench on. Well - except for those northern ones where the bolts sieze regardless.

 

[xsn]

I agree with Drew but there are still a few things I will not tackle due to it simply being hard to get to them. I've done valves but it's still a pain. I won't do timing belt, I looked at the job and read the writeups posted here and stuck my hands down there to see how much room there is to work and said no thanks. If I could get on a lift I would probably tackle clutch -- they look doable on jack stands but I don't think it would be very fun. I'm not sure about tranny, but that's only because I have never rebuilt one before, not anything NSX specific.

Other stuff like brakes is no big deal. Coolant is a pain because of all the high points / bleed points but it's certainly something you can DIY if you don't mind spending some time.

The good thing is it seems like there are a few folks on here who have done every possible job on the car so you can turn here if you get into trouble. I've run into some problems and found the answers by searching and found others had asked the same question and gotten good answers.

 

[Dave Hardy]

For things like TB and Clutch, is it practical to pull the engine? I know a lot of cars have the entire engine, tranny, suspension, etc. in one big subframe, which attaches with a few bolts. Is the NSX put together like this? If so, the big jobs might be easier to just drop the whole engine and do it in the open.

 

[zomby woof]

i thoroughly enjoy working on my car, although, as some have said, i let goodson's take care of the big stuff.

my problem is balancing competing requirements...if i work on the car myself, i don't get to visit SUSAN!!!

 

[BadCarma]

I've been researching this a bit too, as I have the same plan. It looks to be a pretty simple car to work on once you've gotten access.

Word of caution - As I've quickly discovered, some people will act like you're crazy when you say you want to work on it yourself. I get the impression that the DIY mechanic is a rare bird here.

Rare hardly, guys on here( and woman) do an incredible amount of all but the most difficult stuff that requires special tools. hell my wife works on the stuff I dont want to bother with.I am recovering from surgury so my wife is taking my doors apart tommorrow and removing the speaker amps for rebuild.while its apart she thought it would be smart to lube the window tracks and later swap out climate control head units for testing(sound rare?) WAY wrong impression, have at it!

 

[BadCarma]

For things like TB and Clutch, is it practical to pull the engine? I know a lot of cars have the entire engine, tranny, suspension, etc. in one big subframe, which attaches with a few bolts. Is the NSX put together like this? If so, the big jobs might be easier to just drop the whole engine and do it in the open.

I always pull the motor when I work on the throttle body or clutch so I can sit on my living room floor and watch TV while soaking the TB in industrial carb cleaner ......Dave you are a breath of fresh air,only bagging on you Bro.the car is very easy to work on and I really dont pull the motor unless someone has a built one for me to install.the only work I do indoors is the N20 builds....sometimes the valve leaks ALOT

 

[Larry Bastanza]

David,

I think he meant t-belt "Lowering" the complete drivetrain will surely make it easy, as long as yolu have a two post lift. You actually lift the body(entire car) off the drivetrain.

Doesn't everyone pull the drive train to clean the throttle body? LOL............

HTH,
LarryB

 

[hlweyl]

lol, I was thinking he soaked his timing belt in in carb cleaner... I'm such a moron sometimes.

BadCarma, hope everything is going well with your recovery! Great gal you have.

 

[Dave Hardy]

David,

I think he meant t-belt "Lowering" the complete drivetrain will surely make it easy, as long as yolu have a two post lift. You actually lift the body(entire car) off the drivetrain.

Doesn't everyone pull the drive train to clean the throttle body? LOL............

HTH,
LarryB

Yeah - TB = Timing Belt. Heh, I knew what I was talking about!

Good to know that the car can be lifted off of the drivetrain without too much drama. I figured that was the way they were put together, but I've never been under one.