r/HondaActy

Can anyone tell me or post a pic of how much of a gap there should be between the transmission case and the CV axles. Pulled the axles over the weekend and I'm not sure if I have them back in all the way

Just wanted to write up my experience replacing the clutch in my 1996 HA4 this past weekend. Thanks to all the others in this forum for sharing their experiences as well; they were very helpful. From start to finish over the couple of days, I would say that all in, it took about 6–7 hours of labor.

The Process

I began by removing the engine cover in the bed and disconnecting the linkages from the transmission. The two shift linkages have cotter pins; get some replacements for these, as they were bent pretty badly when I got them out. Disconnecting the clutch cable took some trying, especially because some of the video tutorials use a pry bar and have to hold tension when removing the cable—it was much easier to release tension using the pedal adjustment in the cab, and then the cable came right out. The speedometer cable has a small clip under the rubber boot you need to remove, and I could be wrong, but I believe you don't need to remove the bolt that is adjacent to the clip.

Next, I took out the CV axles. I did this step early since you need two jacks, and once you remove the motor mounts, the jacks get tied up holding the transmission. I did not disconnect any of the brake lines for this process and found there to be more than enough slack on them to move the axle around as needed. I first drained the transmission fluid. After unbolting the shackles attaching the axle to the leaf springs and unbolting the shocks, I lowered the right side down and was able to easily pop the axle out on that side. Then I raised that side up and repeated the process on the left side. I found you need to do the right side first, as there is less clearance on the left side and I needed the extra wiggle room. I took some rope and tied the CVs to the axle to keep them up and out of the way. I then reattached the axle to the leaf springs for the time being.

I then took my two jacks and used one to support the engine and the other under the transmission. I went ahead and removed the rear transmission mount, leaving only the rubber mount attached to the truck. For the left side mount, I did the same. With the mounts out, I also took out a piece of heat shield on the exhaust that is located just behind the left side mount; this made it soooooo much easier to get the transmission back in when it was time. I also pulled the wire from the starter; some people suggested removing the starter completely, but I found it easier to leave the starter in.

At this point, I was ready to drop the transmission. There are six bolts holding it to the motor (with one of them doubling as a starter mounting bolt). Two of the bolts do not come all the way out but come out enough to not be an issue. One is located near the oil filter and the other at the rear. With the bolts out, you can wiggle the transmission off the motor and lower it with the jack.

The clutch release bearing is the main reason I was doing the job. The bearing came right out, and the new one was easy to swap back on. PAY ATTENTION to the spring and how it goes back in. The bar needs to be in a specific place when installed. It took some trying to get it installed the right way. The clutch, pressure plate, and flywheel came off with no issues. I did have some issues sourcing the pilot bearing for the flywheel. I thought the clutch kit I ordered came with the bearing, but to my disappointment, it did not. I ended up taking the old bearing and measuring it to find a suitable alternative. I got the replacement from McMaster-Carr. For others' reference, the universal bearing code (yes, it's a standardised thing across the globe) is 6001 (28mm OD, 12mm ID, 8mm thick). The new bearing went in with no problem. It also took a couple of days to find a shop that was willing to surface the flywheel. Some said the size was too small for them, and another didn't want to mess with the dowel pins.

For reassembly, I 3D printed the clutch alignment tool, and it was a perfect fit and a huge benefit to have. Also, make sure to grease the release bearing per the service manual. I was also surprised that the manual called for grease on the input shaft where it contacts the clutch, but I followed the manual. To remount the transmission, I did have to ask a neighbor for a hand, as it was quite a lot to balance the trans, guide it in, and run the jack all at the same time.

At this point, it was just a reverse of the removal. I did find it hard to get the starter hooked back up, so maybe it is easier to remove... I further struggled with the speedometer cable and getting the clip back in, and the rubber boot pulled back over it. In hindsight, I should have done this sooner before reinstalling the motor mount, as it really blocks access. When it came time to refill the transmission fluid, I wasn't able to get genuine Honda MTF, so I opted for GM Synchromesh, and it has been running smoothly. Lastly, was retensioning the clutch pedal, which is not fun to squeeze in under the seat and steering wheel to get to. I did a couple of test drives to get the feel right for myself.

I’ve been doing the classic scheming and planning while the Acty Ha7 sdx I s importing, and I was thinking that I wouldn’t actually listen to the radio, and would rather load all my songs/podcasts onto an ssd and use a raspberry pi to play them all, perhaps with a rotary encoder and screen. What I am wondering is
-Is the amps for the speakers built in to the radio unit, because a raspberry pi can’t drive the speakers? (forgive me, I don’t know much about speakers or sound)
-Are there any better physical media that I could use than 2.5 inch ssds? CDs won’t work because one podcast would use almost an entire disc.
Anybody have any advice?

Hello all!

I recently purchased a 1996 Honda Acty van and did the whole service with new belts, pulleys, valve cover, etc. She has 99500 kms on the engine and overall isn't very rusty.

I've driven the van around 10 miles or less and she idles perfectly and starts up like a top everytime. The concern im having is I dont have a comparison on how the engine is supposed to sound, smell, ir feel.

The engine kind of sounds like a sewing machine with an exhaust and idles at 900-1000k rpm when warm. Slowly revs to 2000rpm on cold start (which i heard is normal but makes me uncomfortable)

When parking in the garage and immediately closing the door the van smells hot but almost kind of rubbery which has me concerned. Is the rubbery smell from the belts breaking in and things burning off or is it possible I did the timing belt incorrectly?

If anyone has a good source for this info or self experience please let me know, im trying not to drive the van until im confident I did everything right but its also now my DD starting in a few days.

Thank you.

I am currently having an issue with my AC getting hot after about 15 minutes of driving. It starts off super cool and feels amazing but then it gets super hot in the cab. Has anyone experienced this issue before or know what I can troubleshoot to find the issue? Thank you in advance!

I'm looking to convert the not-cool A/C in my 1993 ATTACK! to R134a. I've seen a handful of how-tos, but for the Acty specifically, how much of a bear is it to replace the receiver/drier and replace o-rings? How much of a tear-down is needed? I plan to have a shop take out the remaining R12, but will finish the rest myself - renting manifold gauges and vacuum from Autozone.

Hey everyone, I recently bought a 1994 Honda Acty. I enjoy working on cars and usually do my own repairs, but I'm still pretty new to Actys and was wondering where everyone recommends getting parts from. I'm mainly looking at everything from maintenance and electrical parts to interior pieces.

For those of you who have worked on Actys for a while, are there certain parts where you would absolutely stick with OEM? Is paying extra for OEM generally worth it, or are aftermarket parts perfectly fine for most things?

Would appreciate hearing what you guys have learned from owning and working on these trucks!

So my 99 Acty arrives at the end of this month. I am planning on making it a trip with my father in law to pick it up from the port. He has a trailer that he uses for his racing car, but it is not a flat bed. Not sure the exact name but it essentially 2 tracks for the wheels and open between them.

I am worried that since the Acty is pretty slim it'll be a issue. Google says it'll fit but it will be tight. Can I trust that? Anyone know the exact wheel clearance on the stock wheels? TYIA you guys are awesome.