[Blakeo44]

Hello all! I just purchased a 91 Prelude Si with 200K miles (It's got the original B21A1 engine). However, I have to drive it across country back to my place.

Question:
As this vehicle is new to me, what things should I look for before considering the 3000 mile journey?

Obviously tires, brakes, oil, coolant etc but are there any specific things to be on the lookout for? I don't want to end up stranded thousands of miles from home.

I'm new to the site and Im looking forward to interacting with some fellow prelude lovers.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate any input!

 

[F204ws]

Hello all! I just purchased a 91 Prelude Si with 200K miles (It's got the original B21A1 engine). However, I have to drive it across country back to my place.

Question:
As this vehicle is new to me, what things should I look for before considering the 3000 mile journey?

Obviously tires, brakes, oil, coolant etc but are there any specific things to be on the lookout for? I don't want to end up stranded thousands of miles from home.

I'm new to the site and Im looking forward to interacting with some fellow prelude lovers.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate any input!
[/QUOTE
Good luck with the road trip check oil at ever fill up

 

[Stub]

Drive it around for a bit, then park it and look underneath. Whatever puddle of fluids form underneath is what you're going to have to replace while on the trip. Also with 200k miles it burns oil so like F204ws said check it every fill up.

 

[Blakeo44]

Drive it around for a bit, then park it and look underneath. Whatever puddle of fluids form underneath is what you're going to have to replace while on the trip. Also with 200k miles it burns oil so like F204ws said check it every fill up.

Thanks for the responses guys. I'm sure it's going to guzzle oil on the trip! Planning on bringing lots of oil with me. Should I consider going with a different oil just for the trip?

Also, should I be concerned about the cooling system? Maybe a flush beforehand?

I'm equally excited as I am scared out of my mind something is going go wrong. Lol Should be an awesome trip if she can hold it together back to home base.

 

[Rollthelosingdice]

It's a honda, it will make it.

 

[Stub]

Thanks for the responses guys. I'm sure it's going to guzzle oil on the trip! Planning on bringing lots of oil with me. Should I consider going with a different oil just for the trip?

Also, should I be concerned about the cooling system? Maybe a flush beforehand?

I'm equally excited as I am scared out of my mind something is going go wrong. Lol Should be an awesome trip if she can hold it together back to home base.

I've tried lucas oil stabilizer on a couple old cars that burned oil and had good results, so if it burns a lot of oil give that a try. All fluids have to be changed at certain intervals, so which ones you have to change depends on the car's service history. If you don't know, you should change it, but typically when car fluids go bad you can tell by looking at it.

 

[Senzmir]

I use Bardahl oil additive in mine, and it really makes a huge difference! It Burns way less oil and it sounds smoother. I also reccomend a fuel additive for valve and injector cleaning when you fill it up the first and second time if it has been sitting for very long (I used liquimoly valve and injector cleaner but any brand should be good enough).

Just my experience, I'm not a mechanic in any way shape or form :b

EDIT: let us know how it goes! Good luck

 

[Blakeo44]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm curious to see exactly how much oil it's going to go through. Has anyone ever ran a B21A1 with a heavy weight oil? I wonder if that would make a difference?

 

[ttcheung97]

Besides oil, you're going to be going 75+mph most of the time (while still getting passed), and that's about 4000RPM. It's as if the cars from back then were geared a bit lower, and that was okay because the speed limit was usually 55MPH.

See if you can pre-emptively check the water lines; there's a lot of them under the intake manifold, and just feel around for any that might be soft / worn, especially near the cam angle sensor area and distributor area.

Yes, it's a Honda, and it will "make it," but it's still a 30+year old car that's new to you, so you don't really have a baseline to use as a foundation. Maybe a AAA card would be a good idea as well.

Would definitely like to see some pictures of your Si!

 

[Faulcun]

Biggest concern is going to be old water hoses bursting. Short trips around town are one thing, but extended heat and pressure over 3000 miles is going to be the real test. Maybe try to pick up whatever hoses you can get your hands on prior to the trip. They arent expensive.

That being said, id still go for it

 

[Blakeo44]

Those are great ideas! Can I purchase water line in a reel or are they specialty hoses made to fit? Do I need to take off the intake or anything to get to these hoses?

Yeah I'm definitely going to try to keep it 70-75ish on the trip. Getting passed is the least of my concerns. 4K rpm for three days of straight driving is definitely a concern of mine so doing any maintenance beforehand to prevent issues is at the top of my list.

 

[Blakeo44]

Besides oil, you're going to be going 75+mph most of the time (while still getting passed), and that's about 4000RPM. It's as if the cars from back then were geared a bit lower, and that was okay because the speed limit was usually 55MPH.

See if you can pre-emptively check the water lines; there's a lot of them under the intake manifold, and just feel around for any that might be soft / worn, especially near the cam angle sensor area and distributor area.

Yes, it's a Honda, and it will "make it," but it's still a 30+year old car that's new to you, so you don't really have a baseline to use as a foundation. Maybe a AAA card would be a good idea as well.

Would definitely like to see some pictures of your Si!

The AAA was something I was going to do for sure. Any added peace of mind is worth it's weight in gold to me.

I uploaded a pic above. I only have that one pic of it for now. Will definitely get more once I get back to her!

 

[Blakeo44]

Does anyone have a service manual for the 90-91? Something that has diagrams and detailed views? I went reading through an old forum and couldn't find the "bible" service manual. I only found the simple version of a 100 and something pages.

 

[flyboy64]

Hello all! I just purchased a 91 Prelude Si with 200K miles (It's got the original B21A1 engine). However, I have to drive it across country back to my place.

Question:
As this vehicle is new to me, what things should I look for before considering the 3000 mile journey?

Obviously tires, brakes, oil, coolant etc but are there any specific things to be on the lookout for? I don't want to end up stranded thousands of miles from home.

I'm new to the site and Im looking forward to interacting with some fellow prelude lovers.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate any input!

 

[flyboy64]

Oil and hoses as mentioned are the things to watch for. Don't be a speed demon you don't know condition of rod bearings. If possible check compression and oil pressure before you go check health of engine. Enjoy

 

[Blakeo44]

Oil and hoses as mentioned are the things to watch for. Don't be a speed demon you don't know condition of rod bearings. If possible check compression and oil pressure before you go check health of engine. Enjoy

I've done compression checks before but how do you check the oil pressure?

 

[ttcheung97]

I believe, if you do a quick search, that there are a few posts for the 3rd gen FSM. It shouldn't be too difficult to find the keywords. 88-89 are nearly identical to 90-91.

As for the water lines, it'll unfortunately be a mixed bag; some are under the intake manifold and aren't accessible unless the manifold is removed. The others, under the distributor and where the intake piping is, are easier to get to. I would just buy about 1ft to be safe?

A 3rd-gen Prelude was one of those high-end used car auction sites, and one of the commenters mentioned that the car was a perfect cross-country roadtrip car. I'm not sure that person knew enough about the car to say that.

Check your engine mounts and replace if you can. I don't think it's critical, but the front and sides are easy enough to replace if necessary.

 

[Faulcun]

well, this is a trip to get the car home. I wouldnt be doing engine mounts directly after picking a vehicle up. That can wait until you get it home.

As far as compression test and oil pressure is concerned, if it starts and runs ok, and your oil pressure light comes on and goes off after cranking like normal.... then you are good to go.

That doesnt mean dont watch for stuff like that oil pressure light coming back on, or your coolant temp.... watch that stuff like a hawk. Obviously if the engine is running good, then oil pressure and compression are good.

Now, you might go ahead and run it by a quick lube place and have the oil changed before you start on your trip...

Aside from that, radiator hoses, heater hoses, and 3ft of 3/8 hose, and maybe 5/16 hose. Bulk hose is super cheap. Pair of pliers, couple screwdrivers, and a small ratchet set.

Also, make sure you have a spare tire and its inflated properly, along with a jack and jack tool are in the car

 

[JimmyD]

I've taken my 89 on a few 4+ hour road trips. I'm confident I could drive it across the country. The only problem is the seats are uncomfortable after a few hours! Maybe get something for back support if you need it.

 

[Blakeo44]

well, this is a trip to get the car home. I wouldnt be doing engine mounts directly after picking a vehicle up. That can wait until you get it home.

As far as compression test and oil pressure is concerned, if it starts and runs ok, and your oil pressure light comes on and goes off after cranking like normal.... then you are good to go.

That doesnt mean dont watch for stuff like that oil pressure light coming back on, or your coolant temp.... watch that stuff like a hawk. Obviously if the engine is running good, then oil pressure and compression are good.

Now, you might go ahead and run it by a quick lube place and have the oil changed before you start on your trip...

Aside from that, radiator hoses, heater hoses, and 3ft of 3/8 hose, and maybe 5/16 hose. Bulk hose is super cheap. Pair of pliers, couple screwdrivers, and a small ratchet set.

Also, make sure you have a spare tire and its inflated properly, along with a jack and jack tool are in the car

Those are great ideas. I was going to do an oil change before the trip for sure. I was going to check the compression, brake pads, make sure my spare tire stuff is in order, check fluids, lines, change spark plugs if required etc. The major stuff like engine mounts is going to have to wait till I get it home. Where do you recommend buying the lines? Also, does anyone has a cheat sheet of tools I should bring? Are there common sizes that I should bring with me? I was thinking bring my 1/4" and 3/8" drive ratchets with an assortment of sockets, wrenches, hand tools and misc stuff. I've got to keep my tools under 50lbs for the flight there so I have to be as minimal as possible.

Ill definitely be keeping a close eye on the dash gauges the entire trip. I've heard overheating can ruin these engines in a hurry so idk if it's a good idea to do a flush before the trip or if that can wait?

I really appreciate everyone's input! You guys are awesome 😎