My Dying Rex... Help me save it

[eqstormcrowz]

I have a 1990 honda crx si with 201358 miles on the body and roughly 60k on the b16a (not a1 or a2). I have 4-2-1 DC sports headers (the bottom is dented and the oil pan is ripped). I have Thermal Exaust, iceman cool air intake, slotted rear rotors, clutchmasters clutch (worn), some shortshifter (don't know brand) and h&r springs.

Everything is partly my fault because i don't even know what kind of transmission i have (i bought the car 4 months ago and neglected to find out). I also do not know to what extent my clutch is worn or my trans which seem to be the main problems.

So far i have replaced both rear control arms, the radiator (i hit a racoon), and some small things i can't put my finger on right now.

Current Problems:
-Left Tie Rod: Clanking on left turns... scary sound >_<
-1st gear pops out occasionally
-3rd gear grinds and pops out more often than 1st
-4th gear pops out rarely
-When i back up or release the throttle it sounds as if my wheels are hitting my fender... its a very nasty sound (NOTE: my alignment isn't done due to the fact that my tie rod is messed)
-When I shift into gears (or start from first) I hear a Loud Popping noise and my front end pops physically... only description i can think off..
-My "short shifter" moves around so much you can hardly tell if you are in neutral or in gear
-ALSO i recently noticed that right below my intake manifold (back of engine) there is rust and cracking in what is most definetly the frame of the bay. It clanks and rattles in the nastiest way.

FYI: My idles are fine, have been told that engine is in good shape

Help...please

Basically i want a way out... i just hate hearing "buy a new car" as one of those ways because financially thats impossible.
-If i need a new transmission i'd like to hear some opinions... something that could withstand racing...
-How much do tie rods usually go for?
-What is that sound when i go into reverse (sounds as if my wheel is hitting my fender <which its not>)
-Popping sound when accelerating (happens once in each gear at around 2000rpm)
-What can i do about my shifter, shift rod, etc. to stop it from moving around so much. (i bought shifter bushings <stabalizers> and put one of the pieces in and haven't had the chance to put the two round ones in yet)

well after reading all that you might want to throw a crx owners manual into my face and hope it kills me. its my first car and the car i always wanted... lesson learned. research and car is vital.

btw: im writing this because my oil pan is finally busted open. car is lowered and the roads around here dented my headers and oil pan (common problem i hear). Going to start treating my crx the way i vowed to from day one. Apreciate any help - thanks.

[Masta]

for your shifter feel as if ur in neutral, the bolt is probably loose under where the shifter is at. When me and my boi jordan (bambam89lx) put in my short shifter, we noticed that the guy who installed my engine didn't tighten up this one bolt which caused the shifter to feel very loose in every gear. if someone can clarify what i said, please do.

[turtlecrxsi]

Your shifter problem sounds familiar. You should probably order 3 bushings or even get a new short shifter if the bearings are shot. I had a fire in my all motor set up and burned the hell out of my under carriage. I recently replaced the shifter (APC) cuz fifth gear throws were going into the passenger area; however, I didn't replace the bushings... stupid me. I ordered the bottom "dust seal" (bushing), the "top dust seal" (bushing... not boot or under boot) and then ordered the middle plastic. I'm going to replace it today correctly. My shifter hangs low so in reverse (and fifth not accelerating) the end part of the linkage arm touches my exhaust and causes a rattle (quite annoying). You may have a similar situation especially if your car sits low. I had a problem with low springs when I first bought my rex, and noticed my hedman hedder had a crack in it (couldn't see it though cuz was wrapped with thermo tec), so I got Arospeed springs for $150 from JC whitney (free shipping) and now have a perfect ride height (about 2" drop in front and 1.5 inch drop in rear)... these coil overs are great cuz you can adjust up to almost 4"... also, I got the DC ceramic header...$300 bucks but it's worth every dime... even withstood fire in exhaust! It sounds like you probably need a clutch... I'd do the oil pan, springs and header first. Then do the clutch/flywheel (www.clutchcityonline.com) exedy organic/XACT 11.9lb and if you really need it try to find a B16 tranny used from a USDM 1999-2001 Civic Si... probably be the best bet. I know what it feels like to be limited in funds. That's why I'm rocking a D16A6. Hope this helps.

[KoRnSaQ]

If he got the tranny from a 99-2001 B16 wouldnt he have to switch to a hydro setup????????

[turtlecrxsi]

true, I didn't think about the hydro factor... so what would be cheaper? rebuild tranny, replace with JDM (cable) tranny, or try clutch and linkage first...

[bambam89lx]

tie rods are about 30-50 dollars each at ur local parts stores. If I were you, I might get my car up on jacks and check out to see if anything looks wierd under there. Have a friend shift through the gears while you look directly at the linkage where it connects to the shift nob and where it connects to the tranny. I'm pretty sure there's something wrong with ur shifter linkage setup. That might and probably is the reason for ur tranny problems. Also, if you cant afford an aftermarket clutch. Just get one at ur local parts store cuz they're like 100 dollars. Stock clutches are better than no clutch. Also, as long as ur not racing from redlight to redlight, a stock clutch should last you at least a year or two. As for the clicking and popping, those are deffinately suspension problems. have a friend turn the steering wheel around while you inspect all aspects of ur suspension and steering components.

About the oil pan, I have NO idea where ur going to find another oil pan for a jdm b16. You might want to search around and see if any of the other b-series oil pans will fit like the b17a or the b18a or b16a2. That's wut sux with buying JDM motors.
Also, about the lowering of ur car, you should never drop it more than 2 inches. 1.5-2 inches is plenty of a drop. Ur not doing urself any good by dropping it any lower. You risk destroying ur underside (which u did), and you also risk blowing shocks, messing up steering/suspension components (which you might have done), as well as camber wear on ur tires, scraping ur body kit, etc. the list goes on and on.

How low is ur car? That could very well be the whole cause of ur clicking, popping noises, etc.
I would suggest raising it up to a stock height to see if you feel any difference.

[eqstormcrowz]

First off thankyou for all your help so far. I will check the ride height once the rain stops.

I forgot to mention that last time when i was putting in my bushings (i only put my center one in) i noticed that my clutch wus literally hanging (about an inch of the disk was visible). As a matter of fact thats how i found out it was a clutchmasters... im guessing this is not good.