How to replace Lower Control Arm Bushing Honda Element 2003

HOW TO REPLACE A LOWER CONTROL ARM AND BUSHINGS

LET'S GET STARTED

You will need to start by removing the wheel and jacking the car up while supporting it on jack stands. Also wear protective eyewear and gloves.

1. Release the Ball Joint

To start the ball joint must be released which can be done using a large wrench 20mm to 24mm or socket and loosening the ball joint nut after the cotter pin has been removed. Then by using a hammer strike the spindle or control arm bulkhead to "shock" the taper fit loose. If this job is being done on "live spring" suspension (shock) the lower control arm must be held by a hydraulic jack and then slowly lowered once the ball joint is released.

2. Remove the Sway Bar Link

A sway bar will be connected to the control arm by way of the sway bar link. Remove the nut using a 14mm or 15mm wrench or socket. There could be a mini taper fit for this connection so you may need to shock it loose much like the ball joint.

Grasp the sway bar link and remove it away from the lower control arm mount. This will help the sway bar link stay out of the way during the job.

3. Remove the Control Mounting Bolts

There will be two control arm mounting bolts which could be horizontal or vertical. Use a 19mm to 22mm wrench or socket to loosen and remove the bolts. Some bolts will have a nut on the backside which will need to held by an additional wrench. These bolts will be tight so make sure the socket or wrench is securely on the head of the bolt to avoid rounding.

A universal joint and socket can be used to remove the rear control arm bolt which makes the job easier. After the bolts have been removed the arm may be loose so keep your hands on it.

4. Remove the Lower Control Arm

If the control arm is still in its mounts firmly grasp the arm and pull it outward while moving it up and down to remove it from the frame mounts.

5. Replace the Bushings

If you are replacing just the bushings then continue with this guide. If you are replacing the entire control arm then continue onto number 6 in this guide. In the image below you can see the old bushing is torn allowing the control arm to wonder around in its mounts which causes brake pull and irregular tire wear. Match the new bushing to the old bashing located in the control arm. It should be an identical match.

A press will be needed to remove the old bushings and install the new unit. First mark the orientation to ensure the new bushing will be installed correctly. If the bushing is incorrectly installed it will tear while incorrectly performing. Look at the bushing so the flex part of the bushing is in the same location as the original

Position the lower control arm into a hydraulic press using a press cone and cup to force the bushing from the arm. There will be an audible "pop" when the bushing starts to move.

Continue pressing the bushing until fully it is removed from the arm. The control arm will become loose when the operation is complete. Then you can release the press and remove the arm.

Here we show the correct orientation of the bushing which will be installed in the same way as the old bushing.

Align the press and slowly force the new bushing into place. Make sure the bushing stays straight during the initial press so it does not distort the housing. Once the press has begun the bushing will stay straight.

Confirm the full installation of the new bushing and repeat this procedure for the opposing unit. One complete the control arm is ready to be reinstalled.

6. Reinstall the Lower Control Arm

While grasping the new or rebuilt lower control arm wedge the bushing into the fame mounts. This might take a little doing which an up and down motion will help with while pushing inward on the control arm.

As you are installing the arm watch the bolts holes so you can align them to help get the bolts back into the holes. You can use a screwdriver to help you perform this action which is demonstrated in the image below.

Once aligned insert the control arm mounting bolts by hand to avoid cross threading. Do not tighten the bolts until all bolts including the ball joint is started.

Position the lower ball joint and insert it into the control arm and install the nut by hand.

Insert the sway bar link into the control arm and reinstall the sway bar link and nut.

After all bolts and nuts have been installed tighten the front arm mounting bolt. Tighten these bolts to manufactures torque specification which usually between 65 and 75 foot pounds.

A universal socket and extension can really help when tightening the control arm bolts.

Tighten the lower ball joint castle nut while aligning the cotter pin holes.

Once the nut is tight insert the cotter pin. This pin is used to keep the nut in place as a safety precaution.

Hold the sway bar link in place while tightening the nut with the wrench or socket and you are all set. Reinstall the wheel and lower the car off of the jack stands. It is highly advised to have the car aligned. When first driving the car listen for strange noises which are a sign the job will need to be rechecked.

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10 Car Problems You Can Easily Fix Yourself

You don't have to take your car into the shop for everything. You can save a bundle by doing these ten simple repairs yourself using replacement parts and ordinary hand tools.

Replace Engine Air Filter
Inspect and replace your engine air filter. Just unscrew or unclip the air filter box retainers and remove the old filter. Then hold a shop light behind the filter to see how much light passes through. If the filter blocks 50% of more of the light, replace the filter. If not, put it back in, secure the air filter box cover and keep driving.

Replace Your PCV Valve
The positive crankcase ventilation valve (PCV) regulates the flow of flammable crankcase vapors back into the engine so they can be burned safely. The valve is designed to close in the event of an engine backfire to prevent catastrophic engine damage. As they age, the PCV valve accumulates carbon buildup and the spring loses tension, putting your engine at risk. Refer to your car's maintenance guide for recommended replacement intervals. Most PCV valves can be replaced simply by wiggling the valve out of the rubber grommet and disconnecting it from the vacuum hose. Then insert the new valve and reinstall. It's that simple

Gas Lifts
Why risk your noggin when you can replace gas lift cylinders yourself? Just buy new lifts at any auto parts store. Then have a helper hold the hood or liftgate while you disconnect and replace the worn lifts. Many styles simply unbolt using a metric socket set. Others connect with a ball and socket style connection held in place with a spring clip. To disengage the spring clip, simply shove a small flat blade screwdriver between the clip and the cylinder. Then pull the cylinder off the ball stud.

Replace Non-Headlight Bulbs
To access burned out license plate, side marker and fog light bulbs, just remove the retaining screws and pry off the lens. Pull the bulb straight out of the socket. Handle the new bulb with gloved hands or hold it with a paper towel to prevent skin oils from depositing on the thin glass – that can cause premature bulb failure. Then push the bulb into the socket until it clicks. Reinstall the lens and you're done.

Replace That Broken Antenna
Replacing a fender mount antenna mast is easy. Just unscrew the remaing portion of the mast and buy a replacement mast at any auto parts store. Replacing a pillar mount antenna is a bit more involved but is still a DIY fix. Disconnect the antenna cable from your radio and connect heavy string to the end. Then unscrew the antenna mount from the pillar and pull the old antenna and the string straight out. Attach the new antenna cable to the string, pull the cable back into the vehicle and connect it to your radio. Then secure the new antenna to the pillar using the screws provided.

Touch up Chipped Auto Paint
If you don't cover paint chips with touch up paint, they'll rust and then you'll have a much bigger problem on your hands. The actual touch up is easy. Just buy touch up paint, fine tip paint applicators and wax and grease remover from any auto parts store. Clean the chip with the wax and grease remover and let it dry. Then dip the applicator in the paint and dab it onto the chip. Don't add too much or the paint will drip. Let it dry completely and apply wax after 30 days.

Fix That Leaky Sunroof
If raindrops keep falling on your head, it's probably because your sunroof drains are clogged. That's something you can fix yourself in just a few minutes. Open the sunroof and look for drain holes in the front and rear corners of your sunroof. Once you locate the drains, duct tape a small rubber or plastic tube to the end of your shop vacuum and suck out any debris stuck in the drains. Then dribble water into each drain and check under the car to see if it's draining onto your driveway or garage floor. If the drain is still plugged, buy a speedometer cable from an auto parts store. Insert the cable into the drain and gently push it down the drain as you spin the cable with your fingers. Don't push too hard because you can puncture the drain tubes and they'll dump water into your dash area. Flush the drain after snaking it with the speedometer cable. If it now runs free, you're done and shouldn't have any more water coming inside your vehicle.

Fix Small Dents and Door Dings
If you can patch a wall, you can patch a dent in your car. You'll need various sandpaper grits, a small can of autobody filler and cream paste and plastic applicators. Start by sanding the dent down to bare metal with coarse grit sandpaper. Then feather the edges. Clean the dents with wax and grease remover. Then mix the body filler and apply a very light skim coat to fill in the sandpaper scratches. Allow the filler to set up and then build up the repair with addtional layers no more than 1/4-in. thick per application. Feather the final coat so it levels with the painted areas. After it cures, sand until smooth. Then apply a cream filler to the entire area to fill in any pinholes. Let it cure and do a final sand. Then you can paint the area with touch up paint.

Fix Tears in Leather and Vinyl
Upholstery shops charge almost $200 to fix tears in your seats. You can do it yourself in a few hours with a vinyl and leather repair kit (less than $20) from any auto parts store. You'll have to practice a bit to get the right color mix and it might not be a perfect match when you're done, but it's a heck of a lot better than driving around with torn seats. Start by gluing reinforcing fabric onto the underside of the torn vinyl or leather. Then mix the heat-set filler to match your fabric color and apply it to the tear. Next, find a textured mat that most closely resembles the texture of your vinyl or leather and place it onto the liquid filler. Heat the patching tool with a clothes iron and press it onto the textured mat. Remove the patching tool, but leave the textured mat in place until the patch cools. Then peel it off.

Replace Your Cabin Air Filter
A clogged cabin air filter can damage your car's blower motor and cause your AC to run longer and harder in the summer. Cabin air filters are easy to access and replace and you'll save about $30 by doing it yourself. Buy a replacement cabin air filter at any auto parts store and ask the clerk to print out the installation instructions. Cabin air filters are usually located in the air ducts behind the glove box in late model vehicles. However, some car makers locate them in the cowling or console area. Just remove the access covers and slide out the old filter. Note the direction of the airflow arrows so you can install the new filter in the proper orientation. Then reinstall the covers and you're done.

How to test Cylinder Leak Down

how to do an engine leakdown test

An internal combustion engine makes power by first drawing air and fuel into the combustion chamber. Next is the compression of the mixture and the addition of a spark. The harnessing of the resulting contained explosion is ultimately what powers the car. As an engine gets on in miles, the containment of this power can be lost due to piston ring, valve or cylinder wall wear. Engine performance will suffer as a result.


Pressure reading

A common test of an engine’s ability to compress the air-fuel mixture is an engine compression test. A pressure gauge is connected in place of the spark plug. The engine is then cranked to create a pressure reading. A compression test is a good way to check the engine’s ability to create pressure. The gauge reads the positive pressure created by the cylinder.

Loss reading

An engine leakdown test is a compression test in reverse. Instead of measuring the engine’s ability to create pressure, compressed air is introduced into the cylinder through the spark plug hole. One gauge on the tester measures the pressure of the air entering the cylinder and the other measures the percentage of the air escaping (or leaking) from the cylinder. The loss percentage will indicate the condition of the cylinder and overall condition of the engine.


Top dead center

Before sending air into the engine, the cylinder being tested must be placed at Top Dead Center (TDC). The piston must be at the top of its travel. The intake and exhaust valves must be closed. When the air is compressed into the cylinder, the leakdown tester will measure any loss of air escaping past valves or piston rings. If the cylinder is not at TDC, air escaping past an open valve will give a false reading.


Reading resultsNo engine will have perfect sealing with 0 percent loss. Five to 10 percent loss indicates an engine in great to good running order. An engine between 10 and 20 percent can still run OK, but it’ll be time to keep an eye (or ear) on things. Above 20 percent loss and it may be time for a teardown and rebuild. Thirty percent? Major problems. The percent of leakage should also be consistent across the cylinders. Any great differences indicate a problem in that cylinder.


Hearing problems

Beyond getting an overall picture of engine condition, the engine leakdown test is an excellent way to pinpoint where problems are before tearing down the engine. Listening for where the air is escaping by ear can isolate the problem.

• Intake valve : Air whistling out of the intake, carburetor or throttle body indicates a leak at the intake valve. 
• Exhaust valve : Air heard hissing out of the tailpipe, turbocharger or exhaust manifold means an exhaust valve leak. 
• Piston rings : Whistling or hissing out of the PCV valve, oil filler cap hole or dipstick tube means the air is pushing past the rings. Suspect ring or cylinder wall wear. 
• Head gasket : Air bubbles in engine coolant seen at the radiator filler cap could mean air escaping into the coolant past the head gasket. 
• Cracked cylinder head : Bubbles in coolant or coolant being pushed up out of the radiator neck can also indicate cracks in the cylinder head or cylinder walls. 

Tools, supplies and instructions

You will need a compressed air source, a leakdown gauge kit, spark plug socket, basic hand tools, vehicle service manual and a notepad to record results.

Step 1 : Remove the spark plugs and rotate the engine to put the cylinder to be tested at TDC. Tip: Insert a long screwdriver or extension into the spark plug hole and turn the engine by hand with a socket on the crankshaft. When the screwdriver stops rising or falling, you’re at TDC. Don’t turn the engine backward if TDC is missed. Go around again. In a four-cylinder engine, cylinders one and four and two and three are at TDC at the same time.

Step 2 : Figure out which spark plug adapter works best and connect the gauge into the hole. Put the vehicle in gear and set the parking brake to prevent the engine from turning when air is compressed into the cylinder. Start with the regulator turned counterclockwise to zero the incoming pressure. Connect compressed air. Turn the regulator clockwise to pressurize air into the cylinder.

Step 3 : Record leakage percentage for the cylinder. Remove the oil dipstick, radiator cap and oil filler cap. Open the throttle body or remove the air cleaner. Listen and watch. Wherever air is escaping will indicate where the problem is. Disconnect the gauge and move to the next cylinder.