How to Rebuild a Carburetor on an 88 Accord

Named as one of the 10 best cars of 1988 by "Car and Driver" magazine, the 1988 Honda Accord, also offered with an optional fuel injection system, came standard with a two-barrel carburetor. Over time the Accords carburetor gaskets will break down, causing vacuum loss, and fuel jets will develop carbon buildup, both causing the engine to run poorly. With the purchase of a carburetor rebuild kit from an auto supply shop, which includes all necessary gaskets and fittings, rebuilding the carburetor on an '88 Accord is a relative simple procedure.

Instructions

1

Pull the rubber vacuum hoses from the carburetor with your fingers. Place an absorbent cloth under the fuel line fitting on the carburetor to absorb any fuel left in the line and remove the fuel line fitting with a wrench.

2

Remove the wing-nut on the top of the air cleaner assembly with your fingers or a wrench if the nut sticks. Pull the air filter housing from the carburetor with your hands.

3

Remove the throttle assembly linkage bolt, located on the side of the carburetor, with a wrench.

4

Remove the mounting bolts attaching the base of the carburetor to the intake manifold with a wrench. Grasp the side of the carburetor with your hands and wiggle the carburetor free of the manifold. If the carburetor will not come free, tap the base of the carburetor gently with a rubber mallet.

5

Remove the choke barrel assembly from the side of the carburetor with a screwdriver. Remove the screws connecting the top and bottom halves of the carburetor with a screwdriver. Work the top and bottom carburetor sections apart with your hands. Remove the gasket between the top and bottom carburetor sections and the gasket on the bottom of the carburetor with a razor blade scraper. Sand the carburetor surfaces from which the gaskets were removed down to the bare metal with 320-grit sandpaper to remove any residual gasket material.

6

Place the carburetor sections in a small pail or tub. Cover the carburetor with liquid parts cleaner and allow the carburetor to soak for at least two hours; it is best to allow the carburetor to soak overnight, if possible.

7

Remove the carburetor from the cleaner. Place the carburetor sections on an absorbent cloth and wipe all exterior surfaces of the carburetor with a clean cloth. Remove each individual screw from each fuel jet port in the carburetor, one at time, with a screwdriver. Visually examine the inside of the port and thoroughly clean any residue from the hole with a cotton swab dipped in parts cleaner. Replace the existing rubber O-rings on the jet screws with new O-rings from the rebuild kit, where applicable. Reinstall the screw into the hole, taking care to not accidentally turn the jet adjustment ring on the set screw during removal or installation. Repeat the procedure for each screw on both carburetor sections.

8

Place the new gasket from the kit between the top and bottom carburetor sections and fasten the sections back together with the screws and screwdriver. Install a new automatic choke on the carburetor in the same orientation as the old choke.

9

Place a new bottom gasket over the mounting bolts on the intake manifold and set the carburetor in place over the bolts. Tighten the carburetor mounting nuts onto the manifold bolts to 18 foot-pounds of torque with a torque wrench. Do not over-tighten the mounting nuts or gasket integrity will be compromised.

10

Reattach the fuel line and the throttle linkage bolt to the carburetor with a wrench. Replace the air filter housing and screw the wing-nut in place, finger-tight. Reattach the vacuum lines to the carburetor.

11

Start the vehicle and allow the engine to run until warm. Adjust the idle screw, located at the base of the throttle linage, one-half turn at a time in both directions until the engine is running as smoothly as possible.