Gasket Installation

Tools needed:

• 10mm and 12mm open ended wrenches

• 10mm and 12mm sockets 

• A few extensions and swivels for the sockets

• Needle nose pliers

• Phillips and slotted screwdrivers

1. You may find it easier to work on if you unbolt the radiator support and hood latch.  This will give you more room to work, but is not necessary.  Remove the plastic cover from the intake manifold and disconnect the throttle and cruise cables from the brackets that hold them.
   

2. Next you will have to disconnect the wire harness on the throttle body and the hoses.  Then remove the nut and 3 bolts on the throttle body and carefully pull it off so as to not damage the gasket.  
   

3. Now you can bypass the water line that goes through the throttle body at this time.
   
   To do this simply use the longer hose to route the water back into the head instead of going into the throttle body.
   

4. Next you will need to disconnect the fuel line at the plastic clip and disconnect any hoses that will hinder you from pulling the manifold off.  At this time you will also want to remove the brackets that hold the manifold from the bottom.  These brackets are held on by 12mm nuts.  Now you can remove the 12mm nuts and bolts that hold the manifold to the head.  You will need the open ended wrenches for the nuts on the top of the manifold and the sockets and extensions for the bottom ones.  You will need the swivel for the bottom center bolt.
   

5. Now you will have to remove the stud on the left side of the manifold.  To do this use 2 of the nuts you have already removed and put one on backwards and the other on the normal way and tighten the two together then back the whole stud out.
   
   This is what it will look like as you are taking the manifold off,
   
   and what it looks like with the manifold removed (you can now see the brackets that were attached to the bottom of the manifold).
   

6. Now remove the old gasket and wipe the manifold and head clean.  Since there is still one stud in the head, you can place the Hondata gasket on the head and replace the manifold.  You can push down on the gasket on the left side to help align it on the left side.  Replace the stud that you previously removed and  place washers on them.  Make sure that you don't put washers on at least two bolts, or you can relocate the grounding wire for the injectors to the center valve cover stud.  Tighten the manifold to the factory specifications from the inside to the outside.

7. Now make sure you put all the nuts, bolts, hoses, harness plugs and components back together and start the car.  If you have done everything correctly, there will be no leaks or explosions.  After 2 hours of driving make sure the manifold nuts and bolts are tight.