Nice ride OK4450! Rocketman
@MikeInNH, I know, I know. There just doesn’t seem to be the time to keep things as clean as I’d like. Just another trade-off for 2 parents with 50 hour a week jobs and young kids. Between having to eat breakfast or dinner in the car sometimes and sports, swimming, and shuttling other kids around I can’t believe how crapped up a car can get. I tell ya, 20 years ago I never would have put up with it, but now…
asemaster, my Mark does not have the rear fluorescent light or neon. I don’t think the rear neon lamp came along until 1997 and 1998; the latter being the last year for the make.
I am hooked on theses cars because they’re the most reliable and comfortable cars I’ve ever owned; not to mention they run pretty well with that Semi-Cobra engine under the hood.
The downside to them is that they’re mechanically complex and have more modules and wiring than an Airbus… 
ok4450, one of my customers has a 98 Mark, and that nice glowing panel across the trunk quit working. Needs a new ballast, of course obsolete and list price when still available was something like $1100.
I agree, fun to drive, nothing can replace a strong engine driving the rear wheels. But I agree, module after module after module for anything and everything. I was so glad when everything finally was integrated into one body controller or GEM module.
For all the railing people seem to do against timing belts, none ever stop to think that chains/guides wear out too on OHC engines. Year ago I had the pleasure of replacing all 4 chains on a DOHC Lincoln V8. That $2400 job would have bought 3 or 4 timing belts.
@asemaster, I just pray that I never have to go into the chains on that engine. That’s one reason why I keep the oil changed very regularly.
Having never done one and just based on reading the manual, a chain job on one of them would be right on a par with the worst of timing belt swaps.
Personally, I don’t have a problem with belt driven camshafts.
A few years back I started counting modules on that car per the Helms manual and quit at 24 but my fuzzy memory seems to recall running across a few more since then.
I have two chain driven engines and one belt driven. All are SOHC. The chains are a Chevy 4.3L and a Ford 4.6L. Never had a problem with either but I keep the oil fresh. The belt driven is my 1994 Geo Metro that I got as my “beater”. Mine has the 3 cylinder 1.0L Suzuki G10 engine. I changed the timing belt and water pump as routine maintenance when I got the car. It took me an hour. This is also a non-interference engine which is good as I managed to be a tooth or so off on my first try. Many people have bought these cars in non-running condition because the timing belt is broken and have themselves a good running car $40 later.
The Hondas are typically interference engines. This means that you do not want to neglect replacement of the timing belt. The valves will interfere or “crash” into the pistons if the timing belt breaks. You pretty much kiss the engine goodbye when this happens so definitely keep the timing belt serviced. The water pump is usually closely associated with the timing belt so this should be changed at the same time even if it shows no signs of failure. Some pumps are driven off the timing belt. If they seize, you can ruin an interference engine. It sounds like both these were recently done so you won’t have to worry about this for another 60-100k miles (not sure of service interval).
Most of these Honda engines also need to have their valve lash on a regular interval. This is usually quite some time like 60-100k like a timing belt so is something that can be neglected. Again, it looks like this was done on your car so another plus… This has to be done as valve faces and seats normally wear into each other with each cycle of combustion. Eventually the valves will no longer close properly unless adjusted. This will result in less efficient and powerful operation and eventually a burned valve or two. I am not sure why Honda still uses this style of valve lifter but it seems to work well for them. Most modern engines use hydraulic lifters which “self-adjust” as the valve train wears so valve adjustment isn’t a concern for most engines. Most problems with hydraulic lifters are related to neglected oil changes where crap clogs the lifters and causes an incorrect amount of lash. This is often noticed as excess clatter from the top of the engine.