Hi, my name's James and I recently bought an '89 Pilot. I've had it for over 3 months now but have yet to ride it since getting it home...yeah I know, what am I waiting on right? Well, been so freaking busy with work, etc. lately that I haven't ridden it yet. That plus I'm a perfectionist so I don't want to ride it until I feel I have everything exactly they way I want it i.e. enough time to really enjoy riding it uninterrupted, etc. I'm planning on riding and enjoying it this very weekend. I've already spoken with scpilot66 who is very knowledgeable & helpful and knows way more than I currently do about the Pilots. Give me a couple more years and I'm pretty sure I'll feel much more comfortable with Pilots. I'm probably going to be just fine riding solo for the time being but was curious as to if there are any more Pilot or Odyssey owners in the west TN/Memphis, TN area. that's about it for now, I look forward to posting on this board and maybe meeting some Pilot and/or Odyssey owners out there! I'm going to try and post some pics of my Pilot.

......and here is what strongly prompted me to get into Pilots. I've been dealing with this stupid "adult go kart" for quite some time and am so sick of dealing with trying to "get it right" that I bought a Pilot (what I should have done 3 or 4 years ago, but yeah, hindsight 20/20).

Hello James, very nice talking with you and boy you were not kidding that looks like a very nice pilot. Congratulations on getting the pilot, you are going to love it.

This is the best place to come for any Pilot or Odyssey questions, lots of top notch knowledgeable people on here.

Take care.

Thanks Steve, its fairly nice but in person close up the plastics do not look as deep of a red as in the pics hence my "pickiness" about having non sun-faded perfect plastics as they were from the factory. I've gone over it several times with microfiber cloths trying to get in every nook & cranny (even the underside) to the point of my fingers hurting! Of course I know its going to get dirty but I'm just picky like that LOL. And yes from what I've been reading this place seems to be THE PLACE to go for all things Pilot & Odyssey! I just wish I hadn't put all that money into that other "adult go kart" posted above and instead just started with a Pilot in the first place, but at least it was a learning experience even if I feel like I've wasted 3 years agonizing over it and it still not being right. I probably have close to what I paid for my Pilot in that other "adult kart" (and that doesn't even include all the agonizing over it, stress, & lost sleep) especially since is has that Briggs 18 HP Engine on it that I bought brand new for a little over $1000. That Engine probably doesn't even have an hour on it...makes me almost sick at my stomach to think about it. I think it can be made into a nice machine but I am just past my patience & money spending on it. Sometimes I jokingly say "I might just pour a gallon of gasoline all over it, strike a match from as far away as possible, flick the match on the kart, then turn around and walk off into the sunset and forget all about it"!

Welcome to the site where do you usually ride ?

Thanks...Actually I haven't ridden it yet even though I've had it for over 3 months...did some more "going over" late today on it. Its been so hot out lately and I don't have a shaded garage or workshop to work out of yet so I usually only go out to it late in the day and it always gets dark on me before I'm done. Maybe just maybe tommorrow will be my first day on it. As far as places to ride I have plenty all around my house so I probably won't get bored exploring for quite some time. I'm still wondering if there's any more Pilot owners nearby.

Welcome to the site and pilot ownership. Hopefully you'll find some others close to ride with. A few of us make annual trips to Little Sahara Oklahoma and it's always a great time. Something to consider if you want to ride the dunes and meet other Pilot owners. Looks like you have a very nice buggy and hope you get to enjoy it.

Thanks, I'm excited most of the time about the Pilot and think about it way too much probably, even to the point of being obsessed. I really wish I had a climate controlled insulated garage in which to work on it along with some of my other toys & vehicles but just can't afford that right now. I looked up Little Sahara on google maps and its about 616 miles from where I am so that would have to be a 2 or 3 day weekend trip. If you zoom in on google maps on Little Sahara state park you can see several people riding & kicking up sand. I can't tell for sure since I can only zoom in so much but one or more of 'em may be a Pilot or Ody!

It's right around 850 miles for me, we usually arrive on a Saturday and ride til Tuesday or Wed morning and head out. Usually by Sunday afternoon the place is almost cleared out and why we ride the days we do. It's really nice having the place mostly to yourself and not dealing with big crowds on the dunes.

Pilot_runner, Welcome to the Pilot Addition, I have family that lives in Cordova and I go there three to four times a year. So if you would like me to come by and chat let me know. Plus it would give me a chance to look over your ride. Just can not get enough garage time these days. Here is a squeaky video of our last trip to the dunes. This may help you get you pumped up to go and join in. Just stay out from behind STIX he will break check you and feed you a sand sandwich. I have talked with EZ about going to St Joe Park since its about half way for both of us and I do believe it will be closer for you as well. Maybe a late fall ride?

Plus if you like to have fun and laugh this is the place to do it.

FYI once you get one you cant stop there it is like a Lay's potato chip "just cant have one".
http://youtu.be/zITSy3GX02E

Enjoy your new ride any question no matter how small post up and ask there is a wealth of knowledge on this board. No question is a dumb one as long as there is some one willing to learn.

Andoh

This sounds to me to be the best way to time it...get there Saturday and meet a bunch of people, etc., then really have the space to really ride later after most people are gone.

Yes, I go through Cordova almost daily. That sounds like a good idea maybe next time you're in the area you can look over my machine and offer some advice, etc. I still have a lot to learn about the Pilots but am learning things bit by bit.

Currently trying to decide on the best way for me to deal with the airbox on my Pilot. I still have everything stock as seen in the above pics but the outer wrapping on the factory coiled spring air tube is ruined on the one I have. Since the part is no longer available new from Honda I am having some difficulty trying to find something comparable that will look original and fit tight & give me no troubles. I haven't tried a Ridgid or large ShopVac hose as some have mentioned in other posts. My Pilot came w/ a UNI filter that appears to be fine to continue using and I have cleaned it w/ soap & Dawn. I want to use something simple, tight fitting, & most of all I want to keep dirt contaminants from getting sucked into the Engine. I've read about prefilters and/or having a K&N before the UNI but that sounds a little complicated (for me at least). I'd like to use something that's already been fabricated & tried & true w/ the least amount of hassle that I can just bolt on. Any suggestions? Pictures are very helpful to me.

One more thing...I've looked and tried to find out if anyone has used or is currently using LED lights in the factory 2 front round light assemblies. I don't want to put an LED light bar on it although maybe in the future since I saw a Pilot a while back that looked good w/ one. I want to be able to use "plug & play" LED bulb(s) in place of the factory incandescent bulbs that are currently in there w/ no wire cutting & splicing involved...i.e. everything original except the bulb itself. Maybe someone on here has already made or knows where some sort of adapter is that I can use?

Currently going through my Honda Pilot service manual and the part about the Engine balance oil is somewhat confusing. Anyone care to elaborate on how it fits into the grand scheme of things as far as the inner workings of the Pilot's Engine? I have a stock of fluids I recently bought at the Honda dealership (see pics below) which I plan to use to do a drain & refill of whats in the Pilot right now. Based on my current knowledge I still need to get some of this "balance oil", right? Feels like this may be a stupid question but I'm still fairly new to the Pilots.

Q=Currently going through my Honda Pilot service manual and the part about the Engine balance oil is somewhat confusing. Anyone care to elaborate on how it fits into the grand scheme of things as far as the inner workings of the Pilot's Engine?

This part of the Engine is covered in the manual under section 8. This section of the Engine has bearings, gears and other parts that requires lubrication. The balancer is gear driven off of the crank shaft via a drive and driven gear which in turns drives the water pump. The starter pinion is also located in the is area which drives the flywheel gear or for better word starter driven gear to start the Engine. The crank gear and balancer gear (Balancer Drive and Driven Gear)are timed via an indicator punch mark on both gears. The stator and Pulse generator are fixed in place to the cover. The water pump drive shaft has a slot in it that slips into the Balancer Driven gear and mates up to a pin which spins the water pump impeller.

Remember there is no stupid question if something is to be learned and shared. So feel free to ask away.

Adnoh

The manual refers to it as "balance oil" because this is the are of the Engine that the oil lubricates. You do not need to buy "balance oil" I just use the same oil as I use in the gearbox Honda 10w 40. The balancer is called that because it balances the rotation of the Engine. This way the Engine does not shake itself to pieces.

Thanks, I'm learning new things every day! I finally got a Pilot factory service manual recently so that will be a big help.

Thanks, I'll plan on using that GN4 10w40 oil then.

Thanks!

Note on changing the balancer oil. keep an eye on how much comes out when draining. If you notice a change in cc amount of old oil this could be a sign of a gasket/ seal / O-ring leak. Also always be sure your vent line is not clogged shut.

your thumbs will take a beating with those front non factory offset wheels

Too small front tires?

I believe it is due to the off-set of the after market rims, the OEM is about -0 on the off-set

Welcome to the site