Interesting. Hopefully, on your RX, you could replace it fairly easy. It was recommended that i drop my axle to get at mine, but I actually removed my master cylinder from the top. (very risky on a 14 year old car- those brake lines aren't as strong as they used to be)

 

I just took mine out from the top through the left side...Wiggled it between the hoses and TADA it was out easy part was getting it back in LOL.....

 

Actually, it sits perfectly on top of the engine... it's a five minute job. That really depends on where the car has "grown up" and how it was stored. I've swapped brake masters on cars older them yours with no problems... it helps to have proper flare nut wrenches.

 

Line wrenches are a must have. I live in Pennsylvania but my civic actually came to me from New Mexico. Not a spot of rust.

 

I've solved the problem...it's the "regulator" in the altenator...it took me a while to figure it out...but there is a little place to put a screwdriver in the the altenator and deactivate the regulator...when I did this, everything just surged to life...the lights got brighter, the rpm's increased, the heater got more forceful...and the battery tester that I had connected to the battery went off the chart. The power is there it's just not getting where it needs to go...because of the regulator.

So...my Dad is gonna take my old altenator that crapped out on me and re-build it and then we'll swap it out (then he might fix the regulator in this one so then I have a spare)

Anyhoo...just thought I'd pass that along!

Jason