My Acty’s First Week of Maintenance: Getting Hands-On with a Kei Truck

First Impressions and Initial Assessment

In the first week after picking up my 1990 Honda Acty kei truck, I dove straight into maintenance. The truck was surprisingly well cared for — Japanese maintenance stickers indicated future service intervals — but a few critical tasks needed attention right away. With some extra free time, I ended up accomplishing far more than I expected.

Day One: Quick Wins

I began with a thorough inspection and a minor parts swap:

• Windshield wipers and fluid: Torn wipers were replaced immediately; the washer fluid was fortunately full.
• SeaFoam in oil and gas: I added 3 oz to the engine oil (1 oz per quart) and the rest to 5 gallons of fresh, ethanol-free gas. I plan to run the oil for 150 km before changing it.
• Air and fuel filters: The air filter was quick. The fuel filter required improvisation — the filter I ordered was too large for the stock hoses, so I used an spare inline filter from a Volkswagen Beetle I had on hand.

Day Two: First Drive and Early Tune-Up

After licensing and insuring the Acty, I took it on its first drive. Driving a right-hand drive manual on the right side of the road was a fun challenge, reminiscent of driving in Ireland.

• Tires: The cracked 10-year-old snow tires were unsafe. I replaced them with Bridgestone all-terrains from Japan, which greatly improved ride quality. Inspection of brakes revealed they were in excellent shape.
• First big drive: On my 17-mile scenic loop route, the familiar “Death Wobble” appeared in the steering — another task to tackle.
• Tune-up: Replaced distributor cap and rotor with OEM parts, followed by NGK spark plugs and wires.
• Valve cover gasket: Two of the three spark plugs were oily due to failed spark plug tube seals. A new valve cover gasket set from Japan arrived just in time.

Later Work Completed

• Strut rod bushings: Addressed the Death Wobble with new bushings. Parts for a Honda Accord from Amazon worked perfectly.
• Oil change: Drained and replaced engine oil and filter after 150 km.
• Differential oil change: Completed.
• Shifter bushing kit: Installed to eliminate slop and missed shifts; took 30 minutes.
• Coolant change and new thermostat: Long overdue, required careful bleeding of the system.
• Front CV boots replaced: A simple but messy job.

What’s Next

The rear CV boots all need replacement, along with transmission fluid change, some rust repair, and additional cleaning. Even after the first week, it’s clear that keeping a kei truck in top shape requires hands-on attention — but that’s exactly what makes it fun.

Takeaways

The first week with my Acty reinforced something I’ve learned from years of projects: a little planning, the right tools, and a willingness to dive in make a huge difference. Each repair, small or large, teaches you more about the vehicle and builds confidence for future work. By taking it step by step, even a quirky, right-hand drive kei truck becomes approachable — and enjoyable.