November 30th, 2007 the Mad Scientist
Spark plugs are the first step in making power, and knowing how to read them is essential to keeping a well-maintained machine. Think of your spark plugs as your window into your engine, they can tell you exactly what’s happening in there if you know what to look for. Dansmc has a great article here on reading motorcycle spark plugs, but the same guidelines apply to any 4cylinder motor. Tuner-junction has a similar writeup here that is just as useful.
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November 28th, 2007 calicab
HF Rear Brakes
Si Rear Brakes:
These images offer a look at the differences in the rear braking system setup between the CRX HF and Si. First off the trailing arms, the part that supports all of the bearing housing and the area that the brakes bolt to are in fact different. The holes around the si “axle” hold the brake “plate” on, then the caliper engulfs that and the brake system is complete. Also, in doing this swap, be aware that the brake lines will be vastly different. I think the parking brake is shorter on the HF also.
Just for reference know that the lower control arms are also different. The parts are interchange able(you can fit SI lca’s on the HF) but the HF lca’s dont have the hole for the rear sway arm so if you are switching everything from an SI to HF the sway bar also wont bolt up to the body. There are the holes for it, but they are only holes, they ARE NOT THREADED!!!!(the reason mine still isnt on)
As a small note on the front brakes, i switched to the SI calipers on the front of my CRX, the SI calipers are a bit bigger and will help considering the majority of of stopping power is coming from the from due to weight and motion shift when braking. They will bolt directly up and everything from an SI will fit nicely. I highly recommend doing this if you ever end up taking your car in for a brake job after this point, make sure to tell them you have SI brakes up from and not HF, it could cause a major headache.
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November 26th, 2007 the Mad Scientist
I’m always willing to help out a fellow CRX lover, but I just can’t forgive some things people do. I’m not a grammar nazi, but when people say such idiotic things like:
“what all do i need”
I’m done with helping them. That’s really where it ends, I don’t read or listen to what they have to say, and I’m finished. Not only is this a rape of our language, it’s also unfounded. I can forgive grammatical or spelling errors that make sense, but that particular phrase has no meaning or explanation behind it. Even “ain’t” makes sense, if you really think about it. Merging “a lot” into “alot” makes sense, because that’s how many of us speak. I’m talking about people who go out of their way to appear to be an idiot.
Most other automotive enthusaists who take the time to do research think the same way, and just won’t help. This causes all kinds of problems within the community. Not all people who say stupid things really are stupid, but piss everyone else off enough that they’re labeled an idiot. I sat and tried to come up with a solution to this problem, and the only thing I could come up with was this:
If you are going to ask a question of someone, put it into their terms, not yours. In ancient societies where the apprentice program was prevalent, “masters” did not try to think of new and creative ways to teach their pupils, instead the lowly apprentices had to learn to ask the correct questions to learn what they needed to. Information is abound, and I’m far from being a “master” of this hobby, but I’ve learned to ask questions properly. Because of that, I can answer a whole lot of questions in an educated manner. I can even come up with better compliments than
“baller baller post some piktars”
Let’s get rid of this image that all tuners are morons, starting by getting rid of the morons.
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November 23rd, 2007 the Mad Scientist
The first-gen (1984-1987) CRX was a very different beast than the more common 2nd-gen (1988-1991) CRX. There were more engines to choose from, each one less stimulating than the last. With more current generations of Hondas, this isn’t a problem. It simply means that you swap in another motor and create a “hybrid” CRX. As the CRX model was refined, a new generation emerged in 1988 and nearly everything engine/drivetrain-related changed. Anyone behind that missed much of the tuner movement, and information became scarce because the more lucrative second-gen CRX was so easy to attain. There is hope for those who own a first-gen, though! You can update your whole platform to the newer generation, allowing b-series swaps, updated brake systems, and all SORTS of other goodies. Just putting in a d16a6 from a second-gen CRX Si will net you between 25%-50% more power!
You’re probably chomping at the bit to get your hands greasy, but there is quite a lot of work to be done.
Physical Fitment
Read the rest of this entry »
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November 21st, 2007 the Mad Scientist
Your distributor is where all the action in your motor begins. Air and fuel are waiting to be burned, they just need a little fire to get them started. In basic terms, the distributor is just a rotating light switch that powers one spark plug at a time. The rotor spins and makes one point of contact at predetermined times, based on the engine’s rotation. Each of those points corresponds to one spark plug wire, and in turn to one spark plug. If you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up for your engine, or need to diagnose a misfiring/studdering/hiccuping engine problem, you should probably go through the whole chain, replacing the distributor cap, distributor rotor, spark plug wires, and spark plugs.
In my own experience, this has solved several problems that I simply couldn’t track down and ended up trying random fixes. Ideally, a distributorless coil-pack ignition is the ultimate fix, which removes the moving parts of the distributor as well as the spark plug wires. The result is a more consistent spark with less frequent maintenance.
For further reading, visit:
howstuffworks
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November 19th, 2007 the Mad Scientist
If you really break it down, everyone has some kind of ritualistic consumable that can “get you through a project”. Whether it’s Red Bull, Miller Lite, or just the sweet smell of oil, there’s that connection between food/drink and working on your project. There’s nothing like kicking back with a beer and looking at a job you’ve finished.
Personally, I’ve got burgers called “Lee Circle Specials” which are these amazing 1/2lb beef cheeseburgers, with bacon and cheddar. They come with a big heaping of fries, and are hand-crafted by the masterful people down at Lee Circle Grocery in New Hampshire. If you’re ever in my home state, be sure to stop by there, it’s where rt 125 and 4 meet, and you’ll remember it for the rest of your life. If you already know what I’m talking about, throw up a comment and let everyone know how I’m not kidding.
As Jules once said,
“Mind if I have some of your tasty beverage to wash this down with?”
I personally go for Monster Khaos. It’s tasty all-around, kicks you back up and gets you back to your project after the food-break, and is mostly juice, compared to the other so-called energy drinks out there.
Put up a comment on what YOUR favorites are.
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