August 19th, 2008 the Mad Scientist
The torque wrench is one of the most universally useful hand tools available to the home mechanic. These magical little tools take the guesswork out of the amount of twist you’re putting on bolts, greatly reducing the risk of shearing the heads off of them. You can also rest assured that high-torque bolts and lugs are more likely to be close to specifications. Without a torque wrench, 40ft/lbs feels very similar to 80ft/lbs, but can be the difference between a wheel falling off while you’re on the freeway and having an uneventful cruise.
Mechanical torque wrenches come in two flavors:
Beam Style torque wrenches use a beam of spring steel that is bent by the force you put on it. These are accurate enough for most backyard repair and part replacement jobs, and are inexpensive enough that it won’t break your budget. For a first torque wrench, I highly suggest a Beam-StyleTorque Wrench.
Click Style (pictured) torque wrenches use a clutch-style mechanism. These are generally more accurate than beam torque wrenches, but are more expensive because of their complexity. The SK Micrometer Torque Wrench is one of the best feeling torque wrenches I’ve had the privilege of handling.
Photo courtesy of exfordy.
Posted in Keys to the Shop | 1 Comment »
August 12th, 2008 the Mad Scientist
Establish Starting Point
As with any project, the first thing you should do is establish your goals. This is going to require a bit of math, but we’re going to determine the ideal target crank hp gain for your vehicle. A good rule of thumb is that every 10hp you make with a gas engine requires a pound of air per minute delievered into the intake manifold. For example, to transform a 100peak horsepower (php) naturally aspirated engine into a 200php turbo engine, you’re going to need a turbocharger capable of flowing 20lbs of air per minute at a realistic boost pressure. You’ll need to compute the basic engine airflow rate in CFM as follows:
Airflow=(cubic inches displacement * rpm * 0.5 * volumetric efficiency(V.E))/1728
The *0.5 is there because a four-stroke engine only breathe every other revolution, while 1728 converts cubic inches to cubic feet per minute
If you were to insert 83 percent for V.E for a typical 2.0L Honda engine’s 122CID * 7000 * 0.5 * .83/1728=247 CFM
At 83 degrees ambient temperature at sea level 247CFM converts to pounds/minute follows: lbs/min=CFM * .07
Therefore 247CFM * .07 = 17.29 lbs of air per minute.
Using this rule of thumb this 2.0l engine should produce approximately 173 NA HP. Now let’s see what we could do with that number using a compressor. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Shop Tips | 1 Comment »
August 8th, 2008 the Mad Scientist
The b16a1 ROCKS.
The b16a1 is the holy grail of CRX motors. It boasts true vtec, aggressive dual overhead cams, a high safe redline, a lsd-equipped close-ratio cable-driven transmission, and a very tuneable ecu. It really is as nice a fit for the CRX as Honda ever made.
All b16 motors are good choices because of the aftermarket available and the near-perfect rod/stroke ratio, but the b16a1 is particularly suited to the ED chassis (88-91 CRX and Civics) because it’s obd0 and uses a cable transmission. If it came from a CRX SiR, the transmission will be LSD-equipped. If it’s from an Integra XSi, it will come without an LSD.
However, there are downsides.
Because the b16a1 was only available in Japan, and was only produced in the CRX and Civic SiR, getting one requires contacting an importer (who will generally buy one from a running car because of modern Japanese smog restrictions). You will not know any of the history of the motor, but if the shop is worth spending time on, they will offer a full test run on the engine (dyno run and leakdown test) to ensure that it’s in working condition.
The other problem that arises is finding replacement parts. The B family of Honda motors benefits from a large aftermarket parts availability, but stock parts are difficult to find because they need to be imported directly.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the b16a1 is a great choice to put in the CRX. As long as you find a reputable dealer that offers a “complete swap” (axles, ecu, wiring harness, intake manifold, throttle body, exhaust manifold, etc) and the motor and transmission are both in good repair, expect to spend roughly $3,000 USD on this swap, assuming you will be installing it yourself.
More Info
That’s just the beginning. There is a wealth of information available for the b16 series. Here’s a good start for your hunt for more:
Posted in Choose a CRX Engine, Monthly Specials | 1 Comment »
August 7th, 2008 the Mad Scientist
The LS engine is the least expensive way to break into the performance-oriented b-series engine family. The b18a1 was produced from 1990 and 1991 in an obd0 model and 1992 to 1993 in obd1, then the b18b1 was produced from 1994 to 2001 as an obd2 engine. All models were available on the USDM market, and continue to be readily available in salvage yards. Any Acura Integra RS, LS, or GS will come equipped with an LS motor in one form or another.
The LS gained its name for being the only b-series engine to come without vtec from the factory, but LS/VTEC hybrids have enjoyed some popularity since their inception.
Installing an LS motor into a CRX engine bay is the simplest of b-series swaps, as it requires minimal wiring modifications (especially if using an obd0 model). My full b18a1 writeup is also available on this site.
Posted in Choose a CRX Engine, Monthly Specials | No Comments »
August 6th, 2008 the Mad Scientist
d16z6
d16y8
The d16z6 and d16y8 amount to the same gains. Both are economical single-cam true-vtec engines. Both are common in salvage yards, available in 1992-2000 Civic EX and Si’s, and some models of Del Sol. Power output is roughly 130hp for each model, but a frankenstein of the two is reputed to work best. The d16z6 has a better-flowing head and the d16y8 has a better-flowing intake manifold, so putting the two together on top of any d16 block will yield some power gains.
The most notable difference between the two is the onboard diagnostics. The d16z6 is an obd1 engine, while the d16y8 is an obd2 engine. Both can be converted to obd0 easily enough, or your wiring harness can be converted to obd1 (obd2 is not recommended for engine tuning other than specific applications). During the wiring harness conversion, the vtec solenoid should be wired into the ECU (automatic ECUs are particularly useful for this modification).
Availability of parts and relative ease of engine installation make both these engines excellent candidates for any CRX.
Posted in Choose a CRX Engine, Monthly Specials | No Comments »
August 5th, 2008 the Mad Scientist
The ZC is a smal but venerable 1.6l engine that shares motor mounts with all other d-series engines. It is also obd0, making it a simple plug-and-play swap from a previous MPFI engine. If you have a stock CRX DX, you’ll need to convert the wiring harness to MPFI and use the ZC ecu.
The ZC is one of the most difficult Honda engines to identify, so the folks over at jdmcars put together this pdf: zc_identification for your reference. Power output is generally ~130hp, and is a very strong candidate for boost.
For further information regarding the ZC, read here:
d-series.org
Posted in Choose a CRX Engine, Monthly Specials | No Comments »
The torque wrench is one of the most universally useful hand tools available to the home mechanic. These magical little tools take the guesswork out of the amount of twist you’re putting on bolts, greatly reducing the risk of shearing the heads off of them. You can also rest assured that high-torque bolts and lugs are more likely to be close to specifications. Without a torque wrench, 40ft/lbs feels very similar to 80ft/lbs, but can be the difference between a wheel falling off while you’re on the freeway and having an uneventful cruise.
