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A passion that traveled across international boarders

46820 Views 1374 Replies 22 Participants Last post by  transzex
5
Honestly, I don't know where I should start. Maybe a little bit of background first!

I have been messing with honda's for years, almost 15 to be exact (since I got my license). Many of the honda's I have owned and help friends repair in my youngeryears were the starting point of knowing what line of work I wanted to be in.

I love cars (anything with an engine really), more specifically diagnosing really difficult drivability issues with them. Getting stuck on a problem really pushed me to learn more about things I was unfamiliar with. Through my diagnostic experiences as a vehicle technician, I have learned an incredible amount of internal combustion engine theory and operation including all of the additional systems that support their overall operation and the mechanics at work which ultimately couple the engine output to usable work at the wheels (the full circle if you will).

UNFORTUNATELY, like most people can probably attest, I'm not made of money, I don't have lots of money, I can't spend lots of money all the time (unless I want my wife and son to starve and have no home), I really had to think hard 5 times before spending $50 bucks without jeopardizing something of a higher importance, but that honestly never stopped me from continuing to pursue learning about so many really cool tips and tricks related to Honda's on the countless number of member driven community forums out there (the last year and a bit have been right here!).

I've tuned honda's, built engines/transmissions for honda's, done stupid/cool things with honda's, and most of the time it has always been with someone else's money. All I have ever been truly able to spend on things was time, and I took full advantage of a learning opportunity when it presented itself on someone else's dime.

I am at a stage in my life where money management is still a HUGE part of my responsibility for my overall family goals (as I am still not made from it), but over the past two years things have started to get, dare I say it, slightly "easier" (knock on wood) for me to have like an extra hundred bucks or so every month to put towards my hobbies and things I like to do.

Like most people here, working on their cars is therapeutic and stress relieving. Often times it can turn into downright addiction! I think I'm in the stress relieving group, as I spend time and money on my projects but it's not the end of the world if I have to not touch them for weeks/months at a time.

So without more boring self introductions, I wanted to share an ongoing project that started in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and ended up in North Carolina.


Here she is, the d-series honda platform that has continued to be my hobby that started 2 years ago: the 1999 Honda Civic SI (Canadian, EX in USA) with a low mileage D16Y8 installed by the owner who wanted to get it back on the road eventually (original engine blew up). He lost interest but had money to buy newer toys to pass the time. This car sat in the back of a truck shop for almost 2 years, and the owners of the place were threatening the owner to tow it away if he didn't move it. So I bought it for $200 bucks from him because the engine ran and it was at least worth that by itself, and had it towed to my house.

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No doubt, don't let the Corona get you......... Have you upgraded the oil pump? Self ported or even Bad Guys offers a new high volume oil pump. Been thinking about getting one of theirs for the ZC. When its hot and idling, it gets a little low for my liking. Anything below 10 at hot idle frightens me.
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The old DOHC ZC is making well over 300 with 11mm studs and a freakin Felpro graphite gasket. (yes I have blown one already, but that was because I fixed a boost leak and had some detonation issues which is what popped the gasket). A little copper spray and back at it I went. Wiseco pistons and CSS kept her alive. I think at the boost levels you're talking, as long as the timing is right and by right I mean conservative for most builds and you keep AFR in boost around 11.5-11.7 you're gonna be totally fine. I'm running max 18 psi on mine (pretty much where the old GT28RS is done), and so far, so good.
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I think if we really put some time in street tuning it as well, you're gonna be better off. It aint all about the peak horse pressures you know.
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8.5:1 will be fine, it'll be more forgiving if you get the timing off. Mine being upwards of nearly 10:1 (9.8ish), she's way less forgiving, and I have a few head gaskets to prove it....lol.
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hahahahahahah, just glad no one got bit. The baby ones are pretty ill most of the time.
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saw the adjusters in one pic, which struts on your car again?
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And that wasn't Greensboro Mexico, that was Winston-Salem, Mexico................hahahahahaha. Excellent!! More video?

Guess I'll have to mount the cam in my car and take her on some rips..........lol
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Videos on the dyno better ensue! Or we're all gonna be ticked lol. Wise taking the Uhaul. 85 can have traffic, etc. Things you don't want to sit through in an untuned turbo Civic :)

The SC Mountains are just north of Travellers Rest. Up around the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area looks like it would be a cool place to hang out. Caesars head overlook specifically looks awesome. But then again, I'm the crazy man that goes off walking with a 40 lb pack on his back for days at a time.........
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UPDATES!!! Seriously, what are you doing with your life?!?! LOL!!

Hoping for big, safe numbers from JD, and an awesome day on the dyne!
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Surely its done by now hahaha!!
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Love that peak at 7k, it should live a long time on the streets
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Really looks like it burned a ton cleaner with the E85 pulls as well. Smoke mostly went away. Fantastic! Its gonna be a beast on the streets : ) of old Gree.........ahem, I mean Mexico lol
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$16 fill up, making 375 at the wheels, Fantastic! But I bet MPG will suck lol
Exactly!
Before tear down, why don't you cut it back to 12-15 psi and see what happens. Worth a try for sure. I mean obviously you don't want to pop it, but how is the temp doing when it does this. Was worried after you didn't post for a few days the something like this had happened.

I won't hate on you if you did a B16a build. Would rather it be a DOHC ZC, but hey, I aint judging lol. Might even have some B series junk laying around. I'll have to look.
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Temps are fantastic, at no point do temps rise above 185.

I'll do that honestly for shits and giggles. Basically, the base map is the non E85 tune, and the sensor correction portion of Neptune is what handles all the E85 advancement aspects.

I'll just pull all additional duty and timing out of the sensor correction window, leaving the fuel correction modifier intact, and basically it will be running the 93 tune on 12-15PSI with no additional timing or boost but with E as the fuel. Shouldnt hurt anything at all. I have too much fuel in it right now to want to drain it lol, so ill just use up the E since it works just fine and honestly burns much cleaner.

I'll report what happens on this tomorrow, maybe get some video in there too.

I need to review JDs log files again during the 93 tune to see what boost was at when it made the 300whp, and set it there.
And 300whp on the streets is a beast! More than enough smiles per gallon for a driver.
In for an update
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How does the power feel? A lot less, or ?
I'd leave it alone. Personally speaking. Having gone through all of these issues myself, to include exploding a block, and going through many head gaskets.......... If you're happy with it, leave it alone. You don't have to prove anything. And I have no idea why JD helped you get a "number". Maybe the new shop he's at is more about people pleasing, but if it's pushing coolant, then there's just too much timing. O-ringing wouldn't stop that. Also, I would not torque those studs any more than you already have. If they were ARP's, then the max is 80, if you're above that already then they're stretching. Learned this one the hard way. The "extra torque" will only lead to more stretch and less clamping force.

If I sound a little agitated, its because I am. Please share the BIN file with us so we can look at least at the timing in boost (the tune that pushes coolant). I know he probably added so that you'd hit the desired number, but..............we all know that the D hates timing when boosted. Yes, its how you make a number, but not necessarily great for a street car. It's a fine line between making good, stable power, and popping head gaskets like one of those pop goes the weasel toys we all played with as kids..........

Sorry if I'm coming off like a cranky old guy, but............if it's "fast/quick enough", then I'd ride it and monitor AFR's, coolant temps, etc. Data log the crap out of it to know everything is happy. Any clue what the EGT's were with. all the timing in it?
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hahahahaha
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