[Oldcivicjoe]

If you want a good laugh, ask me how I found out............

I could use a good laugh 😃

 

[Soul Engineering]

So I went on a ride yesterday. Longest ride for the CRX yet. First half was all interstate. Stopped at my Carbon Fiber guys shop. We talk race cars for a good hour, and about the future business projects we're going to work together on. So I leave his place. At his behest, I take back roads home. There were some amazing turns, and I didn't let it eat, but I didn't really use my brakes either, just let momentum carry me. About 15 minutes out from his place I hear what sounds like a lug nut or large bolt rattle down the frame, then a horrible noise from under the hood. Clunkety clunkety clunkety clunk, then boomp boomp boomp and out the back the balancer shot, rolling down the road and off into the ditch........


You know, I've heard these stories before. When I adjusted the valves after I replaced those two, I checked the dang bolt to make sure it was tight. However, as shiny as the inner part of the balancer was when I picked it up, it was definitely spinning on the shaft. No keyway installed. [email protected]!! Who does this stuff!! Who says, oh, it doesn't need that part. I mean, hell I've even seen people put a large nail down in there, but at least that was something, a stupid something, but it was something. When you put nothing, then there's nothing to keep it from spinning.

So I walked back up the road (was only running 30-40 or so when it came off), picked up the balancer. It wasn't too chipped up, belt was still on the alternator, and I called my buddy up. He came in a few minutes with a crank bolt, some red Loctite, and a keyway and I drove the 30 or so miles back home. Needless to say, there's nothing on my car that I trust, except for the work that I've done myself lol. I don't trust any of the rest of it. Hahahahahahahahaha. No keyway. WTF!

 

[Lhexx]

I handed him $1k, we jumped it off and I drove it onto the trailer.

Dear diary, today I absolutely met envy....... wow all of that for only 1k damnnnn!!! Congrats!

 

[Soul Engineering]

Ahhhhh!!! Well lets add alternator (voltage regulator started taking a dump because of the short that was present in the dashboard), new alternator belt, and now an ignition switch to the list of: How much money can we spend resto-modding a CRX hahaha. But alas, it is starting to come together and hopefully I'll have some new suspension bits for the rear of the car coming in the mail shortly.

I order spherical rear toe links, adjustable camber links, and PCI spherical RTA bushings. All of that is shot on the car, so I'm hopeful of the differences its going to make in the back end of the car. Also, found that my left front upper control arm was about to drop a ball joint. Thankful that the spare parts wagon had one on it to suffice for now.

Money is starting to get right so I can start in on the engine build. What y'all think. Another turbo DOHC ZC. I've located a few in my stock pile, but they all look like good N/A candidates. Most of them have various issues. Either spots where a rod kissed the block and tried to do the eternal notch, or various other issues. I'm thinking G25-550 DOHC ZC popping down 450 or so in an Hf would be a wild ride. Definitely cage worthy.

Also looking at some HR-V D series AWD transmissions that were imported from Russia/Spain. Apparently, or so I've been told, they share the transfer case design of our B series CRV making upgraded parts easier to come by. Im leaning more and more towards converting the wagon to AWD first, (because it all bolts in), and then the CRX later.

340awhp AWD wagon and a 450awhp CRX. That would be pretty sweet.

 

[robgoof]

Ahhhhh!!! Well lets add alternator (voltage regulator started taking a dump because of the short that was present in the dashboard), new alternator belt, and now an ignition switch to the list of: How much money can we spend resto-modding a CRX hahaha. But alas, it is starting to come together and hopefully I'll have some new suspension bits for the rear of the car coming in the mail shortly.

I order spherical rear toe links, adjustable camber links, and PCI spherical RTA bushings. All of that is shot on the car, so I'm hopeful of the differences its going to make in the back end of the car. Also, found that my left front upper control arm was about to drop a ball joint. Thankful that the spare parts wagon had one on it to suffice for now.

Money is starting to get right so I can start in on the engine build. What y'all think. Another turbo DOHC ZC. I've located a few in my stock pile, but they all look like good N/A candidates. Most of them have various issues. Either spots where a rod kissed the block and tried to do the eternal notch, or various other issues. I'm thinking G25-550 DOHC ZC popping down 450 or so in an Hf would be a wild ride. Definitely cage worthy.

Also looking at some HR-V D series AWD transmissions that were imported from Russia/Spain. Apparently, or so I've been told, they share the transfer case design of our B series CRV making upgraded parts easier to come by. Im leaning more and more towards converting the wagon to AWD first, (because it all bolts in), and then the CRX later.

340awhp AWD wagon and a 450awhp CRX. That would be pretty sweet.

just think of it this way ,if you sold it for 6000$$ right now you wouldn't feel like you were cheating the guy who buys it..

yeah I know ...it's not for sale get off my lawn!

 

[Soul Engineering]

So it's been a bit for an update, and a lot has gone on with the car. The poor little b7 is struggling. I have a Wideband coming for it so I can perhaps tune out some of the yuck, but I'm not holding my breath for that. Anyhow, today I got in the PCI spherical RTA bushings I've been waiting for, and so work commenced on the rear suspension.

So PCI spherical rear trailing arm bushings, no name camber adjusters, and some funky adjustable spherical toe links that I found whilst down the Ebay rabbit hole one night. Pretty cheap and look to be decently made. On with the install.

Old RTA bushings were smoked! It was so bad that half the time the drivers side ride height and camber would change from day to day. And it felt like a wet noodle in the rear end of the car.

Camber arms weren't much better. However the toe links looked great lol.

In with the new. Used the bushing as the template, marked my holes, drilled, and voila spherical RTA's. I did have to clearance a bit above the trailing arm because it touched just ever so slightly and I didn't want to hear that going down the road.

Went over to a friends house tonight and talked shop, he ends up giving me an ST Engineering rear sway bar he had laying around. Put it on there, but I mounted it improperly on to the lower control arm. I think ST wants you to mount it to the lower shock bolt. I'll fix that tomorrow. But went from no rear sway bar to an ST, and oh yeah, she got new exhaust this past weekend. 28" long glass pack not in the picture, and then this Amazon find. An Incinerator muffler lol. It actually sounds really good.

Lastly, and this is the most ghetto part. I had to get the alignment closer than it was. Used a level to get Camber close, then put this ghetto rig to work pulling a tape by myself, so I leveled up my 2'x4', weighted it, and went to measuring. It's about 1/16th" in at the front. So just a shade of toe in, and it absolutely feels like its on rails now. Wow! What a difference those RTA bushings made. I mean, night and day. I was beginning to believe that the suspension was just kind of crappy (BFO Racing). Nope, very capable and it did wonderful at 75+ mph through some curves. Took some doing to get the old smokey b7 up to that speed with the Hf trans, but it got it done.

Here's the "alignment" contraption.

I'm going to tune the engine a bit once the wide band gets in, but it's not looking good for the old b7, and I have an opportunity to get a non D engine to put in it. And I'm seriously thinking hard about it. Very tempting because of price.

 

[Oldcivicjoe]

I'm going to tune the engine a bit once the wide band gets in, but it's not looking good for the old b7, and I have an opportunity to get a non D engine to put in it. And I'm seriously thinking hard about it. Very tempting because of price.

What are we talking here? B, F, H, K, or possibly best for last J? Oh please say it's a J, gonna make, a tire roaster might as well over kill! 😍 😍 😍

 

[Soul Engineering]

Found this complete and matching VIN number setup in a junkyard of all places. Still in the car. I asked the price, dude blows my mind for full swap. Wiring, engine, trans, axles, linkage, ECU, basically everything for an amazing price. Like unbelievable price. Hard to say no..........


I did buy it, but have yet to make the final decision........so D faithful, don't shoot me.......

What draw backs, besides what it is, do you see in putting this in the CRX?

 

[Oldcivicjoe]

Aside from left knee and right elbow issues some time down the line... only whatever the PO caused, but thats the game of Russian roulette we play ANY time we take a power plant of unknown provenance and build it.

 

[Soul Engineering]

SO, I talked it over with my wife today and she says, so why don't you just sell this stock motor, and then just build a motor with that money because I know you're going to put a turbo on it. After putting my jaw back into position I was a little taken aback, but she was and is correct. So I've narrowed it down to two candidates. A ZC like wagon has in it, or a d16a6 (possibly with a z6 head on it, but there are cams still available for non vote). I did find a burn victim at the junk yard that still has compression. Dude is asking way too much for it, wants $400 for Si engine and trans, and I'm unsure what year it is, but also a little weary because it is a burn car. And I mean, burnt. Had to be a fuel tank fire. Either way, that a6 or another would be fine, or like I said, a DOHC ZC. Now to find parts.

Which way do you all think I should go with it?

GSR swap got moved on down the line with the quickness. She will be going into a fully built and turbo'd race car next season. I've helped him with some sponsorship stuff, so this will fall under that banner.

 

[Oldcivicjoe]

Might be fun to have something different, on the other hand...

 

[EFB055]

zc all the things!

 

[Soul Engineering]

zc all the things!

Send me some parts my Aussie friend. Unlike you all, it never came in anything stock here in the US, so we have to buy either the leftover scraps that someone has likely blown up before, or we buy one of the few imports that still get shipped into the US.

We talked about Barra's, but I'd take a ConEX container full of ZC's as well. Motors and transmissions. We'd make money. Trust me we'd make money lol.


That literally is the only thing holding me back from building a ZC right now. Already sourced the Wiseco pistons and rods needed to do it.

 

[Oldcivicjoe]

If you guys do this put me down for 6-10 of them, lol. Hurry before the track opens in 3 years!

 

[slo_eg8]

Id be down to invest in this.

 

[EFB055]

lol DSO container buy.

 

[Soul Engineering]

I’m serious dude. How cheap can you buy a good running ZC engine in a salvage yard in Australia?

 

[robgoof]

me too ,but it will have to sneak across for asylum .

 

[Oldcivicjoe]

Ill just find a mostly smashed car, drop motor and trans in, drive it up there and catch a bus back, lol.
You can cut whatever of the car survives the trip up into patch panels for mr burns 🤣 🤣 🤣

 

[robgoof]

Ill just find a mostly smashed car, drop motor and trans in, drive it up there and catch a bus back, lol.
You can cut whatever of the car survives the trip up into patch panels for mr burns 🤣 🤣 🤣

that sounds great!