okay.... lotta stuff i gotta put into this to handle everybodies questions and stuff

first and foremost, i want dependability - i dont wanna make power and have a car that constantly needs tuning, repairs, upgrades... wanna do it all right the first time.

my friends civic si made 235 whp with a vortech s/c and it was nuts fast to me... i dont think i need that much power - since i dont have a power number in mind i wanna say mid-low 14's at the strip would be a good starting point - id be pretty damn happy about that. im not trying to be the fastest car in my area or anything like that, the power is for my pleasure, not my ego.

also, keep in mind that when i finish my engine, i wanna put a clutch and LSD in, too... much more power will fry my stocker - my car has 211k and i dont have a clue when it was last changed (assuming that it ever has been)

so bottom line, i dont wanna go out and spend 10000 bucks to make my car go faster, it has to be affordable (affordable NOT cheap)

i thought about LS-Vtec but i figured that might be more expensive cuz ill have to get a tranny, ecu etc.... im not gonna rule it out as an option because the experience of others can make life easier... so let me know what your experiences are etc

thanks!

 

Man, you could have gotten high 13s with your stock motor and a greddy kit. h:

 

You have very reasonable and attainable goals. To get what you're going for, an aftermarket build-up wont be necessary. Although, considering the age of your engine, you should look at some preventative maintenance before you go for anything more. Here's what I consider 2 of your most viable options:

1) If you have the down-time and know-how, rebuild your motor with new bearings and rings. I'd hesitate to turbo a motor with over 200k, but that maintenance should have it ready to go. Then all you have to do is get a reasonable street turbo set-up and your set. You can either buy a complete kit, or piece together your own... Just depends on availability of parts in your area and how simple you want it to be. A stock LS motor is more than capable of reliably taking the boost it would need to get you to your power goals (and beyond them). As with any turbo setup, Hondata is your friend.

2) Since you have so many miles, you could build your motor for ls-vtec using all OEM parts, and take care of that preventative maintenance while you're doing it. Stock rods will be fine if you want to raise the redline (which is how you'll make that power ls-vtecs are famous for) as long as you use ARP rod bolts. I'd also use an itr/gsr crank girdle to stabilize the bottom end too. With both these you should be able to safely raise your redline to close to 8k. Along with the LS rods, I'd use some B16A pistons with new rings (you can use B16B pistons, but only if you have good gas in your area... c/r will be around 12:1, which is marginal for street use). Then all you need is a head in good shape (ARP head studs are a plus) and an ECU. This should be perfectly adaquate for your power goals, and since you're using all OEM parts (aside from the fasteners), cost should be pretty managable... and you'll be doing all the high-mile preventative maintenance at the same time.

These are just two options... obviously there are more. But I think both of these will get you to (or beyond) your power goals without breaking the bank. They'll require a bit of time and effort, but I'm sure you'd be happy with either.

 

i have a b18a block that if i need, i can use to reduce down time.

if i were to go ls-vtec, wouldnt i want to use an Si or gs-R tranny to maximize my power? shorter gear ratios.....

 

Ideally, yes. But you could put that off for a while if money was tight. You could also kill 2 birds with one stone and buy an itr or jdm tranny with the OEM limited slip.

 

:naughty:

ill probably look into that.... first things first need some head i mean need a head

 

here is the update: a guy i know is gonna sell me his b16 head, complete for 400 bucks... has everything i need on it. found some b16 pistons in the classifieds here that im gonna pick up... just gonna get some rods while i'm at it. might as well do it right the first time.

where can i get this gs-r or ITR crank girdle? should i use a block guard? golden eagles is pretty cheap (modacar has it i think for 105 so im sure i can find it cheaper)

do i need a gs-r oil pump? something in my head is telling me i do.
while im at it, im gonna change the waterpump and timing belt, of course.

once i get the motor pieced together, im gonna start hunting for a tranny mayyybe ill get lucky and be able to swap this thing in before summer is over

 

you wont need a blockguard, and most people would tell you to stay away from those anyway... But the LS sleeves should be just fine.

if you use the gsr/itr girdle, you'll need the entire gsr bottom side (windage tray, oil screen, oil pump, pan). The girdle isn't necessary, but I'd recommend it.

What kinda rods are you getting? Just new LS? If you're getting a fresh set, you might consider getting them shot-peened... that, along with arp rod bolts is usually enough for the lsvtec folks.

I've also heard that using B16 bearings will work better and last longer than LS ones, so you might look into that :dunno:

Good luck mang!

 

im gonna get either the crower econo billets or eagle H beams... they should be plenty for the power im going to make.

 

I really don't think you'll need aftermarket rods unless you want to rev it out past 8k. ARP rod bolts and shot-peening should be good enough for LS rods to make full use of the stock vtec head's flow characteristics. And like I said, if you get aftermarket rods, you'll need aftermarket pistons (or at least get yours machined, which can be a tricky business).

That said, eagle H beams are great budget rods for boost, but are way more than you'll need for NA. I dunno about crower econos, but Probe Industries or Import Builders rods are the best ones to use for NA... much much lighter, and plenty strong.

IMO, you should decide whether you wanna go full-aftermarket for the rods/pistons, or just stick w/ OEM Honda.