New Comer! Engine and Trans Buildup

**ArokASE88LXi** · 06-04-2008, 08:40 PM

Hi everybody! First a little background about me... I'm 22 been working on cars (proffesionally) for a little over 4 years now. Started at a midas shop in Castle Rock CO in 2004 worked on anything and everything all makes and models and anything from oil changes, to brakes, to engine diagnostics, custom exhaust, anything, you name it I did it. Now I work at Transmission Clinic in Colorado Springs for Don Callender (Google It). I’m ASE certified in brakes, steering & suspension, electrical, and engine repair. I’m young and I still don’t know a lot (but at least I can admit it lol). I’ve loved these older hondas for years and now I finally got on. I just bought a 1988 Accord Lxi with about 275k on it. It’s in pretty sad shape but I needed a project  I’ve got some plans for it but you guys advice would be a WHOLE lot better since you know so much about these. I plan on buying a used motor and trans from a junkyard and completely rebuilding both of them. As far as the trans goes I work at a transmission shop as stated above and work with three of the best builders I’ve ever seen (cumulative 50 years experience between the three of them) . However I’ve heard a little about the possibility of putting a limited slip tranny in mine out of another honda. My questions: how much custom modification would be entailed? How much and where can I get this tranny? Different axles necessary? All In all anything you know about the swap would be greatly appreciated! Also probably just a stage one clutch but would I need much more for as much as I want to do to it? As far as the engine is concerned I’d like to be able to run in the low to mid 15’s maybe high 14’s if possible on a N/A motor (which I’m sure anything is possible  ). My brainstorm has brought me this far… 10 or 10.5:1 Pistons, Stronger rods and have crank cleaned up, my question there is where can I find some good pistons? Rods? Which brands offer what advantages? The head I’d have ported and polished, I’d like to find some slightly bigger valves and some stronger springs and retainers, The cam I want to do a slight step up from stock say a stage one. I’ve heard about the tri-flow cams any suggestions on where or which grind to do (I’d like to feed a SMALL amount of nitrous). An adjustable cam gear as well. Any suggestions on CAI’s as to which one? Anybody find a header that’s not $400? I could get the black one but I just like chrome lol but I’m sure there’s not much difference in performance anyways. I will put a test pipe in place of the cat (No emissions requirements in my county) and probably the pacesetter cat back. I’ve looked at a bunch of threads and feard a few different things I’d like clarified… f22 throttle body – sounds like it’s off another honda, how would you bore it out? 90-93 aluminum radiator – Will a new one fit in place of mine or what is necessary to do this? MSD Blaster Coil – there’s 4 wires to my coil not just two how does that work? The rest I was curious about I have searched for and found. Thank you in advance for the help and thanks for reading! P.S sorry it’s so long lol

***2drSE-i*** · 06-04-2008, 08:54 PM

phew ok tons of questions

Lots of work would have to be done to run another honda tranny. you would need a completely different set of axles, and a custom plate made to even mount it. No brands readily make engine internals (any more anyway), but you can always get custom jobs.