I believe the OBD1 PR4 seems to run the best without any tuning, however it's made for a different engine so some tuning on it would get you better results.
I believe the OBD1 PR4 seems to run the best without any tuning, however it's made for a different engine so some tuning on it would get you better results.
Thanks. Got a long parts list and a bunch on notes.Originally Posted by 87roach
Mike C in NC USA
That's exactly why I've never been on a dyno, it costs too much. And I've been able to do well enough on the street so far. But with the ITBs, street tuning is proving to be quite a challenge. I think whenever I get the big valve head put on that will be the end of the major engine upgrades for awhile, so then I'll probably hit the dyno and get a good solid tune down.
The shop I go to will let you do your own tuning on their dyno if you know how to run your own tuning software. In my case it's the only option since I doubt they know anything about Megasquirts. With an OBD1 conversion you can likely get more knowledgeable help.
But yeah, get that thing out on the street and have a go yourself.
I remember once when I still had the Weber 38, I was able to get the idle down to under 500RPM, and it was still smooth! I could almost read the writing on my adjustable cam pulley it was turning so slow. That carb had unbelievable mixture quality. I miss it sometimes. Anyway that was with the stage 1 Colt, so I'm sure even with a stage 2 you should be able to get a nearly stock idle.As for the colt cam I think it's pretty good, Chris had a good post before where he said pretty much what I think of it. Once you get to 3k it feels good haha
Which B series pistons were you going to use? You'll need to check for piston to valve clearance since the valve reliefs won't be in the right places. Not a big deal, just something to watch for. You could also use stock pistons and mill the head 1-1.5mm. That would get you to low 10s for CR.
C|
yea...even with my performance engine the stock pr4 runs good...i need money and time to go tune..i first got to fix my oil leak from the front main seal.
1989 Honda Accord LX-i
B18c1 swap since 7/2011
175whp and 132tq
Redzone tuned
The only dyno we have in the near area to me also offers this, I better get to know what I am doing before I go in haha.
I also asked if someone could tune my car for me. They told me that they have a guy who will come in and you can pay him to work on it for the day, I think he told me around $600. Which I then said ok, so what software does he use so I can make sure he can just dive in? Well I was told that he doesn't disclose that for business or some shit? So that doesn't really help me. I may have to find another shop at some point.
Even if you pay someone else to tune it you're always better off knowing as much as you can. That way you're more likely to smell BS.
That doesn't sound too bad for an entire day. For an 8 hour day that would be $75/hr. Does that include the dyno as well or is that just for "the guy"?
The place by me I think is $75/hr in the summer or $60/hr in the winter. That includes the dyno and an operator. The operator won't necessarily be able to run your software though. I think they do more domestics than imports. I seem to remember the owner telling me that they were Ford factory certified to do some kind of upgrade to the new Mustangs, a turbo/supercharger of some kind.
Proprietary information?That sounds like he just didn't know and was feeding you a line. If you have any kind of skills that you intend to make a living from you WANT people to know what they are. It's just like a resume.
You know, there's an interesting thread over on Preludepower in the tuning section about this guy in Argentina that decided he wanted to become a tuner, because there weren't any tuner's in the area. He describes how he got started and actually presents quite a lot of information. It's worth checking out.
http://www.preludepower.com/forums/s...d.php?t=330807
C|
its an awesome read either way
I actually just stopped in there for the first and only time a while ago and asked a few quick questions, so I don't know all the details. Thank you for pointing out what I need to find out!
Thanks for the link man, I will have to do some reading in the morning.
Thanks cyngus for all the info. I dont know what b pistons I was going to use. Was going to use them because they were cheep. Not trying to sound like I am building cheep, just no need to pay if you dont have to.
So whitch cam do you guys think is the best. And do does anyone have a compant that is better than another for the bottom rebuild. And any tips and tricks that make HP and is reliable. Thanks again guys for all your help.
Mike C in NC USA
Not sure why you would want to waste money on rods and pistons, whats the mileage on current engine and is it rebuildable and hasn't suffered bent or worn out crank etc.
I've used stock rods upto 8k rpm and never had any fail, only time I've had them go was when the rod bolts came undone, if you get them stress relieved and shot peened, use stock honda bolts but just do them up a little tighter and use thread lock it's no longer an issue. And the stock pistons are a strong design, if anything just get Diamond to make you some forged ones to fit the stock rods, the lighter piston will make it easier on the rod, and if you really wanted titanium wrist pins. If your not turbo charging for huge boost then this setup works best as the stock rods are a lot lighter than anything aftermarket and nearly as strong! Trouble with the B series pistons is that the valve pockets aren't in line with our valves so you may have piston to valve clearance issues with aftermarket aggressive cams, stock or mild one would be ok though.
Whats the rpm limit your setting yourself and bhp goals with or without a turbo? My engines run 200bhp and spin upto 8k rpm depending on cam choice. And I've had quite a few builds like this, most the issues i get are from over heated pistons as i used cheap patent ones that trapped the rings and then caused a fracture which creeps across the crown and then eventually holes it causes loss in compression big style! Just one other tip i use Federal mogul wrist pins which are a few grams lighter than the Honda ones which are thicker I've not had any issues with them being thinner. The whole setup which i run picks up revs extremely quickly especially with my new 10lb machined stock flywheel (use a Prelude 1.8 ET lighter)
Really the first thing to do is to get the block measured to see what size pistons you need. OEM pistons are the ones to use of the block doesn't need to be bored out to more than 83mm. If it's worn beyond that then you're only options are the not so great aftermarket A20 replacement pistons, way oversized B series pistons, or custom forged pistons. Custom forged pistons will cost somewhere in the $500-$600 range as I recall. Any of the custom piston companies can make them, Diamond, JE, Arias, Venolia, etc. Rich covered the rest pretty well, although you can use ARP rod bolts instead of the Honda ones if you're paranoid. I used them on mine. I can look up the part number if you want.
For cams, depends on how much extra go you want. Colt stage 1 is very conservative and ok with stock fuel injection. Bisi/Web stage 1 would also be ok for a mostly stock setup but a bit more aggressive. Any of the stage 2 cams would be good for a more serious build, with the Colt being more conservative again. Beyond stage 2 cams you need higher compression, headwork, intake/exhaust, aftermarket ECU or carb setup, and forged pistons.
Other tips... mostly just attention to detail. You can get rings one size larger than you need and hand gap them. A high volume oil pump gives you a little more insurance for good oil pressure. Balancing the pistons, rods, crank, and flywheel will make the engine smoother and more reliable. If you have small scale you can balance the rods and pistons yourself. Make sure you have the factory windage tray. There is also a company out there that make a crank scraper for the A20. You can add baffles to the oil pan to prevent oil starvation if you like to drive fast around corners. Lightening the flywheel is a good way to make the engine rev a little more freely. It does not reduce low end torque like some people say, but it does make it a little more touchy when taking off from a dead stop because you don't have as much stored energy in the flywheel to give the car that initial bump to get it moving. I had my stock flywheel lightened (not that much really) and it's not that hard to drive. The aftermarket aluminum flywheels will affect this more.
C|
Sorry if some questions sound dumb I am new to the Honda community. I have the mechanical background just not up on all the parts for them. On the A20A3 what year intake mani/throttle body would i need to be looking for from the b16/b20's?
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