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importnut’s 2021 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack Widebody

importnut — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 16:46:00 +0000

You may be thinking, a Dodge Challenger is not an import. I would say it’s a German platform with an engine and transmission built in Mexico and assembled in Canada. That aside, here is my F8 Green 2021 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack Widebody with manual transmission.

I’ve been craving a RWD V8 powered toy and over the past few years, I started to lean towards the Dodge boys.

Why a Dodge? Going back to my childhood, I grew up a Mopar guy. This predates my love of imports and as much as I still love my imports, I felt the need to return to my roots.

I test drove the Challenger in 2020 as well as a Mustang GT. The Mustang is a great car and I love the high revving Coyote engine. However, I didn’t love it like I loved the Challenger. I wasn’t looking for a corner carver, just something to really enjoy.

Thinking of my childhood, Loving Mopars and building models of them, The challenger has that 60’s/70’s vibe that the Mustang and Camaro do not have. Between the styling and the color options, I just had to go with the Challenger. Even the exhaust has that old muscle car tone.

For the sake of hauling my family, I did strongly consider the Charger. I love it as much as the Challenger, but no manual transmission. A few years back, I had a Charger R/T as a rental car. I loved the 8 speed ZF transmission. If I felt that the Charger was the better option, I knew I would still enjoy the automatic.

In the end, I just had to hear the the rise and fall of the 6.4 L Hemi sound through the manual transmission. Challenger it is! We have other family haulers in our fleet!

Specs:

392 and a 6 Speed Manual
Widebody
- 6 Piston Brembo upgrade
- Adaptive Damping Suspension
- 20×11 inch wheels
- 305 35 20 Pirelli tires
Driver Convenience Package
Carbon/Suede interior
Plus Package
Harmon Kardon Audio

I did mention that I wasn’t looking for a corner carver. I still had to give it a try!

The Scat Pack, and especially the widebody, makes it the sportiest version of the Challenger. I understand it has the stiffest front springs of any Challenger. How did it hold up at an autocross? Better than you would expect, but it’s definitely not a Miata.

For as large as the car is, it was still easy enough to maneuver through slaloms and tighter sections. The upgraded Pirellis are not up to the task. I had swapped the Brembo pads for less grabby Hawk Street HP 5.0’s and they weren’t up to the task. Beyond that, I think a proper set of tires and a more track suitable pad would make this an absolute blast at an autocross.

As I’ve already mentioned, I wanted a fun car to experience. The Challenger does that well. For autocrossing, I still have my Civic.

Overall, I’m really happy with the Challenger. It checks a lot of the right boxes. There are more refined and civilized cars out there but I just wasn’t interested!

ABS For All?

importnut — Sat, 05 Nov 2022 02:35:14 +0000

Note: This is a work in progress. I will update with more detail when I have time. Enjoy!

While researching potential ABS upgrade for my Civic, I discovered excellent solutions in the Honda S2000 and Acura RSX ABS units. What makes them ideal is that they are completely stand alone units both hydraulically and electrically. The computer is built into the unit and only requires power, brake signal and sensor wiring to connect. There is no connection to the ECU or other electronics and they do not perform any brake biasing.

With all of that in mind, I realized that Honda’s ABS units would be a great response to those building a project and thought, “It would be great if I could add ABS”.

HOMEWORK:

Several models’ service manuals were reviewed to determine which options were ideal!

Homework

My intent with this write-up is to provide you with a roadmap to incorporate ABS into your project. I will cover the electrical connections as well as the mechanical requirements to complete this project.

Main Features

When considering options for a painless upgrade, a standalone unit with external brake biasing, that doesn’t tie into other systems, was necessary. There is a small window of opportunity within Honda’s offerings that provides this true option. Options include early 2000’s AP1 Honda S2000, All years of the Acura RSX and Acura NSX R (Need years for reference, may be easier to find a unicorn).

If you can find the NSX-R unit, Track Midwest member, Amir Bentatou, points out that the difference with the NSX-R is how much slip it allows before activating and how intrusive it is. In terms of feel, the S2000 and dc5 RSX is obvious when it activates. The NSXR is much more subtle. It’s the difference between the primary purpose being safety vs performance.

Note: I hadn’t considered internal brake biasing when I first completed this project. It is a function that could simplify your project if you aren’t building something for the track or if you aren’t worried about adjusting bias.

Cross-link/X braking

Important to know for a couple of reasons. A safety feature found in Honda’s braking system is Cross-link, cross, or X braking. Meaning, one port on the Master Cylinder is for FL, RR and the other FR, LR. If you blow a brake line, you maintain one front and one rear brake.

To make this system work properly, the master cylinder must provide equal, and consistent pressure from both ports. Please see the hydraulic circuit diagram below.

Parts Necessary

ABS unit – Used parts from eBay have been selling for less than $50 shipped.
The original mount for the ABS Unit. These are often included with the pump and include vibration isolation.
Harness pigtail – this can be the trickier part of parts hunting. There are several Hondas that use very similar harnesses. Scour your local junkyard for opportunities.
Sensors and tone rings. (sensors resistance between 400-2000 ohms)
Proportioning valve
Wiring and tubing to complete connection

Below is a more elaborate diagram that shows the layout of the the hydraulic and electrical connections. Please note that the ABS unit itself is within the dotted line box. All other components are external.

Pump

I cannot speak for the programming differences between the modules. The note above suggests the NSX-R pump is more performance oriented. That aside, the main physical difference between the pumps is the size of the motor and the fact that the RSX pump uses bubble flare fittings vs the S2000’s tapered flare fittings.

RSX pump on the Left, S2000 on the right

Proportioning Valve

Without doing testing to measure the pressure drop of the Honda OEM prop valves, I can’t tell you which would be better for your application. For my project, I chose the RSX prop valve. A FWD prop valve for a FWD car. Consider an S2000 prop valve for rear wheel drive applications.

I do not know of an aftermarket solution that works with a Cross-link system. If adjustable brake biasing is needed, then two adjustable prop valves will be necessary.

Everything Else

For your application, are OEM sensor and tone ring options available. Is there aftermarket support for older cars that never had the option? The ABS control module has to see resistance within the range specified above to avoid a fault condition.

Electrical Connections

Before committing to installing the unit in my project, I bench tested to make sure the system would behave itself outside of the original installation. The system does not have CANBUS.

The complete electrical circuit diagram is provided below.

Key electrical connections:

Power from ignition
Fused power to the unit, 20 and 30 amp circuits
4 sensor connections
Indicator circuit (if you chose to use it)
Ground
Service connector – Used to jumper, read codes and reset the unit.
Data Link Connector if you want/can integrate into an OBDII system (not necessary)

Circuit Breakdown by pin:

Plan your wire routing accordingly ensuring enough slack to properly connect the unit.

Extra Credit

For OEM functionality in my Civic, I wanted the warning light to work properly. The circuit that drives the light is a normally “on” light when there is an issue with the unit. From the ABS unit, when all systems are good, the light circuit is “on”. I found a few variations of the circuit in service manuals. I picked the simplest and designed the circuit around it.

None of the component values were available. Through trial and error, I picked components and build the circuit. If you chose this path, keep in mind that the circuit is designed to drive an LED and not an incandescent bulb.

Wherever you chose to buy your components, assemble them on a PCB and wire it in.

Hydraulic

I’ll bring this up again, you have to operate this system with a master cylinder that produces equal pressure from each port. For my application, I chose to mount the proportioning valve to the unit itself. It greatly simplified the piping.

Installation

Chose a location that allows adequate access to run tubing and wiring. I suggest using the OEM bracket and fabricate mounts. Using the factory bracket as a starting point incorporates the OEM vibration dampening.

Run your tubing, bleed the system and get ready for a test drive!

Honda/Acura Engine Block Venting

importnut — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 21:00:00 +0000

Crankcase Venting

Block venting is a topic that’s been well covered and doesn’t need further explanation by me. If you want to read a great write-up about venting, check out Moto IQ’s article here.

Disclaimer

I will start by saying that this should only be done for “Off Road” use since the process is circumventing the emissions system. If you chose to pursue this project, it is possible to close the circuit by connecting a line from the catch back to the air intake.

Justification

Those who are familiar with the earlier Honda engines will recall the black breather can that fits into the back of the engine block. Best case scenario, the can will start leaking and forever ooze oil from the back of the block. Changing o-rings will not help the problem. The can acts as an oil separator for the PCV system and cannot simply be eliminated.

In the yellow circle is the black vent canister. Notice the line on top that attaches to the block? That oil passage will be discussed further later in the write-up.

The next problem involves sucking oil back into the intake manifold during hard corning during track events. During corning, oil can get trapped in the can momentarily and eventually pulled into the intake. The result is a James Bond like smoke screen until the engine could clear its throat. The problem usually surfaced if the oil level indicated from half way between the marks on the dipstick or higher.

Solution and What NOT to do.

Eliminating the stock breather canister solves the persistent oil leak and the oil in the intake during hard corning. There are endless options from fully venting the block to simply adding a catch can to the existing system. For the purpose of this article, I will cover how to fully vent the block.

I bought this kit from B&R Racing. I liked the fittings and the mount for the can. Originally, I bought the parts that would utilize the threaded holes in the back of the block. This option will fall under the do not do section below.

Preparations for installation

Parts and Tools Required

Breather kit
Either 1/8 NPT plugs or rubber caps to plug the existing fittings.
1/8″ MPT tap if you decide to use threaded plugs
1/8″ x 3/4″ x 3′ steel bar stock to make a plug bracket (if you need a plug)
Basic hand tools: Plyers, screw drivers, sockets and wrenches
Possibly jack and jack stands.

Once you’ve picked your breather kit and get your tools together, start by removing the canister on the back of the engine and all of the associated vacuum lines. As you work your way through it, keep track of fittings that need to be plugged.

Attaching Fittings

The most effective way to vent is to have fittings welded to the valve cover. There are options for simply drilling holes and bolting fittings in place. Either way, when done properly, the fittings will utilize the original baffle plates and prevent excess oil from escaping the engine.

If you chose to use the weld-in fittings, this is the only part of the project that goes beyond hand tools. I dropped the valve cover off with a local fabricator and had the fittings welded.

Once the fittings are attached, it’s time to decide where to attach the catch can. Originally, I had attached it to the firewall. This is a very typical installation and it is fairly straight forward. My only issue is that crank case smell works its way into the interior.

I used rivet nuts to attach the can to the firewall.

Once the can is secured to the firewall, decide on hose routing, cut them to length and attach the fittings. This is a very typical installation.

The process to finishing the can installation and hose routing is relatively simple. After a season of smelling the inside of the engine, I decided to move the can towards the front of the car. To allow for easier positioning, I removed the built-in mount of my catch-can. I bought a mounting bracket from Moroso which gave me the flexibility I needed to mount the can down by the transmission mount.

I decided to remove the built-in mount on my catch can and use this Moroso mounting bracket. Using this bracket allowed more flexibility in mounting options.

The new location resolved the crankcase smell and prevents oil from getting trapped in the hoses.

In this position, I had adequate clearance around my radiator hoses as well as a path towards the can to prevent the oil from getting trapped in the hoses.

Plugging the Holes

Bypassing the original block venting will require plugging a few fittings in the intake manifold, valve cover and possibly the block. Your options include rubber caps, which is the easiest, or threaded caps. The threaded caps are a more permanent solution that will not fail if done correctly. However, you need to ensure proper clean-up so shavings don’t end up inside the intake manifold.

Start by wrenching out the original fittings in the valve cover and intake manifold. Use a 1/8″ NPT tap to add threads.

Once the shavings have been cleaned, screw in a 1/8″ NPT plug. Use Thread-lock to keep it in place.

On my B18C1 block, the fitting above the original can was already threaded. Remove the original fitting and install the plug.

Plugging the Block

It is worth noting that a B20 or a later engine block that didn’t use the black breather canisters. In that case, your project is complete. If not, you’ll need to plug the hole in the back of the block. There are several companies that sell an o-ring’ed plugs that slip into the hole. Installing it is as simple as removing the breather canister and slipping in the plug.

Or is it?

It is important to note that I was skeptical regarding the ability for this plug to stay in place. Most do not include a bracket. I decided to trust it and I had no issues for about a month. During one of my runs at an autocross, the plug popped out. Fortunately, the aluminum plug gleamed in the sunlight and I was able to find it and put it back in for the ride home.

Now confirming that a bracket was necessary, I decided to make one and use the exhaust manifold mount just under the hole. Using a stick of bar stock from the hardware store, a 3′ x 1/8″ x 3/4″ piece, I started by bending a “z” shape into the end. I cut a 3-4″ piece and drilled holes into each end. Paint the part for corrosion resistance. As an added layer of protection, I added a stud to the plug itself to prevent the bracket from slipping over time. I drilled a hole (not all the way through) then added threads with a 6mm x 1.0 tap. I secured a bolt in place with thread-lock and cut off the bolt head.

Now it’s ready.

Once the plug and bracket were ready, I pushed the plug into the back of the block and used a header/manifold bolt to hold it in place. For overkill, I made a rubber pad to act as a cushion between the bracket and the plug. I was concerned that temperature changes would put lateral pressure on the plug and encourage leaking….like I said, overkill.

Making and installing a bracket will ensure the plug never falls out!

Do Not Do This!

Originally, I used a back-of-the-block venting kit. These blocks offer this unique opportunity for venting. I liked the idea of a clean, bolt-in solution with no drilling required.

Why this is a bad idea. If you scroll back to the top and review the picture of the short block, you can clearly see the holes where oil drains back to the oil pan from the head. This oil passes over those plugs and the original breather can. During aggressive driving, oil will get sucked into the hoses attached back there. At my first autocross with this setup, I managed to pump more than 2 quarts from the engine in less than 8 runs! I’ve also seen others have the same problem during track days.

Even so, the kits are still available for this option. Don’t do it. Please.

The fittings attach to plugged ports in the back of the block. Although this is an easier, and cleaner option, it will give you huge problems.

I realized after I finished this, that I didn’t need to remove the intake manifold. I didn’t have to remove it when I pulled the fittings out and threaded the original plugs back in.

Conclusion

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I had removed the intake manifold to give me better access for the back-of-the-block plugs. I did learn that it was unnecessary. Even so, by this point, you shouldn’t even be considering the back-of-the-block option! Aside from that, if you plant to tap and plug the fittings on the intake manifold, and you struggle to control the shavings, you may want to consider removing it.

Satisfied!

Installing a breather kit may be beyond the scope of a simple bolt on project. There are options for simplifying the process however there is no way to thoroughly eliminate oil consumption through the factory system without complete separating the crank case vent. Having finished this project, and struggling through the growing pains, I’m completely satisfied with the results.

5G (EG) Civic Gauge Install

importnut — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 22:00:43 +0000

Why is this important?

It really isn’t…I just thought I would share the idea.

While I was working on the upgrades that I outlined in “Project Civic – Letting it Breath” write-up, I needed to install gauges. I’ve never been a fan of gauges mounted in non-OEM locations and because of that have always avoided adding gauges to my Civic.

Years ago, I ditched the stereo and added the factory block-off plate that normally came with Civic of this era due to the fact that a radio was optional on most trims. Until recently, this plate was still available new from Honda. Ebay may be you friend if you want to find one.

There is nothing glamorous about this part. It snaps into place and has a socket in the back to hold the radio harness and antenna.

I decided to use that block-off plate to install gauges. I felt it was a clean spot to add gauges without cutting other parts of the interior.

This write-up only covers using the OEM plate to install gauges. The rest is up to you.

Also worth nothing, the 6th Gen Civic also has a block-off plate available. Bonus, it is a double DIN giving you even more space to install gauges!

Tools Necessary

2″ hole saw (or a 2 1/16″ if one exists)
Sanding drum
Drill
Tape measure or ruler

Measuring Twice…

A 2 1/16″ gauge will fit in this space. There is room for three gauges. In order to get the spacing right, I took measurements and mapped out “centers” for drilling the holes.

In the picture below, you can see all of the dimensions and where the marking for the center needs to be. From the top, 3 cm down. From the side, measure 3.2 cm, 9.5 cm and 15.8 cm.

Here is the math done for you!

Marking the centers is easier if you cover it with masking tape.

It’s easier to see your markings if you cover the piece in masking tape.

Before drilling holes, I would suggest cutting away the webbing. When I drilled mine, the center hole’s webbing caused the drill bit to shift off center. I was able to work around the mistake by ovaling the hole. Cut the webbing as indicated below.

When drilling the center hole, be aware that the webbing in back will shift your drill bit. It’s a good idea to cut this away before drilling.

Ultimately, you can start each hole using the drill of your hole cutter. I didn’t have a 2 1/16″ hole saw so I used a 2″ saw and then ground out the hole with a Dremel tool. Once thing to note: Even thought he plastic is somewhat pliable, drill very slowly to avoid breaking it.

Drill slowly and carefully and you’ll get through the piece without breaking it.

A quick test fit.

If you have to use a 2″ hole saw as I did, it’s a good idea to slowly open the hole with a drum sander. In the case of this PLX guage, there is no bracket to hold it in place. It needs a tight fit. Slowly open the hole and frequently stop to test the fit. Most other gauges will have a mounting bracket and not require a perfect fit.

Grind then test fit often.

Considering that most gauges have some form of mounting bracket that is installed from the back, there is no worry about making the hole perfect. As long as the gauge slides in, it will be held in place by the bracket. Below: I’ve recently loaded the panel with AEM gauges.

A that has mounting hardware that clamps the gauge in place is easier to manage since the hole doesn’t have to be perfect.

Final Thoughts

Using the original radio slot is not the best location as compared to mounting gauges on the pillar or on top of the dash, but it gives you a chance to install gauges without cutting up the rest of your interior.

Although not idea, it’s still easy to take quick glances while on the track.

Project 240SX – Interior Swap

importnut — Fri, 15 May 2020 13:03:18 +0000

Interior Swap – Why?

Simple answer: I couldn’t stand the color. If the 240 hadn’t fallen in my lap, I would not have considered buying it because of the color. What to do? A complete interior swap!

Not my preference.

Sourcing the Parts

Back in the day, before list serves went the way of the dinosaur, I was part of a 240 list. Someone had posted interior parts from an S14a for sale. He had totaled his 240 and was selling a few parts of the interior. The listing was for seats and a few other miscellaneous parts. I emailed him about the rest and he said the car was still accessible. The only other problem was that everything was in Florida and I live in Indiana.

A quick call to a close friend with a truck and we took a road trip. We picked up the seats and miscellaneous parts and headed to the scrap yard where the car was located. Other than the dashboard and driver’s airbag, I picked up everything else including the carpet and seat belts!

Beyond the broken glass that was everywhere, this was a blast!

Sorting and Cleaning

After the long drive home, I couldn’t wait to start installing the parts. I sorted all of the parts and cleaned them. I quickly tore the original interior out and installed the new pieces…at least what I had on hand.

Comparing some of the parts.

The first round of parts did not include the dashboard, column cover and steering wheel. It took me a while to locate more of the parts and I installed them when they arrived. In order to avoid buying a black airbag, I elected to swap in an aftermarket steering wheel. I covered the conversion in another write-up.

Round 1 complete! It took me a while to find the rest of the pieces.

Wrapping it up

Within a few months, I found the rest of the parts that I needed. The time and effort to complete this swap was absolutely worth it! I had a car that I loved and enjoyed driving. I couldn’t believe the difference a color change could make!

Cap off the project with a set of brand new floor mats from Nissan.

Now that I had an interior I loved, it was time for fresh paint. Check out the next installment for the details.

For more pictures and details form the project, check out the pictures below.

R-Axles Review

importnut — Thu, 14 May 2020 17:24:19 +0000

Discussion:

Direct replacement parts don’t tend to generate a great deal of excitement. It’s not a turbo or a fancy set of coil-overs. Most people don’t think about half shafts unless they are pushing serious horsepower numbers and need more robust units. What if you just need new half shafts for your daily driver?

New vs Remanufactured

It’s easy to order re-manufactured half shafts from virtually every shop out there. They are cheap and plentiful. Are they worth the money? I suppose it depends on how long you’ll keep the car. Usually, re-manufactured half shafts reuse the cups which have been worn through normal use. They may even machine the surfaces for the bearings. Replacing the bearings and repacking grease will get you down the road but they won’t last as nearly as long as half shafts made using brand new cups.

What are your options?

Click on the logo above to visit their site.

I found R-axles years ago and hadn’t had an opportunity to buy from them. Recently, my ’13 Accord needed new half shafts due to inner joint wear causing a bad wobble during acceleration. I decided to give these guys a shot.

My experience started by exchanging a few emails. My contact was Marty. When I committed to buying, I called and Marty answered the phone! After a short dicussion and exchange of information, I had a pair of axles ordered.

The axles are built to order so it took time to arrive. If I recall, it was within a couple of weeks. Once they arrived, I was was pleasantly surprised to find the personal touch each order receives. Not only is the part number printed and attached to the box, my order number and name was printed as well! Once installed, my Accord was back to normal and I’m confident it will be for years to come.

Show and Tell

Not necessary, but shows how they manage inventory control. A very nice touch.

The axles were well packed.

As would be expected, they dropped in with no issues.

Closing Thoughts

I was very pleased with the experience I had with R-Axles and Marty. The quality and personal care goes above and beyond. I recommend spending the extra money for these direct replacement axles over reman units.

Also worth noting: R-Axles will do custom axles to fit your engine swapped application. They also offer upgraded units for racing applications. Please contact them for more details.

Click on the logo to visit their site!

Project Civic – Letting It Breathe

importnut — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 23:00:56 +0000

Justification

Following the 2016 refresh and having addressed all of the stumbling blocks I encountered, I realized that I needed to develop a long term plan based on how I use the Civic. Building an engine that makes huge power sounds like a blast but what will I gain? I run very competitively at my local autocrosses but realize that I would be pounded at a national level. Will I ever run nationals? If I do, will it be to win at nationals? I may venture out to nationals for the experience but I won’t make it my life’s work. I don’t need the most powerful, best handling car in my class if I’m just heading out for fun. Also, if I target big horsepower, I will have to bump up tire sizes and upgrade more of the suspension. All of this is considerably expensive for minimal gains. Worst yet, it is a huge sunk cost that I could never recover if I decided to sell that car.

With that in mind, I knew I needed to draw a line…a stopping point where more money isn’t going to give me more value. I would continue to maintain the car and replace work/broken parts as necessary but not have plans for huge upgrades. What was that line? I spoke to Mikey Singhaseni of Mspec Tuning fame. I explained my intentions and we came up with a plan. He explained that the older engine computers do not have the ability to properly compensate for breather modifications and tend to run lean when breather modifications are introduced. Knowing that, I decided to install a Hondata equipped ECU. After that, he recommended a fresh set of injectors to replace the 20+ year old OEM units, an aftermarket intake manifold and throttle body. He also strongly recommended a wide band O2 sensor.

The Parts List

Armed with a plan, I started accumulating parts. Here’s what I bought:

A refreshed P28 ECU equipped with Hondata S300v3 upgrade from Hamotorsports.com
Skunk 2 ProSeries intake manifold from JHPusa.com
Skunk 2 Alpha series 66mm Throttle body JHPusa.com
PLX SM-AFR Wideband DM-6 Gauge Combo (GEN4)
OEM Acura RDX 410cc injectors and adaptors from Xenocron Tuning
Blox TPS sensor
OEM Type R throttle cable
OEM Type R throttle cable keeper
Vibrant Performance 3″ Aluminum tubing and Silicon Couplers
3″ K&N Filter
PLX SM-FLUIDTEMP – Fluid Temp Sensor Module
AEM X-series oil pressure gauge

On with the story!

The bulk of the parts. Intake manifold, throttle body, ECU, injectors and misc bits and pieces.

Rather than install the Hondata on my vintage P72 computer, I elected to buy a refurbished and modified P28 from HAmotorsports. They claim to replace components and then run the ECU through a simulator to verify proper operation. Bonus: The ECU looks brand new with an excellent finish!

I wasn’t surprised to see the how much slimmer the new manifold was compared to the original dual runner intake manifold.

For injectors, I chose an OEM set for the RDX. It is a somewhat less expensive alternative that I hope would provide OEM Honda reliability. I bought them along with the harness plugs and adapters through Xenocron tuning.

Installing the intake manifold and throttle body is very straightforward. The RDX injectors will drop right in with the adapters. I pulled the PCV port, tapped and plugged the hole since the engine is vented. Wrapping up this part of the project, I installed the new throttle cable and attached all of the vacuum lines, fuel lines and injector plugs. After I configured the Hondata with the new injector specs, the engine started and ran smoothly.

Knowing the breather lines would interfere with the air intake’s new location, I elected to move the can down by the transmission mount. B&R’s breather can has a nice mount welded to it that makes it very challenging to install…anywhere. I needed the Moroso clamp to attach the can once I ground off the attached mount. The new bracket was much easier to use.

Simplify!

The new throttle body needed a 3″ air intake vs the stock size of 2.75″. I couldn’t find an aftermarket kit in that size and made my own using Vibrant tubing and a K&N filter. Before ordering, I used a protractor and eyeballed the angles I needed. I used a 30 and 45 degree bend for the project.

In the end, I probably could have used two 45’s but after more eyeballing and rough measuring, I made it work.

Once I finished the intake, I worked on relocating the breather can and cutting the hoses to length. In this shot, you can see the new O2 sensor wire I’m routing through the engine bay.

Why am I showing you this? Old Car Problems…that’s why. This is one of the VSS wires. When I took the Civic for the first test ride, I had a CEL and no speedo. I had already tried cleaning the pin prior to taking this picture making it hard to see the corrosion. I spliced in a new pin from a spare harness and used connector grease to keep it from corroding in the future.

Prior to heading out to the dyno, I decided to go through the engine to make sure everything was ready. I found that I may have been off a tooth on the timing belt (I’m really not sure on this one…but better safe than sorry), and went through the valve lash. I also swapped out my replacement distributor from last year for an OEM distributor. It’s amazing to see a 20+ year old distributor work better than a brand new aftermarket unit.

I installed the PLX SM-AFR Wideband DM-6 Gauge Combo. Mikey Singhaseni highly recommended PLX’s unit. It provides a signal that feeds into the ECU allowing the Hondata to control A/F using the wideband rather than the original narrow band unit.

Once all of the new parts were installed and the maintenance work complete, it was time to head to the dyno.

Wrapping it up and the tune

Mikey had to reschedule my dyno appointment which put me in a bind. I had an autocross the following weekend and didn’t want to run it without a tune. Mikey put me in touch with another tuner who helped generate a base tune using data logs. After passing data back and forth over email for a few days, the tune was good and safe to run hard. The only issue I had was rapid throttle tip in which only revealed itself during autocross runs. The wideband would bottom out on the rich side causing the car to hesitate. Not to worry, my time on the dyno was a few days away.

Mikey uses Performance Solutions’ Dynojet dyno outside of Chicago. After adjusting the fueling parameters during throttle tip in, he ran a few pulls, made minor adjustments and landed on a peak of 180 whp at 7800 rpms. I never got a copy of the dyno curve so you’ll have to take my word on the numbers. I would agree that they are a bit optimistic for a 20 plus year old engine with basic bolt-ons. I’m sure the number would be more conservative on a Mustang dyno or something similar.

The more you know…I added an AEM oil pressure gauge and a PLX fluid temperature sensor. The ability to read two sensor inputs swayed my decision to use the PLX temp module. It reads oil temp and water temp.

One more thing

Mikey suggested that I feed air to the filter. The location behind the light can suffocate the intake and proved it by turning the intake up and gaining a little more than a horsepower as a result…I used a 4″ dryer duct, along with some creative cutting of the fake air intake in the bumper to feed the air intake fresh air.

I wanted to move the air filter over the new dryer duct. I had to move the ABS fuse box out of the way to make room. I’m tempted to get more tubing with different angles to square up the filter and then make a wall around the filter. Maybe next year.

Conclusion

I would love to say that all the work made a huge difference. In reality, the changes were subtle. The engine still makes good torque and power even though I dumped the dual runner intake manifold. Was it better? My autocross runs felt stronger than I ever remembered. Better power delivery in the mid-range helped me edge further up the overall results at my events. Power gains aside, one very big difference was the improvement in throttle response.

Overall, I’m glad I did the work. Any future work I chose to do on the engine will benefit from the parts I installed this summer. During my discussions with Mikey, we talked about a mild build to freshen the untouched 20+ year old engine. Fresh internals, head work, cams, etc, etc….it’s that whole slippery slope of modifications. If I can keep the engine together for the next few years, I may be more amenable to a build.

Unrelated to the Civic:

Over the past few years, I’ve thought about the fact that I’ve been driving and building this Civic (and the coupe before it) for nearly 24 years. I’m very comfortable with it and can drive it at the limit like it was an extension of my body. However, I want to try something different to hone my driving skills. Something RWD. I miss my old 240SX and in some ways wish I still had it. I have no intention of buying another and I can’t afford another project car even if I sold my Civic. In order to accomplish the idea of trying something different, I’ve asked to co-drive a friend’s Firebird next season. I’ll chip in for mods/tires for the season which will be significantly cheaper than starting from scratch. I look forward to the challenge!

Next year:

If all goes well, I hope to keep my Civic expenses to a minimum with fresh brakes and track-day fun. Here’s to hoping!

My First Engine Swap

importnut — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 23:30:52 +0000

Once upon a time, circa 2000, I set out to do what would be the biggest automotive project I had done to date. I swapped the engine in my Civic and it turned out well. These days, this engine swap isn’t a big deal however I want to share my adventure from concept to completion. When I started working on converting my site, I thought about rewriting this story to add my current experiences and recommendations. In the end, I decided to preserve my adventure in its entirety. Most of the shops and resources that I used are long gone and I’ve removed the links. If you’ve been at this game for a while, you my remember those long gone shops.

Looking back over this story, I realize how much I didn’t know then, and how much I’ve learned in the nearly 20 years since. I only had this Civic for about 2 years before I totaled it. The story lives on in the hatchback I bought shortly after and still have to this day! On with the story!

What can I say? I did it. Years of planning and dreaming of a swap have come to a very satisfactory end. This page will include my experience with the operation as well as some pointers and ideas if you chose to do the same or in the process of researching this project.

Dreaming Process
Research Process
Locating the Parts
Check is in the mail
Prepping the Civic
Prepping the Engine
Dropping in the new engine
Driving Impressions
The Next Step
A Year Later
Pictures from the swap as well as current pictures

Dreaming process….

It all begins with the thought of, “what can I do to seriously add power and enjoyment to my ride?” I had all sorts of crazy ideas floating through my head. Chips making 20hp, intakes producing 15hp, headers that give you a whopping 20-25hp!!!! Uh…okay. Most of us start off on the wrong foot. Believing everything in the magazines.
Once the painful truth emerged, I realized that to make some serious horsepower it was going to take more than an air filter and a cam to get what I wanted.

With that in mind, I looked into more elaborate modifications. Quite honestly, anything more than an intake or exhaust was going to kill me financially, so I decided to look for the option that would give me the most bang for the buck as well as future potential. I looked into turbos and superchargers, but when you look at the numbers, it doesn’t look good. With the stock bottom end on the original D16Z6 single overhead cam VTEC engine, it isn’t possible to
safely boost over 5-6 psi. With the Jackson Racing supercharger, the civic puts out roughly 145-150 hp. Having lined up to a JR SC equipped civic at the drag strip, I realized that the kit was a joke. Running a pathetic 15.6 in the quarter was enough to make me realize that building the stock engine, in any way, would be a waste. Turbos seemed to give better quarter mile times, but I was still not impressed.

What now? The answer is obvious. Engine Swap. The good guys at The Hybrid Garage provided enough information to first fuel the dream and then later pursue it. Which Engine do I want? There are so many to choose from. There’s the Integra RS/LS/GS 1.8L DOHC non-VTEC engine (B18B), the Integra GS-R 1.8l DOHC VTEC(B18C1), Integra Type R DOHC VTEC (B18C5), The Del Sol VTEC 1.6L DOHC VTEC (B16A3). For starters, any non-VTEC engines were pretty much out of the question. In a way, I didn’t feel like loosing the technology that I already had; that being VTEC. The concept of VTEC is awesome and the thought of loosing it seemed ludicrous. The Type R engine would have been awesome with it’s 195hp, tightly geared transmission, and LSD, but the thought of really digging into the wiring harness was a bit frightening. The same goes for any ’96 and up engine due to the emissions friendly OBD-II computers. It came down to the Integra GS-R engine and the Del Sol VTEC engine. For a while, I thought a 10 hp difference would be negligible. I was horribly wrong. Some people will argue that the B16A
engine is a better choice for a swap, however, the lack of low end torque makes it a bear to drive at times. On the other hand, the B18C1 develops very nice torque at the bottom. Although most of us would like to race “all the time” the reality of normal driving would dictate that nice low end torque is a necessity. In all honesty, having to drive the car like “you just stole it”, for normal driving can be rather tiresome.

That solves it. The Integra GS-R engine was the choice.

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Research Process…

Once I made the decision, it was time to determine exactly what I needed and what had to be done to make this work.

The nice thing about having the EX civic was that I already had most of the wiring necessary. The only wires that had to be added were the Intake Air Bypass wire and the Knock Sensor wire. Piece of cake!

In order for everything to work properly, I would need the engine, transmission, shift linkage, half shafts and intermediate shaft, and the ECU. To retain the stock AC compressor, I would also need the Del Sol VTEC AC bracket. To retain Power Steering, I would need the Integra power steering pump. I would also need to pick up the GS-R’s catalytic converter for the reason that the O2 sensor is mounted in the cat. The alternative would be to pick up a B16 Exhaust manifold.

In the process of doing research, I discovered a potential problem. My civic had factory ABS. This was an option that I requested when I originally ordered the car. The civic’s ABS pump was mounted low on the firewall on the passenger side. After having studied the B18C1 I realized that the intake manifold’s bizarre shape positioned the
throttle body in a bad spot with respect to the ABS pump. Not sure if it was going to be a “serious” issue, I pressed on.

**A note for anyone that may be doing a swap in the future, the ’96-’98 B18C1’s will work with the OBD-I computer. The engine was the same from ’94-’98. All you would need to do is pick up a ’94-’95 computer. The only disadvantage to using an OBD-II engine is the cost of picking up an OBD-I computer.

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Locating the parts…

I had contemplated trying to locate a Japanese version of the engine (JDM) The same engine in Japan produces a little more power than the US version. This is due to the higher compression pistons they use in Japan. I had read on several occasions that JDM engine suppliers have a very limited time to pull engines. This can lead to a rather messy engine in terms of wires or hoses that have been cut, rather than disconnected. Another issue, is that most JDM packages do not come with wiring harnesses, shift linkage and axles or even transmissions.

Back in 1997, I met an individual by the name of Jerome Soh over Honda Performance email list. At that time, Jerome was a small guy that sold a few parts over the internet. Over the past 3 years, I’d gotten to know that his service and commitment are matched by no one. Along with that, he developed a used Honda parts company called Sohfast Auto Parts, Inc. Jerome carries probably the most complete packages that you can buy. You do pay a little more for it, but he makes sure you are 100% satisfied. He earned my trust over the years by the little bits and pieces that I had ordered from him.

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Check is in the mail…

It was time to commit to the project. My original request was for a B18C1 with a Type R transmission, but there wasn’t one available at the time. Since I had already allotted the money for the transmission upgrade, I thought I would add a few more parts to the list. Along with the engine, I ordered an ACT 6-puck clutch, Xtreme pressure plate
and a Sohfast Lightened flywheel.

After I sent in the payment, I decided that some maintenance hardware was in order. The new engine had about 50,000 miles. As anyone would know, doing any maintenance to an engine is easier when it isn’t in the car. With that knowledge, I ordered a new water pump, front main seal, rear main seal, cam seals, timing belt, timing belt
tensioner and valve cover gasket. I also ordered a new distributor cap and rotor as well as plug wires.

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Prepping the Civic…

Obligatory “sitting in the engine compartment” picture.

I was forced to start the swap process earlier than I had planned due to a spun rod bearing.

At this time, I didn’t even have the donor engine in my possession. At any rate, I started the process by removing the old engine. I was rather amazed by how easy it is to disassemble a Honda. The wiring is so easy to remove. On the civic there are 3 harness plugs on the passenger side, and three on the driver’s side. Disconnect them and flop them over the engine. That’s it! A few hours later and the engine was hanging by two motor mounts.

With the engine out, I was able to work on the wiring. I discovered that it was easier to use the civic’s original EVAP purge wire for the IAB control. I swapped the EVAP purge wire for the IAB on the ECU plug harness and ran a new EVAP purge wire as well as the 12v wire to a 4th harness plug on the passenger side. You have to get this from the
integra harness. After that, add the knock sensor wire and the wiring is done. Mind you, this is in an EX civic. On any other trim, you may have to add more wires. Here are a couple of shots of the new wiring that I passed through the firewall.

Other than doing the wiring, there isn’t anything else that needs to be done.

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Prepping the engine…

After washing off nearly every molecule of dirt, I started to do the maintenance work on the B18C1. First off I replaced the water pump, timing belt, timing belt tensioner, front main seal, and cam seals.

Another option I picked up was STR’s cam seal. A common problem with B-block Honda’s is an oil leak caused by the cam seal in front of the distributor. The seal becomes hard over time and cannot prevent oil from leaking out. STR’s solution is a machined aluminum version that utilizes O-rings. The installation was very easy and has not leaked a drop since I’ve installed it.

After procuring a clutch centering tool, I was able to install my new rear main seal, flywheel, pilot bearing, clutch, pressure plate and throw out bearing. With the tranny back on the engine, I reinstalled the Intermediate shaft as well as anything else that could be installed prior to installing the engine. With all of the maintenance work complete (see pics below), it was time to shoe-horn the engine into the civic.

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Dropping it in…

The installation went really well. I can honestly say that there were no real complications throughout the entire process. The only tricky step was getting the rear mount back onto the engine. After that, it was just a matter of plugging the harness together, attaching hoses, finishing up the motor mounts and adding fluids.

The ABS pump did pose a problem after dropping the engine in, but nothing serious. Some minor brake line and wire rerouting and everything was fine.

The only outside help that I needed was to take the car to an exhaust shop to have the exhaust lengthened. The exhaust manifold and cat combination was shorter than the original engine. Not a problem. Sounded pretty cool on the way to the shop.

One other important note that I think should be made is that the Civic’s stock radiator has smaller fittings than the GS-R’s. Temporarily, I’ve double clamped the hoses but I intend to either pick up an aftermarket radiator or a Del Sol VTEC’s radiator.

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Driving Impressions…

The first thing that I noticed with the new equipment, is that the throttle response is much better with the new lightweight flywheel as compared to a B18C1 with a stock flywheel. The 6-puck ACT clutch was a challenge to manipulate. Once on the road, the difference was immediately noticed. There is torque everywhere. Although it still
isn’t a great deal of torque, compared to the stock D16Z6, if feels great. After pushing it to redline, all I could do was grin. The tighter gear ratios are also readily apparent. The extra torque makes traffic maneuvers so much easier and requires so much less effort.

I’ve discovered that I can casually drive the car now. Before, I felt the need to beat the car in order to keep up with traffic or to get moving. Power shifting and redline were an everyday event. Now, I almost never power shift and 5-6k is the general limit for each gear for perky take off’s.

The ACT is a remarkable clutch offering very quick shifting when you need it. Grinding gears is pretty much a thing of the past…aside form driver error. However, it is a bit much for normal driving. It is very difficult to slip the clutch and take off smoothly. I’ve grown accustomed to technique necessary to use this clutch, but ever so often I botch my launch or let up on the clutch to quickly, resulting in a herky jerky shift.

Bottom line? I’m completely satisfied with the results of the swap.I would do it again in a heart beat!!

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The Next Step

I’ve already been asked the question as to what my next project is going to be. I’ve thought of what I want to do and come to this conclusion: I want to enjoy the car right now. The swap took a lot of energy and time. I would like to enjoy what the car has to offer now before I start digging into another big project.

However, here’s a list of things I’ve been considering:

I may swap in a more “user-friendly” clutch in the near future. I’m still debating whether or not to leave the 6-puck alone.

I need to do some suspension work before I really do anything else. My Tokico HP’s are loosing their effectiveness. Plus the shocks cannot compensate for the extra weight of the new engine. After shocks, I need to look into replacing a few bushings to try and tighten up the responsiveness of the car.

Once that’s out of the way, I’ve been toying with the idea of using the Honda CR-V’s engine block to make some intense low end torque. The CR-V’s B20 block is compatible with any B-block hardware available. What I would like to do with a B20Z block is send it out and have it prepped to work with my current cylinder head. Before I decide how I’m going to build the block, I need to determine if I want to go turbo later.

If I don’t choose to go turbo, in the future, I would like to raise the compression as high as I can while still using premium pump fuel.

If I choose to go turbo there are many other factors that need to be resolved before I can install a turbo.

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A Year Later…

After year of tinkering and tuning, I thought it would be a great idea to give my impressions after about 27,000 miles. First, I want to address the concerns and issues the I brought up in “The Next Step”

I nearly logged 14,000 miles on the ACT 6-puck clutch and decided that the aggressive nature of the clutch was too much for a daily driver. Driving to work in the morning with one eye open provided to be a very challenging task. I broke down and installed ACT’s Street disk and used the same pressure plate. Read about my impressions
here.

It didn’t take very long to realize that my Tokico’s just plain sucked! After a few autocrosses, I realized that I was running slower than I did with the old engine. Why? The car was too fast for the suspension to keep up. At first, I was very disappointed with the fact that a relatively stock DX hatchback could out run me. My first step was to replace the 80,000 mile Tokico HP’s (yeah, I think they had a lot to do with it!). I installed KYB AGX shocks. I could tell the difference immediately! I picked up the pace at the track but I was still not satisfied. I was still encountering nasty under steer. My next step was to replace the Bridgestone RE730’s with their S03 Pole Position tires mounted on Kosei K1 racing wheels. In the meantime, I added Z-10’s radius arm kit.

Armed with the new hardware, I headed out to see what I had accomplished. Much to my surprise, the car handled superbly. The combination of new shocks, tires, wheels, and radius arm kit proved to be a winner. I managed a spot as the 5th fastest out of 110 drivers on my first day out! Each race following that successful event was met with equal or better performance.

I’ve learned quite a bit about racing and my car this last season. The need for finesse and proper tuning became very obvious. What I find really interesting, is that I’m not done with my proposed handling modifications!

I also resolved the problem with the small radiator fittings using Fluidyne’s Civic radiator with larger Integra fittings. Read about it here.

Another modification that I feel needs to be mentioned is making cheap Poly Urethane motor mounts. Ben, my Nissan buddy, pointed out that you can buy different forms of Urethane that can be used to fill motor mounts in order to make them firmer. The newest trick was to use 3M’s window weld. Check out my how to and impressions
here.

On the topic of the B20 and the possible future of the B18C1: I don’t think I’ll go through the trouble to gain .1 l of displacement (B18C1 crank in a B20 block). Prior to picking up my 240SX, I felt that I wanted to build a turbo engine that started life out as a turbo engine. The SR20DET from the Silvia is a perfect candidate. That will be covered
in another article. I realized that I love the way the civic feels and sounds. I decided that any engine building will be strictly NA. I’ll probably go with some CTR pistons and cams, do a little work with the head and intake manifold and run a Hondata stage 4 ecu.

What do I think after a year of fun (and frustration)? I still couldn’t be happier with the car. I won’t publish my quarter mile time simply for the reason that I can’t nail down a good launch. I build this car to race on a track, not in a straight line and it shows. I will say that I managed to run better than 95 mph trap speed. That should be enough info to give you an idea of the potential!

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A few more pictures of the operation

Recent Pictures

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The Definitive 300ZX Brake Swap – Part Numbers

importnut — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 18:30:10 +0000

As anyone who has tried to mix and match parts has discovered, trying to figure out Nissan’s part numbers and the variations between years and models is a serious exercise in frustration and futility. The intent of this post is to compile a list of parts numbers that is the product of several people’s efforts over quite a few years. Without question, if there is an error, or an update I need to make, please contact me and I will update the list.

A few people need to be acknowledged for helping me with this list:

McGuirk and Christ Stout from both Fresh Alloy and Zilvia
Nathan Rogut contacted me through my site
Hijacker from the MotoIQ site

Front Calipers:

(Numbers listed as RH caliper / LH caliper respectively)

41001-30P00 / 41011-30P00 Manufacture date 2/89 – 7/90 (N/A Aluminum 26mm)
41001-40P00 / 41011-40P00 Manufacture date 7/89 – 7/90 (Twin Turbo Aluminum 30mm)
41001-40P00 / 41011-40P00 Manufacture date 7/90 – 9/91 (TT and N/A Aluminum 30mm)
41001-45P00 / 41011-45P00 Manufacture date 9/91 – 4/92 (TT and N/A Aluminum 30mm)
41001-37P00 / 41011-37P00 Manufacture date 4/92 – 8/92 (N/A Cast Iron 30mm)
41001-37P00 / 41011-37P00 Manufacture date 7/92 – 9/93 (TT Cast Iron 30mm)
41001-37P00 / 41011-37P00 Manufacture date 8/92 – 9/93 (N/A Cast Iron 30mm)
41001-37P01 / 41011-37P01 Manufacture date 9/93 + (TT and N/A Cast Iron 30mm)

Brake Splash Shield (with the help of Nathan Rogut)

Front Splash Shields (30mm) which definitely fit S14, and I believe fit S13 as well.
41150-74F00 SPLASH SHIELD, FRONT RIGHT
41160-74F00 SPLASH SHIELD, FRONT LEFT

(Pictures provided by Nathan of the front splash shield fitment)

Rear Splash Shields – 300zx
44030-48P10 SPLASH SHIELD, REAR LEFT
44020-48P10 SPLASH SHIELD, REAR RIGHT

Brake Hardware Kit:

41080-40P25 Twin Turbo or N/A calipers manufacture 2/89 – 8/89
41080-40P26 Twin Turbo or N/A calipers manufacture 8/89 – 2/91
41080-40P27 Twin Turbo or N/A calipers manufacture 2/91 +

Spring Return:

41090-50P01 N/A calipers manufacture 2/89 – 7/90
41090-40P01 Twin Turbo calipers manufacture 7/89 + (Alternate pt. 41090-40P02)
41090-40P01 N/A calipers manufacture 7/90 + (Alternate pt. 41090-40P02)

Rear Calipers:

44001-43P00 Manufacture date All (Turbo and N/A Aluminum or Iron Depending on year)
44011-43P00 Manufacture date All (Turbo and N/A Aluminum or Iron Depending on year)

Master Cylinders:

46010-30P01 Manufacture date 2/89 – 7/90 (17/16″ NA Tokico)
46010-30P02 Manufacture date 7/89 – 7/90 (17/16″ TT Tokico)
46010-30P02 Manufacture date 7/90 – 2/91 (17/16″ NA & TT Tokico)
46010-30P10 Manufacture date 2/89 – 7/90 (15/16″ NA Nabco non-ABS)
46010-30P21 Manufacture date 2/89 – 7/90 (17/16″ NA Nabco)
46010-30P22 Manufacture date 7/89 – 7/90 (17/16″ TT Nabco)
46010-30P22 Manufacture date 7/90 – 2/91 (17/16″ NA & TT Nabco)
46010-45P00 Manufacture date 9/91 – 9/93 (1″ NA TT Tokico)
46010-45P00 Manufacture date 2/91 – 9/91 (1″ NA & TT Tokico)
46010-45P20 Manufacture date 9/91 – 9/93 (1″ NA & TT Nabco)
46010-45P20 Manufacture date 9/93 – Up (1″ NA & TT Nabco)

240SX Front hubs for 5-lug conversion:

ABS equipped 240’s
40200-0V010 5/97-9/98
40200-0V010 5/97-9/98
40200-5L310 9/98+
40200-67F50 2/94-5/97
Non-ABS equipped 240’s
40200-0V210 5/97+
40200-65F50 2/94-5/97

Rear hubs for 5-lug conversion:

From the MotoIQ website, user Hijacker provided me with an updated list of rear hub part numbers.

NSK 43210-35F01 ———–> 02/89-03/90 VG30D (Auxiliary P/N 43210-AA000)
NTN 43210-32F06 ———–> 02/89-03/90 VG30D (I’m assuming these are from 2 separate manufacturers. The print out doesn’t specify side like it does from here out)

43280-30P05 —————–>09/93- VG30D RH
43280-AA000 —————–> RH 07/90-09/91 VG30D
43280-AA000 —————–> RH 09/91-09/93 VG30D
43280-AA000 —————–> RH 03/90-07/90 VG30D
43280-40P06 (43280-AA300) -> RH 09/91-09/93 VG30DTT
43280-AA300 ——————> RH 07/90-09/91 VG30DTT
43280-AA300 ——————> RH 09/93- VG30DTT
43280-AA300 ——————> RH 07/89-07/90 VG30DTT
43281-30P05 (43281-AA000) -> LH 09/93- VG30D
43281-AA000 ——————> LH 07/90-09/91 VG30D
43281-AA000 ——————> LH 09/91-09/93 VG30D
43281-AA000 ——————> LH 03/90-07/90 VG30D
43281-40P05 (43281-AA300) -> LH 09/91-09/93 VG30DTT
43281-AA300 ——————> LH 07/90-09/91 VG30DTT
43281-AA300 ——————> LH 09/93- VG30DTT
43281-AA300 ——————> LH 07/89-07/90 VG30DTT

Note from Hijacker regarding the parts list: This was the printout given to my from my parts guy. I was pricing out rear bearings to put on my NA Z32 rear hubs and we ran into the parts listing issue of which hubs are available, what’s the cost, etc. It looks like the 89-90 model years use the same bearing for each side, while the 90 and up models use the side specific bearings. The price was almost astronomically higher than the early model non-specific ones. Go figure, right?

If you’ve gotten this far, thanks for looking!

The Definitive 300ZX Brake Swap Series

I grabbed the feature image background from wallpaperswide.com

Project Civic – 2016 Refresh, Part 2

importnut — Sat, 29 Apr 2017 23:00:08 +0000

I had originally intended this story to be covered in one post. However, I ran into several issues that needed to be resolved from the original work along with a few more issues that reared their ugly heads. There was enough content to justify a separate post. On with the story:

It’s never a good sign to see a handful of gear heads carefully looking under the hood during an event!

One last thing that wasn’t finished before the first race was my door cards. Out of all the work completed, it was the thing I didn’t need to go racing.

The red suede door cards were looking rather ratty. I freshened them with black jersey material.

Breather Problems

The first issue that reared its ugly head involved my new catch can setup. If you recall from Part 1, I installed an engine block breather kit that vented through ports in the back of the block. I liked the idea of using the rear ports in the block to keep the installation clean and save myself from having to modify the valve cover. The installation went smoothly. Sadly, at my first event, I discovered that this configuration was not going to work.

If you look closely, there is quite a bit of oil around the catch can. During each autocross run, oil was being siphoned out of the engine. I lost nearly 2 quarts of oil in 8 runs. I’m glad I have the high-capacity oil pan…

What happened? If you look at the location of the rear block ports, you’ll notice that they bolt into the channels where the oil returns from the head down to the block. Under most driving situations, the oil flows on the inside of that path. During autocross runs, that oil has a chance to pass over the openings where the vent lines are attached. Considering the constant pulsing of air that this area experiences, oil was being pulled into the hoses. Add to that the fact that I mounted the can low in the engine bay, the oil had a one way path out of the engine. Now what?

Since I was unwilling to go back to OEM venting, I had to modify the valve cover. this location makes the most sense especially since there is a baffle in that part of the cover. Between the baffle and the fact that there is no steady stream of oil in the area, I knew this would be the solution.

After ordering additional fittings, I met up with a local guy who would weld the fittings to the valve cover. I was really pleased with the Mad Max look so I skipped refinishing the cover. With the modified cover in place, I moved the can to the firewall. I had to notch the battery tray a little but otherwise, it fit in that tight spot well. To simplify the mounting, I used rivet nuts. The first autocross after the modification proved that this worked well.

Transmission Seal Problems

Feeling confident that my breather issue was resolved, I headed out to Gingerman Raceway. I finished all of my runs and the car ran great! I drove home, parked the car and called it a night. The next morning I went out to my garage and noticed oil under the car. Oh no! I opened the hood and saw quite a bit of oil around the passenger side…just under the catch can! I wiped the oil and it was purple. Since I use Royal Purple manual transmission fluid, the source was obvious. After a little digging, I discovered the source of the leak as the passenger side transmission seal. Other than the oil slick that covered the entire bottom of the car, the repair was straight forward.

Once I replaced the seal and topped off the case with fresh transmission fluid, I raised the car on jack stands and degreased the entire bottom of the car. That was fun…

A test drive confirmed that the new seal was working.

Block plug problems

The day after I replaced the transmission seal and degreased the entire bottom of the car, I ran an autocross. Earlier in the day, the work on the transmission seal proved to be a success. After several runs, between two drivers, I headed out for my last run of the day. Roughly 3/4’s of the way through the run, I heard something bounce out of the car, lost control for a moment, and noticed that something wasn’t right. I finished the run and as I came to a stop, the car was engulfed in smoke. I pulled off course and jumped out of the car. The heavy smoke cleared quickly and after a quick inspection, realized there was no fire. In the back of my mind, I knew exactly what it was.

The block plug.

Once I open the hood, I looked towards the back of the engine and saw oil. At first I though the transmission seal catastrophically failed, which makes no sense since that area is under no pressure. Looking back a little further, my suspicion was confirmed when I saw the gaping, oily hole in the back of the block. The plug popped out.

I will have to say that I was grateful that I bought a bare aluminum plug. I could actually see it glinting in the sun from across the course. Other than few dings, it was relatively unscathed. I slipped the plug back into the block and cleaned the giant oil slick as well as I could with rags and brake cleaner. I was not looking forward to another round of degreasing the entire underside of the car.

I have to be honest and say that I was always skeptical of the fact the plug was not held in place. There are options of the plug that include a fitting to drain back oil and include a small bracket. With my suspicions confirmed, I came up with a plan to hold the plug securely in place. I realized that I wouldn’t need a significant bracket considering the fact that the block is not under pressure especially considering the large vent holes in the valve cover. I also decided that I did not want to bolt a bracket to both the block and plug to avoid sealing issues as a result of changing temperatures.

For my solution, I drilled and tapped the plug. I threaded a bolt into the plug and cut the bolt head. I then used a heavy rubber pad that slipped over the stud. Next, I used bar stock from a hardware store that I bent into a “Z” shape and drilled bolt holes. After painting the mild steel bracket, I slipped one end over the block plug’s new stud and bolted the other end to the block. As added insurance, before installing the plug, I added high temp sealer.

The stud and rubber pad on the plug side of my bracket was intended to allow for expansion and contraction of materials, especially between the steel bracket and plug. The stud would ensure that the bracket would not slip off in the event the bolt holding it in place ever loosened unexpectedly. Was all of this overkill? Yeah, I think so. I really didn’t want to have to degrease the bottom of the car again!

Misfire Problems.

Early in the season, the Civic started randomly misfiring. The distributor was an original unit which was now over 20 years old. I picked up a replacement distributor from Rock Auto along with a set of NGK plug wires and Denso plugs. I bought the plugs recommended in the service manual. The Denso plugs were half the cost of the NGK plugs, which were already half the cost of buying the same plugs through Hondapartsunlimited.com. A full set was $10. After installing the fresh ignition, the Civic ran smoothly.

Axles Problems

When I replaced the outer CV boots, earlier in the year, I was concerned that hammering the CV joint to remove it would have negative results. A few short months after the work was complete, I could hear the dreaded CV joint clicking sounds while cornering. Oh well. Drive Shaft Shop no longer makes a Race spec axle. They offer a base axle that is a considerably better option than buying re-manufactured axles. The next level axle was designed to handle nearly 300 horsepower at a considerably higher price. I called Drive Shaft Shop and they explained that any axle can receive their “Road Race” treatment. All internal components are micro-polished before assembly. Higher temp grease is also used along with vents for the boots. I chose their base axles with the Road Race upgrade.

Although they are nothing glamorous, a good pair of axles is critical to long life and reliability.

Installation is straightforward and I was back in business.

Clutch line problems

This season….seriously…

The day before an event, I took the Civic out for some spirited driving. Shortly after, I noticed that the clutch pedal wouldn’t return or just generally felt, “off”. A quick inspection revealed that a strange goiter on the rubber clutch line had finally ruptured. I will have to say, embarrassed as I was, that the goiter had been there for a couple of years. I should have changed this years ago. Old car problems….

I found a braided stainless steel hose through Goodridge. I was surprised to discover that there were not that many options for this part beyond OEM. Surprisingly, it was only listed as an Acura part even though the stock Civic transmission uses the same hose. Regardless, problem solved.

Computer Freshening

I’m happy to say that by this point in the season, work performed on the Civic was voluntary. I had been eyeing capacitor refresh kits for the ECU for the past few years. I picked up a kit from Xenocron Tuning. Their kit came with all of the capacitor needed to replace the more than 20 year old original pieces. They did an excellent job of labeling all of the capacitors making it even easier to perform the work.

Replacing capacitors is a great way to refresh old electronics. Although I had no issues prior to this work, I had piece of mind that I would not experience capacitor failures.

On to more mundane things…

Wiper Sprays

I take pride in maintaining a certain level of civility in my Civic. The AC is still there and works along with the ABS, power steering and cruise control. Functioning wiper sprays are just as important! After my front wiper pump failed, I decided to refresh nearly every part. I picked up a used pump and then purchased hose, brackets and fittings from Honda to wrap up my wiper spray restoration.

Although there is nothing exotic about wiper sprays, having fresh clips and hoses ensures that everything works and stays where it belongs!

Last but not least…

Rock Auto sells this liner for less than $10. It is not a perfect match to the OEM unit. I had torn mine apart years ago by clobbering a cone at an autocross. Another mundane part that helps keep rocks and other misc debris out of the door and surrounding crevasses.

Wrapping up my 2016 refresh:

I like stickers as much as the next guy. I keep mine under the hood so as to avoid unwanted attention.

After a long night of track fun at Autobahn Country Club, I swapped tires for an autocross the next morning.

2016 Recap

Downside:

I wildly blew my budget for the year. Between scope creep in the early part of the project and the corrections and repairs that followed, I spent considerably more money than I had intended. Was it all worth the investment? No, not all of it. Looking at the list of parts I installed, there were definitely things I could have skipped and saved the money for another project. Parts like the oil pan. The pan itself did not resolve oil starvation issues. I still had to keep the oil level at the top mark or higher to prevent starvation at track events. Had I simply used the valve cover to properly vent my block, I would not have replaced the intake manifold gasket, studs and other misc parts. All with additional cost. Changing the valve seals did not resolve my oil burning issues during deceleration. The cost of the tools, seals and misc gaskets added up to no value.

Upside:

I replaced many worn out parts. I replaced several seals, boots, gaskets, and hoses. I also replace several considerably worn out bushings. Once corrected, my new crankcase breather ensures that I stop sucking oil into the wrong part of the engine as well as eliminate the chronic breather can leak from which older Hondas suffer. Although none of the work would make the car faster, I know it will keep going for years to come.

Read about the continuing adventure in the next installment of Project Civic!