I DID search, but I need more please. - Honda Forum / Acura Forum

drummingpariah · 03-27-2006, 10:31 AM

In the next few months, I will be ordering a whole crap-load of parts for my 1991 CRX Si. It is currently stock, and I am dead-set on keeping it that way until I'm ready to do all the work needed to make her what I want at once.

First off, I'm rebuilding the block and keeping it. I have it, I like the idea of having a fast D-series, and parts are readily available. Also, that way I know what has been done already, and it definitely needs it. Bad rings, burning oil, not a good scene in general. I'm expecting to spend around $1500 on this part, read on and find out why.

Secondly, I'm going to be installing a D16y8 head on it, and making my D16a6 engine into a mini-me. I don't want to go completely crazy on this, but I do plan on doing a rebuild on the head too.

Thirdly, I have a Garrett T25 turbo sitting on my kitchen table, begging to be installed. This would be my reason for rebuilding the block thoroughly, I want it as reliable as possible, it will still be my daily driver. I have a Starion intercooler (already tested for leaks) ready to be installed, no BOV yet, and all the tubing I will need. I'm planning on OBX turbo headers because they're affordable, high-temp-paintable, and available.

Fourth, I have a set of shocks and springs ready to go on, along with a set of rims and tires. 205/16/45 should be the end result, with 1-1.5 inches of drop.

Fifth, if all goes to plan, all bushings in the car will be replaced with polyurethane bushings. If there is an issue with any (other than squeaking, which doesn't really even bother me), what is it and which bushings would cause problems? I've read several articles on this, and people get pretty heated, I'm looking for facts: What works, and what does not.

Finally, there is a 6pc Wings West body kit in my van, ready to be installed, and a friend's paint shop ready to paint the whole car when it's ready.

Now that all my plans are out of the bag, I'm looking for recommendations on several things, most importantly the engine rebuild.
Is there enough advantage to forged pistons to make it worthwhile?
Who makes high quality pistons/rings/sleeves?
What blow-off valve is the most effective? (sound isn't too important, but the Neon SRT-4 sounds pretty nice)
Exactly what will I need to mini-me my engine? (Head, head gasket, intake manifold, headers [and will the obx headers fit on the d16y8 atop the d16a6 correctly?], ?ecu? (or can I just chip mine, or do I need to replace it at all?)... does the list go on?
Will my 450cc DSM injectors fit right onto the fuel rail, or do I need an aftermarket fuel rail?
Do I need a larger fuel pump?
How aggressive are the D16y8 cams and is it worth replacing them in a daily driver?
What's the deal with Exedy? Why are they so inexpensive?
What pieces am I missing?

Essentially, I'm of the belief that swapping the engine would be great, but the engine that's in there would be fine if it were performing at its best. Right now it's peppy, quick, and fun. I want to be truly impressed with my car when I pull past s2000's, SVT focus', and Neon SRT-4's. And I want to have done it all myself. I have plenty of help around here, a few mechanics who are willing to put in some time and help me out with my projects, but I want to know what your experiences have taught you. I want to make sure I do this correctly.

I'm looking forward to your suggestions, and will keep everyone posted on the project as it moves along over the spring.

drummingpariah · 03-27-2006, 10:37 AM

just as a post-script...

I realize I'm spending as much as I would on a B16 or B18 swap, and I quite frankly don't care. So far, half the fun of this car has been tearing parts apart and making them better, not doing the craziest, most obscene changes I can. If anybody has done anything with a D-series like this, let me know. I have a few leads, but nothing definitive.

http://crx.honda-perf.org/articles/z6swap/z6swap.html
http://www.crxresource.org/modules.p...rticle&sid=143
http://www.homemadeturbo.com

There is the information that has been truly helpful to me so far.

RedlinedDA · 03-27-2006, 10:58 AM

you might also want to check out the D-series tech, CRX, and Turbo sections of SHO

drummingpariah · 03-29-2006, 09:39 PM

I've been here for awhile, didn't know we had a d-series tech. I have checked everywhere wlse though (CRX, Turbo, Engine), I'm going to look into the D-Series right now

Hardedge · 03-30-2006, 02:24 PM

All I can say is paint with the engine out of the car so you can paint the engine compartment with ease. Go with forged internals, especially connecting rods if you want a long lasting and strong engine since you're going turbo. Also, I can't recommend specific fuel system upgrades since I have no idea what kind of boost pressures you're going to be running, but I will say that if you're like most speed freaks, create a system with a wide range of adjustability because as time goes on you're going to find yourself raising boost more and more. This addiction is why there are street legal Supras with 900 horses to the wheels out on the roads. Lastly, the cams you have should be fine but you might want to have some valve and port work done. And adjustable cam gears are never a bad idea on a turbo car.

drummingpariah · 04-06-2006, 10:52 PM

Adjustability will be killer, but for right now I want to get the system together so that it works as reliably as possible. That's primary concern, as this is my daily driver. Second consideration is performance. Tertiary consideration is cost. Last comes comfort/sound. The biggest problem I'm finding is a decent turbo header for the d-series. Everybody seems happy enough with the HF manifold and adapter, but I really want to go tubular, and don't trust my engineering and planning skills enough to make a header from scratch even if I do have the tools on hand. I've been looking at the OBX turbo header that I keep seeing, but apparantly the D16y8 head is taller than the D16a6 head, so I'm wondering if it'll fit my mini-me without modification. It'll be an interesting project. This week I should be relocating the battery into the rear cargo area and possibly ordering a bushing kit. I've had some pretty good experiences so far with Energy Suspension, and I need new bushings pretty much all around. I think I just might order the kit tonight, and install the shift bushings for now, and the others as I take each individual piece of (motor mounts when I rebuild the block, suspension bushings when I replace my suspension, etc). That way I don't have to remove everything twice, just take care of each piece in one fell swoop. I'm on a 10k budget for the car, and that's the max. I don't need to go completely overboard on any one part, but I want everything done as well as possible overall. Basically looking to bulletproof my engine, put out 250-300hp and 125-175tq and be able to corner like nobody's business. Enjoying my car is the name of the game, and everything's been a blast so far.

Hardedge · 04-07-2006, 12:01 AM

Corner like nobody's business? Comfort comes last? This is sounding less and less like a daily driven street car. Also, what is in your budget for brakes? If you can't afford a full front big brake kit you should at least consider swapping better brakes from another vehicle because I cannot think of any D powered car that's ever had a good set of brakes.

2highpsi · 04-07-2006, 06:25 AM

a 190 fuel pump and some injectors should be all you need fuel wise, fuel rail,injectors,fuel pump, and a fpr should cover you on the fuel side..and 450 injectors should be fine

drummingpariah · 04-07-2006, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hardedge

Corner like nobody's business? Comfort comes last? This is sounding less and less like a daily driven street car. Also, what is in your budget for brakes? If you can't afford a full front big brake kit you should at least consider swapping better brakes from another vehicle because I cannot think of any D powered car that's ever had a good set of brakes.

well, i did get the disk brakes in the front and rear, and have no problem locking up the tires right now. and my reasoning behind the priorities is that my daily driver has to be fun to be in first and foremost. if i was at all concerned with comfort, i wouldn't have even considered the crx. seats are terrible, no space for extra people, the si has fairly stiff suspension as it is... just not a very good comfy ride. but that's really not a concern. i love driving a quick little car. and i'm a little crazy.

i was considering integra/prelude discs/calipers/master cylinder, but haven't found any concrete reason to. maybe when these rotors really start showing their age, or i have enough power to warrant better brakes it'll be a concern but for right now, the stock system is working just fine for anything i need.

drummingpariah · 04-07-2006, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2highpsi

a 190 fuel pump and some injectors should be all you need fuel wise, fuel rail,injectors,fuel pump, and a fpr should cover you on the fuel side..and 450 injectors should be fine

So you're saying a fuel rail, pump, fuel pressure regulator (i'm assuming that's what you mean, but I don't even know what the purpose of regulating fuel pressure is), and my injectors are what I need to install in order for the fuel system to keep up? I can deal with that. Will I need to chip my ECU or have a standalone fuel management system for this, or how does it work? Sorry for my ignorance, but I'd rather ask dumb questions now than to screw this up.

TEC2NV · 04-08-2006, 06:54 PM

sounds like a prety decent setup..

if you need any imore information check out www.nzhondas.com

we have a few guys that are pretty clued up with the d-series.

drummingpariah · 05-25-2006, 09:33 PM

link doesn't seem to be working for me. the website is only available in new zealand. any other ideas? I think I'm going to end up using a d16zc with the turbo setup for mild, with a bulletproof-built bottom end and a diy port and polish on the head. The big question now is headers and clutch. I'm keeping the d16a6 transmission, but I'm not sure which clutch will work best for 150-250 peak horsepower off a turbo d-series engine. I've heard great things about the Exedy and ACT clutches, but should I go "stage 1" or "stage 2", and is a lighter flywheel really worth it?

gurusan · 05-25-2006, 10:16 PM

Sounds like you're really serious about this and I'm glad to see that you're thinking it out thoroughly....and it's awesome that you are sticking with your D-series.

First...if reliability is a concern stay clear of OBX or SSAUTOCHROME. Their turbo manifolds have quite a reputation for cracking. Your best bet would be to get a custom turbo manifold welded up for you. A simple tubular log manifold will do the trick and be reliable...but if you are willing to spend some more cash I suggest going for the mini-ram horn manifold. Click Here for a good source on custom manifolds. He does quality work and the manifolds make power.

As for the clutch...if you plan on building up the bottom end for boost...then you will probably want to make more power...so I suggest a Stage 2. Both ACT and Exedy are good companies....but I recommend ACT only because I have the stage 1 and am very happy, and it's the only one I've had direct experience with.

And no, don't bother purchasing a lighter flywheel. With your car boosted it will be fast as hell and you wouldn't notice anything from a lighter flywheel, and the engine would probably rev up too fast anyway, making it harder to drive. However I do recommend getting your OEM one resurfaced....just a good thing to do when you change out the clutch.

The most important thing in a forced induction setup is engine management. I suggest going with DSM 450cc injectors...if you are going to be running OBD-1 then you will need to run a resistor pack to increase the impedance otherwise your ECU will fry because OBD-1 and after ECU's are used to high impedance...but if you are sticking with OBD-0 then you are fine. And to get DSM injectors to fit in the Honda fuel rail you will need to bore the O-rings out a bit with a dremel. Other than that they fit right in.

And I suggest a Walbro 255lph fuel pump...they are about 100 dollars shipped. As for engine management I suggest getting Hondata s200 with boost and going to a reputable tuner and getting it dyno-tuned. However, if you are a DIY kinda guy and trust yourself then you can buy a wideband o2 sensor and use a free program like Crome, turboEdit, or Uberdata to tune your car.

Whatever you do, make sure you think long and hard about how you are going to set your engine management up and tune the car, as that's the most important part...a poorly tuned car will make shitty power, get bad gas mileage, and probably blow up.

As for a blow-off-valve...they are all pretty much the same....they are simple parts that don't require lots of engineering..you can cheap out on them...a lot of people just use DSM blow off valves....it's really about your preference to the sound. The only time blow off valves differ is if you are going to be running really high boost.

I actually have a knockoff Greddy Type-S adjustable BOV for sale if you are interested.

As for upgrading the cam...Zex/comp cams makes a decent turbo cam but IMO it's not really needed...if you want more HP then just up the boost..I mean you will have a built motor.

You can upgrade the cam later on if you want but I suggest concentrating on the turbo build at the moment.

1 last kinda important thing....that turbo is a bit small. Many people use t25's on their d-series...but in my opinion it's way too small. It will spool up quickly but it won't make that much power and you will most likley have trouble reaching decent HP numbers with it.

I suggest selling and getting something bigger. In my opinion the perfect sized turbo for a mini-me setup is a .48/60 T3. Spool times will be acceptable and you will make tons of power with it.

And I suggest using a t3 with an internal wastegate to simplify things....or if you wanted to go external then I wouldn't get anything other than a Tial 35/38mm wastegate.