Mini me Users --> Was it worth it??

Hey,
I just got a quick question for people that did a mini me,
Was it worth it?

I meen, I did a DPFI to MPFI and if you asked me if it was worth it I would tell you "Hell Ya" there was no way that by me just adding a few bolt ons that I would get the same gains and over all feel of power that I got with the MPFI conversion.

So I ask you all users of Mini Me's was it worth it or would you have invested your time and money in to another comparable mod for you car.

Oh yea this only applys to the folks running OBDO...




THANKX,
MAX







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not worth the time/effort/$$

its not as cheap as you think.

definately worth it. If you car is already MPFI, it *might* cost $300, including your VTEC activation method. I happened to find a z6 head for $75, bought valve seals for around $20, had it milled and cleaned for $40, and had a brand new head for around $150 bucks. compare that to buying a header for $300 or some other crappy ass mod that will give you 3hp.

Plus you get the added benefit of smaller combustion chambers, which raise compression, larger valves which flow more air, and the added benefit of VTEC which really shines in aftermarket cam(s). I have one of the biggest cams made for the d series engine, yet it still idles like stock. try to idle a d16a6 with a cam that has similar specs as even a stage 1 VTEC cam and you will find you have to raise the idle to over 1,000 rpm just to keep it running.

no, VTEC isnt a magical force that instantly makes your car have 400hp, but it is a useful feature.

not worth it. i'm becoming thumbs down on mixing in the a6 parts as well.

i have had the y8 a couple of years now. i have been running p28 ecu, dizzy, intake mani + rpm activated switch. this is the problem we have found...the a6 injectors are slightly different from the y8 which is slightly different than the z6. they all have a shape. the a6 injector doesn't seat all the way in causing gas to collect which = clogged intake mani. 1 & 2nd gear sputter due to gas flow problem SUCKS.

i suppose if you don't mind taking the intake mani off every 6 mos or so to clean it out, you'll be cool. right now my stuff is clogged again and i'm pretty sick of it. since i already have the rpm switch i think we're going to put the y8 intake mani & injectors back on and try an ecu out of the MPFI obd1 5th gen. i can't remember the ecu # but you get the point. we'll let you know whatever happens when we get around to trying it....lol

yeah the mini me is aight... but its nothing too great... hell my a6 with a cam felt much better...and this 20 mpg shit sucks!

a friend of mine mixed a d15b7 block with a y8 head, was nothing but problems. For some reason (maybe head and block combination) and he ended up with a really high compression ration, which gave him lots of problems (as his daily driver), he had to run 93 octane gas, get an upgraded started to start it (his old one might have been old) and it still didn't run that great (he was also using a a6 mannifold with a vtec switch), anyways save some agrivation and buy the complete engine if you want to go vtec, in the long run you will be more happy I would think...

Just get a complete sohc v-tec swap.

a friend of mine mixed a d15b7 block with a y8 head, was nothing but problems. For some reason (maybe head and block combination) and he ended up with a really high compression ration, which gave him lots of problems (as his daily driver), he had to run 93 octane gas, get an upgraded started to start it (his old one might have been old) and it still didn't run that great (he was also using a a6 mannifold with a vtec switch), anyways save some agrivation and buy the complete engine if you want to go vtec, in the long run you will be more happy I would think...
thats 10.2:1 cr
http://www.knology.net/~jediklc/D.htm
its not too high

not worth it. i'm becoming thumbs down on mixing in the a6 parts as well.

i have had the y8 a couple of years now. i have been running p28 ecu, dizzy, intake mani + rpm activated switch. this is the problem we have found...the a6 injectors are slightly different from the y8 which is slightly different than the z6. they all have a shape. the a6 injector doesn't seat all the way in causing gas to collect which = clogged intake mani. 1 & 2nd gear sputter due to gas flow problem SUCKS.

i suppose if you don't mind taking the intake mani off every 6 mos or so to clean it out, you'll be cool. right now my stuff is clogged again and i'm pretty sick of it. since i already have the rpm switch i think we're going to put the y8 intake mani & injectors back on and try an ecu out of the MPFI obd1 5th gen. i can't remember the ecu # but you get the point. we'll let you know whatever happens when we get around to trying it....lol


your using the stock PM6 not p28 ami :D the p28 is the obd1 ecu you would need to get

thats 10.2:1 cr
http://www.knology.net/~jediklc/D.htm
its not too high


I don't know if my friend used a different head gasket (or wrong one) or I am getting the block code one, but he claimed (I am not sure how he calculated it) he had 11:1, and he did have to run it off 93 to avoid detonation (not desirable, since not all gas stations carry that high a grade)..

your using the stock PM6 not p28 ami :D the p28 is the obd1 ecu you would need to get
sorry typo. it's been a loooong day

i still stick by the story that the mini-me is a very versatile engine and has many benefits.

Im running a Y7 block with a Z6 head with my turbo setup. since the Y7 has a slightly bigger dish than the Z6, it actually has a little bit lower compression, which could very well be why this engine has held out so long with boost. 10psi every day for atleast 6 months, and if you know me, you know that i beat on my engines.

as far as fuel puddling problems, i've never had any, heard of any, or seen any.

As far as the A6 mini-me goes.. a friend of mine has an 88 CRX HF with an A6/Z6 mini, comp 59300 cam, DC 4-2-1 header and some generic short ram with a PG7 ECU.. his car will most definately run mid-low 14s.. he has only ran it at the 1/8 mile and ran a 9.4@77mph with a 2.2 60'. higher compression with the a6 pistons and the comp cam make it a monster.

I have had nothing but good experience out of mini-me setups.

Thanks alot for the info, I did alot of searching and reading but sometimes its always best to ask.

I guess because of my block (1500 cc) it won't run right, best bet to get another motor and work on that, to bad my civic has only 64,000 orginal miles on it and was owned by an aunt who never abused the car.... ( I guess its up to me to do that... :) )

Well, I should be happy with what I've got, that damm MPFI blew me away with the diffrence that it made.. Also to any body that did a MPFI and did not notice a real change you must have did something wrong, probly timing or intake leak or something.


Thankx,
MAX






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I'm still debating going with a high pro cam or a Mini me. I have a D16A6, and I need to get a cam anyway... I guess I'm just torn by all the pro's and cons of both options. can anyone tip the balance?

Hey Jehu,
You and I are in the same boat, I swear this is killing me.. :)

From what I have gathered you get a few ponys with the swap, the thing is when you go with a bigger cam and vtec you can still idle pretty well...

I just like the fact that you can tweak a vtec setup to the way you like it, by controling when it switchs....

Hrmmm.... Now that I think about it I could use a Apexi VTEC AFC II to control the air/fuel as well as the vtec and even though I would have 10:1 compression I could control any pinging that I hear people have when using a D16 head on a D15 block..

ARGHhhh!!!!!!!!!

What to do, I have no clue... lol lol
Sh!t..... :)



MAX




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i think i might just put a ls or crv motor in mine ya know what im sayin

I have never experienced a mini me swap but I can tell you my a6 with the gude cam is great. you can tell a HUGE ASS difference in the car its great....I wish it was put together so I could go rip through the gears at 7K.....*sniffle*

ive got over 5000 miles on my swap d16a6/z6 head .i used the a6 intake, dizzy,block ,the z6 head wit aem cam gear .. i used the apexi vafc to manage v-tec had it tuned at my shop they set it up in about 2 1/2 hours .at that time i had the aem cai, wit the aem velocty stack and a 8inch filter .. ive used a fpr 2 turn up fuel preassure . have a dc header wit a high flow cat.. 2 a 2 1/4 cat back exaust ..2 a 5zigen muffler ...got the pro comp cam, and all rapped up in my 89 crx si mini monster, its fast and idef. fell v-tec at 4800 its good bye to almost anything at least so far.... i estamate a 10:1 comp ratio. it needs 93 or higher i use ulta 94 .. and it loves it. drinks it quite fast but i dont care .ive reacently added a spc ignition and nology wires ive finished installing the greedy turbo kit and were off to the dyno on monday morning ....will b tuning all week. got a special for $500 the car will get tuned, and be ready for next sat. at maple grove raceway so ill keep u posted.. after the event first time 2 the track since the swap ..many street races but no track time il;l post the slips

i estamate a 10:1 comp ratio. it needs 93 or higher i use ulta 94 ..






Why is that, why can't you run 89?


I'm going to do it... I'm going for a mini.. :)

I'm running a teg ECU so I'm hopeing that becuase its a DOHC ECU that I won't run into any leaning out problems that causes pinging, from what I understand in fuel tuning, the DOHC ECUs, can feed more fuel than needed.






Thankx,
MAX






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Also since the heads are all the same size I can resuse my header and my cam gear right?




Thankx,
MAX





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OMG Mini me debate!

I think for the money and time you could get a SOHC VTEC for what its worth. They're cheap.

OMG Mini me debate!

I think for the money and time you could get a SOHC VTEC for what its worth. They're cheap.



Not where I live :(







MAX




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OMG Mini me debate!

I think for the money and time you could get a SOHC VTEC for what its worth. They're cheap.

Like i mentioned earlier.. there are certain advantages to a mini-me swap that you dont get with a SOHC VTEC, such as higher compression. Plus, swapping a head out isnt as time consuming as swapping a whole block :P

there are certain advantages to a mini-me swap that you dont get with a SOHC VTEC, such as higher compression.

I dont really think thats a big deal bro. If anything he could just get aftermarket high c.r. pistons.

no offense 91civicDXdude...i have no problems with you. you give good info. however this once i do have to say when you went b18 you talked smack about the mini-me. i know you went back to it but it seems you talk smack about what you are not doing and talk good about what you are doing at the moment.

again, i have been running my stuff for over 2 yrs the exact same way. the is absolutly a glitch when it comes to using a6 parts with a y8. i never had problems with the bogging down and clogged intake mani. at first i thought i was just getting bad injectors. now i'm looking towards it being the difference of the a6 intake mani/ injecotrs on the y8.

i hate to say it but i'm with SiZ (don't quote me on that, i will deny)

for the daily efficency i would go z6 or y8. just make sure you go all the way and get the p28 ecu and corrisponding parts. i'm not feeling the a6 parts. they worked with my a6, been trouble with the y8

no offense 91civicDXdude...i have no problems with you. you give good info. however this once i do have to say when you went b18 you talked smack about the mini-me. i know you went back to it but it seems you talk smack about what you are not doing and talk good about what you are doing at the moment.



As i go, i learn, and so my opinion changes :P

and if you remember, my beef with the sohc vtec swap in an EF wasnt the engine itself, it was using stock PM6 (or PG7, PM7, etc.) maps with SOHC VTEC engine and using rpm activated switch alone for management. (i called it "ghetto") but now that i have the knowledge of ECU tuning that i gained over the past year, its not a bad swap, it just makes more sense *to me* to tune the ECU with the proper maps for a particular engine.

on the regular, i speak from experience. I like to do as much as i possibly can so i personally can have experience with things, instead of listening to what somebody else read/heard, etc.

your experience with the mini-me or parts swapping wasnt the same as mine, i.e. i never used a y8 manifold, so i wont argue that it doesnt cause problems, I personally just had no problems with my particular setup. :)

i hate to say it but i'm with SiZ


:bananasmi


My friend bought a Z6 with tranny, computer, axles for $350cdn a while ago. They're cheap!

y8 mani isn't the problam. a6 on the y8 is the problem

i hear why you are trying for the compression. you take the track more seriously than most. however, for people like me reliablity is the key. z6's are cheap enough where you can buy them as a whole, complete, and it will good to go as is. that is basically the point i was trying to make.

when i bought my stuff 2+ yrs ago it was a different story. the y8 dizzy was not working so we tried the a6 parts and left it. 2yrs later i am going to all y8 parts or possibly trying the 5th gen MPFI no vtec ecu with the rpm switch i already have. if i were to do it all over again tomorrow i would not do it the same as now.

I already decided that I will give this a try even if it works or not, if anything I will have learned from the experince.

This is going to be my setup, untill I'm finished with my A6 overhaul the victim will be my B7 with low miles on it,

I plan to use the APEXi VAFC II to control the air fuel mixture as well as the vtec I will also be installing a cam, what stage that I'm not sure of I need to do a bit more reading about the 2.

I have booked time at our local speed shop next month where they will tune the APEXi on the dyno....

Thanks again for all your input on this subject, thats why I like comming to this forum... :)





MAX




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