Update...lsvtec crx project nearly completed!

[bambam89lx]

what's up guys....many of you may not know me...but I've been a registered user on here for a long time...i just haven't been on in awhile due to military obligations and I spend more time on honda-tech and b20vtec as well.

Well before the last time I was on here, I was building a B20 turbo setup. I have since scrapped that plan and Now I have a 12.5:1 lsvtec motor. The motor is now fully assembled and you can check out the progress here on my cardomain.
Let me know what you guys think...

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/547129/1

[SiZ]

Wow, that looks like its going to be a shitload of fun.

Be sure to let us know when its in!

[kris]

I think 12:1 is a little more like it. And all that work, and you didnt replace your tensioner? No anti seize on the plugs? Why did you go with all OEM parts?

[bambam89lx]

Originally Posted by kris

I think 12:1 is a little more like it. And all that work, and you didnt replace your tensioner? No anti seize on the plugs? Why did you go with all OEM parts?

The tensioner may look crappy, but it spins very nicely, the old one spun with a little bit more effort. I got this one off of a 99 LS block i had laying around. You're right though, and that is about the only thing I can think of that is used and that I haven't replaced. As for the anti-sieze, I'm not a fan of it. I've never had a problem taking out spark plugs. I just don't like the idea of a foreign material on my spark plugs and in my head. I don't want it getting into my cylinders at all. It's just a wierd thing I do i guess.
And yes, the motor itself is 12.18:1 compression with the P30 pistons. But, I had the head milled over 1 thousandth to bring the compression to 12.45:1...so i just round up to 12.5:1. I was running a 2 layer head gasket before. but that raises the compression to nearly 12.7:1 and 12.5 is already pushing it on pump 93...even with extensive tuning. I also didn't want to jeopardize the integrity of the head gasket by removing a layer, especially on an LSV where the head gasket is the most important gasket.
As for the OEM parts, they were cheaper. I won't using anything but OEM honda water/oil pumps. I trust honda parts and I swear buy them. Honda knows what they are doing when they desing these motors. The ONLY down fall in my opinion is the pistons which are cast, if they were forged, honda motors would be bulletproof, even more so than they are now. I only paid $180 for the pistons, and $50 to have the rods shotpeened. Another $35 for the ARP rod bolts. Along with the bottom end balancing, etc. it should be a pretty reliable motor. Trust me, I would like to build the hell out of this thing with forged internals and what not, but I just don't have the funds at this time. The military doesn't pay THAT great...but I do plan on building a pretty wild motor in a couple years when I reenlist and pick up that 48k bonus.
This is just THIS summer's motor. Who knows what I'll have next summer.

[Hybrid1990crx]

hmm 3 of my favorite AF peeps in the same thread. i gotta join this party!

Very nice build. Wish I had the cash to do the same but student loans suck and I just graduated last friday so im still rather broke. Its kinda the same build I want, but I want to use a b16 head with b18c1 bottom end, with a bit higher of a compression ratio of 13:1. Just dreams for now but hopefully will be started by the end of this summer for either my new DA or for the EG I might buy when I find myself in a better cash flow situation.

For the waterpump and oil pump I would also use ITR oem parts. can't go wrong with them. but for pistons, aftermarket for sure. and for rods, shotpeening is good for cheap, like mini forging if you think about it.

i've got 4 beers in me so i dont know where this is going, besides for me to bed. later guys.

[Hybrid1990crx]

ps: i miss your b20 project

[kris]

I didnt take into account a two layer headgasket. Looks like it will be a pretty decent motor. Did you consider using PCT pistons? That would have given a few more compression points. I have built a few with that setup, and it runs pretty damn good.

I agree on the Honda oil and water pumps. I was curious on the shot peened rods, etc.

I

[SiZ]

I'm wondering aboot your tuining technique.. What is a "Zif socketed OBD0 B16 PR3 Ecu", obviously I know what a PR3 is, but what is Zif socketed? Also, how easy is that BRE software to use? And it's free?

I'm excited to see more about your build. I want to do a build really bad this summer, but mine is going to be a B20 with 84mm ITR pistons and I'm worried about tuning it properly. I want to make sure it lasts, and even with around 11.5 compression I'm worried about it being reliable.

[Hybrid1990crx]

siz, my friend has a dc2 gsr, not sure on the year, running 13:1 compression and daily drives it every day. He drove it untuned for like 4 months with no problems at all, just couldnt rev it to its full potential. Now hes fully tuned by Jeff Evans on Neptune.

[TheSilentChamber]

Pretty.

[bambam89lx]

Originally Posted by Hybrid1990crx

ps: i miss your b20 project

yah, me too....I was gettin ready to put on the turbo kit, when we had a freak thunderstorm on a sunny day and sucked up water into my motor. It started knocking because i bent the rods. I bought my del sol si a week later as a beater, while i rebuilt the crx. Then, I blew the motor up in the del sol...lol. So I traded my messed up B20 motor for a complete D15B7 motor that didn't burn oil the next day. Then threw my D16z6 head on the D15 block and stuffed it in the del sol so I had something to drive again. I had to start all over, So, I sold all my turbo parts separately and took that money and started buying parts for an lsvtec...that's where I'm at now...2k in parts and 900 in machine work and I have a 3k motor build now that's going in the next couple of weeks.

[bambam89lx]

Originally Posted by SiZ

I'm wondering aboot your tuining technique.. What is a "Zif socketed OBD0 B16 PR3 Ecu", obviously I know what a PR3 is, but what is Zif socketed? Also, how easy is that BRE software to use? And it's free?

I'm excited to see more about your build. I want to do a build really bad this summer, but mine is going to be a B20 with 84mm ITR pistons and I'm worried about tuning it properly. I want to make sure it lasts, and even with around 11.5 compression I'm worried about it being reliable.

a "ZIF" socket just an easier way to constantly change out "chips" or roms on your ecu's board so you don't have to solder/desolder every time. "ZIF" stands for "zero insertion force".The BRE software is easy to use if you know how to read fuel/ignition tables and tune w/ a wideband. You can read up on it on PGMFI.org. It's comparable to a free version of "hondata". There are many different programs you can use, but BRE is designed for OBD0 vtec ecu's, which is why I'm using it. Yes the BRE software is free...you can go download it right now and use it if you wanted to. Try looking through pgmfi.org and spend a couple weeks reading everything you can....then you'll know pretty much about all you need to know about tuning yourself and honda/acura ecu's.

Basically here's how my tuning setup works. I have the BRE software open on my laptop. I have something called an "ostrich", which is just a "real time emulator" plugged into a "ZIF" socket in the original spot for my ecu's stock chip. This allows me to tune my car's air/fuel and ignition while the car is running as well as vtec crossover and things like launch control. It also allows me to disable CEL's, o2 sensors, the knock sensor, speed limiter, fuel cutoff, etc. It allows me to do pretty much everything that hondata can.

I have "datalogging" capabilities as well, which the BRE software does. It's basically just a USB cable adapted from one of my ecu's outputs that allows me to monitor things like TPS voltage, RPM's, coolant temp, air temp, boost, etc....and all this from the stock ecu. All stock ecu's have the ability to output this information, you just have to know how to get it and view it, which is where the BRE software comes in.

I have an Innovate Motorsports LC-1 wideband controller which allow me to read my air/fuel ratios. The wideband is then outputted to my laptop via a cable and I can view my air/fuel ratios on a digital guage in the BRE software.

You have to modify your ecu to be able to output all of it's information though. And all of this software and hardware costs about $410 from xenocron.com...but it's well worth it. Add another $75 and you can get a burner, then buy a few reburnable chips and you can start tuning other people's cars...which is where I'm at now.

Oh, and you can either choose to leave the laptop in your car to run your car, or you can take the modified fuel/ignition maps you just created in BRE, and burn them to a chip, then put the chip in your computer to run your car.

[bambam89lx]

Originally Posted by kris

I didnt take into account a two layer headgasket. Looks like it will be a pretty decent motor. Did you consider using PCT pistons? That would have given a few more compression points. I have built a few with that setup, and it runs pretty damn good.

I agree on the Honda oil and water pumps. I was curious on the shot peened rods, etc.

I

I'm not using a two layer head gasket...i said that's what I WAS using before and it was near 12.7:1. I'm using a stock 3 layer now, but the head is milled, which is how the compression is very close to 12.5:1.

[kris]

Even with the head milled, and a 3 layer, I still only get close to 12.1:1 But I'm not going to sit and argue over .4 tenths of a copression point.

[YZ125rider21]

yo bam bam long ass fucking time no see dawg...so looks like you did away with the stock b20 swap?