new pistons

[thedeadcivic]

im looking to buy new pistons for my d16a6. i want higher compression but im not sure what i should be looking for. can anyone help?

[turtlecrxsi]

You can use p29 pistons out of an 89 integra and it'll bump the compression up to like 11.0:1. I had a set up like this and although whoever built the motor must have sprayed or something because it used a lot of oil, the car was seriously fast. I surprised a lot of people. My car looked like a rice machine with vinyl and lime green paint though... haha. Anyway, if you really want to stay sohc and don't want vtec or anything a fresh rebuild with ARP headstuds, 92-95 d16z6 metal head gasket (sold at any parts store for rebuilds for our cars), and various other OEM goodies with those p29 pistons will really make your car perform. But you may want to have someone tune your ecu. And whatever you do don't advance your cam timing too far. Mine was at +2* for like a year and finally my engine detonated (running 93 octane) and it caught on fire. It was good lesson for me though because it began the de-ricing process.

Other stuff you can look into... Unorthodox Racing Pulleys, aftermarket cam, cam gear, Exedy clutch, ACT lightweight aluminum or cromoly flywheel, etc.

GL

[thedeadcivic]

sorry for the noob questions but if i put the p29 pistons in my engine, would i HAVE to change anything else to get it to run (other than using higher octane and a new head gasket? will i need to change my cam timing? ALSO, im not sure what a headstud is used for. can you explain?

[bambam89lx]

Originally Posted by thedeadcivic

sorry for the noob questions but if i put the p29 pistons in my engine, would i HAVE to change anything else to get it to run (other than using higher octane and a new head gasket? will i need to change my cam timing? ALSO, im not sure what a headstud is used for. can you explain?

Yes, your ignition timing maps will need to be adjusted. You should use some sort of tuning software to adjust this.

[thedeadcivic]

You should use some sort of tuning software to adjust this.

whaa?
what kind of tuning software? am i able to do this myself?
if i can... how am i supposed to go about this?

[bambam89lx]

Originally Posted by thedeadcivic

whaa?
what kind of tuning software? am i able to do this myself?
if i can... how am i supposed to go about this?

Notice I used the word "should". Should in this sentence has a meaning of "intelligent honda owner". I myself, am one of those few. Alot of people will tell you that you don't need to. I, being educated in physics and automotive engineering and well versed in automotive theory, will tell you the opposite.
You can download the software from PGMFI.org. It's a great website to learn about honda ecu's and tuning. A few weeks on there and you'll be good. The software is free too.

[Tony]

I agree with Bambam, you need to have it tuned if your gonna run p29s, and it wouldn't hurt to upgrade the cams either, but I don't know much about building up the A6. Ive done A Lot of reading on building a 12.5:1 d16z6/y8 though. It mainly comes down to the fact you need to do your research before you just jump into something. Figure out how much your wanting out of the motor and what you need to do to get it.