ehem...... sry, away for a few days...........
D-IV:
Planning to do whole overhaul......
Izzit the same as rebuilding the engine? im not so sure about the difference between this 2 terms, but i think rebuild requires more work n more stuffs to be changed, rite?
JIN:
able to pinjam this pic from another site... the one i saw is sumthing like this....
http://is.rely.net/1-2664-57017-l-nECEQgBHjR6onJMz1caJ2Q.jpg
arrowhead:
haha...... honda parts ma...... sure koyak la.....
... other than the halfcut and bushing, is there any other stuff in ur car that made ur wallet koyak b4 this?
Shiro:
i think i will stick to ori bushes since it is more comfy than PU ones...
and also i dowan to end up in the longkang due to distraction.... haha... jkjk....
I think my ori engine code should be D16A6.... looks totally the same with mine, but dunno y the code printed on the front panel is "ME316".. really confused.... bolehland version i think....
BTW, found a good article on engine rebuilding.... i pasted the useful section of the article below...... got some nice info from there, but dunno can really be implemented here or not.... coz ive asked my mech bout replacing to better valve guides (as discussed in the article), but he seems to have no idea of wat im talking about....-.-"....
Of all the mods below, which one can be done to increase power/ efficiency but without sacrificing too much drivability and FC?
STEP 3: MAKE SOME CHOICES AND GET STARTED
Now’s the time to decide what you’re going to replace and what you’re not, and what you’re building your motor for. I’m going to separate the main matrix into two sections…. Forced Induction and Normally Aspirated. The general rule of thumb is that with N/A you want to run as high compression as you can without detonation and with F/I you want to run lower compression (the higher your boost levels the lower your compression should be). Let’s go into some detail.
Naturally Aspirated:
So you have chosen to stay with Naturally Aspirated. The first thing to understand is that it takes more to make power with an N/A setup than with a FI setup. It’s a whole different ball game. But it’s very reliable if done right and can be very rewarding. The good thing about building an NA setup is that it usually takes less money to build (total) than a turbo setup and it’s more of a “build and go” operation. Turbo requires a lot of tuning and maintenance. Let’s go over the components of building a N/A monster.
Block
The first thing that needs to be considered in the rebuild of the motor is the block. Obviously if you threw a rod through the block, you’ll need a new one. I recommend finding a used one in decent condition if this is the case or maybe a motor swap would be a better option for you. However, most of the time the block just needs some simple work to get it in “like new” condition again. These include:
• Clean: This is the process of “steaming” or “hot tanking” the block clean. Most shops charge about $50 to do this.
• Re-tap: This is the process of re-tapping all of the threads in your block to make sure they are clean. The most important being the head bolt threads.
• Deck: This is the process of machining the “deck” or surface of the block enough to give a fresh unscathed surface for the head to seal against. They usually remove under .0005”. This usually costs anywhere from $50-$100, but usually not more.
• Bore/Hone: When an engine is rebuilt, the cylinders usually need attention. Wear tends to create taper in the upper part of the cylinder that can reduce ring sealing and increase blow-by and oil consumption if not removed. The cylinder may also be out of round, scored or have other damage that requires correcting before a new set of rings will seal properly. The main objective when refinishing the cylinders is to make the walls as straight as possible, the bores as round as possible, and provide the right amount of crosshatch for good oil retention and ring support, and produce a surface finish that meets the requirements of the rings. If your cylinders are in good condition, all you will need is a hone job to give a fresh surface for the new piston rings. But if the cylinders are damaged, you will need to bore and hone the cylinders. Boring simply makes the cylinders larger or “oversized”. You need to decide on what size bore pistons you are going to use before you do this because the machine shop will need the pistons during the boring process to provide proper clearances.
• Ridge Ream: This is done after the bore hone process to remove any ledge or “ridge” at the top of the cylinder.
I recommend letting a competent machine shop take care of the actual block machining. They have the tools and expertise to get the job done right. Make sure the shop you take it to has experience with Honda motors. You don’t want them giving you domestic V8 Clearances now do you?
Pistons
As far as pistons are concerned, if your cylinders are in good condition, you can run either a stock bore or a larger bore piston. Stock bore for most Honda motors is 81mm. The next size up is 25 over or 81.25mm. If your sleeves are damaged, you will need to run a large enough bore to get rid of the damaged surface. There are some other options as far as bore size is concerned. There are “overbore” sleeves such as NuFormz or Darton, and then entire sleeve replacement kits such as the Golden Eagle sleeves. These are usually made of a ductile iron and are very strong, even with very large bore sizes such as 84mm. The sleeve kits are priced around $750 installed, but are great for high boost applications. But back to pistons, once you’ve decided on a bore size, choosing the type of piston is the next step. Compression is the first thing you want to figure out. What to run? The higher the compression ratio the more power you are going to make. But there are limitations to this rule. Where you live may be a driving factor in this decision. For example, here in Oregon the highest octane level available is 92. In California the highest is 91. But on some of the mid to eastern states they have 94. What does this have to do with compression ratio? Well, the higher your compression ratio the hotter the combustion temperatures get. If you run too low of an octane with too high of compression, severe detonation can be the result. So how high is too high. This is my general rule of “safety” for daily driven street vehicles.
Max. CR Fuel Octane
10.8:1 91
11.2:1 92
11.6:1 93
12.0:1 94+
You can run slightly higher compression than listed above, but you may suffer some mild detonation in higher temperatures. The CR’s listed above are totally safe. Under no circumstances would I ever recommend running over 12:1 compression for a street vehicle.
For pretty much all compression ratios the stock cast pistons should suffice. The benefit to stock pistons is the extremely quiet operation. The drawbacks are that they cannot handle the higher cylinder temperatures and that sometimes they cannot achieve the exact CR you desire. This is where forged pistons come into play. Forged pistons are usually more expensive and depending on the silicon content, can be noisy. You’ll hear the “piston slap”, at least when it’s cold. It may quiet as it warms up. This is caused by the larger clearances the forged pistons need. Toda, JUN, Arias, JE, and Wiseco are all forged pistons that come highly recommended. Something else forged pistons bring to the table besides the added reliability is that you can custom pick your bore size and compression ratio. They have a very wide selection and can give you a set of pistons that best fit your application. Use the following calculator to help you figure out what compression you will be running with different pistons/ bore sizes….
http://www.c-speedracing.com/howto/compcalc/compcalc.html
Once you decided on pistons, it’s a good idea to think about rings as well. You can’t go wrong with OEM Honda rings, but if you get some forged pistons, use the file fit rings that came with them. I do not recommend running Total Seal or any other “special” rings. If you do your research, you’ll find that most of these rings do not work as well as stock. You MUST get the same bore size ring as your piston bore. If you are using stock bore (81mm), you’ll need 81mm bore rings and so on and so forth.
Connecting Rods
Now let’s choose some rods. Essentially you have three choices consisting of stock, billet, or forged rods. What’s the difference you ask? Well, here you go.
Stock Rods:
Most all Honda and Acura rods are cast in a mold. The casting process leaves the rods with very small air pockets basically making the metal “porous”. This process also leaves “stress risers” (sharp edges) on many edges of the rod making it a weak point. But for most all-motor applications, the stock rods will be fine. Many people choose to shot peen them. This is the process of shooting small shot at the rods to get rid of any “sharp edges” or the “stress risers”. It doesn’t make the rods stronger, but it will make them less likely to break at the “stress risers” because the force on the rod is more evenly distributed. Shot peening usually costs about $150 for all four rods. A nice addition to the stock rods if you are using other than stock pistons is to add some full floating bushings. This allows the wrist pin to move or “spin” freely. If you use a free floating bushing you need to use a piston that uses retaining clips to hold the wrist pin in the piston. Full floating bushings are said to add near 5hp by making the engine more efficient. Another choice you have to make your rods stronger is to have ARP Rod Bolts fitted to the rods. These bolts are stronger and are good extra insurance for your rods. However, the bolts cost $40 and then it costs more to have them fitted. So in the end you may be at about the same price as getting some forged or billet rods.
Billet Rods:
Rods like Crower, and AEM are billet rods. These are rods that are CNC machined from one piece of steel. Not made from a mold like Cast. These are much stronger than stock rods, but not quite as strong as forged rods. Most billet rods have free-floating bushings on the wrist pin side. So same as adding bushings to the stock pistons, you will have to use a piston that utilizes retaining clips to hold the wrist pin in place. They usually come with ARP or equivalent rod bolts to match the strength of the rod. How strong are billet rods? Well, they say if you blow up your motor or detonate severely, your rods would most likely survive, even if they come out the side of your block. ::shudder:: That’s a scary thought.
Forged Rods:
Forged rods like Eagle, Cunningham, and Oliver are made from one piece of metal just like billet, but they are pressed with extreme pressure (near 2000 tons) into a mold that shapes the metal. Some clean up CNC machining and polishing may follow. The forging process significantly enhances grain flow and increases grain density, compared to rods simply cut out of flat stock. Forging also forces the straight-line grain of the extrusion into the connecting rod shape. The grain is forced to flow into the tapered contour of the rod's beam and around the crankshaft rod bearing hole, creating a "hoop stress" phenomenon that provides maximum strength for the limited cross-section available at the rod's big end. This is by far the strongest rod of the bunch and “usually” the most expensive. Most forged rods have full floating bushings as well as strong rod bolts such as ARP.
Crankshaft
For a daily driven car the stock Honda crankshaft is more than adequate. They are plenty strong for boost or all motor. But you need to have the crankshaft spec’d for tolerances/wear. After all, if your motor had a spun bearing, what kind of damage did it do to the crank? In some cases they can machine the damage out, but if they have to take too much material off of the journals you will no longer have a nitrated surface. This is bad because the crankshaft will be soft. In that particular case, a new crankshaft is needed. If the original crankshaft is in decent condition, it’s a good idea to have the journals micro-polished.
Knife edging the crankshaft is the process of grinding down the crankshaft counterweights into a “knife like” shape. This is done to reduce rotational mass of the engine and therefore increase hp by increasing efficiency. However, this is something I only recommend for a RACE ONLY engine. The countershaft weights are there to keep the crankshaft stable at higher rpms to ensure long bearing life.
Additional Bottom End Work
Once you have all of your parts ready to go, there’s a bit more you should consider. If you are running nothing but stock components, rebuilding the motor the exact same as it came from the factory, you may want to consider having it Blueprinted.
• Blueprinting: This is the process of machining/assembling the engines EXACTLY to the manufacturers design specifications. During mass production there is a range of acceptable deviation of “flaw” from the original design. By manufacturing the block to exact specifications the engine will be more efficient and therefore have more power.
If you are putting any after market or “non-factory” equipment into the block it is not possible to blueprint the engine, but you can have it balanced.
• Balance Entire Rotating Assembly: This is the process where the machine shop “balances the engine” by making all of the different engine components of each cylinder weigh the same by grinding or drilling material off of each component. Therefore making each of the pistons weigh the same, each of the rods will weigh the same, etc. The machine shop will need everything that hangs on the crankshaft: Crankshaft, rods, pistons, wrist pins, flywheel, clutch, crank pulley, and obviously the block and main caps. This is also known as dynamically balancing. This is a procedure that will extend the life of your engine, allowing smoother operation, increased horsepower, and improved gas mileage in any stock or race engine.
Before assembling the block, you’ll need new bearings. In order to determine required bearing sizes, you’ll need to mic the crankshaft, rods, and block for tolerances.
• “Micing” the block is simply using a digital micrometer and calipers to measure the diameter of the journals and the diameter of the block journals/caps and establishing the difference between the two. This will allow you to purchase the right size bearings for your block.
Once you have the correct bearings and such, the last step in completing the block is to assemble and perform a final clearance check. This is essentially everything that is required to assemble the bottom end.
• Connect pistons to rods by pressing the wrist pins through the piston and rod. They have a special tool that heats the rod enough to allow the wrist pin to press easily into place. I recommend having a machine shop perform this task unless you have after market pistons and rods. The types that have free-floating rod bushings and require retaining clips to hold the wrist pin into the piston.
• Install bearings into proper block/rod positions making sure they are clean and well lubricated
• Install crankshaft and main caps/bolts.
• Install piston rings into pistons making sure the ring gaps are in proper orientation and not in any thrust angle.
• Install piston/rod assembly from the top of the block utilizing a piston ring compressor and a liberal amount of oil and then installing the rod caps/bolts.
• Torque everything to manufacturers specifications.
Again, I can’t stress enough that if you are uncomfortable in performing any of the above tasks even when using the factory service manual, you should have a machine shop do the work.
Headwork
Once you have all of your block parts, now it’s time to start thinking about what you are going to do to the head. It’s not uncommon for someone to rebuild the bottom end and not touch the top end, but it’s not something I recommend. It’s nice to start out with a motor that you know is fresh, top and bottom end. To have a head reworked to new stock condition by a competent machine shop will cost about $500. These are the things that should be done at bare minimum:
• Disassemble and clean head. Usually chemically dipped.
• Resurface the head to ensure a good seal with the head gasket/block.
• Inspect valves for stretching, pitting, or cracking and replace if necessary.
• Reseat the valves with a multi-angle radius valve job.
• Inspect valve guides for wear, and if worn past or near factory specs replace as necessary.
• Replace valve seals.
• Reassemble head and inspect/check clearances
There are many things you can do to up the performance at this point. Here are a few of the more common performance modifications:
• Port and Polish: This is done to increase flow through the head, which in turn increases horsepower.
• Mill the Head: This is basically the same as resurfacing the head only more material is taken off (up to .0040”) to up the compression ratio by reducing the area in the quench area.
• Deshroud and polish combustion chamber: This allows for better flow and more complete combustion/mixture of air and fuel.
• Oversized valves: Bigger valves can give better flow as well as better mixture properties.
• Bronze valve guides: Bronze is an excellent bearing material that provides good lubricity and reduces the risk of galling and seizure of the valve stems.
• Stiffer valve springs: These are used to eliminate valve float with higher lift/duration performance cams.
• Titanium retainers: A lighter valve train means less parasitic power loss. Titanium retainers weigh nearly half as much as stock retainers and are stronger to boot.
With all of this said, I cannot stress enough that the head performance modifications such as porting and polishing should be left to the professionals such as Portflow, PYR, etc. It takes the right equipment and experience to properly build a performance head. While anyone can buy a porting kit and make a head “look” good, due to the complex nature of flow routing, it’s much easier to ruin a cylinder head than it is to improve its performance, if the modifications aren’t properly designed and executed. Performance headwork can cost anywhere from $650-$2000 depending on what you have done and where you have the work done. Average cost of headwork is $1000 and usually lead-time is anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 weeks.
Cams
Cams are more of an “upgrade” rather than a necessity for a rebuild. But I thought I would discuss them anyway because most people are curious about them. Cams make power by changing two things… lift and duration of the cam lobes. What do these do?
Duration: Duration refers to how long a valve is opened in relation to crankshaft rotation. This open valve time period is expressed in degrees of crankshaft rotation. So, a cam specification of 220 degrees duration simply means the cam holds the valve open for 220 degrees of crankshaft rotation. As strange as this may sounds, more duration can be helpful in high RPM engines but not low RPM engines. The extra degrees of open valve time in high RPM engines gives the air flow a little more time to get into (or out of) the cylinder in spite of the piston's stroke. However, at lower RPMs, more duration can cause less power because the valves will be open at the wrong time in relation to the piston's stroke up or down in the cylinder.
Lift: While duration refers to how long the valve is opened, cam lift is used to determine how wide the valve is opened. If the valves are not opened wide enough, they will cause a restriction for the air trying to enter or exit the cylinder. However, opening the valve past a certain point will not increase the flow to (or from) the cylinder. A good way to demonstrate this is with the garden hose in your back yard. When you first start to turn the water on, the flow increases but after a turn or so, opening the valve more has no effect on how fast the water comes out of the hose. It is necessary to understand a large amount of science to understand how the flow is related to how wide the valve is opened and how this affects the engine's power.
There are two basic types of performance cams. There are billet cams and then there are regrinds.
Regrinds:
Regrinds are exactly that, which is the process of taking your stock cam and regrinding it to a more aggressive profile. A lot of people don’t like regrinds because grinding on the cam is said to weaken it and in some cases they chip or break and damage the cylinder head or other components. I personally have installed a few reground cams in customer’s cars and have had no problems. But it’s a possibility and it’s always best to be informed on what “could” happen. Many companies do cam regrinding. Web Cam, JG, and Gude are a few of the more reputable cam regrinders. To have cams reground usually costs between $200-$300 and can take 1-2 weeks.
Billet Cams:
These are stock cam replacements. One of the benefits to billet cams is that they are stronger. The stock Honda cams are billet, so essentially you’re getting near Honda quality. The other big benefit to billet cams is that you have no down time waiting for your cams to be reground. That and you can always put your stock cams back in if ever needed. Toda, JUN, Spoon, Skunk2, Crower, Crane, and Honda are a few of the major performance billet cam manufacturers. Depending on the cams, billet cams cost anywhere from $300 to $1100 for a set (intake and exhaust).
With some performance cams stiffer valve springs are necessary to prevent valve float or coil bind. I always recommend running the valve springs that the manufacturer recommends. Usually they will be the same brand as the cams you purchase. Toda cams, Toda valve springs…. etc. Stiffer valve springs can cause some parasitic power loss because it takes more effort for the engine to push the valves down, but it’s not much and worth not floating a valve which can cost thousands of dollars to repair.
Depending on what motor you are running and how much you have to spend will determine what cams you should run. But understand that in N/A motors, cams are a MAJOR contributor to how much power you’ll end up making in the end. And with cams you will need some good adjustable cam gears and some dyno time to properly tune them.
