A Case For The Third-Gens
Hi there, Honda Tuning. I'm writing because I'm a member of www.preludepower.com and there has been a petition on there for you guys to do an article on third-gens. When I first heard about this I thought the article would bring attention to our cars and their cult following, which I thought was great. You know, to cover old Preludes and to kind of give a tribute to the older Hondas people seem to take care of like older muscle cars. It turns out, however, that this was just an attempt for some people to try to get you guys to feature one of their cars. Your most recent issue, which I just picked up and was very, very pleased with, has two submissions in the Exhaust Notes section asking why Honda Tuning doesn't feature different cars. The explanation you gave should be sent to the guys on www.preludepower.com, because people there don't seem to understand why you haven't featured a third-gen yet. It seems like everyone who is posting on that petition saying things like, "Oh, my car will be painted and ready in a week, blah, blah, blah," has a car that you could barely tell apart from a stock one and doesn't realize their car might not be magazine worthy. You have to go all out in every category to make it in a magazine. You can't just have an engine swap, wheels, and a lip. I'm just tired of reading this stuff I guess. Thanks for your time and keep up the good work. Oh yeah, I love the advice section from the professional photographer.
-Ian Olsen, Roseville, MI
Lashing Out
First off, I love the magazine. I'm in the middle of an LS-VTEC build and I've got a set of Civic Type R camshafts to put in my GS-R head. What should the clearance for the valve lash be set to? Thanks for the help.
-Rodney Stewart, whereabouts unknown
The valve lash and adjusting procedures are the same for all B-series VTEC engines, including the B18C and B16B Type R ones. Honda specifies clearances to be between .006-.007 inches on the intake side and .007-.008 inches on the exhaust side. Do what they say, no tighter, no looser. Improper adjustments can cause a number of problems including lean conditions, uneven compression, and burnt valves. First-time valve adjusters often have trouble knowing what the feeler gauge should "feel" like as it's being slid in between the rocker arm and camshaft lobe. Here's a trick to help you get it down: Find yourself a good micrometer and set it to pretty much any value, but let's do .007 inches just for the heck of it. Slide a .007-inch feeler gauge through the micrometer, carefully paying attention to the amount of friction and effort required to pass it through. This is exactly how it should feel when measuring the valve lash. Be sure to recheck your clearance after the adjusting nut is tightened as it can change.
Auto VS. Stick
I have a '95 Accord with an H22A engine swap. I've had if for about three years now, and last year I upgraded to a JDM LSD automatic transmission. The engine is fully built with rods, sleeves, and pistons, and I'm currently pushing only 10 psi since I'm not sure if it's going to hold. My goal is to keep it an automatic since there aren't too many of them out there. There's nothing better than when I go to the track and people are amazed that it's an auto and how fast it goes. I smoke five-speeds every time. Can the JDM tranny hold power or what should I do to make it stronger? Would it be cheaper to just put a five-speed tranny in it? I have another project and I've already spent a lot of money on my Accord. The rest is going toward my '05 Infiniti G35 coupe. My goal is to make it in Honda Tuning.
-Candy Malave, whereabouts unknown