ESR—10 years strong!

I’m doing a B16 swap in a CRX and my side engine mount doesn’t fit with my mount kit! I have a cable Integra transmission, and I have the rear mount bracket from an Integra. What’s going on here?

Its been a few issues since Ive had a chance to update any progress on the 2007 Si project, but don't think I haven't still been tinkering with it. I found a little time to add a few bits and pieces from the likes of Hybrid and Vibrant once again, as well as Pioneer. Beyond that, Ive taken the plunge and started ordering various hard parts to improve the grunt under the hood, while still remaining naturally aspirated, but that's something Ill dig into further down the road, as parts begin to arrive.

Going With the Flow

The grunts and collective groans from Honda loyalists haven’t quieted one bit since the introduction of Honda’s CR-Z hybrid last year. Power starved and all but cursed with an aggressive look that, no matter how you chop it up, harkens back to much more exciting times. A time that included the release of the beloved CRX, a car that would change a soon to be overpopulated hot hatch landscape. But why live in the past, reliving glory days while comparing them to rather dreary current times? It’s because looking toward the past can actually produce some answers for today’s most nagging issues.

I’m new to the Honda motor swap scene. I have a question along with some specs of my Honda. It’s a 1993 Civic Si with a B18C equipped with an S80/LSD tranny. My question is could a non-functional speed sensor cause the ECU to go into limp mode? It’s a BC-tuned P28 ECU. The distributor is already an OBD1; all the sensors I’ve checked are intact. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Jess Camacho

Brainiacs

Get dialed!

One of the most important factors of a purpose-built drag car is the transmission. As we already know, the tranny is essential to transferring all of that well-earned power under the hood to the drive wheels. Often drunk with power, many leave the transmission as an afterthought. Due to the fact that Honda transmissions were simply never designed to take the extreme, constant abuse of drag racing, the incredible stress can cause significant damage to vital components. The novice crowd oftentimes invests all of their money into the motor build and very little into the transmission. They may feel that driving a Honda down the strip for short bursts will do little damage to their stock gearboxes but that certainly is not the case. The reality of the situation is that the strengthening of a transmission should never be overlooked. Honda transmissions were built with durability and, most importantly, reliability in mind, but that only applies to “normal,” long-term driving. Banging gears while blasting down the 1320 repeatedly with monster power under the hood can yield a very short-lived transmission.

Wings, spoilers, bird killers, park benches—you can joke and call them whatever you want to, but competitive track car builders consider them essential. When done correctly, they help cars turn faster lap times. Yes, even when mounted to the rear of a front-engine, front-wheel-drive (FF) Honda.

Doug MacMillan is the cofounder (with Derek Stevens) of Hondata, located in Torrance, California. Born in New Zealand and raised on a farm, if he wanted to drive a vehicle he usually had to fix it first. He holds an honor’s degree in physics and multiple world land speed records. In 2007, he piloted Hondata’s twin supercharged Acura RSX to a top speed of 234 mph and in 2009, won the SCTA points championship—proof indeed that Kiwis can fly.

Flagship Status

I see all these drag cars pushing over 1,000 whp in your magazine the past couple years and was wondering how they are making so much power on such small engines. I remember back in the day, it was insane to see anything over 600 whp! What changed?
Brian

Up to this point, the ’07 Si sedan has seen basic bolt-ons that included a few different header options, a set of mild cams, dyno tuning, suspension, drivability upgrades, and some custom one-off pieces under the hood. What I haven’t touched on yet are any appearance upgrades. It being a street car and daily driver, I wasn’t looking for any wild aero or graphics schemes, but rather subtle changes that would enhance the factory lines which I’ve actually come to really appreciate.

It’s all around us; from the cars we drive, to the offices we’re slave to, even in the homes we live in. Polyurethane is, in one form or another, heavily used in our day-to-day lives. Refrigerators, footwear, even protective coatings make use of the complex polymer. The use of polyurethane dates all the way back to the 1940s, and Energy Suspension of San Clemente, California, has spent the last 25 years at the forefront of performance automotive applications. Its Hyper-Flex Master kits are made of multiple high-quality polyurethane bushings that serve as direct replacements for the factory rubber bushings, and offer crisp, superior handling and improved steering response. Because every vehicle is different, Energy Suspension researches each application individually en route to selecting the proper durometer for maximum performance.

Mount up!

I have a ’94 Accord and want to build or get a new engine for it. What do you recommend? I have a $5K limit and I want more power.
Jabalie Altes

After the first round of bolt-ons, I had a few more parts on hand that I wanted to test for both power output and drivability. Somewhere between all of the parts starting to arrive and working out some sort of schedule to get everything installed, I spoke with Jeremy Lookofsky of Drag Cartel about cam options. Everyone should be familiar with the name, as Lookofsky is an industry giant, a living legend, and well-versed in all things race-related. However, he also has a good understanding of real-world daily drivers, and that’s where DC’s Drop-In-Cams come into play. The cams are unique in that they don’t require the use of aftermarket valvesprings or retainers. They simply “drop in” and you’re ready to hit the dyno. It’s a very smart move by DC, especially at a time when enthusiasts are looking for ways to increase power but aren’t in the financial position to purchase all of the extras required to run a big set of cams.

Pump pump!!

Due to the stock battery standing directly in the path of a long tube, cold-air intake, most systems use a 90-degree bend right off of the throttle body to snake behind the battery and to the bottom of the driver’s side headlight. Relocating the battery seemed like the best way to get the straightest route possible, while eliminating some bends. I contacted Dana Czech of ASC - Speed Metal and explained the situation. He was, as usual, way ahead of me as ASC had already designed a cold-air intake for another customer’s Si coupe a few months prior. ASC designed a custom battery cage that fits the OEM Civic battery, but drops it down to the lower core support, next to the frame rail. This gives you plenty of clearance for basically whatever size piping you can fit through the hole that resides right behind the driver’s side headlight. For my setup, I chose 3-inch piping and contacted Gil Salazar of Circuit Hero for one of his slick, billet-aluminum velocity stacks. Gil suggested I use a Blox Racing 6-inch-diameter air filter with his stack, as it matches up perfectly. Blox offers a number of filters for various applications, including universal, like mine. Unlike the oil-caked filters of the past, Blox filters use a dry element, which means no oil will be sucked into the intake, and maintenance is a breeze.

Sportcar Motion

In The Clutch!

In the ’90s, just prior to the release of the OBD2 system that would eventually become a strict industry requirement, enthusiasts were downright scared. This new, unknown, unconquered system would surely mean the end to any and all thoughts of modifications as “Big Brother” would be keeping tabs on every single move we made. With it being far too risky to chance being fined or possibly worse, many chose to shy away from the very thought of purchasing or modifying an OBD2-epuipped vehicle. However, after the first wave of builders began digging into the new-age ECUs, most of the rumors were quickly crushed.

I’m working on my K24A4 swap that you wrote an article on (Budget K Swap) using the Accord transmission. I want to use K-Pro because I am going turbo. When I asked Hondata, they said, “You need to use a ’02–’04 RSX engine harness and ’02–’04 RSX transmission. The speed sensor will not work properly from other transmissions.”

In the last installment of the AP1 build (Dec/Jan 2012 issue), I highlighted some of the parts that would make their way to the roadster’s body after a fresh coat of Spa Yellow paint. Downforce fenders, a new OEM AP2 front bumper, and JDP Engineering front lip would need to be prepped and painted, while Downforce carbon-fiber side diffusers and a new wheel and tire package waited patiently for the S to come home. Test fitting the Downforce fenders before they went to paint was a major relief as they proved to line up extremely well, and there was no drilling or shaving necessary to get them to fit properly. Somewhere between the body shop and my garage, I found some time to swing by ASC Speed Metal for a long-overdue seat modification and even found a few spare moments to ditch the factory airbox and old header. Check it out…