Questions Answered By Honda Expert, Ryan Basseri Of Rywire * www.rywire.com
5-Lugger Chugger
What's going on guys? I've got something on the brain that I've been pondering for quite a while: I know that the CR-V is built on a civic chassis, and I've tried taking a gander at every '96-'01 CR-V that ever came into the auto center I was working at, but for legal reasons I can't start taking a customer's car apart for measurements (darn it). My question is whether or not it would be feasible to perform a 5-lug swap on my EJ8 with a 5-lug/rear-disc CR-V as the donor car. I know that a JDM CTR has 32mm axles for the front which is the USDM standard for B-series motors, whereas the JDM ITR has 36mm axles. Where does the CR-V stand, seeing as how the '96-'01 models are B20 equipped? As far as the rear is concerned, I'm curious as to whether or not I can maybe swap spindles and hubs (obviously not from an AWD model) between trailing arms? And as basic as I can put it: will the brakes fit??? The reason I'm wondering this is because, well let's face it, legit JDM CTR swaps are damn expensive and I don't want the hassle of opting for the cheaper ITR and having to get custom axles. Thanks a lot guys.
The Reinstein
In a perfect world it would be a plug and play affair, but in this case, it's not. Anything worth doing is worth doing right. If you really want a 5-lug, I would suggest getting the Japanese EK knuckles and trailing arms. This gives you the added bonus of the larger brakes and the peace of mind in having factory un-modified parts on the most important part of your car. Going other routes can cause issues and you can run the chance or spending a lot of money on unforeseen parts.
No Fire In The Hole
First off, I have to say I have been reading the magazine for years now and you featured my good friend Steve Soto's K20 Turbo EG back in April '08. The reason I'm writing this is I'm having a problem with my '96 Accord. For some reason, all of a sudden, it started misfiring on the #2 cylinder and only the #2 cylinder right after I changed my plugs. But here's the thing: It only misfires between 2,000 and 3,000 RPM in any gear. It only happens when I baby the throttle, and only in drive, not neutral or park. When it starts to "sputter" or misfire, if I press the throttle a little more, it stops until I let off. I checked my gaps, made sure my wires were all snug and tight. Nothing changed. I have changed my plugs and wires 3 times, thinking maybe I got a bad set, but I even upgraded to bigger wires, changed my fuel injectors, distributor cap, and have done a compression check with #1-165 #2-165#3-170 #4-170. Could it be my ECU? Or is there something more that I'm missing? Please help, it's driving me insane! Thank you for the input and keep up the good work!
Mike S - Jacksonville, FL
Mike, one thing that comes to mind is the distributor. I know you changed the cap, but what about the rotor? Another is the wiring harness. Check that you have 12v power on the yellow/black wire and make sure the red ground trigger wire for the ECU is not broken or brittle. Lastly, re-adjust your valves. They could be out of spec and causing the misfire.
Time To Rally The Troops
Hi, my name is Joel and I want to say that I enjoy reading Honda Tuning. I have a Honda of my own and I love it. Right now it's just stock. I haven't messed with anything yet but I want to start. I am driving a '99 Civic DX hatch. Lately I have been on the internet browsing through Subaru forums and watching videos of Brats, GL Wagons, Imprezas, and so forth taking it off road. The first time I went mudding with a friend I knew I had to go again and do it myself. Could I enhance my Civic so I could take it on trails? Would I have to put in a new, more powerful engine? It's just the parts and setup that would be a challenge. I just don't know what to use. If you could help me out in any way, it would be great. Thanks!
Joel
The sky's the limit, Joel. I have seen some insane builds these days! The real weak part of using a civic for rally is the fact that it is front wheel drive. The Subaru is so successful because it is all wheel drive and makes a ton of power! So in this case I would sit down and decide if you have the space, funds, and desire to make your civic really off-road ready. If you decide to do it, use a beefy rear drive train, and add a turbo or supercharged engine setup to give your car the power needed to compete with the regulars. Another option is simply selling the Civic and picking up a car better suited for rally racing.