Hey Ed, for the most part, any quality name-brand coilover will be fine to use if you just plan on lowering the car and fine tuning the height to your needs. A lot of cars, including our own cars and magazine project cars, are running full-bodied coilovers. These use a threaded shock body that incorporates both the spring and shock into one unit. An aftermarket set of shocks is what you may want to consider if you do go with a sleeve type coilover like Ground Control. Using stock shocks with a sleeve puts excess stress on the shocks, and can prematurely wear them out.
I have '94 Civic 4door with a B18C5. I have everything I need to do the rear disc conversion, but I need the right E-brake cables. Can you point me in the right direction for the ones that will work with my car? A part number or source would be great. Thanks, and keep up the great work!
Larry from PA
I would recommend getting cables from a DC Integra 4 door. These should be a perfect fit for your set-up.
What's up, Honda Tuning? I have a '00 Civic Si with a stock B16A2. I plan on rebuilding it with Skunk2 Pro Series Pro 2+ Cams and Cam Gears with Skunk2 valves, valve springs, and retainers. I also wanted to throw in a set of .25mm-oversized CTR pistons. I wanted to get the block machined and the head opened up a bit-nothing too crazy. I want to build something that can be strong, reliable, and with a little bit more power. My question is: How much more power? I'm thinking more or less around the 200hp range. And how will the Pro 2+ Cams work with this setup? Are they too aggressive for a daily driver? Also, I can't decide on what size throttle body would work best. Hey, any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, great magazine...it's the only one that I sit in anticipation for. Keep up the good work! Thanks a lot.
David, Pittsburgh, PA
David, the Si's B16A2 puts down roughly1 60 hp from the factory. Generating another 40 hp without upping displacement will be challenging, and it won't be cheap, but it's doable. Fortunately, you're on the right track...sort of. Although the CTR pistons will increase your engine's static compression ratio, their oversized domes can disturb the flame front. Unless there's something wrong with your existing pistons, save your money, leave the bottom end alone, and focus on the cylinder head. There's power to be found by porting the B16A's top end and un-shrouding the valves within its combustion chambers. And that extra compression you were looking for with those CTR pistons can be found by adding a set of Skunk2 High-Compression Valves and/or milling the head, depending on just how high you want to go. The High-Compression Valves bump compression by roughly 0.3:1, and without altering piston-to-valve and valve-to-valve clearance. With the valves installed you can measure the combustion chambers' volume and figure out how much (if any) you need to mill from the head. As for cams, Skunk2's Pro Series Pro 2+ Cams are perfect for high-compression, daily drivers, but you will need an upgraded valvetrain and a tuning solution, as the modified primary lobes will require fuel adjustments to retain a stock-like idle. Of course, don't forget to degree the camshafts for optimum power and to bolt on a pair of Skunk2 Cam Gears so that you can fine-tune your setup based on your preexisting and future modifications. Pair all of this with a Skunk2 Pro Series 68mm throttle body; tuning time on the dyno; more fuel; a quality header, intake manifold, and exhaust system; and you're well on your way to 200-plus hp. - Skunk2 Team