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building a powerful NA d16z6/y8

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Old 10-20-2005, 06:20 AM
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Default building a powerful NA d16z6/y8

I am throwing this post together to make is easier for people to get info about getting the most out of a D16 VTEC, NA, while keeping it completely streetable. I am approached every day by people who ask me about my setup, etc, and this will make things easier for sure!

The advantages of going NA with the D16 VTEC are that it is easy to work on, the majority of the OE parts can be had for less than their DOHC counterparts (since alot of these parts are laying around due to DOHC swaps) and it will get you moderate power for moderate price.

This chart is one that i compiled previously to compare swapping vs. building an NA D16 VTEC. The one thing you need to keep in mind is- if you need more than 160whp, either consider boosting or swapping, because even tho the D is a value, it has a low NA power ceiling vs. the DOHC.

stock b18c5 - 161-165 whp, 109-113 wtq, cost 5K
stock b18c1 - 140-144 whp, 103-107 wtq, cost 4K
stock b16a2 - 132-135 whp, 94 - 98 wtq, cost 3K
stock b18bX - 121-125 whp, 108-112 wtq, cost 2K
stock d16vtec - 105-110 whp, 97- 101 wtq, cost <1K
built d16vtec - 150-160 whp, 114-120 wtq, cost 3K (90% OEM parts)

You obviously need alot of compression, tuning and a severely modified intake and exhaust configuration. I will go over the combinations that i like.

bottom end

If you live in an area where 93/94 octane gas is not available, your best bet is to try to keep your compression below 12:1, in fact between to 11.5-11:1 would be ideal. The piston i prefer for all setups is the p29 from 88-89 Integra d16a1. This piston is also found under the pm7 designation in the Japanese DOHC ZC. The reason i like it is because i know it works for all setups; there are no valve relief issues re: big cams, head configuration, etc. The catch with this piston is it has a lot of dome, so you will need to tailor your compression ratio by using assorted headgasket thicknesses. This selection depends on some things-

1. Fuel quality/availability

2. Head; the z6 head combustion chamber is larger than the y8 head, enough that, all else equal, the y8 head can raise the compression ratio approximately 1/2 point vs. a z6 head.

These suggestions are assuming you have close to a stock surface level head…meaning unmilled or no more than .010 milled. If you have more than that milled, you need to adjust the headgasket choice accordingly using one of the reliable d-series compression calculators available. The headgaskets I suggest are OE Honda metal 3-layer, A’pexi 1.1mm (.043”) PN 814-h101, A’pexi 1.5mm (.059”) PN 814-h102, or Greddy 2mm (.079”)

Some baseline configurations…(ratios are approximate static compression, assuming stock bore and unmilled head)

- y8 head w/ 91 octane – 2mm HG – 11.2:1 CR
- y8 head w/ 93-94 oct – 1.5mm HG – 11:8 CR
- z6 head w/ 91 octane – 1.5mm HG – 11.3:1 CR
- z6 head w/ 93-94 oct - .037 OE HG – 12:1 CR

Please note: some of the 93/94 setups have more room for compression, so another .010 off of the head through milling would be ideal. Typically, a .5 overbore will add approx. 1/10 a point of compression. My ideal bottom end for this setup is composed of all stock components. The stock rods are capable and rather lightweight pieces which should be at minimum shot-peened, a process that is cheap and adds strength. I would even feel safe at 200whp if these rods were shot-peened and cryogenically treated, which is a deep-freezing process that even strengthens them further. A popular upgrade is installing ARP rod bolts. This stems from the fact that a high-compression D with a big cam needs some more revs than stock, and with a 90mm stroke, the stresses on the rod bolts are incredible. I recommend all new bearings, Honda OE pieces, color/ number matched to the crank and at minimum plastigauged. Cylinder treatment is up to you- I personally like to over-bore to 75.5mm…any added displacement helps a 1.6L. Nippon Manufacturing offers 76mm cast p29 pistons, however, I do not agree with going that big overbore. I believe there is a reason Honda offers a max .5mm overbore, and that is with a stock engine! At any rate, over-bore is not necessary: 75mm is more readily available used and boring cost additional dollars. Honda recommends that if there are no score marks and cross-hatch is visible, do not hone, however, I recommend to at the least check cylinders for ovalling and hone per Honda’s bore/hone specs. Honda OE rings are wonderful. Stock wrist pins are fine, but I suggest using new ones. Make sure that the piston tops are smooth: the better the polished surface, the less chance for detonation. Balance the entire bottom end to 10,000 rpm. I feel compelled to mention that there has been talk about the y8 oil pumps being inferior re: oil supply vs. z6. I have used y8 oil pump with not one issue of such starvation, however, if you prefer, manufacturer TOGA offers a higher volume oil pump for this application.

head

People bicker about which head is supreme and for good reason. The z6 head has ideal ports for better flow and the y8 head has a better and smaller combustion chamber, which resists detonation. I used to suggest using the head that is easiest to adapt to your chassis, but i no longer feel that way. This originated in the fact that the engine harness plugs for an obd1 z6 distributor will not work with the y8 distributor, and vice versa...and, you can't use the z6 dizzy on the y8 head because the arms will not line up. I feel that the best bet is to use the z6 head. If your are putting this in an obd2 car, then take the insides out of the y7/y8 distributor and put them in a z6 distributor so the arms can line up to the head. I feel it's worth it. A z6 head has straight ports called tumble ports and a y8 head has off-set ports called swirl ports. Without getting too crazy describing them, the tumble ports can promote the best top end and the swirl port can offer somewhat better low rpm torque and better mixture and MPG with the right tune. But the bottom line is the ports are offset with the y8 head and that will limit your top end power making capability. It's not to say that you can't make power with a y8 head, you can, but it's just not going to be able to go where the z6 head can as far as high-end power, flow and rpm. Granted, the y8 chamber offers better resistance to detonation due to it having more quench area; part of the reason they made the CC smaller was to fit these areas. Make sure that all edges of the CC are smooth to prevent hot spots. Another performance difference is the ports.A requirement for high-horsepower NA is porting. You NEED to have a properly ported head to eclipse 150 whp. Even a mild-port job will suffice, however, the more extravagant the porting, the more power potential. The cam to use is the Crower Stage 3 cam, hands down. Regrinds are limited (amongst other things) and other fresh billet cams are just not optimized the way the Crower profile is. It has the most advanced profile for these engines and offers the broadest power band. Again, this cam requires porting to be effective, and also you must install valve springs and Ti retainers, Crower. I use new stock keepers, however, you may feel inclined to use performance branded ones. Their Ti compound is very resistant to wear, it's called Ti-17 and is supposedly tougher than the stuff everyone else uses, 6AL4V. An adjustable cam gear might be necessary for tuning, though I find that Crower Cams do not need incredible adjustment. I ended up keeping mine at "0". Please note: there is a difference between z6 and y8 cam gears. The only cam gear I recommend is AEM. They have the difference between the keyways of the z6 and y8 nailed. Many manufacturers DO NOT! New OE timing belt is fine. OE valves are fine. A 3 angle valve job will assure consistent seat seal. I use OE Honda head bolts, however, they can only be used once so if you want to, ARP head studs are ideal for those of you who like to take the head on and off. Make sure to contact ARP for their recommendations on which combination or kit to get…block and head configurations cover a vast array of different ARP sets. I recommend using HYLOMAR spray gasket coating available through VALCO Cinicinnati. Torque the head as per stock specs or ARP specs, however, if you are using an extension, remember to compensate by adding 5 ft/lbs or so on the wrench!

bolt-ons

I recommend a smooth-tract tube cold-air intake of 3” diameter. It provides a nice torque hump at low rpm and also offers access to more dense air. An upgraded throttle body is optimum, 62-65mm are popular options. The intake manifold is very important. My favorite is the Skunk2 offering. It is cheap and works well and has a 62mm ID TB bore. There have been issues with quality control with the entire Skunk2 line, however, several Skunk2 intake manifolds (h22, b20, sohc) were manufactured in factories with good QC so the risks are low. I have had no issues with mine nor has AgentJam. Fitment is poor in an EG, and really tight in an EF (but doable). EK fitment is fine, however, some adjustment will have to be done to a few brackets on the firewall. If you have an EG, I might suggest the Edelbrock unit. It is expensive, but is superior to any OE manifold. I do not know about adapting a tube cold air to it, since that manifold has a unique angle for the throttle body. Port-matching is ideal for this manifold to your head, however, I did not see a need for it with my particular setup. Inspect yours to see if the path of runner-gasket-port is smooth.

Header choice is limited to one- SMSP. Contact member SMSP for price info, however, this header is not cheap. It comes in mild-steel, so coating will make it even more expensive. The thing is, it makes the most power of any header available that works with A/C and/or P/S. In fact, I would pit it against the crazy headers that due to their bends don’t allow for these creature comforts. The exhaust is up to you, I just would make sure there are no sudden restrictions or dips in inside diameter. I prefer a 2.25 ID. Not having a cat is ideal, however, SMSP offers some high performance functioning catalysts if you can get away with that in your area. An ignition is not necessary, however, i feel it helps. A multiple spark unit with external coil assures complete combustion and spark survival in the storm of high-compression cylinder conditions. I prefer either NGK wires or Nology Hotwires (if you have the money). Both work fine, however, I have found various small improvements in a few areas with the Hotwires. Dyno sheets with these will be coming soon vs. NGK. Stock rotor is fine with an MSD Cap. MSD now offers performance rotors, this might be something to consider.

tuning

To assure your build doesn’t die from a dying fuel pump, I recommend an upgrade to a 255lph fuel pump from Walbro. Yeah, it’s overkill, but it cost the same as the 190lph and is not any less reliable, so just get it. A new fuel pump is a wonderful thing. Stock injectors are perfect for this build, provided they are not dirty. Most of the smaller displacement 1.6-.8 Honda injectors are 240cc. The lone exception is d16y7 injectors are 190cc, so do not use these. Your best bet is to send the 240’s you choose to RC Engineering to get them balanced and flowed. Fuel pressure regulator upgrade is recommended, even though you will have a tuneable ecu. The reason is optimum atomization occurs @ 55psi with these Honda injectors, which is a significant amount over stock spec. I got this information from SOHC VTEC legend Nathan Tasukon who did extensive testing with his company Motec. I like the on-rail AEM unit as it is perfect. It’s got a reliable diaphragm, and adjustable return orifices, meaning you won’t have issues with the big fuel pump like you would if you used a modified stock FPR (like the Vortech, B&M, Hayame, etc). The spark plugs to use are NGK bkr6e-11 or 7e-11. The heat range depends on a few things. If you are running the lower tier compression levels (<11.5:1), then a 6 should be fine year-round. If you are in the higher compression bracket, then you might want to run a 6 in cold weather and a 7 in hotter weather; that is what I do. To get the target NA power levels, obd1 conversion is necessary due to its extensive tuning capabilities, unless you are using an obd2 adaptable engine management like A’pexi Power FC or AEM EMS. The Power FC is what I use and I feel it is an incredible value for what it offers. On-board parameter monitoring, knock monitor, etc & light adjustments via the in-cabin commander, with deep tuning capability via PC. It also features a very powerful idle stability feature which keeps the wild Crower 3 cam stable in all idle conditions. Some viable tuning options are Neptune, Hondata, Uberdata, etc. It has come to pass that RPM switches, VAFC, E-Manage, Z-Dyne, etc are not practical options for this type of setup. Full tuning range is required, both timing, fuel, and various other parameters where stock settings will not suffice. A capable tuner on a eddy-current type dyno is ideal for max power tuning, while still being able to tune other than full-throttle throttle positions/ vacuum levels. I recommend a Mustang eddy dyno or Dynapack for tuning and a Dynojet for internet comparisons.

Last edited by builthatch; 10-09-2010 at 02:40 PM. Reason: updated to 2007 info
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Old 10-20-2005, 09:53 AM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8 (builthatch)

good job man, just what I was looking for
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Old 10-20-2005, 10:09 AM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8 (builthatch)

wow man, very nice. Def some very good info. I give it
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Old 10-20-2005, 10:28 AM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8 (Slow EJ8)

always nice to have more info on the mighty D. Thanks
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Old 10-20-2005, 04:31 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8 (Snoopa Loop)

great stuff built hatch, long live the deez!
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Old 10-20-2005, 05:31 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8 (builthatch)

good info for those with small pockets!
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Old 10-24-2005, 12:06 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8 (johnecon2001)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by johnecon2001 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">good info for those with small pockets!</TD></TR></TABLE>
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Old 10-24-2005, 12:12 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8 (builthatch)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by johnecon2001 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">good info for those with small pockets!</TD></TR></TABLE>

I third that! Gotta save this page
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Old 10-24-2005, 12:31 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8 (FerioEG)

I love D's
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Old 10-31-2005, 12:15 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8 (fast88std)

Bump for a good write up
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Old 10-31-2005, 12:41 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8 (Chris22215)

nice and informative write up.......
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Old 10-31-2005, 01:04 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8 (builthatch)

My only issue with this information is the initial engine costs you have listed. The first four catagories should be - realistically - lowered by $1000 each as you'd have to be a complete chatch to buy these engines for the prices you have listed.

That aside, this is one of the best posts I've seen in the history of my tenure here on Honda-Tech. Well ****** done .
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Old 10-31-2005, 01:48 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8 (Archidictus)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Archidictus &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My only issue with this information is the initial engine costs you have listed. The first four catagories should be - realistically - lowered by $1000 each as you'd have to be a complete chatch to buy these engines for the prices you have listed.

That aside, this is one of the best posts I've seen in the history of my tenure here on Honda-Tech. Well ****** done .</TD></TR></TABLE>

thanks for the compliments ; )

the reasoning behind the pricing is i have accounted for all parts that would be needed to get it up and running; this includes a basic header, intake, all mounts, harness modification parts, shipping etc...all the crap that you need...and then i factor in base engine and parts pricing from legit outlet pricing like that from say...hmotors online, etc. granted, you can always find better pricing, but, hey, gotta put something down lol


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Old 10-31-2005, 01:54 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8 (builthatch)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by builthatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">thanks for the compliments ; )

the reasoning behind the pricing is i have accounted for all parts that would be needed to get it up and running; this includes a basic header, intake, all mounts, harness modification parts, shipping etc...all the crap that you need...and then i factor in base engine and parts pricing from legit outlet pricing like that from say...hmotors online, etc. granted, you can always find better pricing, but, hey, gotta put something down lol</TD></TR></TABLE>

Accounting for the I/H/E would put you basically right at your figures. I didn't even consider that . Another feather in your hat .
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Old 02-02-2009, 10:03 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8

nice!
so if my cylinder walls dont have score marks and if you can see the cross hatch, then i do not need to hone my cylinders! sweet!

very well written
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Old 02-02-2009, 10:06 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8

i found this info a long time ago d-series and i instantly saved it. damn good info
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Old 02-02-2009, 10:16 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8

the issue with your build is this.

your never ever ever gonna make the tq the 1.8 have.

also your gsr and R's do not need major work to get an extra 20 whp put of them you will still behind them..

you could build a nasty *** b by getting parts you need from block to head.
i say it this way cuz your gonna build a d why not a lsv with good parts trust she will rip
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Old 02-02-2009, 10:20 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8

^^^^^ you do know this post is from 10/20/2005?
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Old 02-02-2009, 10:20 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8

Originally Posted by SOHC_4dr
i found this info a long time ago d-series and i instantly saved it. damn good info
hell yea it is!
im still not done reading it.
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Old 02-02-2009, 10:21 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8

wow. like its hard to make 145 tq with the build lol

look at the cost diff between buying and building the D to type-r spec to buying a type-r. the D will be cheaper.

why not go LS-V??? because its not a D lol
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Old 02-02-2009, 10:23 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8

HOLY **** this is old. damn you racer lol
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Old 02-02-2009, 10:25 PM
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WOW! i read the entire thing is **** i can only say i have learned ALOT!
in fact my head hurts. lol. EXCELLENT JOB OP!
saved it to my subscriptions and to my laptop!
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Old 02-02-2009, 10:26 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8

lol. yes it is hella old. but im searching trying to learn about 75mm vs 75.5mm bore, since i am trying to build my engine. saw this and i was just stunned! read the whole thing and bumped it for other to read.
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Old 02-03-2009, 05:28 AM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8

SOHC VTEC, yo.
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Old 02-03-2009, 06:28 PM
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Default Re: building a powerful NA d16z6/y8

It almost makes me want to have a D!
The fact that it uses mostly Honda parts, makes it AMAZING!
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