My Budget EJ1-GSR Track Day Build
07-06-2013, 09:10 PM
#1
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
My Budget EJ1-GSR Track Day Build
Current state of the project
Hey everyone, my name is Emile. I live in Louisville, KY and work for a local shop called Roberts Imports (formerly Autolab). I've owned Hondas off and on for most of my adult life. I grew up riding around in my Dad's EF Si, reading every issue of Sport Compact Car cover to cover, and dreaming of someday owning an EG hatch. My first Honda was a '95 GSR sedan, then I bought a 2000 EBP Si, then I settled in for a few years with a '90 Integra GS which I swapped a JDM B16 into, installed an LS 5th gear, etc. I really loved that car and enjoyed all of the other Hondas I had owned for all those years, but it wasn't until I had owned cars from other manufacturers (VW GTI 337, Turbo Miata, Audi A4, STi) and started working on street cars for a living that I finally truley appreciated just how great they are to work on and own.
Just about a year ago, this car fell into my lap. A friend posted on FB that he was thinking about parting it out or possibly selling it for a couple hundred bucks. I had worked on it a couple times at work in the past so I knew what it was all about. He had delivered pizzas in it for years, 265K on the clock but the speedo hadn't worked for a couple years and he was putting 50K a year on it! Best guess puts it somewhere between 350-400K on the shell. We agreed to a trade (I installed some lowering springs on his BMW and he gave me the car) and it was mine for nothing! So I quickly gutted it and parted it out (much easier than I expected).
The day I got it and started stripping it down. First step was to pressure wash it literally top to bottom. I jacked each side up, removed the wheels and pressure washed the wheel wells, engine bay, as much of the underbody as possible.
Engine bay BEFORE. This car had literally not been washed in years!
Interior stripped, sound deadening removed (very easy because it was hot as F that day, it just fell off).
Picked up a complete GSR long block for $800 locally on the forums. it was supposedly "rebuilt" but after meeting the kid that did it I had significant doubts. I tore the whole thing down, which turned out to be a good thing since some of the cam caps were loose, the rod bearings were the wrong size, among MANY other scary things I found.
Found an ITR transmission locally, which obviously also needed to be thoroughly gone-through. I was hoping to find a B16 transmission specifically for the shorter gearing, thinking I wouldn't really be able to afford an ITR, but this was priced just right and obviously has the factory LSD. Stoked.
Confirming all of the gear ratios the old-fashioned way.
OEM ITR LSD goodness
Picked-up a Moroso aluminum 5.5 qt baffled oil pan from a buddy for cheap since it had a small leak and needed to be welded.
Engine rebuild
Transmission rebuild complete, basically just inspected everything, replaced all the bearings and seals, cleaned everything up, new clutch release lever, etc. I'd like to put in carbon syncros and such someday but it wasn't in the budget right now and it's so easy to pull out of the car I don't mind running it the way it is for now.
I had an entire suspension set from a GSR (spindles, trailing arms, brakes, front subframe, steering rack, etc) and finally got to put it to good use. Here I've disassembled the GSR rack, depowered it the right way by cutting the seals out, reassembled with grease, and welded the fittings up. Reinstalled it with poly bushings, good as new!
Instead of spending $300 on billet mounts, I just took the stock mounts and filled them with Window Weld. Seems to be holding up just fine, I don't have to run the annoying torque mounts, and the engine seems to be VERY solidly mounted. Then I painted them with black crinkle paint.
Engine and trans finally mated and ready to drop in via a Del Sol VTEC T-mount bracket.
And here it is in it's final resting spot
Cut all of the extra stuff out of the bumper, to be filled in with mesh material later in the build log.
Instead of spending hundreds on new shift linkage that comes with a little bit of play in the universal joint, I decided to modify my existing linkage using an affordable mil-spec steering joint. I've used these before in race car steering columns and know they are much more durable than the stock-type universal joints that use plastic bushings which wear out. Also installed with poly bushings.
After much consideration, I decided on the tried and true 15x8 TRMotorsports C1M wheels from Tire Rack. They take a bit of camber and fender persuasion, but they're cheap and moderately light, plus they are fairly tough seeing as how they were designed to a minimum weight restriction in Spec Miata. At $75 per wheel, they're a hard bargain to pass up. I'm running 225/45-15 Nitto NT01's for now, I'd like to eventually get a set of Toyo RA1s or perhaps the new RR next.
Every suspension bushing was replaced with poly, including the trailing arm bushings. This was a PITA but I think it's worth it in the end.
Picked up a set of Apex-i N1 99 Spec coilovers from a buddy for a deal. Cleaned them up, inspected all of the adjusters, they seem to work great for an inexpensive find.
First touchdown
GSR brakes, centric blank rotors, Hawk blue pads, Muteki chromoly extended open-end lug nuts
Skunk2 rear LCAs, GSR brakes, braided stainless lines, freshened GSR trailing arms with poly bushings, Centric rotors, and Apex-i N1 99 Spec coil overs with pillow ball upper mounts (also sourced from a friend for a bargain!). Sway bar and subframe brace not yet pictured.
Picked-up some galvanized steel mesh material from Lowes of all places (have you priced the stainless stuff from McMaster lately?$$$$). Looks fine and should do the job on track, keeping all of those rubber bits and rocks off my expensive radiator. Also installed my secondhand J's Racing lip spoiler which will eventually have a splitter coming out of it...
Made this tow strap out of some old racing harnesses that were long since expired, since the tow hooks are a bit tougher to get to now.
I installed some Sparco pedals, not so much for the looks, more so for the ability to place the pedal distances exactly where I want them. Heel-toe downshifts are much easier now, it really makes a big difference on the overall driving experience.
That right there is a good weekend about to commence! Vibrant 4-1 stainless header with 2.5" collector, Koyo V-core GSR radiator (made my own mounts), Hawk Blues, Walbro fuel pump, drained all of the old gas out, and all of the stuff I need to make my old Iceman Intake work in this chassis.
The original bumper beam had been hit pretty hard at some point, plus was rusting pretty bad. So I cut the attachment points off of it and welded in some roll cage material and added a tow strap at the rear to match the front.
Strapped down to our Dyno Dynamics for initial readings.
Well, it was lean as hell but still put down respectable numbers for a stock GSR motor with just I/H/E. A couple weeks later I slapped an adjustable fuel pressure reg on it and bumped the fuel pressure up 10 pounds... It picked up 11 wheel HP! So current total is around 165 at the wheels.
Post dyno tire-kicking session with my buddy's LS-powered 240SX. He's actually the guy who "donated" the Civic to my cause. Also shown is the GSR strut tower brace, 91 EX brake master cylinder, etc...
Mean stance, bro!
Sparco Champion steering wheel and hub, Bride Vios III seats, PLM super-low seat rails, gutted interior but still with power windows.
Sabelt 6-pt harnesses. Didn't like the yellow labels so I carefully removed them (that took a LONG time) LOL.
Found a secondhand Fastline extended short shifter on HT for about half the price of new, love the shifter placement! Couldn't rock it in a street car just because of the goofy looks but, hey it's a track rat, who cares?
Made some blanking plates out of thin alum sheet for the airbag and vents, gutted everything out of the dash that was possible while still retaining the glove box (it's a nice place to keep the track day schedule, hat, shock adjustment tool, etc). Then wrapped them in 3M 1080 carbon vinyl. Looks good and cuts down on glare.
I bonded and flush-riveted the *free* carbon hood I got a while ago because it was in bad shape. It will be painted, so the condition of the clearcoat doesn't matter to me, just the weight savings. It was free because the top layer had completely separated from the fiberglass frame underneath, I traded the guy my stock steel hood for it.
I fabricated brackets to use quick release quarter-turn fasteners (found on BMW 5 series underbody trays) to hold the front bumper on. I can pull the bumper off in about 10 seconds now.
Now for the single most expensive part of the car! My ASR billet rear subframe brace with hollow .095" wall thickness tubular sway bar. The kit came with solid adjustable end links, billet backing plates to stiffen the subframe structure, and adjustable "rocker arms" which press onto the ends of the sway bar. Very trick setup!
Meaty!
I wanted to avoid the exhaust going up and over the rear suspension, so I fabricated this out of 2.5" stainless mandrel bends and a couple Vibrant resonators. I added a new exhaust hanger where there wasn't one previously, and terminated the exhaust just behind the lift point. Sounds good, not too loud, and side pipes are kinda badass.
First drive out in the wild!
Sunday drive with Dad!
Baseline alignment settings. I haven't had enough time on track to get a really solid read on the handling balance and tire temps, but initial impressions are quite good. The car weighed in at 2156 lbs with a full tank of gas, power windows, power sunroof, but no front bumper or dash shell.
The hood needed a little help on fitment, plus I don't really ever trust carbon hoods and the way they bond the hood latch, so I added some Aerocatch hood pins. These might be my favorite part of the car.
Here's a better shot of the dashboard/steering wheel.
Took the base off our inexpensive tripod (detaches easily) and drilled a hole in it to mount it to an existing stud in the sunroof. As a temporary camera mount it worked great, it makes it easy to detach and reinstall without messing up the aim of the lens. Video shot with the Flip Ultra HD you see here, obviously the video had to be flipped right side up in editing after wards, but that's easy.
My 3.5 and 1.5 year old daughters helping prep the car before the trip up to Putnam.
Headed to the track, our V6 manual Xterra provides the pull.
Rolling out for the first time!
On-track shenanigans ensued.
And I call this picture "SHITSHITSHITSHIT"
And here's the video of my first session in the car eventually running a personal best 1:23.9 on the third lap.
So during the first session I noticed a problem in the two long lefthand corners at Putnam Park, turns 4 and 8, where VTEC sounded like it was cutting out a bit. You can hear it in the video. So without wanting to risk damaging the engine from a low oil-pressure situation I decided to short-shift for the remainder of the day at 6,000 RPM. It's a bit baffling (no pun intended) to me because I specifically used a baffled, larger capacity oil pan to avoid such a situation. I'll be pulling the pan off soon to investigate but if anyone has any ideas you're welcome to chime in. I confirmed proper oil level several times. It would happen right away so I don't think it has to do with oil temperature. I'm kinda stumped.
But regardless I was still able to turn about 20 laps or so in mixed conditions at times. The dry running I was able to get in gave me a great feel for the handling and brake balance. The car was very neutral which is how I like it, and the brake balance felt great with just a hint of rearward bias to help entry rotation. My previous best around Putnam was a 1:24.2 in my old boss' CRX on the same size NT01's, and I had probably 5 full track days in that car. On my THIRD lap in this car I turned a 1:23.9 before the oil pressure issue crept up. The tires weren't even up to temp yet!
I still have a list of things left that I'm going to do to the car, namely:
- Fix oil pressure issue
- Rollcage (I already have 80 feet of 1-5/8" .095" DOM)
- Exterior (Fix cancer spots, then I plan on Plastidipping the whole car gloss white)
- Fabricate functional front splitter and rear diffuser, again I already have the alumilite material, just gotta find the time.
- Install oil pressure and temp gauges
- Delete the sunroof
- Replace the factory PCV/black box for a proper breather catch can setup so I can safely run more oil if needed
- Install the battery cutoff switch I have laying around the garage
- Change the stock battery for a PC680 or equivalent lightweight one, possibly relocate it?
- Install the VAFC I already have and fine-tune it on the dyno for more midrange
- Possibly install an external oil cooler if needed
So, what do ya think?
Hey everyone, my name is Emile. I live in Louisville, KY and work for a local shop called Roberts Imports (formerly Autolab). I've owned Hondas off and on for most of my adult life. I grew up riding around in my Dad's EF Si, reading every issue of Sport Compact Car cover to cover, and dreaming of someday owning an EG hatch. My first Honda was a '95 GSR sedan, then I bought a 2000 EBP Si, then I settled in for a few years with a '90 Integra GS which I swapped a JDM B16 into, installed an LS 5th gear, etc. I really loved that car and enjoyed all of the other Hondas I had owned for all those years, but it wasn't until I had owned cars from other manufacturers (VW GTI 337, Turbo Miata, Audi A4, STi) and started working on street cars for a living that I finally truley appreciated just how great they are to work on and own.
Just about a year ago, this car fell into my lap. A friend posted on FB that he was thinking about parting it out or possibly selling it for a couple hundred bucks. I had worked on it a couple times at work in the past so I knew what it was all about. He had delivered pizzas in it for years, 265K on the clock but the speedo hadn't worked for a couple years and he was putting 50K a year on it! Best guess puts it somewhere between 350-400K on the shell. We agreed to a trade (I installed some lowering springs on his BMW and he gave me the car) and it was mine for nothing! So I quickly gutted it and parted it out (much easier than I expected).
The day I got it and started stripping it down. First step was to pressure wash it literally top to bottom. I jacked each side up, removed the wheels and pressure washed the wheel wells, engine bay, as much of the underbody as possible.
Engine bay BEFORE. This car had literally not been washed in years!
Interior stripped, sound deadening removed (very easy because it was hot as F that day, it just fell off).
Picked up a complete GSR long block for $800 locally on the forums. it was supposedly "rebuilt" but after meeting the kid that did it I had significant doubts. I tore the whole thing down, which turned out to be a good thing since some of the cam caps were loose, the rod bearings were the wrong size, among MANY other scary things I found.
Found an ITR transmission locally, which obviously also needed to be thoroughly gone-through. I was hoping to find a B16 transmission specifically for the shorter gearing, thinking I wouldn't really be able to afford an ITR, but this was priced just right and obviously has the factory LSD. Stoked.
Confirming all of the gear ratios the old-fashioned way.
OEM ITR LSD goodness
Picked-up a Moroso aluminum 5.5 qt baffled oil pan from a buddy for cheap since it had a small leak and needed to be welded.
Engine rebuild
Transmission rebuild complete, basically just inspected everything, replaced all the bearings and seals, cleaned everything up, new clutch release lever, etc. I'd like to put in carbon syncros and such someday but it wasn't in the budget right now and it's so easy to pull out of the car I don't mind running it the way it is for now.
I had an entire suspension set from a GSR (spindles, trailing arms, brakes, front subframe, steering rack, etc) and finally got to put it to good use. Here I've disassembled the GSR rack, depowered it the right way by cutting the seals out, reassembled with grease, and welded the fittings up. Reinstalled it with poly bushings, good as new!
Instead of spending $300 on billet mounts, I just took the stock mounts and filled them with Window Weld. Seems to be holding up just fine, I don't have to run the annoying torque mounts, and the engine seems to be VERY solidly mounted. Then I painted them with black crinkle paint.
Engine and trans finally mated and ready to drop in via a Del Sol VTEC T-mount bracket.
And here it is in it's final resting spot
Cut all of the extra stuff out of the bumper, to be filled in with mesh material later in the build log.
Instead of spending hundreds on new shift linkage that comes with a little bit of play in the universal joint, I decided to modify my existing linkage using an affordable mil-spec steering joint. I've used these before in race car steering columns and know they are much more durable than the stock-type universal joints that use plastic bushings which wear out. Also installed with poly bushings.
After much consideration, I decided on the tried and true 15x8 TRMotorsports C1M wheels from Tire Rack. They take a bit of camber and fender persuasion, but they're cheap and moderately light, plus they are fairly tough seeing as how they were designed to a minimum weight restriction in Spec Miata. At $75 per wheel, they're a hard bargain to pass up. I'm running 225/45-15 Nitto NT01's for now, I'd like to eventually get a set of Toyo RA1s or perhaps the new RR next.
Every suspension bushing was replaced with poly, including the trailing arm bushings. This was a PITA but I think it's worth it in the end.
Picked up a set of Apex-i N1 99 Spec coilovers from a buddy for a deal. Cleaned them up, inspected all of the adjusters, they seem to work great for an inexpensive find.
First touchdown
GSR brakes, centric blank rotors, Hawk blue pads, Muteki chromoly extended open-end lug nuts
Skunk2 rear LCAs, GSR brakes, braided stainless lines, freshened GSR trailing arms with poly bushings, Centric rotors, and Apex-i N1 99 Spec coil overs with pillow ball upper mounts (also sourced from a friend for a bargain!). Sway bar and subframe brace not yet pictured.
Picked-up some galvanized steel mesh material from Lowes of all places (have you priced the stainless stuff from McMaster lately?$$$$). Looks fine and should do the job on track, keeping all of those rubber bits and rocks off my expensive radiator. Also installed my secondhand J's Racing lip spoiler which will eventually have a splitter coming out of it...
Made this tow strap out of some old racing harnesses that were long since expired, since the tow hooks are a bit tougher to get to now.
I installed some Sparco pedals, not so much for the looks, more so for the ability to place the pedal distances exactly where I want them. Heel-toe downshifts are much easier now, it really makes a big difference on the overall driving experience.
That right there is a good weekend about to commence! Vibrant 4-1 stainless header with 2.5" collector, Koyo V-core GSR radiator (made my own mounts), Hawk Blues, Walbro fuel pump, drained all of the old gas out, and all of the stuff I need to make my old Iceman Intake work in this chassis.
The original bumper beam had been hit pretty hard at some point, plus was rusting pretty bad. So I cut the attachment points off of it and welded in some roll cage material and added a tow strap at the rear to match the front.
Strapped down to our Dyno Dynamics for initial readings.
Well, it was lean as hell but still put down respectable numbers for a stock GSR motor with just I/H/E. A couple weeks later I slapped an adjustable fuel pressure reg on it and bumped the fuel pressure up 10 pounds... It picked up 11 wheel HP! So current total is around 165 at the wheels.
Post dyno tire-kicking session with my buddy's LS-powered 240SX. He's actually the guy who "donated" the Civic to my cause. Also shown is the GSR strut tower brace, 91 EX brake master cylinder, etc...
Mean stance, bro!
Sparco Champion steering wheel and hub, Bride Vios III seats, PLM super-low seat rails, gutted interior but still with power windows.
Sabelt 6-pt harnesses. Didn't like the yellow labels so I carefully removed them (that took a LONG time) LOL.
Found a secondhand Fastline extended short shifter on HT for about half the price of new, love the shifter placement! Couldn't rock it in a street car just because of the goofy looks but, hey it's a track rat, who cares?
Made some blanking plates out of thin alum sheet for the airbag and vents, gutted everything out of the dash that was possible while still retaining the glove box (it's a nice place to keep the track day schedule, hat, shock adjustment tool, etc). Then wrapped them in 3M 1080 carbon vinyl. Looks good and cuts down on glare.
I bonded and flush-riveted the *free* carbon hood I got a while ago because it was in bad shape. It will be painted, so the condition of the clearcoat doesn't matter to me, just the weight savings. It was free because the top layer had completely separated from the fiberglass frame underneath, I traded the guy my stock steel hood for it.
I fabricated brackets to use quick release quarter-turn fasteners (found on BMW 5 series underbody trays) to hold the front bumper on. I can pull the bumper off in about 10 seconds now.
Now for the single most expensive part of the car! My ASR billet rear subframe brace with hollow .095" wall thickness tubular sway bar. The kit came with solid adjustable end links, billet backing plates to stiffen the subframe structure, and adjustable "rocker arms" which press onto the ends of the sway bar. Very trick setup!
Meaty!
I wanted to avoid the exhaust going up and over the rear suspension, so I fabricated this out of 2.5" stainless mandrel bends and a couple Vibrant resonators. I added a new exhaust hanger where there wasn't one previously, and terminated the exhaust just behind the lift point. Sounds good, not too loud, and side pipes are kinda badass.
First drive out in the wild!
Sunday drive with Dad!
Baseline alignment settings. I haven't had enough time on track to get a really solid read on the handling balance and tire temps, but initial impressions are quite good. The car weighed in at 2156 lbs with a full tank of gas, power windows, power sunroof, but no front bumper or dash shell.
The hood needed a little help on fitment, plus I don't really ever trust carbon hoods and the way they bond the hood latch, so I added some Aerocatch hood pins. These might be my favorite part of the car.
Here's a better shot of the dashboard/steering wheel.
Took the base off our inexpensive tripod (detaches easily) and drilled a hole in it to mount it to an existing stud in the sunroof. As a temporary camera mount it worked great, it makes it easy to detach and reinstall without messing up the aim of the lens. Video shot with the Flip Ultra HD you see here, obviously the video had to be flipped right side up in editing after wards, but that's easy.
My 3.5 and 1.5 year old daughters helping prep the car before the trip up to Putnam.
Headed to the track, our V6 manual Xterra provides the pull.
Rolling out for the first time!
On-track shenanigans ensued.
And I call this picture "SHITSHITSHITSHIT"
And here's the video of my first session in the car eventually running a personal best 1:23.9 on the third lap.
So during the first session I noticed a problem in the two long lefthand corners at Putnam Park, turns 4 and 8, where VTEC sounded like it was cutting out a bit. You can hear it in the video. So without wanting to risk damaging the engine from a low oil-pressure situation I decided to short-shift for the remainder of the day at 6,000 RPM. It's a bit baffling (no pun intended) to me because I specifically used a baffled, larger capacity oil pan to avoid such a situation. I'll be pulling the pan off soon to investigate but if anyone has any ideas you're welcome to chime in. I confirmed proper oil level several times. It would happen right away so I don't think it has to do with oil temperature. I'm kinda stumped.
But regardless I was still able to turn about 20 laps or so in mixed conditions at times. The dry running I was able to get in gave me a great feel for the handling and brake balance. The car was very neutral which is how I like it, and the brake balance felt great with just a hint of rearward bias to help entry rotation. My previous best around Putnam was a 1:24.2 in my old boss' CRX on the same size NT01's, and I had probably 5 full track days in that car. On my THIRD lap in this car I turned a 1:23.9 before the oil pressure issue crept up. The tires weren't even up to temp yet!
I still have a list of things left that I'm going to do to the car, namely:
- Fix oil pressure issue
- Rollcage (I already have 80 feet of 1-5/8" .095" DOM)
- Exterior (Fix cancer spots, then I plan on Plastidipping the whole car gloss white)
- Fabricate functional front splitter and rear diffuser, again I already have the alumilite material, just gotta find the time.
- Install oil pressure and temp gauges
- Delete the sunroof
- Replace the factory PCV/black box for a proper breather catch can setup so I can safely run more oil if needed
- Install the battery cutoff switch I have laying around the garage
- Change the stock battery for a PC680 or equivalent lightweight one, possibly relocate it?
- Install the VAFC I already have and fine-tune it on the dyno for more midrange
- Possibly install an external oil cooler if needed
So, what do ya think?
Last edited by Erturbo; 09-02-2013 at 02:04 PM.
07-07-2013, 07:28 AM
#6
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Re: My Budget EJ1-GSR Track Day Build
Nice. Seems like most of the "build threads" just show folks throwing a couple parts at the car... so, seeing your approach is a nice change 
Good attention to detail, budget-minded balance where possible, and an appropriate level of prep for a reliable track rat.
Looks like a good baseline setup overall. On the tires thing, IIRC, the Toyo and Nitto are the same compound and construction. Only difference is the tread pattern.
Not sure what could be the problem with dropping VTEC. Oil pressure is the obvious possibility... Could also be a wiring of solenoid issue? Any chance the pickup is bent or not low enough in the new pan?
Good attention to detail, budget-minded balance where possible, and an appropriate level of prep for a reliable track rat. Looks like a good baseline setup overall. On the tires thing, IIRC, the Toyo and Nitto are the same compound and construction. Only difference is the tread pattern.
Not sure what could be the problem with dropping VTEC. Oil pressure is the obvious possibility... Could also be a wiring of solenoid issue? Any chance the pickup is bent or not low enough in the new pan?
07-07-2013, 08:12 AM
#7
Honda-Tech Member
Re: My Budget EJ1-GSR Track Day Build
I actually have an issue with my Road Race integra dropping out of VTEC in hard Left hand turns. I also have a Moroso oil pan. I noticed if i run the car about a 1/2 over, it won't do it.
Try that first.
Looks like a fun car!
Try that first.
Looks like a fun car!
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07-07-2013, 10:32 AM
#8
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Re: My Budget EJ1-GSR Track Day Build
Nice. Seems like most of the "build threads" just show folks throwing a couple parts at the car... so, seeing your approach is a nice change Good attention to detail, budget-minded balance where possible, and an appropriate level of prep for a reliable track rat.
Looks like a good baseline setup overall. On the tires thing, IIRC, the Toyo and Nitto are the same compound and construction. Only difference is the tread pattern.
Not sure what could be the problem with dropping VTEC. Oil pressure is the obvious possibility... Could also be a wiring of solenoid issue? Any chance the pickup is bent or not low enough in the new pan?
Good attention to detail, budget-minded balance where possible, and an appropriate level of prep for a reliable track rat. Looks like a good baseline setup overall. On the tires thing, IIRC, the Toyo and Nitto are the same compound and construction. Only difference is the tread pattern.
Not sure what could be the problem with dropping VTEC. Oil pressure is the obvious possibility... Could also be a wiring of solenoid issue? Any chance the pickup is bent or not low enough in the new pan?
I was definitely losing oil pressure, never enough to blink the dummy oil light, but I got a code 22 which is for the VTEC pressure switch. The question is: why? I'm running what I thought to be the best oil pan for track use with the appropriately-sized 5" depth Moroso pickup as full as I can run the oil level (I even had one session where I smoked badly out the tailpipe indicating I had overfilled the oil) and it still did it. That's why I want to do away with the stock black box and PCV system so that can't happen again and I could perhaps run .5-1qt overfilled. I'm also going to throw a new ITR oil pump in it, just in case.
Re; the pickup being bent or low enough, I measured and if anything I'd say it's almost too low. There are no signs of it hitting the bottom of the pan, but damn it must be close. And, no it's not bent. I used a new pickup tube gasket so that shouldn't be it.
What's the consensus on oil type/weight that you guys are running at the track? Perhaps I should consider running something thicker like Rotella? I was running Mobil 10W30 Super conventional since the engine only had about 200 miles since the rebuild.
07-07-2013, 01:53 PM
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07-07-2013, 02:24 PM
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Re: My Budget EJ1-GSR Track Day Build
For track/race cars, I've always run heavier than 10w30. I used to run 20w50 M1 synthetic extended protection (in D16A6's). For my ITR I switched to Rotella T6 10w40 synth. The Rotella seems to burn less than the M1. I'm running a stock pan and haven't had any issues with pressure drop on track.
07-07-2013, 02:44 PM
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07-08-2013, 06:51 AM
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Re: My Budget EJ1-GSR Track Day Build
Very good read. Thank you for sharing.
I am running the 5.5 moroso baffled pan on my b18c5, have not had an issue with dropped pressure...but I am also running an oil cooler which increased the oil capacity. [15/225/45 nt01s, front splitter, rear wing] Maybe check the wiring and vtec solenoid valve/screen?
I am running the 5.5 moroso baffled pan on my b18c5, have not had an issue with dropped pressure...but I am also running an oil cooler which increased the oil capacity. [15/225/45 nt01s, front splitter, rear wing] Maybe check the wiring and vtec solenoid valve/screen?
07-08-2013, 04:28 PM
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Re: My Budget EJ1-GSR Track Day Build
Nice build. Enjoyed it for sure. For pure selfish reasons, can you give me more info on that shift linkage joint. I really want to try it.
...and now that you worked on all the go fast parts, please spend time and money on making it safe.
...and now that you worked on all the go fast parts, please spend time and money on making it safe.
07-08-2013, 05:51 PM
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Re: My Budget EJ1-GSR Track Day Build
There is/was a company that would modify your linkage with the mil-spec unit. I found what I think is the same thing here: http://www.mooreparts.com/store/prod...nt-Mild-Steel/
07-09-2013, 03:56 AM
#21
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Re: My Budget EJ1-GSR Track Day Build
Nice work and even better when done on a budget the way you did it. I will mention 2 things to think about:
If you don't have at least a 4-pt rollbar I would not use any harness. You are assuring you will be held in place when the roof caves in.
While I like your exhaust, you will eventually have an off track excursion and that pipe will dig in and get ripped out. We ran that exhaust on our chump car. It was ripped off twice.
If you don't have at least a 4-pt rollbar I would not use any harness. You are assuring you will be held in place when the roof caves in.
While I like your exhaust, you will eventually have an off track excursion and that pipe will dig in and get ripped out. We ran that exhaust on our chump car. It was ripped off twice.
07-09-2013, 04:09 PM
#22
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Re: My Budget EJ1-GSR Track Day Build
You wouldn't happen to have the templates of the block off plates for the airbag and air vents would you?
Been meaning to make some of those myself!
Been meaning to make some of those myself!
