garf

This may be the incorrect place to post this, and if so please let me know.

So I've spent most of my time on this forum either in the hpde/track day section or the 92-00 civic/del sol section. I'm posting here partly for research, partly for help, and partly to log my "build" process.

So I have a 2000 civic si that is bone stock. I bought it with 143k on it and since it is my daily, and I have a long commute it now has 151k. I've never owned a b series before (k series was my first) and I'm sure I'm being overly paranoid, but I am concerned with the state of my engine. It just sounds... off... to me. Everyone says that b16's tick and click but this isn't a consistent noise which concerns me. Last week my radiator when out (I'm assuming it was the original one) and it was replaced with a full aluminum one (I'll get to why in a second). I am wanting to keep this car as close to factory spec as possible and keep it as reliable as possible.

This will be my track car for the next few years. First track day is this June and so far I've got nothing I need for the car. I was planning on focusing on only suspension, brakes, and tires this year and keeping the motor stock for reliability, but at this point I'm not sure it will hold up to two hours of track time in its current state. So far I've done the timing belt, water pump and all that jazz. It has new tires (not for track but for normal use) and it now has a new radiator. When I got the car I did and oil change and used full synthetic (it was habit and I didn't think about it till after) and started getting an oil leak on the vtec solenoid so that has also been replaced along with the valve cover gasket and cam seal plug (cuz why not).

QUESTIONS:

Can I (or should I) switch back to conventional oil or stick with synthetic? Any reason running synthetic would cause increased engine noise/chatter?

Cost of rebuilding this motor prior to any failures? I don't do my own work so it would be done at a shop (please don't tell me to just do it my self as I don't want to have this argument lol)

Cost of rebuilding it post an engine failure? Lets say non lethal engine damage (no rods sticking out) like a cam seizing up? Or is it just a crap shoot.

Pics of my car and my super dirty engine bay as it sits. Again, please let me know and I'll move the thread if necessary.

09chaplak

No don't track it! It looks great the way it sits now, plus have you been on BaT lately? Could sell it for a pretty penny.

Anyways, you'll get way more hits if you post this back in the 92-00 civic/del sol section.

TheShodan

iTrader: (14)

I agree. I wouldn't track it at this point. If you're going back to OEM stock with everything, the LAST thing you want to do is track the car. I also wouldn't look to change anything internally other than the piston rings and bearings, and even then, only if needed. You'll need to be prepared to at least take the engine apart to give to your machine shop to have it apart and inspected. So, whether or not you're rebuilding it yourself is irrelevant: the engine still has to come out in order to perform these acts.

garf

haha I bought it with plans to track it. And I love BaT! but all of those were in much better shape than this one. It was in a front end collision back in 2002 and while it didn't do much damage at all, it did get a new front bumper and you can tell the shade is slightly different (look close at that front pic). Plus, I go back and forth on sell it some days but I don't think I ever will.

To the point about the thread being in the 92-00 civic section. Is there a way to migrate a post?

garf

I'm at that crossroads yea lol but I was planning on having track suspension, brakes and wheels while picking up from new oem replacements for everything to keep until I want to turn it back to stock (oem stuff has gotten crazy cheap for this thing).

For the engine work. Yea, I was thinking LMA's, rings, bearings, valves/springs/retainers (if needed). And I will probably pull the engine myself with a few friends who have way more experience with Honda motors than I do and give it to a shop. I don't do any serious wrenching on my own. I'm decent at driving cars not working on them lol

09chaplak

Mr. Shodan could probably move it for you

09chaplak

Any specific reason you bought an em1 just to track it? Just wanted to start with an already decent platform? Unless you got some crazy *** deal, just seems like there are cheaper options in the honda world for track day cars.

garf

I've always wanted a b16 motor (first car was an 08 civic si so it was beyond my time in high school). and after tracking my ecoboost mustang for a year I figured that maybe I'd be better off possibly crashing with a $5,000 car vs a $30,000 one lol I knew they guy who had this civic and had been following it for about 2 years. I never see ek civic on track where I'm at (it's all eg's or integras) so I figured I'd represent the 96-00 crowd! Plus I want to see what this little motor is made of. How does it stack up to its bigger brother the b18 on track. I've got a buddy with an integra that I run with so we will see this summer hopefully!

TheShodan

iTrader: (14)

For circuit racing, the b16 walks over many of their single cam, brethern, but struggle horribly against the b18 Vtec engines, and lack the torque of the b18B1.. The b16A2 is known as the "torqueless wonder", so although a nicer platform to start with, the best advantage of an EM1 is its ability to swap in larger B18C1 or a type of hybrid (like what I did years ago)

garf

If I swap anything it would be a k20z3 just because I know the engine but man I like the no torque of the em1. I realized last year (in my 360hp boosted mustang) that power and torque mean dick all on track lol It took about 2 corners before I was pointing by every na miata in existence! Honestly I'm happy with it being slow. It'll give me more time to learn other aspects of hpde. Not looking to win any awards or anything, just learn as much as possible and hopefully not grenade my car in the process.

99CoupeEK

beautiful Si