Many of us know how to build an engine correctly... but I wanted to create a thread where experienced builders can contribute their building tricks to do a better job....

I'm going to start the thread off with some easy basics and then everyone else can chime in with their suggestions and we can share some nice ideas ...

Here is some examples of a B18C1 I built...


In engine building cleanliness is godliness ...Buy a can of Brakleen and clean everything thoroughly. I usually like working on a clean workbench and use lots of latex gloves.



Engine building and blueprinting is methodical , take your time and don't assume anything ...



I like to measure all the clearances with both a good set of micrometers (accurate to 0.0001) and a dial bore gauge first then plastigauge the bearings also to compare the measurements for added security.



Most rods manufactures instruct that you can get away with using a torque wrench if you use their specially formulated arp lubricant..... DON'T DO THIS! Every single time you torque the down the rod bolt you stretch it ... and you are going to have to torque it down once or twice to measure the clearances before finally tightening them down. I have tested this and found inaccurate readings from using a calibrated torque wrench and their lubricant.

Purchase a stretch gauge tool for 69.99(minimum) and measure each bolt individually(preloaded to .04"), 0 out the gauge, then slowly tighten down the bolt while taking periodic measurements with the stretch gauge. It usually take me 5 measurements per bolt to get the right stretch. If you decide to purchase a cheaper stretch gauge tool place a small amount of epoxy to help secure the gauge to the clamp, mine originally shifted before I fixed it.



Here are the Honda parts and the snap-on 14 mm allen in action to connect the new crankcase ventilation hoses to.



In order to remove the main caps or rod caps without disturbing the plastigauge , unscrew the bolts half- way out and tap each one with a rubber mallet. The shock will split the caps apart.



When measuring the piston rings spray the cylinder walls with a light coat of wd-40 and use a piston to level the ring a couple inches down the bore. In order to file the ring only use a manual or electric ring filer and take your time measuring them .. It usually take me 4-5 times per ring before I get the clearances correct going back in forth from the ring filer to the block to measure.



When replacing the oil pump remember to also purchase the o-ring shown ... this does not come with the oil pump assembly and if you forget it you will have a nasty leak when you start your car.


Installing Siemens deka injectors correctly can be a pain in the *** ... I had to enlarge the injector hole on the intake manifold, replace the hard plastic spacers with flexible o-ring spacers to fit around the injectors, and finally had to use some devcon liquid aluminum to build up the inner radius where the inner o-ring sits next to the pintle to insure a tight fit. Unless you want to spend alot of time, you might be better off buying some RC saturated injectors and not have to worry about fitment and a resistor box.

 

Very informative

 

Very nice writeup, thanks for the tips! for a man who doesn't cut corners.

 

A tip for those installing the rear main seal... lubricate the inner diameter(on the inside) of the rear main seal , not the outer diameter ... heavily lubricating the outer diameter(on the inside) can lead to the seal popping off...

 

Where do you recommend buying good [yet affordable] dial gauges? Like a telescoping bore gauge, a runout gauge, etc. Micrometers too.

 

many places to buy them from... for the cheapest ... go to
http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/ for the micrometers and dial bore gauges, ect...

Got the Stretch gauge from Jegs..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DaX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Where do you recommend buying good [yet affordable] dial gauges? Like a telescoping bore gauge, a runout gauge, etc. Micrometers too.</TD></TR></TABLE>
I would like to know this too?
Awesome info

Thanks,
Josh

 

I do not recomend people try to build their engine to save money... The amount of money I have invested in the right tools is incredible ... not to mention the time ...

... It is much better and cheaper to send the block to an engine builder you can trust then to try to do it yourself , unless you enjoy learning and working on it yourself as a hobby like I do...

 

awsome thred, i was reading endyn's site and it said on a D you should enlarge the bearing oil holes, can anyone enlighen me on how to do this?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It is much better and cheaper to send the block to an engine builder you can trust then to try to do it yourself </TD></TR></TABLE>

I'll just send my engine to you.

Nice write up!

 

thanks for the vote of confidence ... in a couple weeks Im going to start to build a H22a and after that I'll be working on a b16a .... not worth it to ship the block out to me ... there are plenty of excellent engine builders in california , I would send my block to Golden Eagle and have them sleeve it and build it at the same time if I was in your shoes because they are in Cali...

 

Make sure the main caps are torqued to spec when measuring main bores.



DO NOT use those block fittings They will suck oil into the catchcan. ALOT Of oil. I was on a budget and couldn't afford the endyn fitting and made a BIG mistake. Me and MR. ARturbo had a conversation about this and the fittings need to have an anti-siphon tube on it to avoid the oil sucking.

 

yeah I always torque down the main caps when measuring with the dial bore guage ... took the picture after i measured everything for demo purposes ...

....Interesting about the fittings issue ... an anti-siphon tube... I guess simply, weld in a bent tube facing up to prevent excessive oil consumption...

 

I also remember a thread on http://www.theoldone.com about the fittings allowing excessive oil consumption ... I don't know if larry modifies his our not in his catchcan kit .... I don't think so Though...

 

A couple of weeks ago there was an engine build write up done. Here is a link to it:

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=814615

This might add some useful information.

 

I found the thread at endyn about the excessive oild consumption in the intake...

http://www.theoldone.com/forum...2Ccan

I suspect you might be having these problems because you did not supply the drain back to the block????

 

nice write up... learn new tricks everyday on hondatech...lol

 

One of the best threads i've seen in a long time. Hopefully a few more people will jump in and give their expertise. When I start assembling my motor, I'll throw in my pics and info. The main thing I can't emphasise more is cleanliness. Awesome write up

 

very nice write up! i'm impressed

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dasher &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I found the thread at endyn about the excessive oild consumption in the intake...

http://www.theoldone.com/forum...2Ccan

I suspect you might be having these problems because you did not supply the drain back to the block????</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes, this could be the reason. However, sucking oil and spitting it back in the block is not my idea of a good catchcan setup. You just want the vapors separated. And i'm not sure if larry modifies the plugs, but i know for sure that his does look different.

 

looks like he just epoxied a tube in the center ... I guess this might help a little bit with oil being splashed in ... interesting , I wonder how much though...

 

Nice write up. It's great for people trying to learn how to build thier own blocks. for people like you on honda-tech.


June

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by skrewdlude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I agree, but since I would like to learn, I would prefer not to send it anywhere So about the tools, does any one have any tool places they recommend? I mean I don't think everyone has snap on do they? </TD></TR></TABLE>

I already posted the places above to purchase all your precision measuring tools at the cheapest prices ...
If your asking about regular tools ... I recommend going to sears and purchasing On of the larger Craftsman Tool kits for big $'s

Why ??... if you purchase cheap tools at home depot you will end up breaking them and having to constantly replace them ... and craftsman tools have a lifetime waranty and are the cheapest of the high quality tools out there ... Snap-on is better ... but who has that type of money....

Don't buy too small of a tool kit .... spend the big money up front ... its expensive when you buy the sockets or tools individually ... and if you are going to do any any serious work on cars you are going to need them all .... its cheaper in the long run to buy them in bulk.

 

Sorry bout that...we posted at the same time. so I didn't see that you had mentioned a place I have most other tools, I was just was curious about where to get some good quality precision tools. i had some cheap ones from harbor freight from a while ago, but don't really trust them
Awesome info

 

agreed .. never trust any tool which comes from Harbor freight