my main question was about buying the OEM without buying it from Honda. Since someone else builds it for Honda anyway and it’s way cheaper through them. I was trying to verify my research was correct before I bought a piece of junk

The gates replacement tensioner will work just fine. I haven't had any issues with any tensioners yet to date.

the k tuned front tensioner helps with providing a steadier ignition timing. They allow a little easier fine tuning in timing belt slack and it's pretty noticeable even at idle when using a timing light the mark will be much more steady then with just the standard tensioner. I don't see any downfall in one as I would never want power steering in a honda. I hate how it feels and it gets in the way of the engines simplicity. I've never seen a need for it anyways.

thanks. I ordered a Gates Racing one last night, there are several companies that build the tensioner that uses the power steering bolts and from some research I’ve been doing and from what I could tell they are a secondary tensioner only just to help steady the belt, especially at high rev. CSS contacted me yesterday and my block is shipping back to me today! so it looks like I get to start my engine assembly this coming Tuesday.

the logic behind it .... buying around Honda’s parts department was $80.00 cheaper. I’ll ask a few questions to save 80 bucks every day of the week lol I’m a business man and it’s my nature to not over pay for anything as long as everything is apples to apples

I understand being cautious but allot of you guys seem to be such worry warts about parts sometimes. It's a fairly simple part, a metal roller with a bearing and a mount. I've yet to ever have an issue with a manual tensioner giving me an issue in the 10+ years I've been working on hondas and tuning them. I'm sure if he has a problem with it he will report back that it's junk and to warn everyone else for the future but as of now there's nothing to suggest it won't work besides doubt that you may have.

lol didn’t know. That’s why I was asking here to see if anybody knew lol. I decided to use Gates Racing anyway which don’t have any connection with Honda, Koyo makes the ones provided through Honda, my Honda parts department told me this

CSS shipped my block out today! Will be here Tuesday and I can’t wait to get started

I got my new 10an fitting welded to my oil pan today and finished sandblasting my valve cover also, tomorrow everything gets its new color scheme. I get my block Tuesday but I have a business meeting that night which means I can’t get started right away. Gotta make that money first I guess. Lol

I usually don’t put much effort into details but I’m enjoying the process this time around and thought I would spend some time with some details that have nothing to do with speed. I have the matching anodized red cover bolts for the valve cover and vtec cover and will the pick up a Skunk2 vtec housing before assembly

so true, downtime is expensive

im aware the welds are not perfect, but thanks for checking in just to point that out. i could have filled them in before I painted if I wanted to

there’s no doubt it could look better, it’s hard to find someone to tig weld in my area., and I’ve not learned to tig weld yet. I’m worried about how long it takes me to make to the end of a 1/4 mile lol. But now I’m going to be subconsciously thinking about it and will probably strip the damn thing back down.

Tig welding those valve covers is hit or miss. Sometimes the aluminum is so filthy to the core that no matter what you do it doesn't weld like it should especially if someone who doesn't have allot of aluminum expierince is doing it. That being said, if it has no leaks I wouldn't worry about it too much, you can always use filler in it to clean it up. I enjoy doing the aesthetic stuff just as much as anything else, I figure if I'm putting money into it might as well make it look like it. I had a customer with a eg that made 730whp and looked like your average $800 **** box. It was honestly kind of obscene how little he did to make the car nice. The guy sold ended up selling the car for 5k and a 800 truck in trade to one of my buddies who had someone spray it blue and put good tires on it and it's already 10x nicer now.

I’ve already filled in the rough welds and will do a final sanding tomorrow probably, I still had to sand down the logos on the valve cover which I did tonight. Once I install all the AN fittings/lines/seals things should look much more complete. I spent two hours today cleaning on the transmission, I never intended for this to be a show car, put I do appreciate the oh damn factor when I open the hood to show someone

‘it’s all good, I pressed the fittings in before they was even welding so I knew the seal was good. I was not planning on cleaning the engine bay up when I had it welded or I would have had it finished better. I’ve decided to smooth them out....... thanks a lot. Lol.

Got my block back from CSS and they did a great job, I wish the block would have come a little cleaner but I know it’s old and stained.