Hi guys.. I'm new to the game.

Just got a honda DD and the current d15 is dead..

I was able to score a free d16z6 for free but one of the cyl didnt have comp.

So it needs a rebuilt..

After extensive reading last night..

I think i know what i want to do withe the block.. but would like some opinions..
Any input ill really appreciated..

Block
-Hone, over bore .50, deck, hot tank.
-NPR .50, oem rods, ARP rod bolts, ARP head bolts
-OEM gasket set, OEM bearings or whatever i can get a hold of..
-Crank, cut and balance?

Head
-Blox stage 2 camshaft
-Brian C TI spring retainers, and new valves.
-Send it out to get flat and clean.

I really dont know what is the total process on rebuilding the block..
Can someone give me some inputs?

I know i have to send the block with the pistons, rods and rings so the machine shop can measure to OE spec.. I read thats the best way to go on the gaping of the rings with the sleeves. After that clean, deck, hot tank and flat.
Should i cut the crank and let them balance it all together?
I also know i better number the pistons too at the same time Im doing this..

I got some pricing around for the bore, hone, deck and hot tank for 140.. What do u guys think? Its supposedly a hook price, but i really dont know since i have never done this before..

The goal is to have a nice DD, do i need to upgrade my ECU? i got a d15 EJ1 dx..

Again.. i did search, but ill appreciate any input on my steps before i screw this up..

Ultimately i just want to keep it under a simple budget..

Thanks

Stan

 

Curious. What is grocery list supposed to net you? IMO you're wasting your time trying to build any D-series.

 

The Honda Game is a lie.

 

Step 1 never call it a game.

 

Well.. lets say it didnt cost me that much.. since i already got majority of everything..

Only that i dont know where to start with the block..

Im not trying to built the D series for power.. just something super reliable that i could mess around..

As i say this is my DD not my weekend car..

Thanks for the input

 

Stan-

We all have to start somewhere, so I'll try to pass along some advice.

You are going to get such a minimal gain in HP that planning on using 0.050 pistons for a motor this size is a waste of money if it isn't done in conjunction with an all-motor N/A build (which is quite expensive and the D16 is the wrong platform for this anyway). Here are a few suggestions to you since you have never rebuilt a motor before:

1. Take the block to the machine shop and have them mic it. They will tell you how out of round the cylinders are and suggest to you how far over stock you should hone (they will only bore the block if you are taking a lot of material out). Most likely, unless you had a ring or ring landing come apart and damage a cylinder wall, they will only take it out to 0.010--which is fine.

2. Why are you already planning on replacing the rods? The factory rods are probably in fine shape (again-assuming there was nothing catastrophic happening with a wrist pin or bottom rod bearing). Let them mic the rods and perhaps recondition the bottom rod bearing surface and check them for straightness. Your money is better spent on the labor of checking what you have and only doing the necessary work. The rods will last a long time if the motor wasn't completely abused.

3.Your plan to use OEM gaskets and bearings is a good one--do that to the max extent possible. Don't be tempted to save 10-20% on these parts.

4. I don't think you really know what you are asking with regard to the crank. You will not have the crank "cut." Perhaps the bearing journals will need polished to accept an oversized bearing if they are out of round or pitted from a spun bearing (which is very unlikely). Again, use a highly experienced machine shop and spend your money on the relatively small labor charge they will require to check your crank and polish if necessary. The crank is almost certainly not out of balance-so don't let some inexperienced machinist tell you otherwise.


1. If you are going to invest in an aftermarket camshaft - better plan on investing in an upgrade to your ECU and tuning to see any gains at all. Suggestion: use your factory cam if you are actually planning for a daily driver as you say.

2. No need for the expense of exotic metals in your head--use new OEM factory retainers. You are not building a race motor here.

3. Re-surfacing the head to the absolute minimal amount is a good plan. Once again, this is why I suggest researching what machine shop you use and rely on them to do it right. Any good machine shop will tell you that they will skim the head the minimum amount to ensure straightness.


1. You are correct, you will deliver the block, crank, pistons, rings, and bearings to the machine shop. If you don't already have the new bearings (for the crank and rods), let them order them for you. They will only make a 10-20% profit margin on the parts, but they will be correct.

2. There is not a separate charge for cleaning the block if you are having them do the machine work--it is built into the labor charge.

3. Once again--there is no such thing as "cutting the crank." They will check the crank for straightness in V blocks and the journals for roundness and polish as necessary.

4. You will not need to number the pistons if you take this next bit of advice. What you SHOULD do is have them assemble the short block. There is a bit of an art form to proper assembly of the bottom end - assembly order, torque specs, tightening sequence, setting the ring gap, tapping the pistion/rod assembly home so as to not damage the crank, etc. This is not something a novice should do right off the bat. If you really want to learn, ask if you can observe the assembly by the machine shop - most of them will let you if you kind of stay out of their way and don't ask stupid questions to slow them down. You could always ask if you could pay a bit extra ($50 or so) for the assembly lesson. Trust me - have them assemble the bottom end.

Sounds a bit on the cheap side to me - but times are tough and maybe they need the work. I would rather find a machine shop that tells me they can't get to it for a couple of weeks because they are covered up with work - a busy shop usually means they do good work. Finding a shop that is eager to undercut everyone and tells you they can do it tomorrow isn't necessarily a good thing!

You will learn plenty by assembling the long block on your own (I hope you purchased a helms manual or something with assembly specs for this project). Plus all the time you will spend on putting all the accessories back on the motor and detailing - there is no shame in having the experts assemble the short block for you.

Good luck with your project.

 

cidgrad,

Thanks for the word of advice..

Im glad i hold on the NPR pistons.. The shop that i found was recommended thru a friend of mine and the guy seems pretty busy. He just quote me pretty quick.. Well we never talked about assembly of the short block.. cuz i really wanted to learn and since this is not a super expensive engine and parts i wanted to just do it myself. Now that you mention is not something a noobie can just do i might just take the hit and observe how they do it..

Unfortunately i did purchase the BC Ti spring and retainers from a buddy of mine.. Got a great deal for them.. I guess it cant hurt right? I might not get the total potential out of them unless i go FI, but i think they will work fine...

I'm not really looking for a high HP car, i just want this motor to be super reliable and in any case i want to just punch it, it wont break down the street..

Basically do it once and do it right.. in the near future if i want to go FI i will be able too..

On the other hand.. I wasn't planning on replacing my rods.. just the bolts.. I read last night that the OEM rods are good to go, it was recommended to just replace the rod bolts.. Thats all..

Keep it clean and easy..

I guess i will approach the machine shop with my block and go from there..

Thanks for all the advice..

Anyway, do you think i need to replace my ECU?

Will the D15 dizzy work on a d16?

Just my last q since i dont have those.. Motor came with no dizzy, water pump, alter, ac comp..

But overall was ok..


Stan

 

I think you missed the point. Aside from telling you HOW to do it I think he was also telling you that you are wasting a lot of time and money in attempting to do this. If you gain any power, it won't be noticeable.

Other than learning how to do it, there is no benefit. Your car may actually run WORSE because your stock ECU will not be able to adjust for the internal changes you made.

 

Honestly, just rebuild it with OEM parts or grab a used one that runs. All the building of a d series will net you an empty wallet and very little HP gains.

If you want more POWAH, run a small turbo setup on a stock rebuild.

 

Thanks guys.. i do understand that the net HP gains are almost nothing...

Im actually doing this to learn how to do it.. not for the HP gain..

The money spend on the built is actually not that bad...

I know a tune will be necessary for me to gain a lil bit more and thats not a problem either.. I know a good tuner that i have done work in the past..

All this info on how to prepare the block for a rebuilt is pretty valuable for me..

I did found the sticky on how to rebuilt the d16z6 motor, but the block was already prep..

The info that CID gave me is basically a how to for dummies hahaha


Thanks again guys

Stan