Alright. Hopefully getting a Y8 civic tomorrow and I was thinking for my first mod, I was going to grab an aftermarket cam. One with just enough lift without needing a re-tune. Now, when installing this, I'm assuming a lash adjustment is going to have to be done. How do I determine what specs to lash to? Please refer me elsewhere if this post is extremely redundant.

Also, opinions on running the aftermarket cam with everything else being stock, keeping in mind that 1.) I am not expecting this motor to last much longer. Have seen far too many Y7/Y8s spin bearings and lock up. 2.) Going to be running the stock ECU for now, until its necessary for an OBD1 conversion.

I know aftermarket springs and retainers yield for a higher red line, but that won't be happening, just looking to get some more "pep" out of the single slam. No, I am not doing a B-series swap, and I don't have the money for an H/F swap, although I would LOVE to do an F23A1 swap, but anyway, if anyone could help as far as the valve lash specs and everything that would be awesome. Probably going to want to order the cam in the next month after I get the body finished.

 

Honestly, I'd suggest doing I/H/E bolt-ons first, no point upgrading the cam when the engine's breathing is so restrictive. And I think the stock ecu would respond better to those.
But onto the cam, is there any particular brand/part #?

 

Well as it sits now, the car has open throttle body (fixing that today) Stock Y8 intake manifold, stock header (because I really don't believe that the aftermarket eGay ones do much, and 2.5" exhaust, which I will be welding on a glasspack and thrush turbo muffler today or tomorrow.

I was thinking the "Level 2" cam from bisi which is a 246/225 duration.

 

If you get an aftermarket cam, you need a retune. Period.

 

Care to elaborate anymore? Coming from DSMs, which was the last time I touched cams and the car ran fine with 272 duration cams on a stock tune. I've been getting very mixed opinions and views. I know timing and fuel are going to be an issue, but I'm sure I can mathematically re-calculate the timing and fuel could be compensated for by turning up the fuel pressure a little. Ghetto, I know.

 

none of that makes sense. you need a tune. cams change the way the engine runs, it's not going to be a linear curve.

 

lol well coming form dsm's know this putting any money into a d-series is a huge waste. Boost it or swap it end of story. you can do bolt ons and a cam and still have a guy with a stock b18(nonvtec) walk you for half the price

 

Well I would think the cam had more of a... Don't really know the geometric term for something that looks like ____|---- but that's the effect I feel the cam would have. Nevertheless, budget is a large factor of how I'm going about my build so moving to the quote underneath.

I figured there would be more money involved with trying to mess with a single slam, but how much more really is the ultimate question. I have been trying to avoid an LS swap PURELY for the reason that everyone has one anymore. I've done 3 and its just blah. I was aiming to do something different, I thought about grabbing a D16A1 from the pull-it junk'r, but then I was wondering if the tranny would bolt up and how hard it would be to come across engine parts and what ECU I would have to run etc etc. I'll do more reading as I have more time off of work, but I really have yet to come across anything that's sparked my interest as far as a build direction. I was considering to stock boost an LS would probably be around $1500 total, for engine, trans, mounts, jumper crap, EMS, and the eGay turbo kit. So I was wondering how investing the same money in a single cam would work out, but words of the experienced are always convincing lol.

 

why are you wasting money on this endeavor again?

 

Ya man single cams without boost is a waste of time in my opinion .. And you will 100% need a tune if you want a different cam.. By the time you do all the bolt ons , the cam, and a tune you could have bought a ls swap and started building a ls vtec

 

Well it's not really a waste, I've seen a few sohc's beat dohc vtec swapped cars for less money, but they do have to tear apart the engine and swap out a couple things first. To some people it's worth it

 

Why do you care about beating at DOHC car?
Are you street racing?

 

You guys all seem to be conveniently ignoring the fact that OP doesn't want to convert to OBD1. No conversion means no tune. No tune means no point in doing anything.

 

Believe it or not, there are drag strips. And over here most cars there are old B/D series Hondas, because nobody can afford anything nicer

 

There's so many things in this thread that just make me cringe. Youre ignoring simple and basic things about how engines and engine management systems work and interact.

I wouldn't be surprised if you lose power with a cam swap and no tune. I can write a novel about why but not if its going to fall on deaf ears.