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Hey HT, I’ve been on here for a long time but don’t really post much. I figure I’d finally post up my build and a little background of my EM1
I’ve owned the car since 2007 and didn’t do much the first couple years other than I take, exhaust and suspension. Finally in 2012 the stock motor was losing compression in two cylinders and I decided it was time for an upgrade. I bought a sent-built LS/VTEC from a friend of mine. Stock gsr head but had eagle crank and rods and arias 9.5:1 pistons. Amazing friend deal and figured is was a good starting point for boost which I did the following year.
Old turbo set up:
Custom topmount manifold
Custom garrett T3/T4 can’t remember the exact specs but had .48a/r turbine housing
tial 38mm mvs
2.5” downpipe
apexi ws2 exhaust
yonaka intercooler
hks ssqv
880cc injectors
walbro 255
tuned on chrome
At the same time added type r flywheel act extreme pressure plate and full face disc, and type r 4.4 trans
On this setup made 298hp and 215 torque on 10.5 psi, this was with a ws2 exhaust so would’ve made more with a full 3” but was happy with the results at the time as the power curve was very smooth and power came in quite early. Unfortunately in 2014 I spun a bearing and f’d the crank After this happened I decided to pick up a type r bare block and stock LS crank and have the rest of the internals installed in the new block. I also had the head built as well. So this is the new/current engine build
b18c type r block
Stock LS crank
eagle h-beam rods
arias 9.5:1 pistons
acl race bearings
gsr head
supertech 90lb springs/ti retainers
supertech black nitride intake valves
supertech inconel +0.5mm exhaust valves
Supertech guides and seals
comp cams 57400
Once I got everything back together and back in the car, I reused most of the same turbo setup. I ended up making pretty much the same power. Not thinking ahead we realized the with the head being built now the 0.48a/r turbine housing was way to small for how much more the head was flowing. The car was making 290hp at 6300rpm and just flatlined, literallly the power curve beyond 6300 almost completely flat, maybe even slightly declining to 8500. Unfortunately it was left like this, life changed, married, kids and all that. Didn’t have much time and only drove the car a couple times a year. This is the the only pic I can find of the way it was
Just this past fall I finally started to get back into it and resolve the issue with a few upgrades. The engine itself has has stayed pretty much the same but the whole turbo setup has pretty much been redone:
This is pretty much the way the car sits until tuning. I’ve had it running and out for a couple drive with a basemap, but restricted not 2psi and 4000rpm just to get things moving. I’m gonna wait for warmer weather to take to get tuned. Hoping for 350-400 until I get a sleeved block
or remove it all completely. Nothing is going to happen unless OP is driving through a rock quarry. LOL
I truly disagree with this. had polystyrene come up into the engine bay from the bottom because of removed shields, and this was on a smooth highway. It went right into the timing belt area. I put on the covers and created new shields, never happened again.
Covers are a good idea. Please put them back on if you can
Last edited by TheShodan; Jan 29, 2020 at 08:55 AM.
Reason: damned mobile devices
Love the color... too bad we never got a Silver or White EM1 here in the States.
to be honest I originally wanted the EBP ended up with a great deal on this one tho and the vsm really grew on me. We didn’t get the white in Canada either but a friend of mine did built a white EM1 clone and look amazing!
Originally Posted by NVturbo
how in the world are you able to get to the manifold nuts? lol
The manifold is literally hugging the cylinder head.
lol, it wasn’t too bad with a gear wrench. I just don’t like how it’s so close to the VC. Hopefully ceramic coating will help
Picking up a set of gsc t1 cams this week. Used but look in really good shape. Hope they will match well with the gtx3071 g2, probably better than the cams that are in it now (comp cams 57200 iirc) then tune in a few weeks when the weather gets better
Picking up a set of gsc t1 cams this week. Used but look in really good shape. Hope they will match well with the gtx3071 g2, probably better than the cams that are in it now (comp cams 57200 iirc) then tune in a few weeks when the weather gets better
Nice choice. I think I still have a video of the WS2 80MM using GSC T1 camshafts. So far, I loved the sound. much more subtle than my own, but very potent indeed.
Sorry if the music in the background is a little loud.
Nice choice. I think I still have a video of the WS2 80MM using GSC T1 camshafts. So far, I loved the sound. much more subtle than my own, but very potent indeed.
Sorry if the music in the background is a little loud.
That sounds awesome, now I really can’t wait to get those cams lol. They have quite a lumpy sound to them. What’s the typical idle rpm with those cams, I know they have pretty large primary lobes
That sounds awesome, now I really can’t wait to get those cams lol. They have quite a lumpy sound to them. What’s the typical idle rpm with those cams, I know they have pretty large primary lobes
About 1150-1250 rpms. Anything lower and the car will shut down due to the amount of low vacuum from the camshafts.
About 1150-1250 rpms. Anything lower and the car will shut down due to the amount of low vacuum from the camshafts.
That video was about 1180-1200 rpms
@TheShodan do you think these cams might be too aggressive for my setup? I was reading through the GSC vs ITR cam thread and notice they might be more design for a larger frame turbo
@TheShodan do you think these cams might be too aggressive for my setup? I was reading through the GSC vs ITR cam thread and notice they might be more design for a larger frame turbo
No. you've read incorrectly. They are not too large for what you have. Both what you saw & even my own turbo are as efficient and the same size as yours.
Try looking over on the GSC T1 thread. these are more capable with variable size turbos vs. Skunk2 Pro1s
No. you've read incorrectly. They are not too large for what you have. Both what you saw & even my own turbo are as efficient and the same size as yours.
Try looking over on the GSC T1 thread. these are more capable with variable size turbos vs. Skunk2 Pro1s
I asked too soon and see what you mean now. I was only about 25-30 pages into the gsc vs itr thread and came across the one “sample that didn’t work out for the guy. Now seeing all the others that have used them I’m pretty confident using the T1s.
Any advice I should relay to my tuner regarding them? Other than to expect a lopey idle?
Any advice I should relay to my tuner regarding them? Other than to expect a lopey idle?
A couple of things:
1) If you plan to use aftermarket cam gears, you need to purchase the GSC camshaft extended bolts and washer kit from them. They aren't expensive, but the stock camshaft bolts don't put enough threads into the camshafts when using aftermarket gears other than something similar to OEM (like Jun Auto, Spoon, or TODA RACING cam gears)
2) Have the tuner set your management as though you are still using A/C within the software whether or not you're actually using it. When the cam idle drops a bit due to the increased voltage drop from a high-speed cooling fan, or an A/C compressor, it can cause the engine to stall, especially if coming to a stop when going into neutral (i.e. no rev match when slowing down)
3) Have a throttle body with a fine idle screw attached. Using the throttle stop alone won't help in ensuring that the idle stays consistent. The amount of vacuum is really low, so you have to account for that adjustment. In addition, life will also be easier if you keep your IACV and FITV on the car.
4) Your standard HKS SSQV will not hold the amount of pressure needed for this. You'd need a higher rated spring for the turbocharger that you're using . (I keep my original 1999 HKS SSQV in a clear case as a collector's item). You'll want either the HKS Race valve (which has a much better adjustable spring, and no need to take the housing apart to change), and works with the low vacuum of the GSC camshafts, so there's no guess-work.
5)Make sure you follow the break-in procedures located on the card!! That's really important considering the high spring seat pressure you're valvesprings are using.
6) The tuner will see a bit of unsteady acceleration between about 2400-3000 rpms in lower gears. The car may start to "buck" a little bit at this rpm range, due to the GSC's small hiccup of cam surge. There's nothing to worry about, as some of it may be able to be tuned out, but expect it to be there. This is common on large camshafts with these characteristics even in larger V8 applications. So, there's not a lot one can do about it, but don't let your tuner obsess over it. That person will just wind up with a head ache.
The best solution I've found for that is really to change your shift driving habits. The car is really going to want to move in 2nd gear at a lower rpm, faster than you want. So, I find that 1st gear is literally to get the car moving forward, then going right into second gear. It won't cause any "lugging" of the engine as though it's a DI engine, but you'll see what I'm talking about after your tune session.
7) Lastly. Do not try to tune out the "lope" in the camshafts, or try to "smooth it out". It totally changes the behaviour of the camshafts, and not in a good way.
That's all I can think of for now..
Last edited by TheShodan; Mar 11, 2020 at 11:09 AM.
1) If you plan to use aftermarket cam gears, you need to purchase the GSC camshaft extended bolts and washer kit from them. They aren't expensive, but the stock camshaft bolts don't put enough threads into the camshafts when using aftermarket gears other than something similar to OEM (like Jun Auto, Spoon, or TODA RACING cam gears)
2) Have the tuner set your management as though you are still using A/C within the software whether or not you're actually using it. When the cam idle drops a bit due to the increased voltage drop from a high-speed cooling fan, or an A/C compressor, it can cause the engine to stall, especially if coming to a stop when going into neutral (i.e. no rev match when slowing down)
3) Have a throttle body with a fine idle screw attached. Using the throttle stop alone won't help in ensuring that the idle stays consistent. The amount of vacuum is really low, so you have to account for that adjustment. In addition, life will also be easier if you keep your IACV and FITV on the car.
4) Your standard HKS SSQV will not hold the amount of pressure needed for this. You'd need a higher rated spring for the turbocharger that you're using . (I keep my original 1999 HKS SSQV in a clear case as a collector's item). You'll want either the HKS Race valve (which has a much better adjustable spring, and no need to take the housing apart to change), and works with the low vacuum of the GSC camshafts, so there's no guess-work.
5)Make sure you follow the break-in procedures located on the card!! That's really important considering the high spring seat pressure you're valvesprings are using.
6) The tuner will see a bit of unsteady acceleration between about 2400-3000 rpms in lower gears. The car may start to "buck" a little bit at this rpm range, due to the GSC's small hiccup of cam surge. There's nothing to worry about, as some of it may be able to be tuned out, but expect it to be there. This is common on large camshafts with these characteristics even in larger V8 applications. So, there's not a lot one can do about it, but don't let your tuner obsess over it. That person will just wind up with a head ache.
The best solution I've found for that is really to change your shift driving habits. The car is really going to want to move in 2nd gear at a lower rpm, faster than you want. So, I find that 1st gear is literally to get the car moving forward, then going right into second gear. It won't cause any "lugging" of the engine as though it's a DI engine, but you'll see what I'm talking about after your tune session.
7) Lastly. Do not try to tune out the "lope" in the camshafts, or try to "smooth it out". It totally changes the behaviour of the camshafts, and not in a good way.
this is my first comment on honda tech. Hope I did it right lol. You want to sleeve? call Jeff at CNC Werx for there cylinder support system. There claim is 500-700 wheel hp with there block gaurd.
Last edited by TheShodan; Jun 7, 2020 at 02:40 PM.
piggy96’s EM1 build
After this happened I decided to pick up a type r bare block and stock LS crank and have the rest of the internals installed in the new block. I also had the head built as well. So this is the new/current engine build
