Just looking for some opinions on what I should do with my CRX. Unfortunately, getting older I haven't stayed in the tuner/honda game. I put a b16 in it in highschool back in 2006. It has your typical bolt ons but the last few years ive non opp'd it because I have my truck that I use for work. Also, the transmission has bad synchros in 3-4-5 gears. I did a wet compression test because it felt like I loss a bunch of top end power and sure enough the compression is low. I want to start working on it again. I plan to yank the motor and transmission but MY QUESTION IS, what would you do if you were me? I always thought to build the motor and obviously the transmission, to handle low boost and turbo it with a hondata ecu and a clean tune, nothing crazy. I know its not that simple, im not retarded, I just want to know, from someone that is active in the honda tuning community. Without any negativity, can anyone give me their two cents on gow they would go about getting this on the road again. I want it quick but reliable. Street/strip.

 

If I were you I'd get all the problems out of the way and fix it. After that like you said I would do the simple bolt ons to help support a smaller turbo. Boost it to 280 horsepower and leave it at that if you didn't want to build the internals but if you did then you could push more power. (280 hp is safe for a good stock internal engine and is a quick daily for sure)

 

First I'd do a leak down test to find out if an internal rebuild is necessary on the engine. If so, rebuild the block with .5mm over forged pistons, h beam rods, new bearings, and ARP head studs. Refresh the head with new valve springs, retainers, and stem seals.

Then upgrade clutch/pressure plate, ECU, and get an entry level kit from Go-Autoworks.

Plan to spend several thousand dollars. ***** expensive these days. Get the trans rebuilt yourself or locally with Synchrotech replacement parts.

 

My friend killed 2 b16 cable transmissions that had open diff.

I just got an 89 crx with Integra B16 swap, cable trans, open diff. Synchros are shot. I am deff putting in a helical LSD when it gets taken apart. That's top priority.

For the engine, your engine, I would take it apart and inspect it. My guess is new valve guides, valve seals, valve seats, piston rings, bearings, seals and gaskets. Have a good machine shop do the work on the head at minimum. Maybe have them hone the block too. Make sure to add ring gap. I'd go with supertech valve guides and seals based on many years running them myself and my machinest's recommendation.

I wouldn't jump into doing forged stuff right off the bat, least of all choosing a .5mm over piston blindly to me makes absolutely zero sense. I've cracked ring lands (twice) and the first time you could hardly catch a nail. We went .25mm over and it was good. I cracked the replacement cast Nippon ones a second time, and it didn't even scratch the cylinders. Motor now has 81.25mm 11:1 wisecos. I should have added gap to the rings on the OEM and replacement Nippon pistons over stock spec, but I didn't know it till too late. Standing on it in 5th gear at high boost will do those kind of things with tight gap... Anyway, overbore only 0.25mm at first. .5mm service limit only if you gotta. My 2c

Hand port it while you are in there. Don't go too agressive, but even a little port matching will go a long way.

​​​​I also would not go Hondata, for that money you could do the Haltech 550. But I would prob just do HTS or similar, free. (I tuned my CRX on e85 with BMTune, works fine).

+1 for go autoworks, I run their charge pipes, exhaust manifolds, and radiators.

Kteller is a good exhaust supplier along those lines too.

​​​​My stock B16 (in my EK) was on a GTX2871R turbo and 8psi low boost, 16psi high boost, never dyno'd, but estimated around 300. It was a great setup with a lot of pep. I am working to put back together again [wisecos this time tho] (after EK gets painted). 30-40mpg all day too! Used to have a ramhorn manifold, stuff always got too hot trying to lap race or super hot days and slow traffic. I feel like the ramhorn was like a heat coil saturating the head and bay with excess exhaust heat. New manifold is mini-ram. Straight down into the turbo and full 3in vband out, get the heat outta there.

Hope that helps

 

IMO if you're going to take the time and pay the cash to reassemble one of these blocks, you may as well do it right the first time and spend the extra coin on forged internals. Especially if you know you're going boost. As you said, you've cracked two sets of ring lands on cast pistons.

I agree .25mm over would be ideal if you can find pistons with a good CR. I went .5mm overbore because I had more options available at 81.5mm than 81.25, and in either case you're still left with plenty of meat on the sleeve.