Hi to all, new to the forum, but not new in cars and in Hondas too. The CRX is my second Honda (first one was a '92 SOHC VTEC EG Civic), and I wanted to buy one pretty much since the first day it came out (around '87).

Car is pretty much perfect. Only needs the heater controls panel (slightly broken), and the driver's mirror casing (broken).

My only real question is this: the car has a reprogrammed ECU (VTEC unchanged at 5500, but cut-off at 8600, and new fuel maps), full custom exhaust with racing cat, intake, plugs and wires, and valves and valve springs from the TypeR B16. Everything else in the engine bay is unchanged. Do the valves and valve springs affect the CR in any way, and is it possible to use a thinner gasket to increase the CR a bit ? (around 11:1). Also, will a FPR do any good ?

Since this is my -sort of- daily driver, I dont want to drop too much money into it. So, if you have any good suggestions about performance mods, I'm all ears

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by The Ace &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


Do the valves and valve springs affect the CR in any way? </TD></TR></TABLE>

No, your best bet to increase compression is to mill the head a little.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Also, will a FPR do any good ? </TD></TR></TABLE>

Not unless your car has significant mods, such as cams, IM, TB etc...

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Since this is my -sort of- daily driver, I dont want to drop too much money into it. So, if you have any good suggestions about performance mods, I'm all ears </TD></TR></TABLE>


It seems that the motor is begging for some CTR cams, you already have the b16b valvetrain so I would install the CTR cams. Cams, a good header and a free flowing intake manifold is what I would do next.

 

i'd agree with the ctr cams. a friend was telling me it made a crazy huge difference in his b18c1 eg hatch. not totally sure about the b16, but it should still be significant.

 

I totally agree with the CTR cams, since I know they will send the car over the 200HP mark (car is already putting down close to 175WHP). Thing is, the CTR cams are rather expensive, and the car will also need reprogramming in the ECU, which will send the total cost way over my earmarked amount

The reason why I mentioned the FPR and the gasket (probably a Mugen one) is because these are cheaper than dropping in the CTR cams, and will probably net a few HP. Milling is also an option, but it will require major headwork (and probably some polishing too), which will also make this a more expensive option.

Gears and pulleys are also something that I have considered, but they dont offer that much anyway, and are more show than go. A lighter clutch+flywheel will also be nice, but I will have problems locating those in Greece.......

 

http://www.jdmhondaparts.com has ctr intake cam for 250$ i think thats a reasonable price

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by The Ace &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I totally agree with the CTR cams, since I know they will send the car over the 200HP mark (car is already putting down close to 175WHP). Thing is, the CTR cams are rather expensive, and the car will also need reprogramming in the ECU, which will send the total cost way over my earmarked amount

The reason why I mentioned the FPR and the gasket (probably a Mugen one) is because these are cheaper than dropping in the CTR cams, and will probably net a few HP. Milling is also an option, but it will require major headwork (and probably some polishing too), which will also make this a more expensive option.

Gears and pulleys are also something that I have considered, but they dont offer that much anyway, and are more show than go. A lighter clutch+flywheel will also be nice, but I will have problems locating those in Greece.......</TD></TR></TABLE>


After a certain point you are going to have spend some money to gain HP.

With the CTR cams, you won't need to reprogram the ECU, a VAFC would do the trick. But you are in Greece, so I really have no clue as to the availability of aftermarket parts. Good luck with whatever you do though.

 

CTR cams go for about 280$-300$ (or 250E). Thing is, if you add the work cost, this will probably go as high as 500$, which isnt something I want to do in a 7K car. On the other hand, a head gasket costs around 120$, and installation is a snap, so its a fairly easy, fast and cheap way to gain a couple of HP

 

A CRX was availible in 1992? Sounds like a good project anyway. I am pulling my DOHC ZC and doing a full JDM Civic SiR conversion on my car, just bought a half cut with 98,000 kilometers on it to change over, now to research the B16 for best low cost power upgrades, search engine will be getting a workout by me today.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by virginia_dude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">A CRX was availible in 1992? </TD></TR></TABLE>


I think in Europe and Japan the crx was available until the 92 model year...

 

Indeed, in Europe and Japan the EK series CRX was sold until 1992, so the period is '88-'92, and not '88-'91. And of course not only that, but it was also offered with the B16 engine (160HP), something that was not so in the US, since you only got the SOHC engine.....

 

Yes everybody else got the good engines but the USA. Why I don't know except they were trying to make the most out of ECONOMY at the time. And out engines did get better gas milage than the B series engines.

 

Maybe, but after looking at the specs, I dont see how anyone could justify not supplying a whole country with a specific model, just because its mileage was 2% worse than that of a lower spec-ed model.......

Driving the DOHC VTEC normally (i.e. without climbing up to 9K every 20 seconds ), it can achieve an exceptionally good mileage, much better than my RX7

PS: And of course I have to correct myself: the chassis code is EF and not EK.....

 

Is there anything diffrent than the 91 and 92 other than the fact it has DOHC VTEC and is RHD? oh and of course the gauge cluster.

 

I don't think there are any differences between '91 CRX's and what are called '92's. From what I've read, ALL EF CRX production stopped by the end of 1991, anyway. So they're really only '92's in NAME ONLY. They were really left-over '91's, and not really a seperate model year. In Japan they had had the VTEC engine since 1989, so that wasn't really new either.

 

Why would the '92 models be RHD ? Japan AND Europe got the EF for one more year And indeed we got the B16A (in the "VTEC" model) since '89.

My CRX might have been built in '91, I havent checked yet, but it was imported, sold and licenced in '92, so that makes it a '92 in my eyes

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by The Ace &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Why would the '92 models be RHD ? Japan AND Europe got the EF for one more year And indeed we got the B16A (in the "VTEC" model) since '89.

My CRX might have been built in '91, I havent checked yet, but it was imported, sold and licenced in '92, so that makes it a '92 in my eyes </TD></TR></TABLE>
Not sure what you're saying here.
Why a '92 RHD? --- There have ALWAYS been RHD CRX's regardless of year. I'm not dabating the validity of a '92 CRX's existence. I'm merely saying they are not metarially different than a '91 because they are in reality the same.

 

No, you dont understard, all I was asking was is there anything diffrent from our 91 and the 92 in europe then I stated what i already knew would be diffrent. You should have seen that in the context of my statment, oh well.

 

just reading through this and niticing one of your reasons for wanting to do a headgasket instead of cams....I disagree with your logic on:

having a shop install cams would bring total cost up around 500 while headgasket installation is a snap...

correct me if I am wrong, but dont you need to pull the cams to pull the head? MIght as well replace the headgasket AND do the cams...makes sense to me since the motor would be in half anyways.

only other thing I noticed is the comment of cams putting your b16 over 200 whp..I kinda think thats a little higher than you would get out of a cam install (at least oem cams/valvetrain of any type)

 

also..one other thing I didnt quiteagree with..you dont HAVE to port and polish etc. to mill the head, although if you have upgraded valvetrain and are considering cams and upping the CR with milling and thinning down the head gasket, it DEFINATELY wouldnt hurt to have your motor breathing better with a p+p etc. fpr wont bump c/r, neither will basically ANY headwork other than milling

 

OK, all answers in one:

@ 4crx4me: I didnt deny the fact that there were RHD CRXs. I just replied to 91_CRX_Si's post where he assumed that the '92 CRXs were RHD just because they should be in Japan only. I just clarified that Europe got some CRXs in '92, and that they were LHD And indeed there were no differences between '91 and '92, because probably they were the exact same model, they were just produced and sold in different years.

@91_CRX_Si: I completely understood your post, thats why I just wanted to clarify the issue a little bit more. Indeed there were no differences (as far as I know, that is), but Europe got its share of LHD models in '92, thats all.......

@amber-bling: I already happen to know the installation cost for both items, and indeed the prices are those that I posted. For the cams (both of them), the total cost will climb to *at least* 700-800E (1E=1,2$). For the gasket, the total cost will be close to 200-250E. As you can see, the difference is quite big And remember, installing a gasket is indeed simple. Installing cams means a whole lot more than just dropping in the cams. As for the final WHP, already my CRX is putting down close to 175WHP (173 point something actually). So I'm thinking that with the lift, duration and overlap of the CTR cams, I'll be much closer to the 200HP mark. Notice that I said "200HP" and not "200WHP", because right now I'm at 175WHP and 192HP, so gaining just 8-10HP with the CTR cams seems very reasonable to me
As for the milling thing, as you have already seen I have the CTR valvetrain, more aggresive ECU, and intake/exhaust as well. P+P is almost a MUST under these circumstances....
And I dont expect the FPR to up the CR, I just wanted to know if the CTR valves affect the CR in any way. I know that the CTR pistons affect the CR, but I wasnt sure about the valves......

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> totally agree with the CTR cams, since I know they will send the car over the 200HP mark (car is already putting down close to 175WHP). Thing is, the CTR cams are rather expensive, and the car will also need reprogramming in the ECU, which will send the total cost way over my earmarked amount </TD></TR></TABLE>

highly unlikely. an exhaust isnt going to give you more whp than stock crank horsepower, and CTR cams in a B16A isnt goign to give you more power than a B16B

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by The Ace &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">OK, all answers in one:

@ 4crx4me: I didnt deny the fact that there were RHD CRXs. I just replied to 91_CRX_Si's post where he assumed that the '92 CRXs were RHD just because they should be in Japan only. I just clarified that Europe got some CRXs in '92, and that they were LHD And indeed there were no differences between '91 and '92, because probably they were the exact same model, they were just produced and sold in different years.

@91_CRX_Si: I completely understood your post, thats why I just wanted to clarify the issue a little bit more. Indeed there were no differences (as far as I know, that is), but Europe got its share of LHD models in '92, thats all.......
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yes, this what I trying to say, as well. Sorry for any confusion I caused. Actually I think ALL EF/EE 1992 CRX's were sold in Europe.
From what I've read, mostly Greece, Italy. Cypress one or two other southern European countries as well.

 

Like amber-bling said, you gotta pull the cams to change the headgasket. And its a lot less work changing cams out, then changing headgaskets.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by The Ace &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">OK, all answers in one:
@amber-bling: I already happen to know the installation cost for both items, and indeed the prices are those that I posted. For the cams (both of them), the total cost will climb to *at least* 700-800E (1E=1,2$). For the gasket, the total cost will be close to 200-250E. As you can see, the difference is quite big And remember, installing a gasket is indeed simple. Installing cams means a whole lot more than just dropping in the cams. </TD></TR></TABLE>

 

Damn, this "Trial User" thing is really starting to **** me off.......

Anyway, I didnt say its more or less actual work. I said its more simple to install a headgasket, because you simply take off a few bolts, remove head and cams, put it on, apply the glue, and reinstall everything. While if you want to install the cams, its the same amount of work, but afterwards you also have to calibrate/adjust them, and almost 99% of the time adjust the A/F and timings (either by reprogramming or by using a piggyback). And like I said, I have already been quoted the total costs, and the difference is quite big

@91civicDXdude: As for the gains of a full exhaust and the cams, I already know what my B16A puts down. So, obviously the exhaust along with everything else (and mainly the ECU) improves the stock output by almost 30HP. I dont know if the cams, the gasket or a FPR will actually do anything, thats why I'm so hesitant about doing these mods. I only *assume* that they will help.......

 

You got some high hopes as far as horsepower gains, bolt ons give you very little horsepower for the most part.