i have some questions for you. my car is really starting to eat up oil and i found out my compression #s arnt as good as i figured.
im really thinking of installing some ITR or CTR pistons, i have never done any piston work before and i need to know a few things.

1. can i do it with head removed and the block still in the car?
2. can i use stock sleves?
3. will i need to bore the block or anything? will i need to take it to a machine shop?
4. i have a good tool set but just general stuff is there any special tools i will need?
5. should i just use my stock gsr rods or should i get some aftermarket 1s?

when ido this im gona replace all the gaskets i can and maby get some head work while its off.

any help you can give me would be great. im not rushing in to this and im gona wait about 6 months before i attempt it.

thanks

 

Okay to get you started, you can remove the head and swap the pistons and rods in the car, not as easy as taking the motor out but very possible. If you car is eating oil like that then you sleeves might need to get punched out(bored) with the use of oversized pistons to restore good compression. However when you disassemble the block and pull the head examine the sleeves closey for scratches or imperfections assuming there are none you can keep your stock bore... all b18 motors and b16 motors are all 81mm so you will be fine. Good luck. Machine shop would be the way to go if you have the funds redo your bottom end, bearings, thrust washers etc.

 

so if my stock sleeves are ok and not all messed up then i dont need to have it honed or bored? once i take the head off there is no way to really move the car and i cant take the block out all the way because i dont have a engine picker. im good with motors and ive changed a buncha cams and did 2 timeing belts but i am really scared im gona mess this 1 up. is this really a DIY or should i go pay out the *** and have a shop do it for me?

(if the sleeves are ok then the piston will just pop in no machine work required?)

 

ok i just thought about it and i might as well pull the engine out, i plan in doing a hole na build up and it would be alot easer if i buy the parts and get 100% of them and then pull the motor and do it all at once.

this a good deal?
http://www.bargainjims.com/Ima...boaio

i might as well buy it before i start pulling crap apart because i know it will come in handy


Modified by oMekoneDC2 at 10:37 PM 1/9/2004

 

i would get some ctr pistons and then boost later down the road

 

ya i just found some CTR pistons for sale, can you tell me the code that is on the piston? i dont wana get ripped. hes asking 150$ shipped that a good deal?

 

If you are anticipating problems it might be best to pull the motor that way it is easier to keep track of when is what and where is where, a nice work area is key, if you don't have an engine stand it could make doing the job diffcult out of the car. Also if you do not have the proper tool i.e. piston installer and excellent shop manual it may not be a job for the faint hearted.
But yes, assuming your stock sleeves are in good condition with no obvious signs of wear and tear you should be okay to just swap in some new rings and or if you feel like upgrading pistons as well. In the event you do take the motor to a machine shop overbore it. Patience and Attention to detail is key, if you have done timing belts you can easily handle the job just research it thorougly first

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by oMekoneDC2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
1. can i do it with head removed and the block still in the car?
2. can i use stock sleves?
3. will i need to bore the block or anything? will i need to take it to a machine shop?
4. i have a good tool set but just general stuff is there any special tools i will need?
5. should i just use my stock gsr rods or should i get some aftermarket 1s?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

1. Yes, but it's a BITCH. A lot more can go wrong when you do it this way. I've learned the hard way. See my log. I'm gonna pull the motor next time I atempt any sort of piston isntall. I've pulled motors before and it doesn't take long.

2. By all means YES. IMO, go .25 overbore and get yourself some low end torque and newly honed cylinderwalls. You will not regret it.

3. If you run .25 overbore you will need to take the block to a machine shop to have them bore it over. If you run standard size you can just buy a tool and do it yourself.

4. You do need some special tools. I highly recommend an ARP piston ring compressor ($40-50), Piston ring expander, Precision Straight edge ($6), Feeler Gauges ($6), and it depends what else you want to do yourself. A block honing tools cost about $12 bux from craftsman.

5. Stock GSR rods are fine. They work great actually.


IMO, I think you need to sit down and figure out what you want to do. Either pull the motor and take it to someone to overbore or leave it in the car. That way you can figure out how much you are going to spend, and what you need to buy.

If you pull the motor, it's aparently going to be easier, and you can get some new crank bearings and all that good stuff. Basically a full rebuild. Your motor will love you.

If you leave it in the car, it'll just limit you to what you can do and what you can replace. Hence a space restriction and it's much harder to work on the engine.

I also highly recommend using some sort of aftermarket head stud kit. Either ARP or the other brand I see being talked about here on HT (it's late I forget the name).

That should be about it. Once you sit down and figure out where you want to go with this, you'll have more detailed questions and we'll have more detailed answers.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RedLine_Performance &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i would get some ctr pistons and then boost later down the road</TD></TR></TABLE>

How the hell do you plan to boost a 12.1:1 CR car? Run like .5 PSI on a baby dick turbo?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by P1mpSlap &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
How the hell do you plan to boost a 12.1:1 CR car? Run like .5 PSI on a baby dick turbo?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I was thinkin the same thing but you got to him first .

 

thanks bro this is exactly what i needed to know, i think the first thing i buy is gona be a engine hoist and a engine stand. i can get them for like 289$ shipped. im gona make a list of all the parts i need and tools i need for the install. im prob gona try and get it all buy the 1st of april and then pull the motor and have it done by the end of the month.

like i said i have very little internal work under my belt but i think it will be better to get 81.25 and get the block bored like you said. this car is my daily driver and i cant have it down for more than like a month. (will have a loner during that time). how much does it cost to get the block bored?

this is what i wana do (big list)

CTR pistons
stock gsr rods with APR bolts
CTR cams
new rod and crank bearings
new oil pan (mines bent up)
new head gasket (oem 3 layer prob)
prob ITR valve springs and retaners (maby some other aftermarket 1s)
skunk2 IM
ITR tb
injestor size ? (sugestions please)
new fuel rail
FPR
metal cam seal (already have)
new water pump and timeing belt
adj cam gears
es mount unserts
apr head studs

for this amount of CR should i get hondata or will a vafc do me good?

anyone gime a good site to order a helms manual from? im gona read that thing good beofre i even start touching the motor

any changes to the list that will help me out are welcomed ( please add all the little **** that a first timer would not know to get before he starts)


Modified by oMekoneDC2 at 1:21 AM 1/10/2004

 

what will your cr ratio end up at. what octane fuel will you have to run, octane boost possibly. I am going to use jdm itr pistons probably and hope for 11.3 no higher then 11.5 since i am trying to stay street legal and very streetable, gotta love cali.

helms book new can only be purchased from http://helminc.com/helm/

 

i figure 12.09:1 with a oem 3 layer head gasket, we only got 91 octane at most places but i cna get 100 like 15 min away. (or make it at home for cheeper)

with hondata would it be possable to run 91 octane, or should i look in to ITR pistons instead of CTR

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by oMekoneDC2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i figure 12.09:1 with a oem 3 layer head gasket, we only got 91 octane at most places but i cna get 100 like 15 min away. (or make it at home for cheeper)

with hondata would it be possable to run 91 octane, or should i look in to ITR pistons instead of CTR</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm not sure what the altitude is over there, but if you are living in the higher altitude parts of CO, you might not have anything to worry about. The Higher altitude climate will compensate for the compression of your motor. You'll notice gains, but it'll run just fine on 91 octane.

 

im like about 5000 ft where i live.