I'm not a new member, but seeing the rash of thefts going on, I thought it would be safer to start a new account when discussing my car, so please don't assume or treat me like a newbie. I need some EDUCATED feedback, so if you're talking out of your ***, please don't respond.

My setup:
B18C block, stock bore
Stock bore CTR pistons
B16A head, mild port, polish, 3 angle valve job
Toda Spec B's
Toda Valve Springs
Crower Ti Retainers
JDM ITR 4-1 SS header
B18C tranny
ITR intake manifold
JUN Cam Gears
RPS Turbo Clutch
Walbro 255 lph HP fuel pump
STR Fuel Rail
'98 Prelude 290cc Fuel Injectors
P30 Mugen Chipped ECU
Carsound 2.5" Hi flow cat.
Custom 2.5" SS exhaust
Stillen FPR w/Gauge
Crane Hi-6 w/PS-92 Coil
Honda OEM headgasket
RS Akimoto intake
Unorthodox Underdrive pulley
A'pexi VAFC
No power steering

Near future acquisitions
Yoshio tuned ECU
Erick's Racing 70mm throttle body


The motor has finally been broken in, and now it's time for test and tune. The questions I have are as follows:

1)FUEL DELIVERY. For those with a Toda setup, how's your gas mileage? My dilemma: in the not too distant future, I'm going to be purchasing a Yoshio programmed ECU for my car. In the meantime, I'm getting about 200 miles to a tank of gas, which means my car is running VERY rich. Fuel pressure is set @ 45psi. I have the VAFC fuel setting set at -50 @ 1500 rpms and below in order to get a stock idle. Anything higher and the car starts to die out. Every setting after that is -20 at low AND high throttle. I don't know what the timing is set at due to the fact that I don't own a timing gun, and I won't be able to get access to one until mid next week. The cam gears have 0 degress of adjustment. Any suggestions to help my fuel problem? I'm thinking that I *REALLY* need to find out what the timing is set at, and that this may be contributing to my little dilemma. Don't suggest taking the car to a dyno and getting a wide band o2 sensor hooked up to it b/c there isn't one for about 500 miles, and I don't have the funds seeing as I spent a grip to get the parts for this motor.
2)Compression Any ideas of what the compression is? I've heard that with this setup, it's anywhere from 11.8:1-12.2:1. Anyone have anything CONCRETE? The reason I'm asking is that I'm thinking of switching from the OEM headgasket to either the Mugen or Spoon thin headgasket to raise the compression, and I've read many times on this board that w/the Toda setup, you have to worry about valve/piston slap, which I'm trying hard to avoid. Any ideas on compression w/this setup and those two chioces of headgaskets? And no, I DON'T want to mill the head (sorry, Mike K ), so that's not an option either.
3)Headstuds Before I set up the car, I took the block to a machine shop, and had the headstud holes cleaned and helicoiled for extra strength due to the stress caused by a high compression motor. I think that it will also grip the headstuds better. I'm thinking about replacing stock headbolts w/ARP headstuds as an extra measure of safety, any recommendations on that?
4)Tranny issues My clutch has always chattered. In the past 2 days, however, my tranny has developed this little schism; it won't go into fourth gear w/out grinding. And sometimes, it won't come out of reverse. I have to fight with it. I just had the synchros replaced about 1500 miles ago, and my tranny guy is the local Acura certified technician, so I'm positive about the quality of work. I'm thinking that the clutch could be going out. What about you guys/girls?
5)Blowby I'm getting a lot of blowby, i.e., atomized oil coming out of the exhaust. I'm thinking that the valve seals need to be replaced.
6)Horsepower I'm thinking I'll eclipse the 200 whp mark easily w/this setup once properly tuned and I'm looking for confirmation.

Sorry for the length of the post, and much love for those who took time to read it and respond.




[Modified by naturallyaspirated, 5:05 PM 12/9/2001]

 

In regards to questions 3, 5, and 6. Here goes:
.3 ARP headstuds can only help in a high compression application, so, yes go with the ARP studs.

.5 If you still are getting a noticeable amount of blowby, then it means one of two things. Either your motor isn't fully broken in, or premature use of synthetic oil. If its the latter, your rings will NEVER seat properly.

.6 And last but not least 200 WHP should be no problem at all with your set up. Hope I was of some help to you.


[Modified by H-PIMP, 5:21 AM 12/9/2001]

 

Just like to say. Nice set up!!

 

I'll offer my opinion about questions #1 and #5.

#1: 20mpg is below average for daily driving, but not if you're constantly in v-tec. I get 6-7mpg on the track, and 29-30mpg daily driving. Your right foot has a lot to do with your gas mileage. Why do you think your timing would not be 16 deg BTDC? Did you rotate the distributor without using a timing gun? Running a few degrees off stock timing would not cause you to run ultra rich. If you were off by more than a few degrees, you would feel sluggishness off the line. Try getting an a/f meter to give you an idea where your mixture is at.

#5: Yes I'd start with the valve seals if you have oil blowing through your exhaust. Are you sure it's oil? Running very rich causes a black soot to accumulate on your exhaust tip. Good luck.

 

Yes, but are they NECESSARY? Remember, I'm on a tight budget right now, and those are like $120+ for my application.

I broke the engine in according to what Mike K mentioned in a previous post awhile back.

I'm not constantly in VTEC; remember, I just broke the motor in, so this has been occuring since I started the car. I feel a bit of sluggishness of the line, though; sometimes, with light prodding of the throttle, it will bog momentarily. We did remove the distributor when the engine was being put back together, so I'll have to look at that later this week.

Yes, I'm positive it's oil. It's gathering on the back bumper, and when I run my hand along it, it has an oily consistency.




[Modified by naturallyaspirated, 6:46 PM 12/9/2001]

 

welcome..

 

ttt

 

Ok pal...Ihave some answers for you...what I want you to do next time you put together your motor is measure how far down from the DECK of the block is the top of the piston...the true top...not the dome.

If it is 10k, then your compression is about 12.07:1
If it is 35k, then your compression is about 11.2:1
If you take the head gasket down 1 layer, then your head gasket will have an effective measurement of about 17k. Which will raise your current compression by: .3 approx.

Thats your basis...

About the HP...I think I I got ahold of that motor, about 200 WHp is possible. Your header flows, your intake manifold flows, you have big cams, high compression, looks good.

Clutch? It chatters? To be honest with you, every good clutch that grabs will slightly chatter...expecially all the pucks.

Good luck with your motor pal.

Jeff

 

you're running rich because #1 your fuel pump is way oversized for your application , you have a chipped ecu which i'm sure they added fuel to it in the maps, and big injectors on top of that.

Try this lower your fuel press to 35-40psi. Either switch to smaller injectors.

 

1. I get around 30mpg on average.
I dont think it will be worth your while to get the Yoshio ECU.
Yes, timing is very important, you should set that as soon as possible.
The mugen program is really bad. it doesnt run in closed loop which
is the cause of all of your poor gas mileage and running rich.
if your motor was recently assembled and you have been running on this
program the entire time, i would do a compression test to see how well
your rings are holding up, this program runs THAT rich. It has no relation
to your fuel pump as FAST94GSR would like to think.

3. ARP head studs are crap. just use the factory head bolts.

4. Just because someone works for a dealership, dont assume that they do
good work. 9times out of 10 they dont know anything and their work quality
is incredibly poor. This problem will either be clutch, fluid, or synchro related.

5. i assume you meant that your car is SMOKING. if there is actual oil coming
out of your exhaust then that is a lot of oil to make it that far. but there are a
number of reasons why your car could burn oil, valve seals are just one of them.

 

I KNOW that the pump isn't the cause of the issue, that was never really a concern to me. I know people that are running a LOT more timid applications using that pump, just to be on the safe end. I know my fuel setup is just fine for this application.

And yeah, I'm talking about a bit of smoke, only @ high rpms, though, like when I romp on the gas, *poof* there's the smoke, or if I'm @ high RPMs, *poof* there's the smoke again, like a dark freakin' vapor trail.

My tranny guy from the dealership is good. He's been there for about 10 years, and he's one of the few they let touch the NSXs. He's rebuilt my tranny before, and he takes a LOT of the side jobs here in town for the local Honda/Acura folks. I trust him implicitly.

No Yoshio ECU? Then what do you recommend?


[Modified by naturallyaspirated, 2:12 AM 12/10/2001]

 

Valve seals generally cause smoke during high vacuum situations.
full throttle high rpm is most likely going to be rings.

 

And what about the fuel pressure?

 

Listen to Sgt. He made alot of good points.

Jeff

 

so your saying that there isnt a need for arp studs evern with a high compression motor with big cams????


[Modified by newspeedR, 9:37 PM 12/9/2001]

 

Thats right.

They just make it harder to remove/reinstall the cylinder head. Thats about it.

 

Yep, I know this one.

Do a leak down test. I thought it was my valve guides too, and once the leak down test was done, we found out it was the rings.

Went a bit like this.

Compression check
1 - 200psi
2 - 175psi
3 - 190psi
4 - 200psi

Leak down
1 - 97%
2 - 80%
3 - 96%
4 - 98%

Cylinder #2 is the cause of my problems. 20% leakage. Not noticable during regular driving, but when I kick into VTEC, I don't just *puff* smoke, I bellow it out big time.