Engine Questions

[JDMFantasy2k]

Well after pondering engine mods for sometime i've concluded i won't be able to do a turbo for sometime. I've been reading "How to Build Honda Horsepower" and they give some pretty good ideas. So i was thinking of installing a crower camshaft. So far i have a exhaust and intake, and i was thinking of removing my cat. So i figure i'll need the cam, and a cam gear. Also would it help if i upgraded my injectors and purchased a fuel management system like the apexi vfac? Oh and one other question, if i do run a straight pipe, what do i do about the cat sensor?

[pdiggitydogg]

crower is junk...Ive seen so many that just break. Look into Zex and skunk2 (aka junk/skank2...their cams are good though). Cam gear....eh sure. I wouldnt get AEM because they only have 3 slots for tighenting and others have 4.

If you run a straight/test pipe instead of a cat you will need an o2 simulator. You can build it (I think there is a how-to in the step by step) or buy it (Ive heard good things about the one sold @ kteller.com's store)

A vafc will only yield more power if you take all your stuff to a dyno and spend some time tuning it and playing w/ different a/f ratios and vtec points...just slapping one on wont do anything.

After those, think about valves and springs, retainers, etc.

[JDMFantasy2k]

wow thanks, umm if i lightened up my valvetrain (valves, springs, retainers) and went through with the cam and whatnot, could i raise my rev limiter?

[pdiggitydogg]

the important parts are the valves springs and retainers...the cam isnt that important for revving higher....expept for making the power.
If you get a cam that makes power above the stock specs (6800+) then the valvetrain would make sense...do research into what cams would do that.

Of course you would still need to have the ecu moddified to change the rev limiter...
At that point you might as well change to obd1 p28 and chip that. Plus you could bypass the o2 simulator by doing that.

[sicones]

I have an AEM cam gear for sale if you want it, let me know btw aem cams gears are not junk

[pdiggitydogg]

I just took a quick spin on h-t searching aem cam gear
every post on it (searching all forums) was either a classified ad selling it, because they "bought something else"
or about people complaining about how they dont hold, strip, or get worn teeth quickly.

ie-
http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=752636
http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=837821
http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=84788

Even if I read 1 post on how they slip...I wouldnt get one...

[sicones]

People are stupid they dont torque them down to the right specs they tighten them to much, to little, and they strip the bolts

[sicones]

BTW what kind of cam gears do you think they use on the 1,500hp AEM civic

[esthirteen]

All a matter of opinion on whos heard what and whos used what. different cars do different things to different products. bottom line

[JDMFantasy2k]

Also reguarding camshafts, it's kinda hard do find them for the y8, most all of them are for the z6, who makes them for my engine?

[pdiggitydogg]

it doesnt matter


And I dont care what gears they use in their own car...they have access to new parts all the time so what difference does that make? Its a race car...it runs a handful of times per year.

[JDMFantasy2k]

so even though it says it's for the z6 it'll still work for the y8?

[pdiggitydogg]

yes, the timing will be a little off...but you mentioned getting a cam gear too...so you could adjust it

[oc civic]

Originally posted by JDMFantasy2k
so even though it says it's for the z6 it'll still work for the y8?

IF you get a aftermarket cam just get the right one.. there are y8 cuts out there..

[NOTA-EX]

If you go straight-pipe you can put a hole in the pipe and stick the sensor in there and then close up the hole around it, or I heard that people would just tape the sensor up and get an obd1.

[pdiggitydogg]

Do that and you'll throw a cell...that or foul the sensor before 100miles
pipe+obd2=no work

[JDMFantasy2k]

well say i just throw in the straight pipe and don't do anything, then what? I get some malfunction code and that's it?

[pdiggitydogg]

you will get the cell for 2ndary o2, yes

I dont remember if that code puts the car into limp mode or not. If it doesnt then you will just have to deal w/ the light being on all the time and thats it...its really damn annoying too

Just get a high flow cat like carsound...it will work well, you will be legal and you probably wont throw a cell

[NOTA-EX]

if you just throw the o2 sensor to the side it'll say you're running lean and will add assloads of gas to the mixture so you'll be running really rich and burn gas like a mofo. no firsthand experience, but its what i learned on H-T

[JDMFantasy2k]

well i could really care less about being legal lol, i've already gotten pulled over for my loud ass exhaust so all i have to say is FTP. The other reason i wanted a straight pipe is because i can make it rather than spending the 10 cents i have on a high flow cat. And what the hell is limp mode? does that mean my car needs viagra or something?

[nonovurbizniz]

limp mode is short for "limp home" mode... it lets the car run under what it percieves to be VERY bad conditions...

Generally it's when the shit hits the fan...

A secondary o2 shouldn't send you to limp... but it will make the car not run as well...

The car's fueling is dependant on the readings from both o2 sensors... if you remove the cat w/o somehow reprogramming the values it's looking for then it's going to run off of the maps which will make the car run crappier than it would with the sensors working... which most likely negate any power gained by the straight pipe.

You could get a simulator/emulator as mentioned...

I'd do some research on H-T and try to figure out what other people have done and DEFINATELY works unless you feel like experimenting with your car.

[JDMFantasy2k]

okay so say there's two o2 sensors, could i wire the 2nd one from the cat into the 1st sensor on the exhaust? That way it would read the same as the first one?

[pdiggitydogg]

you could...but it wouldnt do anything
it would sense a non-functional cat - exhaust isnt being filtered
and it would still throw a cell

as said, the only way you can get around it is to switch to obd1 w/ a p28 ecu and a harness OR you can run a simulator (the sensor still needs to be plugged in because of the heater in it)

Thats it...one or the other

[oc civic]

Originally posted by JDMFantasy2k
all i have to say is FTP.

what the hell are you talking about..

[JDMFantasy2k]

fuck the police, i was trying to not be vulgar. Seriously, they're such pricks around here. A buddy of mine got pulled over doing 65 on the highway because of his 'exhaust' when its quieter than mine. We assume that the cop saw it and wanted to meet his quota or something dumb.

[oc civic]

Originally posted by JDMFantasy2k
fuck the police, i was trying to not be vulgar. Seriously, they're such pricks around here. A buddy of mine got pulled over doing 65 on the highway because of his 'exhaust' when its quieter than mine. We assume that the cop saw it and wanted to meet his quota or something dumb.

i like the police.. they protect me from evil criminals...

[JDMFantasy2k]

well yeah i mean they can be good, like stopping people from stealing our beautiful cars, but they kinda suck. A bank in my town got robbed twice in one week, and a sunnyside convienece store got held up twice in 3 days. And did the police catch the guys?... well i think they got one of them. But they could use some improvement in my area.