2007 December » Honda Civic Blog

Well after days of research and eBay shopping I have come up with a rough parts list for my turbo project we talked about in the previous post. Please note that this list WILL change as the project goes on. Right now the cost of the kit is under $1200 but I havent added a new fuel pump or any misc. parts so it’s going to be hard to stay under $1500. This kit is not all about top notch performance. Its about getting to around 180 WHP for under $1500. So parts like the intercooler, gauges, and blow off valve are cheap eBay parts. Those kinds of parts dont need to be top of the line to be reliable. Parts like the turbo, however, will not be cheap. Anyway, here is the rough price list for all my parts:

1.) Turbo – Garrett T-25 unit out of the 88′/89′ 300ZX. $274.11

2.) Manifold – Stainless steel, T3 flanged unit. $91.99

3.) Adapter – GT-25 to T3 turbo adapter. $55.79

4.) Blow-Off Valve – Red Type RS blow-off valve. $44.00

5.) Intercooler/Piping – Intercooler, pipes, clamps, etc. $209.00

6.) Oil Line Kit – Oil feed and oil drain lines. $85.00

7.) Injectors – DSM 450cc injectors. Prices vary. $80.00

8.) Fuel Filter/Pressure Gauge – Filter and gauge. $40.98

9.) Downpipe – Stainless steel with flexpipe. $89.99

10.) O2 Bung/Plug – O2 bung and plug. $5.25

11.) Vacuum Manifold/Hoses – Manifold and hoses. $80.00

12.) Gauges & Pod – Boost, Air, Fuel pressure gauges in pod. $134.98

Well that’s it for now. I will let you know when I recieve any items on the list, or make any changes to it. Please check back for my next post. Thanks!

HondaCivicBlog.com is about to jump into a very fun turbo project. This is the first of many posts. In this post I will explain the basics of the project in terms of the car, the turbo parts, and other information. I will update you everytime something new happens with the project. For example, if I buy a new part, I will post telling you all about it and how it will contribute to the kit. I think you will really enjoy an in depth look into a turbo project. Read on!

Honda Civic

The donor car is a 1995 Honda Civic DX coupe. The original D15 was swapped for a Del Sol SI D16Z6 motor. The goal of this project is to obtain at least 170 WHP with a custom turbo kit that costs under $1500. The project should be completed within 4 months of this post depending on budget and time restraints. Upon finishing the project I will post a complete car profile with tons of pictures and information.

D16Z6 Honda Engine

So far the car has only basic and minimal modifications which include a CosmoRacing.com short shifter, Skunk2 Mega Power cat-back exhaust, and coilovers. The car also has Del Sol wheels which are lightweight. Hopefully, with the addition of a turbocharger, this car will be very fast. This concludes the first post of the series. Please check back for more!

If you have a lowered Honda (or any car for that matter) more than two inches you might want to look into a camber kit. Left unchecked, camber wear will wear down your tires faster than normal. If you want more information about the effects and causes of camber wear, please visit one of our previous posts, here. If you are interested in installing a camber kit, please visit this link for help. The example car is an Integra, but the basic process is similar for all Honda’s. Please enjoy!

Link: Installing a Camber Kit

You have probably heard the term H2B or F2B lately, but had no idea what it meant. If you felt stupid, you’re not alone! Many people have no idea what H2B/F2B means. This article is going to change that. I have put together some nice information about H2B/F2B swaps. Read up and you will understand what goes into the swap, how its done, and where to get started. Enjoy!

H2B/F2B Basics:

H2B (also called F2B; they are the same thing since F and H-Series transmissions have the same bolt pattern) is simply mating a B-Series transmission to an H or F-Series engine. H2B swaps use mostly B-Series parts including axles, shift linkage, mounts, and the clutch/pressure plate.

You may be wondering how on earth you can use B-Series mounts with an H or F-Series engine. Well since our Civics and Integra’s only have one mount connecting to the engine, we can use the B-Series mounts on the other two since they are on a B-Series transmission. A kit for H2B swaps includes a custom timing belt mount on the engine that will mount right up to a B-Series chassis mount. So now you can use all three B-Series mounts.

H2B Up’s and Down’s:

There is one main advantage of H2B, displacement. The popular H/F engines used are usually 2.2 liter. Big bore equals big power! H and F-Series longblocks are usually inexpensive which makes an H2B swap more cost effective than building a B-Series or buying a K-Series. K-Series swaps are new so they are very expensive. An H2B kit may seem expensive at first, but after its all said and done you will spend a lot less on an H2B swap than a K or B-Series motor that matches the power output of the H2B.

There are also disadvantages of H2B swaps. First, hood clearence is an issue with some swaps. The engine will sit higher in the chassis than a normal H or F-Series swap. Also, stock or aftermarket H/F-Series headers cannot be used since the engine is tilted more vertically when using an H2B kit. You will need to fabricate your own header or buy a custom H2B header. Links to those headers are below. Another issue is oil drain. Some kits tilt the engine too far. Some kits require oil drain plug relocation.

Helpful H2B Links:
H2B EVO Kit – A link to the EVO H2B Kit website.
H2B QSD Kit – A link to the QSD H2B Kit website.
Alternator Bracket – A link to a prefabricated alternator bracket for your H2B swap.
H2B Header – A link to the custom H2B header for your swap.
Another H2B Header – Another custom H2B header.
Another Header – Again, here is another header option for H2B swaps.

If you know anything about cars you have probably heard of VTEC. But do you actually know what it is, what it does, or what it stands for? This article is designed to teach you the in’s and out’s of VTEC. After you are done reading you will finally understand why people love thier VTEC engines so much. Please enjoy!

Introduction to VTEC

VTEC (standing for Variable valve Timing and Electronic Lift Control) is a system developed by Honda to improve the combustion efficiency of its internal combustion engines throughout the RPM range. This was the first system of its kind and eventually led to different types of variable valve timing and lift control systems that were later designed by other manufacturers (VVTL-i from Toyota, VarioCam Plus from Porsche, and so on). It was invented by Honda’s chief engine designer Kenichi Nagahiro.

In the regular four-stroke automobile engine, the intake and exhaust valves are actuated by lobes on a camshaft. The shape of the lobes determines the timing, lift and duration of each valve. Timing refers to when a valve is opened or closed with respect to the combustion cycle. Lift refers to how much the valve is opened. Duration refers to how long the valve is kept open. Due to the behavior of the gases (air and fuel mixture) before and after combustion, which have physical limitations on their flow, as well as their interaction with the ignition spark, the optimal valve timing, lift and duration settings under low RPM engine operations are very different from those under high RPM. Optimal low RPM valve timing, lift and duration settings would result in Continue reading »

Honda Civic Blog

Turbo Project Update: Parts List

Custom Turbo Kit Project

Installing a Camber Kit

H2B/F2B Swap Information

The Guide to VTEC

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