B20 Safe On Boost?Let me start by saying thanks for staying true to the scene and not fronting like the rest of the mags out there. If it wasn't for your mag, I wouldn't have fallen in love with Hondas from the start. I own a '92 Integra with a B20 VTEC. It's mostly stock except for an Edelbrock Victor X intake manifold and aftermarket engine mounts. I am running a P28 ECU with a Skunk2 chip. Is it safe to build the B20 for boost or not? I've heard people say it's not. Whether it's turbo or all-motor, I want to take the engine to its full potential.Joey ConcholaVictoria, TXskunk2_teg@yahoo.com
The truth is, everything depends on what you consider your engine's "full potential" to be. When comparing the stock B20B/Z blocks (we are assuming your referring to a CRV-style B20 and not one of those antiquated Prelude ones) with, say, a B18A1, they do have their shortcomings. Sure, the B20B/Z picks up some cubes through its larger bore size, but it does so at the expense of slightly thinner cylinder walls-1.5mm thinner to be exact. In comparison, the B20B/Z is going to be the weaker of the two in regards to which is able to withstand the most cylinder pressure, but that doesn't mean you'll have a catastrophic explosion on your hands just by bolting on that turbo. Stick with a reputable turbo system, a conservative boost level and the best pump octane you can afford and you should be fine.
Now about that whole "full potential" business you mentioned. If you're really looking to muscle every pony you can out of this thing, or any B-series for that matter, you'll be swapping out those cylinders for some ductile iron sleeves. At this point, it really makes no difference whether you started with a B20B/Z or the smaller bore B18A1 as the rest of these engines are quite similar. You might consider getting your hands on a B18A1 bottom end and selling your B20 block to one of your naturally aspirated buddies. The end result will be the same and you'll end up with a few extra bucks in your pocket.
As for your Skunk2-chipped P28 ECU, that's another story. The Skunk2 chip is designed solely for naturally aspirated powerplants, and as such, features a pretty aggressive timing curve. Run more than a few pounds of boost with an ECU like this and you'll likely find a sizeable peephole in your block courtesy of a snapped con rod.
Trouble With Crabs (Uh, We Mean Carbs)Just found a copy of your magazine and love it. It's inspired me to keep and fix up my '89 Accord. I'm not sure, but I'm having problems that may be carburetor-related. I've rebuilt the distributor, changed fuel filters, and got Honda vacuum advance, yet I still get very little power in the upper gears. When I gas it, it never gets higher than 4500rpm. I'm not the best mechanic and just love to fix what I can with the manual. I love going to the local junkyard and finding prizes. I'm still new to this, so do you recommend I keep the Accord and fix it up little by little?AngelSan Antonio, TX (Yee haw, Go Spurs!)conquest_games@yahoo.com
It sounds like you're on the right track. We spoke with Weir Canyon Honda technician Robert Young who suggests performing both a compression test and a leak-down test to first determine the internal status of the engine. Make sure that the results of all four cylinders are within 20 percent of one another on the compression test. If one's low, that could be your problem. Young also suggests double-checking the cam timing-a slipped belt is indicative of a loss of top-end power and you might not necessarily notice it at idle.
But truthfully, even if this thing checks out OK, you'll be hard pressed when it comes to locating any go-fast goods for that cast iron A20A1 engine of yours. And to make matters worse, with the demise of a certain engine mount manufacturer a couple of years back, you're also out of luck as far as engine swaps go, that is, unless you're game for fabbing up your own set of mounts. But even then, you'd have some serious issues to take care of in regards to the carburetor-to-fuel injector conversion. You'd be looking at swapping your gas tank, fuel pump, fuel lines.... it's a mess.
You might consider shopping for a different car. Find yourself a '90 or newer Accord and your parts sourcing problems will be ancient history. Any H-series powerplant will drop right into the Accord chassis and upgrades are easy to find.
Which Axles?I have a '90 JDM Civic Si four-door and have had enough of the stock motor (ZC dual-cam 1.6-liter) and I'm planning to go turbocharged. But I'm stuck. My future setup is a B18B (non-VTEC) and I know I'll need stronger axles. I know that the '90-93 Integra axles will work with a B16A swap, but because of the B18B's larger size, will this affect the conversion? And if the Integra axles will fit, can they handle significant boost pressure? Much love to HT for showing love to us EF Crusaders.Levi HectorAntigua, West Indiesalkaponedeadlyzone@hotmail.com
When you say you've had enough of that single cam, we're guessing you mean it. Between the twin-cam B-series swap and the turbo upgrade, you'll have your hands full. As far as the axles go, what's good for the B16A is good for the B18B1... sort of. It all depends on what transmission and intermediate shaft you'll be using. Most swappers in your situation opt for a cable operated B-series gearbox, whether it's from a Civic or an Integra, VTEC or non-VTEC, it doesn't matter as far as axles go. In this case, you'll want to use the '90-93 Integra axles and make sure you've got the corresponding USDM intermediate shaft mated to the rear of the block. Be sure and pop off the dust rings on the inside of each hub otherwise you'll run into wheel binding issues.
A less common method involves using the hydraulic operated transmission found mated to B-series-equipped Integras, Del Sols and Civics. While this trans will work, you'll need the corresponding intermediate shaft and driver's side axle. Also, be sure and swap out the transmission's inner axle seal with a '94-01 Integra one or you'll end up with some serious leakage. Are there other axle/combinations? Yep. Do you need to know about them? Not really, considering these are the most widely available off-the-shelf components.
As far as strength goes, Honda axles are fairly stout, but subject them to a few hundred horsepower, a pair of slicks and a dragstrip and they're likely to snap like toothpicks. If you plan on strapping on the slicks and going to the track, we suggest you look to the aftermarket for a more bulletproof solution.
Turbo Tsx?After reading HT, it seems like many tuners aren't taking the TSX or its K24 seriously due to lack of demand. I haven't yet seen anyone with a turbo setup built for the street, but I read with intrigue your story on the K24 bottom end with K20 head-the new LS/VTEC, as some have called it. By swapping a K20 head onto a K24, can TSX owners take advantage of all the mods available to RSX owners? I'd like to have a well-tuned turbo TSX and I can afford a turbo kit, head swap and ECU. What's the best sequence for boosting a K24?Douglas AsherEdgewater, NJdasher1969@msn.com
Bad news Douglas, and for all TSX owners for that matter. After scrounging the web and making a few phone calls, it looks like plans for an off-the-shelf TSX turbo kit are no longer on the drawing board. At first we thought you might have been in luck. We saw prototypes from both HKS and GReddy in the past, but after speaking with representatives from both companies, well, let's just say don't hold your breath. The folks at Rev Hard tell us that room is at a premium within the engine bay and that the taller deck block doesn't help matters much either. It appears that TSX owners just aren't beating down their doors for turbo kits.
You may consider supercharging as Comptech currently offers its kit which is good for about 50hp. Rumor has it that a number of other companies are kicking around the idea as well.
But back to turbocharging-convinced there had to be a way to do this we contacted Harvey Janisse from Holeshot Racing in Lake Elsinore, Calif., Harvey tells us that many of the '02-'05 Civic Si or RSX-S kits will work provided you're willing to do a bit of modifying - you don't even need to swap the head. The problem lies in the intercooler piping and hood clearance departments, Janisse tells us. A couple of the pipes may need to be cut, lengthened and relocated to make things fit. Also, be sure you pick a kit that places the turbo and manifold low enough so as not to hit the hood.
With that being said, swapping the head might not be a bad idea. While it's not going to make your turbo install any easier, there's certainly not a shortage of top-end upgrades available when it comes to the K20A2 head.
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