If you are unsure about which Honda engine powers your Civic you can look at this list for your year and model to see which engine you have. This list includes most inline 4-cylinder engines only, starting in alphabetical order from A-series on.
A16A1
The A16A1 was a carburated 1.6 liter engine used in the 1982-1985 Honda Accords in North America and in some of the 1986-1989 Accords in the non-USDM market.
- Carbeurated- Displacement: 1596 cc- Bore: 80 mm- Stroke: 79.5 mm- Power: 88 hp @ 6000 rpm, 91 ft/lb torque @ 3500 rpm
A18A
The A18A engine was the 1.8 liter engine found in the 1982-1985 Honda Accords as well as the 1984-1987 Honda Prelude in the US. Abroad, it was also available in the 1986-1989 Accords.
- Carbeurated- Displacement: 1829 cc- Power: 110 hp @ 5800 rpm, 112 ft/lb torque @ 3500 rpm
A20A/A20A1/A20A2
The A20A is probably the most plentiful of all the Honda A-series engines. It was available in both carbeurated and PGM-FI versions. They were found in both Accords and Preludes throughout the 1980s. The A20A1 and A20A2 were the carbeurated versions of the A20A engines. It was available in the 1984-1987 Honda Preludes as well as the 1982-1989 Accord DX and LX. They are the same engine, the only difference between them being that the A20A2 has no emissions components, so it has a slightly higher power output (hp and tq numbers for A20A1 only).
- Carbeurated- Displacement: 1955 cc- Power: 98 hp, 109 ft/lb torque @ 3500 rpm
A20A3/20A4
The A20A3 and A20A4 were the fuel injected versions of the A20A engines. They were run by Honda’s PGM-FI system on a partial OBD-0 computer. Again, there is no real difference between the A20A3 and the A20A4 besides the A20A4 having a slightly higher power output because of not having emissions components (hp and tq numbers for A20A3 only). The A20A3 was offered in the 1984-1987 Honda Prelude 2.0Si, the 1985 and 1989 Honda Accord SE-i, and the 1986-1989 Honda Accord LX-i.
- PMG-FI- Displacement: 1956 cc- Power: 110-120 hp @ 5500 rpm, 114-122 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm
B16A
Note: All JDM B16a engines are marked as ‘B16a’ (with no number to identify version).- VTEC- Found in: 1989-1993 JDM Honda Integra RSi/XSi (DA6/DA8) / 1989-1991 JDM Honda CRX SiR (EF8) / 1989-1991 JDM Honda Civic SiR/SiRII (EF9)— Displacement: 1595 cc— Compression: 10:2:1— Rod/Stroke ratio: 1.74— Transmission: S1/J1/Y1/A1— Power: 158 hp @ 7600 rpm, 112 ft/lb torque @ 7000 rpm
- Found in: 1992-1995 JDM Honda Civic SiR/SiRII (EG6/EG9)— Displacement: 1595 cc— Compression: 10:4:1— Transmission: S4C— Power: 168 hp @ 7800 rpm, 116 ft/lb torque @ 7300 rpm
- Found in: 1992-1995 EDM Honda Civic VTi— Displacement: 1595 cc— Power: 158 hp @ 7800 rpm, 116 ft/lb torque @ 7300 rpm
- Found in: 1992-1996 JDM Honda CR-X del Sol SiR— Displacement: 1595 cc— Compression: 10:2:1/10:4:1— Power: 158-170 hp, 111-116 ft/lb torque
B16A1
- VTEC- Found in: 1989-1991 EUDM Honda CRX 1.6i/VTi (EE8/ED) / 1990-1991 EUDM Honda Civic 1.6iVT (EE9)- Displacement: 1595 cc- Compression: 10:2:1- Power: 150 hp @ 7600 rpm, 111 ft/lb torque @ 7000 rpm
B16A2
- VTEC- Found in: 1992-2000 Honda Civic EDM VTi (EG & EK)— Displacement: 1595 cc— Compression: 10:2:1— Power: 158 hp @ 7600 rpm, 113 ft/lb torque @ 7300 rpm— Transmission: Y21
- Found in: 1999-2000 Honda Civic Si (EM1)— Displacement: 1595 cc— Compression: 10:2:1— Power: 160 hp @ 7600 rpm, 111 ft/lb torque @ 7000 rpm— Transmission: Y21 S4C
- Found in: Honda Del Sol VTEC (EG)— Displacement: 1595 cc— Compression: 10:4:1— Power: 160 hp @ 7800 rpm, 111 ft/lb torque @ 7000 rpm— Transmission: Y21
- Weight 309lbs (dry) – not sure if this is for all versions above or not.
B16A3
- VTEC- Found in: 1994-1995 Honda Del Sol VTEC (EG)- Displacement: 1595 cc- Compression: 10:4:1- Power: 160 hp @ 7800 rpm, 111 ft/lb torque @ 7000 rpm- Transmission: Y21
B16A6
- VTEC- Found in: 1996-2000 Honda Civic – South Africa VTEC (EK)- Displacement: 1595 cc- Compression: 10:2:1- Power: 160 hp @ 7800 rpm, 113 ft/lb torque @ 7400 rpm- Transmission: Y21
B16B
- VTEC- Found in: 1997-2000 Civic Type-R- Displacement: 1595 cc- Compression: 10:8:1- Power: 185 hp @ 8200 rpm, 118 ft/lb torque @ 7500 rpm- Transmission: S4C with LSD
B17A1
- VTEC- Found in: 1992-1993 Integra GS-R (DB2)- Displacement: 1678 cc- Compression: 9:6:1- Power: 160 hp @ 7600 rpm, 117 ft/lb torque @ 7000 rpm- Transmission: Cable YS1
B18A
- Non-VTEC- Found in: 1986-1989 Accord Aerodeck LXR-S/LX-S (Japan) / 1986-1989 Accord EXL-S/EX-S (Japan) / 1986-1989 Vigor MXL-S (Japan)- Displacement: 1834 cc- Compression: 9:4:1- Power: 130 hp @ 6000 rpm, 120 ft/lb torque @ 4000 rpm- Transmission: A2N5, E2N5
B18A1
- Non-VTEC- Found in: 1990-1993 Integra RS/LS/GS (DA)- Displacement: 1834 cc- Compression: 9:2:1- Bore: 81 mm- Stroke: 89 mm- Power: 130-140 hp @ 6500 rpm, 121-127 ft/lb torque @ 5000 rpm- Transmission: YS1
B18B1
- Non-VTEC- Found in: 1994-2001 Acura Integra “RS/LS/GS” (DC4/DB7)- Displacement: 1834 cc- Compression: 9:2:1- Bore: 81 mm- Stroke: 89 mm- Power: 142 hp @ 6300 rpm, 128 ft/lb torque @ 5200 rpm- Transmission: S80
B18C
- VTEC- Found in: 1994 Honda Integra SiR-G / 1995-1997 Honda Integra SiR- Power: 180 hp
-Found in: 1995-2001 Honda Integra (DC2/DB8)(Japan) Type R- Power: 200 hp @ 8100 rpm
B18C1
- VTEC- Found in: 1994-2001 Integra GS-R (DC2 & DB8)- Displacement: 1797 cc- Compression: 10:0:1- Power: 170 hp @ 7600 rpm, 128 ft/lb torque @ 6200 rpm- Transmission: Y80
B18C3
- VTEC- Found in: 1995-1998 Acura Integra Type R- Power: 185 hp @ 7600 rpm, 128 ft/lb torque @ 6200 rpm
B18C4
- VTEC- Found in: 1996-2000 UK Civic 1.8i VTi Acura / 1998-1999 EU Civic Aerodeck 1.8i VTi 5-door Wagon / 1998-1999 EU Civic 1.8i VTi 5-door Hatch- Displacement: 1797 cc- Compression: 10:0:1- Power: 169 hp @ 8000 rpm, 129 ft/lb torque @ 7500 rpm- Transmission: S9B
B18C5
- VTEC- Found in: 1997-2001 Integra Type-R- Displacement: 1797 cc- Compression: 11:0:1- Power: 195 hp @ 8000 rpm, 130 ft/lb torque @ 7500 rpm- Transmission: S80
B18C6
- VTEC- Found in: 1998-2001 Honda Integra Type Rx- Power: 200 hp, 136 ft/lb torque
B18C7
- VTEC- Found in: 1996 Honda Integra Type R- Power: 210 hp, 136 ft/lb torque
B20B
- Found in: CR-V / Honda Orthia- Displacement: 1972 cc- Compression: 8:8:1- Bore: 84 mm- Stroke: 89 mm- Power: 126 hp @ 5500 rpm, 133 ft/lb torque @ 4200 rpm
B20Z
- Found in: 1999-2001 Honda CR-V- Displacement: 1972 cc- Compression: 9:6:1- Bore: 84 mm- Stroke: 89 mm- Power: 146 hp @ 5500 rpm, 133 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm
D13B1
- Found in: 1987-1991 Honda Civic DX (European Market)- Displacement: 1343 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 76 mm- Compression: 9:5:1- Valvetrain: SOHC 4 valves/cylinder- Power: Not stated in owners manual
D13B2
- Found in: 1992-1995 Honda Civic DX (European Market)- Displacement: 1343 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 76 mm- Compression: 9:1- Valvetrain: SOHC 4 valves/cylinder- Power: 75 hp @ 5300 rpm, 75 ft/lb torque @ 5300 rpm
D14A1
- Found in: 1987-1991 Honda Civic GL and 1990 CRX (European Market)- Displacement: 1396 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 79 mm- Compression: 9:3:1- Valvetrain: SOHC 4 valves/cylinder- Power: 90 hp @ 6300 rpm
D14A2
- Found in: 1995-1996 Honda Civic MA8 (European Market)- Displacement: 1396 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 79 mm- Compression: 9:2:1- Valvetrain: SOHC 4 valves/cylinder
D15A2
- Found in: 1984-1987 Honda CRX HF- Displacement: 1488 cc- Bore: 74 mm- Stroke: 86.5 mm- Compression: 9:6:1- Valvetrain: SOHC 4 valves/cylinder- Power: 58 hp @ 4500 rpm, 80 ft/lb torque @ 2500 rpm
D15A3
- Found in: 1985-1987 Honda CRX Si and 1987 Civic Si (AU/NZ)- Displacement: 1488 cc- Bore: 74 mm- Stroke: 86.5 mm- Compression: 8:7:1- Valvetrain: SOHC 3 valves/cylinder- Power: 91 hp @ 5500 rpm, 93 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm
D15B
- VTEC- Found in: 1991-1999 Honda Civic VTi EG4 (Japanese Market) / 1996-1999 Honda Civic VTi EK3 and Ferio Vi- Displacement: 1493 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 84.5 mm- Compression: 9:6:1- Valvetrain: SOHC VTEC- Power: 130 hp @ 6800 rpm, 102 ft/lb torque @ 5200 rpm
D15B1
- Found in: 1988-1991 Honda Civic STD Hatchback- Displacement: 1493 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 84.5 mm- Compression: 9:2:1- Valvetrain: SOHC 4 valves/cylinder- Power: 70 hp @ 5500 rpm, 83 ft/lb torque @ 3000 rpm
D15B2
- Found in: 1988-1991 Honda Civic DX/LX, CRX DX, Civic Wagon DX/Wagovan / 1992-1995 Honda Civic Hatchback LSi (European Market)- Displacement: 1493 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 84.5 mm- Compression: 9:2:1- Valvetrain: SOHC 4 valves/cylinder- Power: 92 hp @ 6000 rpm, 89 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm- Weight 208lbs (dry)
D15B6
- Found in: 1988-1991 Honda CRX HF- Displacement: 1493 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 84.5 mm- Compression: 9:1:1- Valvetrain: SOHC 2 valves/cylinder- Power: 62-70 hp @ 4500 rpm, 83 ft/lb torque @ 3000 rpm- Weight 195lbs (dry)
D15B7
- Found in: 1992-1995 Honda Civic DX/LX / 1992-1995 Honda Civic LSi Coupe (European Market)- Displacement: 1493 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 84.5 mm- Compression: 9:2:1- Valvetrain: SOHC 4 valves/cylinder- Power: 102 hp @ 5900 rpm, 98 ft/lb torque @ 5000 rpm
D15B8
- Found in: 1992-1995 Honda Civic CX- Displacement: 1493 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 84.5 mm- Compression: 9:1:1- Valvetrain: SOHC 2 valves/cylinder- Power: 70 hp @ 4500 rpm, 83 ft/lb torque @ 3000 rpm
D15Z1
- VTEC-E- Found in: 1992-1995 Honda Civic VX / 1992-1995 Honda Civic VEi (European Market)- Displacement: 1493 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 84.5 mm- Compression: 9:3:1- Valvetrain: SOHC 4 valves/cylinder- Power: 92 hp @ 5500 rpm, 97 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm
D16A1
- Found in: 1986-89 Acura Integra (North America)- Displacement: 1590 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 90 mm- Compression: 9:3:1- Valvetrain: DOHC- Power: 113 hp @ 6250 rpm, 99 ft/lb torque @ 5500 rpm
D16A3
- Found in: 1986-89 Acura Integra (Australia)- Displacement: 1590 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 90 mm- Compression: 9:5:1- Valvetrain: DOHC- Power: 118 hp @ 6500 rpm, 103 ft/lb torque @ 5500 rpm
D16A6
- Found in: 1988-1991 Honda Civic Si, CRX Si, Civic Wagon RT4WD / 1988-1995 Honda Civic Shuttle RT4WD (UK/Europe/Asia/AU/NZ) / 1989-1996 Rover 216/416 GTI (UK/Europe)- Displacement: 1590 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 90 mm- Compression: 9:6:1- Valvetrain: SOHC- Power: 110 hp @ 6000 rpm, 100 ft/lb torque @ 5000 rpm- Weight 219lbs (dry)
D16A8
- Found in: 1988-1991 Civic/CRX/Concerto (UK/Europe/Australia) / 1990-1995 Rover 216/416 (UK/Europe)- Displacement: 1590 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 90 mm- Compression: 9:5:1- Valvetrain: DOHC- Power: 122 hp @ 6800 rpm, 108 ft/lb torque @ 5700 rpm
D16A9
- Found in: 1988-1991 Civic/CRX/Concerto (UK/Europe) / 1989-1996 Rover 216/416 GTI (UK/Europe) / 1992-1995 Civic Si (Peruvian version) / 1992-1995 Civic GTi- Displacement: 1590 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 90 mm- Compression: 9:5:1- Valvetrain: DOHC- Power: 130 hp @ 6800 rpm, 108 ft/lb torque @ 5700 rpm
D16Y5
- VTEC-E- Found in: 1996-2000 Honda Civic HX- Displacement: 1590 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 90 mm- Compression: 9:4:1- Valvetrain: SOHC VTEC-E- Power: 115 hp @ 6200 rpm, 104 ft/lb torque @ 5400 rpm
D16Y7
- Found in: 1996-2000 Honda Civic DX/LX/CX, 1996-97 Del Sol S- Displacement: 1593 cc- Bore: 75.5 mm- Stroke: 90 mm- Compression: 9:4:1- Valvetrain: SOHC- Power: 106 hp @ 6200 rpm, 103 ft/lb torque @ 4600 rpm
D16Y8
- VTEC- Found in: 1996-2000 Honda Civic EX / 1996-1998 Honda Civic Coupe iSR (UK model) / 1997-2000 Acura 1.6EL / 1996-1997 Del Sol Si- Displacement: 1590 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 90 mm- Compression: 9:6:1- Valvetrain: SOHC VTEC- Power: 127 hp @ 6600 rpm, 107 ft/lb torque @ 5500 rpm
D16Z6
- VTEC- Found in: 1992-1995 Honda Civic EX/Si, Del Sol Si / 1992-1995 Honda Civic ESi (European Market)- Displacement: 1590 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 90 mm- Compression: 9:4:1- Valvetrain: SOHC VTEC- Power: 125 hp @ 6500 rpm, 106 ft/lb torque @ 5200 rpm
D17A1
- Found in: 2001-2005 Honda Civic DX/LX/VP- Displacement: 1668 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 94.4 mm- Compression: 9:5:1- Valvetrain: SOHC- Power: 115 hp @ 6100 rpm, 110 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm
D17A2
- VTEC- Found in: 2001-2005 Honda Civic EX- Displacement: 1668 cc- Bore: 74.98 mm- Stroke: 94.4 mm- Compression: 9:9:1- Valvetrain: SOHC VTEC- Power: 127 hp @ 6300 rpm, 114 ft/lb torque @ 4400 rpm
D17A6
- VTEC-E- Found in: 2001-2005 Honda Civic HX- Displacement: 1668 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 94.4 mm- Compression: 9:5:1- Valvetrain: SOHC VTEC-E- Power: 117 hp @ 6100 rpm, 111 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm
D17A7
- Uses CNG (Compressed Natural Gas)- Found in: 2004-2005 Honda Civic DX- Displacement: 1668 cc- Bore: 75 mm- Stroke: 94.4 mm- Compression: 12:5:1- Valvetrain: SOHC- Power: 100 hp @ 6100 rpm, 98 ft/lb torque @ 4000 rpm
ED Series
- introduced in 1975- first release of the CVCC technology- 1.5 L (1487 cc)- SOHC 8-valve design.- Power: 52 hp @ 5000 rpm, 68 ft/lb torque @ 3000 rpm.- ED1 – 1975- 1979 Honda Civic and Honda Civic Wagon
F18A
- Bore: 85 mm- Stroke: 81 mm- Displacement: 1849 cc- Valvetrain: SOHC- Power: 118 hp @ 6000 rpm
F18B
- VTEC- Found in: Honda Accord 1.8 VTS (JDM)- Bore: 85 mm- Stroke: 81 mm- Displacement: 1849 cc- Valvetrain: SOHC VTEC- Power: 138 hp, 124 ft/lb torque
F20A
- Bore: 85 mm- Stroke: 88 mm- Displacement: 1997 cc- Valvetrain: SOHC
F20B
- VTEC- Found in: 1998-2002 Honda Accord- Bore: 85 mm- Stroke: 88 mm- Compression: 11:0:1- Displacement: 1849 cc- Valvetrain: SOHC VTEC- Power: 148 hp @ 6000 rpm, 183 ft/lb torque @ 5000 rpm
F20Z
- Bore: 85 mm- Stroke: 88 mm- Valvetrain: SOHC
F22A
- Found in: 1990-1993 Honda Accord / 1992-1996 Honda Prelude S / 1995-1998 Honda Odyssey- Bore: 85 mm- Stroke: 95 mm- Compression: 8:8:1- Displacement: 2156 cc- Valvetrain: SOHC- Power:— F22A1: 125 hp @ 5200 rpm, 137 ft/lb torque @ 4000 rpm— F22A4: 130 hp @ 5200 rpm, 142 ft/lb torque @ 4000 rpm— F22A6: 140 hp @ 5600 rpm, 142 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm
F22B1
- VTEC- Found in: 1994-1997 Honda Accord EX- Bore: 85 mm- Stroke: 95 mm- Compression: 9:2:1- Displacement: 2156 cc- Valvetrain: SOHC VTEC- Power: 145 hp @ 5500 rpm, 147 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm
F22B2
- Found in: 1994-1997 Honda Accord DX/LX- Bore: 85 mm- Stroke: 95 mm- Compression: 8:8:1- Displacement: 2156 cc- Valvetrain: SOHC- Power: 130 hp @ 5300 rpm, 139 ft/lb torque @ 4200 rpm
F22Z2
- VTEC- Found in: 1994-1997 Honda Accord 2.2i- Bore: 85 mm- Stroke: 95 mm- Compression: 9:3:1- Displacement: 2156 cc- Valvetrain: SOHC VTEC- Power: 150 hp @ 5500 rpm, 148 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm
F23A1
- VTEC- Found in: 1998-2002 Honda Accord EX/LX- Bore: 86 mm- Stroke: 97 mm- Compression: 9:3:1- Displacement: 2254 cc- Valvetrain: SOHC VTEC- Power: 150 hp @ 5500 rpm, 152 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm
F23A5
- Found in: 1998-2002 Honda Accord DX- Bore: 86 mm- Stroke: 97 mm- Compression: 8:8:1- Displacement: 2254 cc- Valvetrain: SOHC- Power: 135 hp @ 5500 rpm, 153 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm
H22A
The H22A debuted in 1993 for use in the Honda Prelude VTEC as the H22A1. Versions of the H22A would be the Prelude’s signature high-performance engine worldwide until the end of Prelude production in 2001. It was also used in the 1994–1997 Honda Accord SiR and 1998–2002 Honda Accord Euro-R in Japan (however different cams and lightweight crank were used in the Euro R H22A).
- VTEC- Bore: 87 mm- Stroke: 90.7 mm- Displacement: 2157 cc- Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC- Compression: 10:0:1 (North America) 11:0:1 (Japan) – Power: 190-220 hp, 156-163 ft/lb torque
H23A1
The H23A1 was an increased-stroke, non-VTEC version of the F22B, designed for the North American market version of the 1992–1996 Honda Prelude Si. There is also a DOHC VTEC version of the H23A, available in the CH6 accord (CF4 wagon) SiR in Japan.
- Bore: 87 mm- Stroke: 95 mm- Compression: 9:8:1 – Displacement: 2258 cc- Valvetrain: DOHC- Power: 160 hp, 163 ft/lb torque
K20A
- Found in: 2001-2005 Honda Civic Type-R (EP3)— Displacement: 1998 cc— Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC— Compression: 11:5:1— Power: 212 hp @ 8000 rpm, 149 ft/lb torque @ 7000 rpm
- Found in: 2001-2006 Honda Integra Type-R (DC5) / 2002-2006 Honda Accord Euro-R— Displacement: 1998 cc— Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC— Compression: 11:5:1— Power: 217 hp @ 8000 rpm, 152 ft/lb torque @ 7000 rpm
K20A2
- Found in: 2002-2004 Acura RSX Type-S and 2002-2005 Honda Civic Type R (EP, European)- Displacement: 1998 cc- Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC- Compression: 11:0:1- Power: 200 hp @ 7400 rpm, 142 ft/lb torque @ 6000 rpm
K20A3
- Found in: 2002-2005 Honda Civic Si— Displacement: 1998 cc— Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC— Compression: 9:8:1— Power: 155 hp @ 6500 rpm, 139 ft/lb torque @ 5000 rpm
- Found in: 2002-2006 Acura RSX— Displacement: 1998 cc— Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC— Compression: 9:8:1— Power: 155 hp @ 6500 rpm, 139 ft/lb torque @ 4000 rpm
K20Z1
- Found in: 2005-2006 Acura RSX-S- Displacement: 1998 cc- Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC- Compression: 11:0:1- Power: 201 hp @ 7800 rpm, 140 ft/lb torque @ 7000 rpm
K20Z2
- 2006- Acura CSX (Canada)— Displacement: 1998 cc— Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC— Compression: 9:6:1— Power: 155 hp @ 6000 rpm, 139 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm
- Found in: 2006- Honda Civic (JDM)— Displacement: 1998 cc— Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC— Compression: 9:6:1— Power: 155 hp @ 6000 rpm, 139 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm
- Found in: 2006- Honda Accord Sport (Europe)— Displacement: 1998 cc— Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC— Compression: 9:6:1— Power: 155 hp @ 6000 rpm, 139 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm
K20Z3 – more info here including pictures
- 2006+ Honda Civic Si / # 2007 Acura CSX Type-S- Displacement: 1998 cc- Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC- Compression: 11:0:1- Power: 197 hp @ 7800 rpm, 139 ft/lb torque @ 6200 rpm
K23A1
- Turbocharged- Found in: 2007 Acura RDX- Bore: 86 mm- Stroke: 99 mm- Displacement: 2300 cc- Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC- Compression: 8:8:1- Power: 240 hp @ 6000 rpm, 260 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm
K24A1
- Found in: 2002-2006 Honda CR-V- Bore: 87 mm- Stroke: 99 mm- Displacement: 2354 cc- Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC- Compression: 9:6:1- Power: 160 hp @ 6000 rpm, 162 ft/lb torque @ 3600 rpm
K24A2
- Found in: 2004-2006 Acura TSX- Bore: 87 mm- Stroke: 99 mm- Displacement: 2354 cc- Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC- Compression: 10:5:1- Power: 205 hp @ 6800 rpm, 166 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm
K24A3
- Found in: 2003-2006 Honda Accord (Europe, Japan, and Australia)- Bore: 87 mm- Stroke: 99 mm- Displacement: 2354 cc- Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC- Compression: 10:5:1- Power: 189 hp @ 6800 rpm, 164 ft/lb torque @ 4500 rpm
K24A8
- Found in: 2006/2007 Honda Accord- Bore: 87 mm- Stroke: 99 mm- Displacement: 2354 cc- Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC- Compression: 9:7:1- Power: 166 hp @ 6000 rpm, 160 ft/lb torque @ 4000 rpm
Thursday, October 8, 2009
building a reliable lsvtec
I put this guide together because I'm tired of seeing the SAME threads over and over of simple questions that can be answered in one simple post like this one. This is just a general guide. Feel free to comment with something if you feel it should be added to this guide. Thank-you. Also, please be aware that this is on an intermediate level, and in my opinion anyone reading this guide can perform all of the steps outlined. I left out things like how to hone cylinders, install bearings, pistons, rings, valve seals, etc. Because honestly, I don't want some of the idiots on this board attempting it based on my techniques, screwing up there motor because they are idiots, and then ruining my credibility.Let's start. Now, in my opinion, there are a few NECESSARY things to do/parts to buy when building a "reliable" lsvtec build:LS ARP rod boltsGSR ARP head studsNew OEM LS (90-01) B18a/b head gasketNew OEM/ACL LS bearingsShotpeen LS rodsNew hastings/OEM LS piston ringsNew OEM valve sealsHone cylindersNew GSR/ITR water pump (P72)New GSR/ITR timing belt (P72)New GSR/ITR/96+ Bseries oil pump (P72)Magnetic oil drain plug (important for break in)New oem NGK V-power b16 spark plugs (stock compression) OR NGK V-power BKR7E spark plugs for 11.5:1+ compression.Do the above, and your motor will reward you with reliability.Other things to consider:A 2.5 inch header, cat, exhaust piping, and muffler.Hondata/Passwordjdm intake manifold gasketAdjustable cam gears (even for stock cams, because lsvtec timing will ALWAYS be slightly off)Adjustable Fuel Pressure regulatorWant to make 200 whp with your lsvtec?P30(SIR2 B16)/PCT(CTR) pistons or forged 11.5:1+ pistonsHigher lift/longer duration cams (read below for cams)Stiffer valve springs (read below for valve springs)TuningWant to make more than 200WHP?Better intake manifold (ITR, AEBS, Skunk2, JG, Ported ITR)Port/Polish headBetter header (ANR, RMF, SMSP, Rage, etc.)310cc injectors (at a minimum)Then go and tune the shit out of it!Now, let's get started...First, we can't get started without the Assembly lube, RTV, and 30W ND oil (to break in the rings.), and coolant. It will be good to have handy a 10, 12, 14, 17, and 19mm box wrenches as well as shallow and deep sockets in the same sizes. It would also be good if you could have those same sockets in both 3/8 drive and 1/2 drive (but it is not necessary). Pick up a 3/8 drive, and 1/2 drive 6 inch extension, as well as the equivalent sized socket wrenches. You will also need a ft/lbs torque wrench as well as a inch pounds torque wrench. Pick up a deep 5/8, 16mm or spark plug socket. Forgive me if i'm forgetting any tools, but these are the main ones. The only additional tools required for working on any other part of the car including installing the engine are 8mm's, 32mm's (axle nuts), and a couple flat heads and screwdrivers. You can get away with just those tools, any additional specialty tools is just preference, like ball joint seperators, etc.The head. Let's first start off with your choices. There are B16 heads, ITR heads, and GSR heads. IMO, it is never worth buying an ITR head, if you plan on upgrading the springs/retainers/cams anyway. They are amazing heads from the factory, but B16/GSR heads can be had and built for far less. ITR/B16 heads are built from the same exact casts (PR3), while GSR heads are built from a different cast (P72) which is why the intake manifold bolt pattern is different. ITR heads have a slight hand port job on the intake side from the factory. They also have stiffer dual valve springs, as well as slightly higher lift/longer duration cams. If you want to make more than 200whp with your lsvtec build, you are going to need better cams and springs/retainers anyway...so do you see why it's just not worth the $1000-1200 price tag on used ITR heads? The question you SHOULD ask is, should you get a GSR or B16 head? Tough question. Here's the deal...B16 heads share the same bolt pattern as ITR's for the intake manifold. They are easier to find aftermarket intake manifolds for than GSR heads. However, GSR heads have a distinct advantage over B16/ITR heads. Although it has slightly smaller combustion chambers that raise compression is an advantage, it is the reason why it raises compression, that is the REAL advantage. You see, GSR heads employ small flat surfaces on the edges of the combustion chamber called "quench" pads. This does raise compression, but the real advantage is this design's ability to ward off detonation. So, in my opinion, I would look for a GSR head not for the higher compression it will give you, but for the ability to run higher compression with it, safely.Now, if you have the money, and you want to build a powerful setup, I highly recommend sending your head out to one of the proven head porting shops out there like RLZ, portflow, DonF @ DFE, or Alaniz. I would also go ahead and at the very minimum pick up new OEM valve seals, if not aftermarket. These are equivalent to piston rings for the head, as they seal oil out of the combustion chamber. Don't worry though, Honda valve seals are still fine. Valve springs and retainers are also a mandatory upgrade if you ever plan on making power passed 8k with your lsvtec w/ upgraded cams. Some great companies are portflow, supertech, omni, rocket motorsports, RLZ, Import Builders, JG, etc. I went ahead and milled the head a little just to freshen the surface. It is by no means necessary. But, keep in mind that if you do it, your cam timing may be slightly affected, as well as your piston to valve clearance and compression ratio. Be careful how much you take off. Here are pics of my '00 B16 head fresh from the machine shop:vtec head preparation. First, you must remove the allen plug on the intake manifold passenger side of the head. Heating it up with a torch may ease in the removal of this plug, although I've never had to use heat, just muscle. Next, you must tap the head and install the 1/8 NPT pipe fitting included in your lsvtec kit you either purchased or assembled. Make sure to either teflon tape/paste it or use threadlocker, which ever you prefer. I use teflon tape myself. For the dowel pin holes, I used the two corner exhaust side head bolt holes. They fit perfect with the golden eagle lsvtec dowel pins.Now for the block. The stock LS pistons are garbage, unless you plan on turboing this setup, get rid of them. Even in which case, I personally wouldn't boost more than 10 psi on the stock sleeves/pistons, and that's with extensive tuning. I suggest getting aftermarket forged pistons/rods, although it is by no means necessary in an all motor build. Stock cast honda pistons are more prone to detonation than aftermarket pistons. They have been used time and time again reliably. But reliability isn't anything more or less than the tuning that is done after the initial startup. As for the rings, use whichever you prefer. I swear by Hastings piston rings myself and I personally wouldn't use anything other than them or OEM honda rings. But, if you use forged pistons, use whichever rings they include or recommend. Everyone who is anyone will now agree, that it is MANDATORY that you install ARP rod bolts. LS rod bolts are the same exact rod bolts that come factory in sohc dseries motors. This is THE single point of failure on LS blocks. It's not the rods, or anything else, it's the rivet sized rod bolts. Upgrade to ARP rod bolts! Now for the rods, if you plan on staying with the stock rods, which is perfectly fine, it would be smart to shotpeen them. This will improve the tensile strength of the rod. Just a small piece of mind when you're at 9k. Some shops charge extra for this, some include it with there rebuilds...but either way, it's cheap so do it. You should also have your rod's journal's (big ends) resized when you install ARP rod bolts. Alot of people will say it's not necessary, but ARP recommends it. Pay the extra few bucks to have this done, again for peace of mind. ARP doesn't make any money off of this, so why do they recommend it? Because the extra torque placed on the rods using their rod bolts has the tendency to "warp" the big end of the rods. It's not a difference you can see with the naked eye, but it's there. As for bearings, go with whatever you prefer. Some swear by OEM honda, but if ACL's are with standards, there's nothing wrong with them. ACL is better if they are within clearance specs because they offer a trimetal design like oem GSR/ITR/CTR bearings are. I would also go and get the block balanced. Again, not mandatory, but it helps in the high revs. Alot of people like to use girdles. It makes sense right? B16's and B18C's use them, and honda implemented them for a reason right? I agree totally. But I'm a fan of "keep it simple". There are plenty of people running ungirdled blocks revving to 9k or higher. I don't use one. So, you decide. There are about a million other things you can do to the block. Don't buy into gimmicks, and keep it simple. Simple = less shit to go wrong. If you are unsure of all the options you have with building a block, talk to a well known engine builder. There are plently of them on honda-tech.com. And, if you can get into a conversation with jeff over at importbuilders.com, he can clear alot of things up for you. Now, here are pics of the block from the machine shop (P30 pistons and rings installed, cylinders honed, shotpeened LS rods, arp rod bolts installed, rods resized, crank balanced, polished, and knife edged:ARP head studs installation. Another near mandatory upgrade. The ones you need for this hybrid setup are the GSR/ITR studs/bolts. Do NOT use the B16 or B18a/b studs. They are the incorrect length. First and foremost, make SURE that the holes are clean and clear of debri. The best way to do this is to spray brake cleaner or intake/carb cleaner down the holes, and use compressed air to blow out the cleaner and debri. Make sure to cover up the cylinders so that crap doesn't get into them though. Make sure to lube up both sides of the studs w/ ARP moly lube (which is included with their bolts), or with 30w oil (Not 10w30, but solid 30w), if you bought them used. Tighten the ARP head studs all the way down with an allen wrench, then back them off about a 1/4 turn (ARP recommends they are hand tight, and this is equivalent). But, beware. When they say handtight, they do not mean tighten them down with your hand. This is just silly because you can't thread the studs all the way down by hand; they won't all be even. What they mean is, thread the studs all the way to the bottom, but do not have the bolts applying any pressure to the block (no torque). You can also use the double nut technique, which is just putting two nuts on the stud, and using a socket or box wrench to tighten the upper nut. This will turn the stud because the lower nut will hold the upper nut in place. This will ensure that they are all at equal height. Do NOT torque the studs INTO the block. This will negate the whole reason you are using studs instead of bolts in the first place. The advantage of studs is this...the block will be "pulling" down on the head, which is the opposite force of combustion, as opposed to the head "pulling" up on the block, in the same direction as combustion, which is what the stock head bolts do. The studs help create a better seal.Next, I install the oil pan gasket and oil pump. It's simple; you just remove all the 10mm nuts from the oil pan. Now, remove the oil pump by removing the mounting bolts. Make sure to clean both the block and oil pan mating surfaces so that there will not be any leaks. Also, clean the oil pump mating surfaces. Use brake cleaner or intake cleaner for this. I also used this time to fully clean out the oil pan free of debris and oil with soapy water. Make sure it is completely dry before reinstalling it. At this time, you should also install your new oil pump. Now, the next step is not necessary, but most engine builders do this and I do it as well. You should prime the oil pump; and you do this by packing it with petroleum jelly on the inside of the pump gear. Now, spread a good layer of high temp RTV on the block and oil pump mating surfaces. Then, reinstall the oil pump and pick up tube, as well as the windage tray. Torque everything to spec. Slip on the oil pan gasket and then the oil pan. Install all the 10mm nuts to spec.Water pump installation. It would be to your advantage if you went out and purchased an OEM ITR/GSR (P72) water pump. But, if you use this water pump, you must also use the ITR/GSR (P72) timing belt. If you use the LS water pump, use the LS timing belt. The P72 water pump has 22 teeth as opposed to the 19 teeth on the LS pump. This means the GSR pump spins slower at higher RPM's, and vise versa. You may think this is bad, but it is good, because at those higher RPM's with an LS water pump, you will theoretically be spinning the pump so fast, that it doesn't even push water; it just creates bubbles (cavitation). Get it? Ok, so take your water pump now and spread a bead of RTV in the gasket groove, and then slip in the gasket. Bolt up the water pump and torque down to specs. Tighten them down in a criss-cross pattern as you would lug nuts. Do not overtighten as you can warp the pump or crack it, possibly even strip the bolts. Bad.Water pipe installation. Slip on the two rubber seals on both ends of the pipe. Slide one side of the pipe into the opposite side of the water pump. The other side gets bolted slipped in with the thermostat housing installation.Thermostat housing installation. Slide the other end of the water pipe into the thermostat housing. Bolt the thermostat housing down with it's two 10mm bolts. Torque to specs.Now time to install the fan switch, oil pressure switch, and knock sensor. This is self explanatory. Just tighten them down till they can't be tightened down anymore. As for the knock sensor, you need to tap the right hole of the upper alternator bracket, if you plan on running one. You must first drill the hole out with an 11mm drill bit or equivalent. The knock sensor is 12mm x 1.25, so that's what you have to tap the hole with. Grab the tap from your local hardware store. Tap the hole and screw in the knock sensor. This is completely optional. If you like check engine lights flashing on your dash, then skip this step. I however don't. Even though I installed it and have it wired in, I have it disabled through my software. This forces the computer to run in my manually created ignition maps. Don't disable the knock sensor unless you have experience with ignition tuning.Breather box installation. 96+ LS/B20 blocks wont have this, which is why it is better to use the 90-95 LS blocks. Now think about it. Does it really matter how many miles the block you are using for this build has? No, because you are going with new rings/bearings/hone anyway right? But, use common sense for this. Get the cheapest 90-95 block you can find. If you don't have this breather box or an aftermarket one installed, your lsvtec motor will have high crankcase pressures, which is no good. Make sure the little rubber o ring is on the box, and pop it into the equally sized opening on the back of the block. Torque down the single bolt on the bottom till it is tight. Done.Alternator brackets installation. Again, self explanatory. Tighten till tight, duh.:Time to install the tensioner pulley. make sure to align the spring properly. Then, bolt the pulley down. Don't tighten it all the way just yet, we will need it loose to install the timing belt later.Last thing to do to the block before we install the head...install the driver's side engine mount bracket. Another no-brainer. Tighten the 3 bolts down till they are tight. It may be to your advantage though to keep them a little loose to give you some room in installing this Bseries into your smaller honda chassis, especially if you have an EF (88-91 civic/crx) chassis like I do.Block now fully assembled:Now, we need to begin with the head installation. Make sure you have already installed the oil galley plug into the head and that it sits flush, this is imperative to redirect the oil flow via the external oil lines to activate vtec. Alot of people complain about oil leaks with lsvtec setups. You ask them if they installed this plug and they ask you "what is that"?.....just turn around and walk away. Ok, now the very first thing you need to do is set the block to TDC. This means setting the 1 and 4 pistons to the very top of their stroke. This will aid in the ease of the installation of the timing belt later. You can do this by putting on the crank pulley bolt and tightening it on enough so that when you rotate the crank counter clockwise, it will not come loose. Always rotate the crank counter clockwise! The motor does not naturally spin clockwise, so do not force it to spin that way. Now, there is a mark on the crank gear as well as an arrow on the oil pump. Align the crank gear to this small arrow above the gear and you will notice that the motor becomes set to TDC when the marks are aligned. Now for the head installation...begin by sliding the LS/CRV (90-01 LS or 96-00 CRV, whichever block you have) head gasket over the head studs onto the block. Now install the dowel pins into the exhaust side of the head (for lsvtec motors). Slide the head over the head studs and rest on the block. Make sure the dowel pins line up as this is critical. If the head needs a little persuasion, tap it with a rubber mallet. Next, slide on the ARP washers and nuts. Torque them down to ARP's recommendation (70 ft/lbs on GSR/ITR studs, which is what you use for lsvtec's), not honda's, using the ARP moly lube. But, follow honda's recommended torque sequence. If you bought the studs used, and if you can't find ARP moly lube, use solid 30w oil (not 10w30). If you do this, torque the studs down to 80 ft/lbs, as per ARP's instruction. To torque the head down, you do it in 25 ft/lb increments. First 25 ft/lbs, then 50, then 70 (if using ARP supplied moly lube), or to 75 and then 80 (if using 30w oil). After you torque to the final torque value, go back and retorque in the proper order, to the same final torque value (70 or 80 depending on what lube you use). I like to add 2 ft/lbs to all my head installs because I know they are going to be abused and because I know not every torque wrench is calibrated perfectly. So, in my opinion, you should torque your head to 72 ft/lbs to be sure. Head installed and torqued down:Vtec solenoid housing and both coolant temp sensors installation. Tighten the coolant temp sensors down until they are fully threaded and tightened; easy enough. The single pin sensor is the sensor for the coolant temp in your gauge cluster, whereas the two pin sensor is used by the ecu to read engine coolant temp, and dictate air/fuel ratio. Torque the solenoid's 10mm bolts down to spec.Coolant housing installation. Pretty simple; spread a thick bead of RTV where the housing bolts to the head. Torque it's 10mm bolts down to spec.Cams and cam gears installation. Be careful in choosing cams. GSR cams are great for a stock compression LS block. ITR/CTR cams are also a great upgrade if you can get them for cheap. I believe it's necessary to run AT LEAST ITR dual valve springs with these cams, however, there are some that don't and get away with it. I would caution this though, as I've personally seen two separate motors drop a valve at high rpms with ctr cams/stock b16 valve springs. Other than that, any set of cams you decide to go with is going to require higher compression to make any amount of power. I suggest AT LEAST 11.5:1 compression, if not higher in the 12:1-12.5:1 range (but don't forget to clay your motor for piston to valve clearance). There are plenty of great cams to choose from out there on the market. I would keep it simple and go with the proven cams like Skunk 2 stage 2/3's, Rocket M22x's, Buddy club spec 3/4's, Toda B/C's, or Jun 3's. Tuning will be key to how much power you make. On to the installation. First, make sure you slide the two rubber cam seals that go on the end of the cams behind the cam gears. Then, slide the cam gears onto the cams. Make sure to properly align them with the small woodruff keys, as it is very easy to misplace. Tighten down the cam gears until they cannot be tightened any more. Now the cams. Make sure to apply a GENEROUS amount of assembly lube /cam lube to all the cam lobes and the journals on the cams. This is VERY important. Make sure the cam with the slot on the end goes on the intake side. That slot is for the distributor. Then lay the cams in their respective positions. Here, I am installing a set of Buddy Club Spec III cams:Cam seal. This one goes at the end of the exhaust cam shaft on the passenger side. Stick it in. Done. (nice shiny one from azracemachine.com)Installing the cam caps and cam rails. Make sure they are both clean and free of debri. Don't be frightened as to which ones go into which spots. Conveniently, they are all labeled. They have Either an "I" or an "E" on them for intake and exhaust. The caps are also labeled with numbers. Start with "1" on the timing belt side and go from there. On the timing belt side, you must place the cam seals that are behind the cam gears, underneath the first cam caps. These are there so that oil does not leak out from under the cam caps and behind the cam gears. Next, place the rails on the caps. If you look at the underside of the rails, you will be able to see where they lined up with the cam caps to see which one is the intake rail and exhaust rail. Some rails also are stamped with a very faint "I" and "E", but this is not always true. You'll have to see for yourself to know what I am talking about. Now, lube up all of the bolts with 10w30 oil first before you install them as per honda's guidelines. Torque the 12mm's down to 20 ft/lbs and the 10mm's down to 7.2 ft/lbs; follow honda's recommended sequence. Make sure those rubber cam seals stay underneath the first set of cam caps. Installed:Intake manifold, injectors, and fuel rail installation. ITR/B16 intake manifolds use the same bolt patterns, but GSR heads use a totally different bolt pattern so you must use a GSR intake manifold with them or aftermarket equivalent. I chose to use an ITR intake manifold and the larger ITR throttle body because they just dominate the B16 manifold past 6-7k. But, on the downside, as a general rule, the B16 manifold makes more power upto 6-7k. It just really depends on where you plan on making power. This would also be a good time to buy one of those nice cooler intake manifold gaskets that hondata and passwordjdm make. It is not necessary, but are good for a 1-2 HP increase for only $35-60 which is well worth the money. As for the injectors, contrary to popular belief, ALL Honda B and Dseries motors use the same size injectors (240cc). So, it doesn't matter if you use 92 civic dx injectors or 01 jdm integra type-r injectors, or anything in between, they're all the same size.Now, align the intake manifold gasket onto the head. Torque down the intake manifold's 12mm to spec. Install the injectors with their rubber gaskets. Then, install the fuel rail. Stick with stock on this, I've seen more problems with casting flaws in aftermarket fuel rails, than you'd care to deal with. Stock honda fuel rails are good for over 500 HP, so don't worry. Remember, keep things simple. Make sure not to overtighten the 10mm nuts holding the fuel rail on. Injectors - I would suggest AT LEAST 310cc injectors for a build reaching 180 whp or more, although it is proven to not be necessary. You will just need to run the stock injectors at an extremely high and inefficient fuel pressure, which would require you to own an FPR to adjust the fuel pressure. Keep in mind, higher fuel pressures are bad for fuel atomization so it's best to run larger injectors in the 40-50 psi range.Now that the head is installed, we may install the oil line and timing belt. Follow the instructions included with your lsvtec oil line kit, as every kit is different. But, what ever you do, don't forget to teflon tape all fittings! The kit I am using is from full-race.com and is a proven kit. It replaces the factory oil pressure sending unit with a "T" in which the unit and oil line are screwed into. It's simple, and that's why I like it. I like the Golden Eagles oil sandwich adapter, but they include the wrong head gasket in there kits, which is why I will never use one.Installing the GSR/ITR timing belt. Re-verify that the block is still at TDC. Now, rotate your cam gears until the timing marks are aligned (consult your manual for further illustrations and guidance). Once the crank and cams are aligned, you can now install the timing belt. I like to start with sliding it over the cam gears, then work it down over the water pump and tensioner. Then, take the tensioner and pull down on it until it is fully loosened and tighten the 14mm bolt so the tensioner is tightened in the fully loosened position. Slide the belt over the tensioner now and then the crank pulley. Easy. Now, loosen the tensioner with the belt on. Then, use a flat head screw driver or something of the like and use it to wedge the tensioner pulley up while you tighten it's 14mm bolt. Now the belt is tight. But, do not overtighten it as this can cause strain on the motor. Follow your manual to find out how much play is recommended.Now we can install the lower timing belt cover, crank pulley, alternator and alternator belt. The LS cover will need to be trimmed to fit over the newer oil pump. No biggy. The cover slips on over the crank gear. Tighten all of it's 10mm bolts down tight. Then slide over the crank pulley and make sure to install another one of those pesky woodruff keys. Tighten the crank pulley bolt down to specs. An impact gun will tighten it just fine. Slap the alternator on it's brackets. Don't tighten it down just yet. Slide on the belt, and push out the alternator with a pry bar or the likes. Tighten the upper and lower alternator bolts now. Please do NOT ever use a broken/cracked/chipped crank pulley. It will throw off the balance of the crankshaft and can be detrimental to the oil pumps operation. This would be especially dumb if you paid to get your crankshaft balanced, as I always do, because it would throw off the balance again. The crank pulley installed below is for visual purposes ONLY.Distributor. Align the inside marks on the back of the distributor (there are a few lines and marks, just line them up). If the motor is still at TDC, the distributor should go on and be timed perfectly. Tighten it's 12mm bolts down. If you are using an LS disributor, you will have to cut off the front mounting leg, as it hits the vtec solenoid housing, and only the upper bolt will line up. Be prepared for a very small oil leak if you do this (nothing to worry about though). This is not a problem because internally, all obd1/2 distributors are identical (timing wise), it's just the mounting legs that are different.Installing the valve cover. First, make sure to replace all valve cover gaskets with new ones. Slap on the valve cover. Now, put on the grommets, then the 10mm nuts. Tighten them down until they are just past hand tight. Do not overtighten as these are easy to strip.Last but not least, the spark plug and spark plug wires. If you are using the stock LS pistons, use stock B16 spark plugs. If you are running compression in the 10.8-12.0 range go with one stage colder spark plug (NGK BKR7E). If you are running over 12.0:1 compression as I am, run the two stages colder NGK's (#7173, pictured below). First, gap them to the desired range. You want to have as large as a gap as possible until the ignition can't bridge the gap, which is why it's good to increase the gap with aftermarket ignitions, to achieve it's full spark potential. A good gap to start with is .44. At this time, you may apply a thin coat of anti-sieze to the spark plug threads. Install the spark plugs with a spark plug socket, or 16mm deep socket. Tighten them till they stop. Do NOT overtighten. As for the spark plug wires, start with the first cylinder (timing belt side) and work your way to cylinder #4. The firing order is 1,3,4,2. It always is with 4 cylinder hondas. 1 is the top right corner of the rounded side of the distributor cap (look at the cap you'll see what I mean. There's a rounded side and a square side). Plug in the wires going clockwise from there using the correct firing order I gave you. Done.Now, the engine is fully assembled!Initial startup process for new cylinders/rings:Fill the motor up with 30W non detergent oil (quality does not matter). Just buy the cheapest you can find. Also, pick up the cheapest oil filter you can find (usually Fram). Check the dipstick periodically to see when the oil pan is full. Try not to fill higher than the upper most dot on the dip stick. It should be around 4 quarts (remember, you need a little extra oil for the vtec oil line).Fill the motor with a 50/50 mixture of coolant to water. Believe it or not, the more water this mixture has, the cooler the engine will run. But, you need antifreeze in colder climates to prevent coolant freeze/expansion, as well as to prevent the water pump and sleeves from corroding.Now, disconnect the ecu and turn the motor over for roughly 30 seconds to build up oil pressure. This is the easiest way to ensure you will not be injecting fuel and spark into the cylinders. Reinstall the ecu you will be using.Fire the motor up and check for leaks. Make sure the oil pressure light extinguishes immediately. If not, turn the car off and troubleshoot. Let the car reach full operating temperature. Immediately begin to tune the car for a 14.1-15.1 AFR. The closer to 14.7:1 the better. That's it. For the rest of the tuning, I'd suggest a street tune first then tune on the dyno, but every tuner has his/her own ways.Oil changing schedule:Initial - 30w non detergentafter 20 miles - 30w non detergentafter 100 miles - your favorite non-synafter 500 miles - your favorite non-synafter 1000 miles - your favorite non-syn/syntheticYou should stop seeing metal shavings in the oil after the 100 mile oil change. I strongly recommend using a magnetic oil drain plug for freshly built motors. You don't want all those shavings being pumped to the bearings, cams, or splashing on the cylinder walls...bad. Don't worry though, they will be there, no matter how close the clearances are.Now for the break in, try to vary the revs as much as possible, with alot of short blasts. It is very important that you let the engine "brake" itself by just letting off the throttle and letting the vehicle slow down on it's own, while in gear. This creates a vaccum in the cylinder and forces the rings outward, which wears down the peaks in the cylinder's fresh hone. Do this for the first 20 miles, and then proceed to beat the shit out of the motor, up to it's maximum rev range, as long as it is tuned accordingly. As long as the bearings are within spec and the rod bolts were torqued correctly, there is NOTHING to worry about.I guarantee you WILL NOT burn oil using this break in method. If you do, you probably have leaky valve seals or bad rings/cylinder hone
how to install a vtec light
Tools need : Soldering Iron, solder, wire cutters
This modification will work with all VTEC equipped models: Single and DOHC. It is simpler then the ones I've seen on the net as you don't use a relay in the circuit. For the ones that don't have the bezel with the VTEC cut out on them its a little more work as you can mount the LED on/through the bezel you have and use transfer lettering to mark it with if you wish. You also will have to cut out/throught the plastic lens under the bezel to fit the LED and wiring.Part and tools needed:1 - Phillips screw drivers (one short, one regular length)2 - 12 Volt LED light (comes in Red, Blue or Green, I didn't see any White ones, but they probably have them to)3 - Wire Connectors (sealed type),wire taps,wire eyes/ends4 - Soldering gun5 - Wire cutters/strippers6 - 16 or 18 gauge wire (10-12 feet)7 - Shrink tubing8 - Modeling knife9 - 10 mm socket and extension10 - Small flat screw driver
Preparing the LED:1 - Cut some wire about 6 inches or so and then solder it to the leads from the LED.2 - Use some shrink tubing to cover over the soldered leads.3 - You now done with this part.
Removal of speedo assembly:1 - Start by removing the assembly by taking out the screws (2) above the dash pod, then lay it on the top of the dash.2 - Next remove the screws (3) that hold the pod in, pull it out, then disconnect the wiring harnesses (four of them) and remove the pod from the dash (If you have indiglos disconnect those wires to). 3 - In a well lit area, look at the back of the pod, you will see above the cruise control light an uncut out hole, using a modeling knife cut out the hole, this is where you will mount the led.4 - Carefully disassemble the front of the dash pod by lifting the tabs with a small screw driver, remove the one screw that holds the bracket on the top. Remove the front face plate then remove the bezel cover, under that you will see a small plastic cover, remove that so you can install the led through the hole you cut in the back.5 - Install the led through the hole and tighten the nut on the back to hold it in place. Put the plastic cover back on that you removed earlier. Then put the dash pod back together.6 - Add the connectors to the wires on the LED leads at this time. Your now done with this part.
Here is where you cut out for the LED/wiring
LED install in the back of dash pod
Wiring the ECU and ground wire:1 - Remove the big plastic screw that holds the carpet at the top under the dash.2 - Pull back the carpet so you can remove the bolts (4 10mm bolts) that hold the ECU to the kick panel.3 - Remove the cover, lift blue tabs and slide up on the wiring harness to remove them.4 - Pull the ECU up and out so you can see the wiring at the bottom. You will be tapping in to the wire on A4 which is on the bottom row, second from the front, (It was orange with a white stripe on mine, there may be some variation in colors for some years).5 - Using a tap connect, tap the wire. Then put the wiring harness back on the cover, put the cover back on the ECU running the new wire behind the wiring harness out the top. Bolt the ECU back in. Run the wire along the top at the back of the dash and under and behind the console. With that done put the carpet back and your done with that side.6 - For the ground wire I used the bolt that holds the inside hood opener, then ran it up and out to the opening for the dash pod behind the wiring harness. The power wire that you pushed through run that up the side out of the way of the gas pedal and use wire ties to hold it to the metal bar then up and out the opening for the dash pod. Now you can cut off the extra wire, leaving some slack and put on the connectors.7 - Now you can put the dash pod back in, attaching/plugging in the wires for your new light (LED), then attach the dash pod wiring and Indiglo wiring if you have that. Put the screws back in and your done.
Now for the fun:1 - Start and run your car till it warms up then hit the gas to bring it into VTEC and the light should come on. If not check your work over for shorts/bad connections.
Remember the VTEC Light will only work if the car is moving, you just can't rev the engine to make it come on. At least 11 mph for the Auto, 15 to 25 mph for the manual models
Enjoy and have fun with your new mod, it looks really great at night.
This modification will work with all VTEC equipped models: Single and DOHC. It is simpler then the ones I've seen on the net as you don't use a relay in the circuit. For the ones that don't have the bezel with the VTEC cut out on them its a little more work as you can mount the LED on/through the bezel you have and use transfer lettering to mark it with if you wish. You also will have to cut out/throught the plastic lens under the bezel to fit the LED and wiring.Part and tools needed:1 - Phillips screw drivers (one short, one regular length)2 - 12 Volt LED light (comes in Red, Blue or Green, I didn't see any White ones, but they probably have them to)3 - Wire Connectors (sealed type),wire taps,wire eyes/ends4 - Soldering gun5 - Wire cutters/strippers6 - 16 or 18 gauge wire (10-12 feet)7 - Shrink tubing8 - Modeling knife9 - 10 mm socket and extension10 - Small flat screw driver
Preparing the LED:1 - Cut some wire about 6 inches or so and then solder it to the leads from the LED.2 - Use some shrink tubing to cover over the soldered leads.3 - You now done with this part.
Removal of speedo assembly:1 - Start by removing the assembly by taking out the screws (2) above the dash pod, then lay it on the top of the dash.2 - Next remove the screws (3) that hold the pod in, pull it out, then disconnect the wiring harnesses (four of them) and remove the pod from the dash (If you have indiglos disconnect those wires to). 3 - In a well lit area, look at the back of the pod, you will see above the cruise control light an uncut out hole, using a modeling knife cut out the hole, this is where you will mount the led.4 - Carefully disassemble the front of the dash pod by lifting the tabs with a small screw driver, remove the one screw that holds the bracket on the top. Remove the front face plate then remove the bezel cover, under that you will see a small plastic cover, remove that so you can install the led through the hole you cut in the back.5 - Install the led through the hole and tighten the nut on the back to hold it in place. Put the plastic cover back on that you removed earlier. Then put the dash pod back together.6 - Add the connectors to the wires on the LED leads at this time. Your now done with this part.
Here is where you cut out for the LED/wiring
LED install in the back of dash pod
Wiring the ECU and ground wire:1 - Remove the big plastic screw that holds the carpet at the top under the dash.2 - Pull back the carpet so you can remove the bolts (4 10mm bolts) that hold the ECU to the kick panel.3 - Remove the cover, lift blue tabs and slide up on the wiring harness to remove them.4 - Pull the ECU up and out so you can see the wiring at the bottom. You will be tapping in to the wire on A4 which is on the bottom row, second from the front, (It was orange with a white stripe on mine, there may be some variation in colors for some years).5 - Using a tap connect, tap the wire. Then put the wiring harness back on the cover, put the cover back on the ECU running the new wire behind the wiring harness out the top. Bolt the ECU back in. Run the wire along the top at the back of the dash and under and behind the console. With that done put the carpet back and your done with that side.6 - For the ground wire I used the bolt that holds the inside hood opener, then ran it up and out to the opening for the dash pod behind the wiring harness. The power wire that you pushed through run that up the side out of the way of the gas pedal and use wire ties to hold it to the metal bar then up and out the opening for the dash pod. Now you can cut off the extra wire, leaving some slack and put on the connectors.7 - Now you can put the dash pod back in, attaching/plugging in the wires for your new light (LED), then attach the dash pod wiring and Indiglo wiring if you have that. Put the screws back in and your done.
Now for the fun:1 - Start and run your car till it warms up then hit the gas to bring it into VTEC and the light should come on. If not check your work over for shorts/bad connections.
Remember the VTEC Light will only work if the car is moving, you just can't rev the engine to make it come on. At least 11 mph for the Auto, 15 to 25 mph for the manual models
Enjoy and have fun with your new mod, it looks really great at night.
how to build a fiberglass encloser
Here's some simple steps on how to make a fiberglass enclosure/amp rack. The techniques outlined in this step by step is my own personal techniques and experiences so please feel free to modify the way it is done here. Hope this will help you in your enclosure fabrications and these techniques can be transferred to fabricate other fiberglass parts & projects....even vehicle body parts & home audio projects.
Let's start from the trunk:
Here is the trunk of a 1992 Plymouth Laser Turbo ( or Mitsubishi Eclipse or Eagle Talon ). We start out with a clean trunk and an idea of what we want to do with the enclosure and the equipment that we're installing into the trunk.
The next step is to draw out the base of the enclosure and use poster board paper cut into strips to contour the edges of the base. This will ensure a tight and accurate shape around the trunk edge.
Next step is to mask the sides of the trunk to avoid fiberglass from sticking to areas that you don't want it to. **TIP: for large areas that doesn't require a mold you can lay down two layers of tin foil and some plastic to save time and masking tape **
After you have cut the base out of MDF( Medium Density Fiberboard ) & masked the edges of the trunk you can start building the initial shape of the enclosure you designed. Using MDF I cut the peices that I needed to frame the inside of the enclosure and hot glued & super glued the peices in place. Using Cyanoacrylates (best known as Super/Krazy glues) bond in seconds through the evaporation process when in contact with air.
After you have cut the MDF trim ring you must mount the trim ring and suspend it in the position you want. I used strips of MDF and super glued them in place to hold the position.
After you have framed the entire enclosure and glued all the peices in place securely, you are ready to wrap the project in fleece and start with the resin.
Using an pneumatic staple gun I used light weight fleece from my local fabric store and started to staple the fleece to the enclosure. ** TIP : Make sure you staple the fabric on the bottom of the project and not the side ( if possible ). This will save you time in the end because you won't have to cover your staple divits you create when you attach the fleece to the MDF.
Here is the enclosure pre-resin state. Make sure that you attach the fleece on the top of the project with spray glue or staples. This will ensure that the fleece is attached to the frame. I used 3M Super 90 spray adhesive & you can get this at any Home Hardware store or Home Depot.
Here is the first coat of fiberglass resin that I used on the enclosure. Soak it down until the resin shines on the fleece , this will indicate that the resin is completely saturated with resin. Allow this to dry and next step will be the fiberglass matting and resin.
After you have the first 3-4 layers of fiberglass matting alow it to dry. I used a roller to smooth out the bubbles and also this allows me to sqeeze out all the extra resin that I used. I just applied more matting to soak up the resin that the roller sqeezed out.
Here's the enclosure after the 2nd 4 layer coating. THere is 8 layers of matting on this enclsoure and now it's time to smooth out the fiberglass and continue to the final stages of the enclsoure.
After doing a little sanding to get rid of the small pills of resin your ready to apply the first layer of filler/fiberglass resin. Note the smoothness of the fiberglass and the fact the we need little sanding here to go tot he next step. The entire project requires it to be sanded to 80 grit for the filler/fiberglass resin to adhere properly.
Next you will need some body filler ( Rage Gold is what we used ) and some fiberglass resin, mixing cup and hardener for both.
By mixing a batch of body filler and resin ( 5:1 ratio ) you create a thinned out mixture that you can paint onto the project. Add the appropriate hardener amounts for each of the resin and the body filler as normal
** TIP: this allows you to use this mixture to fill in dips and cracks without having you spread it on with a body filler knife.
Here is the completed subenclosure with the mixture completely covering the project. Get it at the stage where the mixture is 75 % dry and use 36 - 50 grit sand paper on a soft sanding block and go to town and sand down the project before it totally dries. It will gum up your paper rather quickly but will take off lots of the semi dry mixture ( which is what you want ) because this is the excess stuff that is the high spots on the project.
Next we covered the trunk with a thick plastic sheet and proceeded to make our enclsoure cover.
We placed the enclosure into the trunk and made another trim ring to fit on the outside of the subwoofer with a reverse mount on the sub for asthetics.
The enclosure was completely masked over and the amplifier was tin foiled to add protection incase of some resing getting through the first layer of tin foil.
I used 2 layers of tin foil to cover the entire enclosure so that when I fiberglass over top, I will be able to remove a perfect mold of the enclosure. Use 2-3 layers of matting for the shape of the cover as this will be plenty strong enough for the cover peice. After you have the cover peice glassed and edges cut and sanded your ready to use the body filler/resin mixture again on the cover.
Get it at the stage where the mixture is 75 % dry and use 36 - 50 grit sand paper on a soft sanding block and go to town and sand down the project before it totally dries. It will gum up your paper rather quickly but will take off lots of the semi dry mixture ( which is what you want ) because this is the excess stuff that is the high spots on the project. Here is the cover after we removed it from the initial mold and used the same technique with the filler/fiberglass resin as before. In this stage we sanded it down to 240 grit and is now ready for some polyester filler to fill in small scratches and imperfections.
Here is the cover pre-paint ready to get a 400 grit sanding and then a 600 grit sanding. Paint is next and installation.
Here's the finished cover with paint and ready to install. The paint was matched to the exterior of the vehicle.
Finished & installed enclsoure and cover.
Let's start from the trunk:
Here is the trunk of a 1992 Plymouth Laser Turbo ( or Mitsubishi Eclipse or Eagle Talon ). We start out with a clean trunk and an idea of what we want to do with the enclosure and the equipment that we're installing into the trunk.
The next step is to draw out the base of the enclosure and use poster board paper cut into strips to contour the edges of the base. This will ensure a tight and accurate shape around the trunk edge.
Next step is to mask the sides of the trunk to avoid fiberglass from sticking to areas that you don't want it to. **TIP: for large areas that doesn't require a mold you can lay down two layers of tin foil and some plastic to save time and masking tape **
After you have cut the base out of MDF( Medium Density Fiberboard ) & masked the edges of the trunk you can start building the initial shape of the enclosure you designed. Using MDF I cut the peices that I needed to frame the inside of the enclosure and hot glued & super glued the peices in place. Using Cyanoacrylates (best known as Super/Krazy glues) bond in seconds through the evaporation process when in contact with air.
After you have cut the MDF trim ring you must mount the trim ring and suspend it in the position you want. I used strips of MDF and super glued them in place to hold the position.
After you have framed the entire enclosure and glued all the peices in place securely, you are ready to wrap the project in fleece and start with the resin.
Using an pneumatic staple gun I used light weight fleece from my local fabric store and started to staple the fleece to the enclosure. ** TIP : Make sure you staple the fabric on the bottom of the project and not the side ( if possible ). This will save you time in the end because you won't have to cover your staple divits you create when you attach the fleece to the MDF.
Here is the enclosure pre-resin state. Make sure that you attach the fleece on the top of the project with spray glue or staples. This will ensure that the fleece is attached to the frame. I used 3M Super 90 spray adhesive & you can get this at any Home Hardware store or Home Depot.
Here is the first coat of fiberglass resin that I used on the enclosure. Soak it down until the resin shines on the fleece , this will indicate that the resin is completely saturated with resin. Allow this to dry and next step will be the fiberglass matting and resin.
After you have the first 3-4 layers of fiberglass matting alow it to dry. I used a roller to smooth out the bubbles and also this allows me to sqeeze out all the extra resin that I used. I just applied more matting to soak up the resin that the roller sqeezed out.
Here's the enclosure after the 2nd 4 layer coating. THere is 8 layers of matting on this enclsoure and now it's time to smooth out the fiberglass and continue to the final stages of the enclsoure.
After doing a little sanding to get rid of the small pills of resin your ready to apply the first layer of filler/fiberglass resin. Note the smoothness of the fiberglass and the fact the we need little sanding here to go tot he next step. The entire project requires it to be sanded to 80 grit for the filler/fiberglass resin to adhere properly.
Next you will need some body filler ( Rage Gold is what we used ) and some fiberglass resin, mixing cup and hardener for both.
By mixing a batch of body filler and resin ( 5:1 ratio ) you create a thinned out mixture that you can paint onto the project. Add the appropriate hardener amounts for each of the resin and the body filler as normal
** TIP: this allows you to use this mixture to fill in dips and cracks without having you spread it on with a body filler knife.
Here is the completed subenclosure with the mixture completely covering the project. Get it at the stage where the mixture is 75 % dry and use 36 - 50 grit sand paper on a soft sanding block and go to town and sand down the project before it totally dries. It will gum up your paper rather quickly but will take off lots of the semi dry mixture ( which is what you want ) because this is the excess stuff that is the high spots on the project.
Next we covered the trunk with a thick plastic sheet and proceeded to make our enclsoure cover.
We placed the enclosure into the trunk and made another trim ring to fit on the outside of the subwoofer with a reverse mount on the sub for asthetics.
The enclosure was completely masked over and the amplifier was tin foiled to add protection incase of some resing getting through the first layer of tin foil.
I used 2 layers of tin foil to cover the entire enclosure so that when I fiberglass over top, I will be able to remove a perfect mold of the enclosure. Use 2-3 layers of matting for the shape of the cover as this will be plenty strong enough for the cover peice. After you have the cover peice glassed and edges cut and sanded your ready to use the body filler/resin mixture again on the cover.
Get it at the stage where the mixture is 75 % dry and use 36 - 50 grit sand paper on a soft sanding block and go to town and sand down the project before it totally dries. It will gum up your paper rather quickly but will take off lots of the semi dry mixture ( which is what you want ) because this is the excess stuff that is the high spots on the project. Here is the cover after we removed it from the initial mold and used the same technique with the filler/fiberglass resin as before. In this stage we sanded it down to 240 grit and is now ready for some polyester filler to fill in small scratches and imperfections.
Here is the cover pre-paint ready to get a 400 grit sanding and then a 600 grit sanding. Paint is next and installation.
Here's the finished cover with paint and ready to install. The paint was matched to the exterior of the vehicle.
Finished & installed enclsoure and cover.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
how to install hid's
Disconnect the negative terminal of the battery
Now you real work starts. You have to remove the headlight in order to put the new bulbs and all the wiring in place. To remove the headlight there are three bolts. Two are easily accesible but for the third you have to remove the 2 side bolts that hold the front bumper on. If you remove these 2 side bolts on the bumper you should be able to pull the bumper far enough out from the fender to get to the bolt holding in the headlight as shown in the picture.
This is one of the other two bolts to remove to take out the headlight.
This is the other of the two bolts to remove to take out the headlight.
This picture shows the location of all 3 bolts that need to be removed to take out the headlight. Once all the bolts are removed you can unplug the harnesses for the bulbs and remove the headlight from the car.
Now that you have the headlight out make sure you put it on a surface that will not scratch the headlight itself (ie. towel). First thing you need to do is remove the rubber grommet.
Next you want to remove the pin that holds the bulb in place. To do this you first need to loosen the screw and then remove the pin.
Now this was the hardest part of the entire install for me. You have to reshape the pin to hold in the new HID light. The first pin took me almost an hour to finally get it to hold the light in really tight, after I figured out what shape I wanted the second pin was a piece of cake.
Finally you can put your rubber grommet back in place and your headlight is ready to go. Repeat the last steps for the other headlight.
This picture shows where I decided to mount the box that comes with the kit for the driver side headlight. You are free to mount it whereever you want but I found a true lacking of space made this a harder task then I would have expected. I managed to use zip ties and double sided tape to hold the box in place.
Next you have to run the ground wire from the box to the chassis of the car. Conveniently enough there was already a wire being grounded less then a foot away from the box so I just decided to use this spot. You can use any ground but make sure there is no paint on the surface as you want a good ground.
This picture shows where I mounted the box for the passenger side headlight. Once again I used zip ties to hold the box securely in place.
Now you need to run the ground for the passenger headlight. Once again there is a wire already being grounded close to the box so I used the same spot again.
Next you want to run the power wire from the HID harness to the positive terminal of your battery.The last few steps I did not take pictures of as its pretty self explanitory but you need to finish connecting the harness to the HID box if you have no done so already. Also run the ACC (headlight on) connector from the harness to the factory ACC (headlight on) in the driver side headlight area. I'm sorry as I have no picture of this but the connector is very easy to find as there are only once of its shape and you disconnected it earlier to remove the headlight.Lastly, you need to reconnect the negative terminal of your battery.Now that everything is hooked up turn your headlights on and make sure everything works as it should. If all goes well you will have a nice bright glow from your lights and a warm feeling inside :). Now bolt your headlights back in place and reattach your bumper; time to enjoy the lights.
Now you real work starts. You have to remove the headlight in order to put the new bulbs and all the wiring in place. To remove the headlight there are three bolts. Two are easily accesible but for the third you have to remove the 2 side bolts that hold the front bumper on. If you remove these 2 side bolts on the bumper you should be able to pull the bumper far enough out from the fender to get to the bolt holding in the headlight as shown in the picture.
This is one of the other two bolts to remove to take out the headlight.
This is the other of the two bolts to remove to take out the headlight.
This picture shows the location of all 3 bolts that need to be removed to take out the headlight. Once all the bolts are removed you can unplug the harnesses for the bulbs and remove the headlight from the car.
Now that you have the headlight out make sure you put it on a surface that will not scratch the headlight itself (ie. towel). First thing you need to do is remove the rubber grommet.
Next you want to remove the pin that holds the bulb in place. To do this you first need to loosen the screw and then remove the pin.
Now this was the hardest part of the entire install for me. You have to reshape the pin to hold in the new HID light. The first pin took me almost an hour to finally get it to hold the light in really tight, after I figured out what shape I wanted the second pin was a piece of cake.
Finally you can put your rubber grommet back in place and your headlight is ready to go. Repeat the last steps for the other headlight.
This picture shows where I decided to mount the box that comes with the kit for the driver side headlight. You are free to mount it whereever you want but I found a true lacking of space made this a harder task then I would have expected. I managed to use zip ties and double sided tape to hold the box in place.
Next you have to run the ground wire from the box to the chassis of the car. Conveniently enough there was already a wire being grounded less then a foot away from the box so I just decided to use this spot. You can use any ground but make sure there is no paint on the surface as you want a good ground.
This picture shows where I mounted the box for the passenger side headlight. Once again I used zip ties to hold the box securely in place.
Now you need to run the ground for the passenger headlight. Once again there is a wire already being grounded close to the box so I used the same spot again.
Next you want to run the power wire from the HID harness to the positive terminal of your battery.The last few steps I did not take pictures of as its pretty self explanitory but you need to finish connecting the harness to the HID box if you have no done so already. Also run the ACC (headlight on) connector from the harness to the factory ACC (headlight on) in the driver side headlight area. I'm sorry as I have no picture of this but the connector is very easy to find as there are only once of its shape and you disconnected it earlier to remove the headlight.Lastly, you need to reconnect the negative terminal of your battery.Now that everything is hooked up turn your headlights on and make sure everything works as it should. If all goes well you will have a nice bright glow from your lights and a warm feeling inside :). Now bolt your headlights back in place and reattach your bumper; time to enjoy the lights.
how to smoke taillight
This is a cheap and easy mod that I think looks really good on a black colored car. I will warn you that if you tint your tails really dark your car may not be street legal anymore and you could get pulled over and ticketed. Check your state laws before doing this mod, here is a link so you can look up statutes for all states. These laws are in place for safety reasons. Other cars need to see your car so don't go too dark. To balance out my darker tails I installed super bright halogen 1157 bulbs. They claim to be 50% brighter and I can tell you that they are much brighter than normal 1157 bulbs. Only use transparent spray paint when you do this, the light still needs to pass through. I used 2 cans of VHT Nite-Shades and one can of gloss.
Tools Needed:
Screwdrivers
Sockets, socket wrenches
Parts/Supplies Needed:
VHT Nite-Shades
Gloss spray paint
Paper for masking
Painters tape
Rubbing alcohol
Towels
Newspaper
1) Remove the two 10mm bolts that hold the RH corner section of the tails. Pull the corner section of trim back in the trunk and you will see these bolts. Do the same for the LH corner section.
2) Once you have the two bolts out pull straight back and the section will pop out. Once it's out unscrew the screw circled in this pic and twist the bulbs out. Set the corner tail sections aside.
3) Remove the trim piece under the trunk hood. On each side, remove these 5 8mm bolts. You need to take out the rubber plugs in the corners to see the 5th bolt. Unclip the wiring harness and set the inner tail sections aside.
4) Prep the tails for paint. I used some grocery bags and blue painters tape to mask off everything I did not want painted. Once masked I cleaned the plastic with rubbing alcohol and a towel. It is important to get everything off before painting, especially old wax. You want your paint to bond straight to the plastic. Do not touch the area to be painted because fingerprints will show. Even little specs of dust will show so the plastic needs to be spotless if you want a good paint job.
5) Apply the first coat of transparent lens paint. This pic shows the result of one full scan of VHT Nite-Shades on LS tails. Spray the paint on 12-18" from the surface. The key is to do many light coats. I just walked around this table one coat at a time. Just wait a minute or so for the paint to dry and then repeat until the can is empty or you have reached your desired tint level. After one can I recommend letting it dry for about an hour before applying a second can. You need to be patient with this. If you spray too close in hopes of saving time there is a good chance you'll botch the paint job. When you start painting, it will look like almost no paint is being applied, don't worry, many light coats is best! And obviously, make sure you paint in a well ventilated area!
6) This pic is the result of 2 cans of VHT Nite-Shades . As you can see the finish is very dull. I used a full can of Painter's Touch Gloss spray paint I picked up at Home Depot to put some shine back on my tails. Apply the gloss as you applied the tint. This is where you really have to be careful not to get too close because it looks like it isn't getting glossy, don't worry. Again, a lot of thin coats is better than a runny paint job.
7) Wait about 24 hours for the paint to cure.
8) Finish off the tails by applying one or two coats of wax.
9) Attach your tinted tails and take a look!
Tools Needed:
Screwdrivers
Sockets, socket wrenches
Parts/Supplies Needed:
VHT Nite-Shades
Gloss spray paint
Paper for masking
Painters tape
Rubbing alcohol
Towels
Newspaper
1) Remove the two 10mm bolts that hold the RH corner section of the tails. Pull the corner section of trim back in the trunk and you will see these bolts. Do the same for the LH corner section.
2) Once you have the two bolts out pull straight back and the section will pop out. Once it's out unscrew the screw circled in this pic and twist the bulbs out. Set the corner tail sections aside.
3) Remove the trim piece under the trunk hood. On each side, remove these 5 8mm bolts. You need to take out the rubber plugs in the corners to see the 5th bolt. Unclip the wiring harness and set the inner tail sections aside.
4) Prep the tails for paint. I used some grocery bags and blue painters tape to mask off everything I did not want painted. Once masked I cleaned the plastic with rubbing alcohol and a towel. It is important to get everything off before painting, especially old wax. You want your paint to bond straight to the plastic. Do not touch the area to be painted because fingerprints will show. Even little specs of dust will show so the plastic needs to be spotless if you want a good paint job.
5) Apply the first coat of transparent lens paint. This pic shows the result of one full scan of VHT Nite-Shades on LS tails. Spray the paint on 12-18" from the surface. The key is to do many light coats. I just walked around this table one coat at a time. Just wait a minute or so for the paint to dry and then repeat until the can is empty or you have reached your desired tint level. After one can I recommend letting it dry for about an hour before applying a second can. You need to be patient with this. If you spray too close in hopes of saving time there is a good chance you'll botch the paint job. When you start painting, it will look like almost no paint is being applied, don't worry, many light coats is best! And obviously, make sure you paint in a well ventilated area!
6) This pic is the result of 2 cans of VHT Nite-Shades . As you can see the finish is very dull. I used a full can of Painter's Touch Gloss spray paint I picked up at Home Depot to put some shine back on my tails. Apply the gloss as you applied the tint. This is where you really have to be careful not to get too close because it looks like it isn't getting glossy, don't worry. Again, a lot of thin coats is better than a runny paint job.
7) Wait about 24 hours for the paint to cure.
8) Finish off the tails by applying one or two coats of wax.
9) Attach your tinted tails and take a look!
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