The BLACKBIRD saga continues... NEW UPDATE !!!

[JRCivic]

OK gang... the wait is OVER !!! I cranked her up this evening.

I have good news and bad news...

The good news is that it revs like a motorcycle !!! The throttle response is crisp and lightning fast. Paying attention to the weight of all of the parts associated with the rotating assembly has paid off big time. This powerplant is going to be a lot of fun... I was truly excited to reach this point.

The bad news is that after letting her run for about five minutes, I happened to notice a small amount of coolant inside the cockpit over the center tunnel... and I am worried that the heater core has a small hole. This means that I will have to pull the dash back out of the car and make an inspection and any necessary repairs... and this is a time consuming obstacle that I didn't budget any time for... so going further may take a few more weeks because my schedule is pretty full for a while. [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img]

I will continue to post updates as they come...

[EuroAce1]

He he, Jim my friend, you lost the race.
Mine was running first. [img]wink.gif[/img] [img]biggrin.gif[/img]
For those who do not know me, I am Jim's biggest fan and trainee from Germany and drive a 99 Civic Station Wagon with B18C1 from factory. Jim has always given me great advice at any hour. We have spent several years on long distance calls, haven't we Jim?
By coincidence we found out that we are building almost the same setup. Again, nice to think same, bro.
To the facts.
Here are my mods:
Benson B18 block bored to 84mm, Darton sleeves, CP Pistons 11:1, Eagle rods, ACL bearings, ARP bolts, Cometic headgasket, GSR head with runners and combustion chamber worked, JRSC 10 psi, DC JDM 4-1, cat and catback in 70mm (2"75), Hondata s200b
As you can see the setup is very similar to Jim's. Not that good but quite close.
I tuned it last weekend. It is still not like I want it. I still need to find the perfect x over and to get the range above 7000 rpm better.
Here you can see the best pull.
http://rapidshare.de/files/1067162/A...Power.pdf.html
I did not pull it over 8000, although I know it makes still a bit more power after.
Dyno was done on the fly with Road Dyno. As a result another 5% need to be added compared to a stationary dyno.
When will have finished tuning it, I hope it will make about 250 whp.
Okay, it's your turn Jim. [img]wink.gif[/img]

[JRCivic]

I don't know if I am truly mad... or just halucinating.

I first noticed a small amount of coolant just below the heater core fittings above the center tunnel inside the cockpit while attempting to connect a plug that I failed to assemble when installing the dash. This led me to theorize that the heater core was damaged and the dash must be removed to correct the problem. On 3/31, I ran the engine up to temp multiple times and found NO additional fluid leaking into the interior... nor the exterior for that matter. At the very end of the day, I ran the car for nearly 45 minutes to double check for any leaks... and I found nothing inside the cockpit at all. I let the car sit for about an hour before closing for the night. As I pushed the car back from the door so that I could pull in three other vehicles, I noticed a large coolant puddle directly under the middle of the engine bay !!! HOLY CRAP !!! I didn't sleep much that night...

Friday morning (4/1), I jacked up the car in the front, placed it on jackstands and cranked her up. I gathered a small flashlight, the phone and a creeper and proceeded to slide in under the screaming engine to WATCH when the first drops fell to the ground. Moments later, I added a pair of earplugs to my ensemble because the open header was simply too deafening to concentrate. I lay there for nearly two hours... the car reached coolant temperatures as high as 205 degrees... and NOTHING leaked !!! I tried three additional times during the day... bringing the car up to the temp that the electric fan kicks on... and zip, zero, nada... no coolant anywhere.

So, I guess this is a good thing. It means that I didn't miss anything and my install was flawless... I must merely be nervous and over protective. I really am not interested in damaging this engine after five years of blood, sweat, and tears... and nearly $30K invested. So, the last thing that needs to be addressed is a new CAT-BACK system. The Tanabe Racing Medallion that is currently installed on the car is damaged from the flood... and I do not wish to limit the engine's power with a questionable system... so it must be retired and a replacement must be located and acquired.

Does anyone have any really good suggestions ?!? Personally, I would like to find something really LIGHT that has an internal diameter of around 65-70mm. I have a Thermal 3"... but I really don't want the car to be that loud. Most that I am aware of are 60mm... and I believe I really need 2.5"... maybe slightly more.

Damn... I have hijacked my own thread... I will create a new thread with this question... please respond to that thread instead of this one !!!

heheheheh

Thanks
Jim

[Tad3d]

If you have the money, just get a titanium exhaust.
lightest you can find.

About your coolant thing though,
i'd keep looking.
coolant leaks are wierd, sometimes they won't appear when the car is idling, or even running,
but once you shut it off after driving it it will leak..

I'd say drive it around, then park it over a clean spot, and check under it a few hours later, then if theres a leak examine directly above it.

fyi I have a mystery come/go coolant drip too [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[ghostofnyc]

hows black bird coming

[JRCivic]

I have about 460 miles on the break-in. The car has begun to overheat... which is quite discouraging. Unfortunately, I have SOOOO much work to complete before the NOPI event, I haven't had a chance to diagnose the problem, nor have I replaced the heater core. I will work on the 'Bird in the fall... until then, she will sit quietly in the driveway.

In addition, John at HyTech STILL has not sent me my header or exhaust. I will need these items before I retune the car anyway.

[00TypeR]

welcome to the world of waiting on John!

<----waited 13 months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!