Jaffaz32's Boosted Stroker Build

[jaffaz32]

Sorry about the copy and paste from Prime,

Thanks to everyone who has been in contact over the last couple of days wishing good luck with the build.


Previously i owned a 300zx for about 6 years, this was my first attempt at building a fast car and took a naive approach of power power power. The car had the power but the setup was awful. The car was savage but didn't put it down and was unpredictable in terms of the delivery.

I learnt along the way the right way of building a fast car.

I started by raising the boost on the stock motor which was getting towards the end of it's life, decided to do a mild forged build that netted 520bhp (Flywheel) and lasted about a month. Basically Scholar Engines who apparently worked with Lotus and the Elise when it came out machined my block and heads and knife edged the crank, they slipped while knife edging and scuffed a main bearing journal, the machine shop assured me this was only cosmetic damage at the time being naive i took their word for it, but... i then couldn't everyone refused to build my engine with that crank, in the end the machine shop built my motor, after a month the motor seized, it blew most the oil out the exhausts. Guessing it was down to the crank! The garage pretty much screwed me over.

Anyway after that i spec'd the motor for 900bhp, i ordered all the parts. I sent the car to Thor Racing in the UK who stripped the car to almost bare shell, they had it well over a year getting on for two over that time they hardly done anything except strip the entire car and the engine itself. Time came where i decided enough was enough, this is never going to get done. So we went up there, after being locked in a office and threatened by the garage staff not to speak of this i returned home with a shell and boxes upon boxes of random parts new and used. Realistically no garage was going to take on this job without big expense. This garage had been charging me over the duration they had the car and not making any real progress, they also stole some of my parts again i got stitched over. The car ended up being weighed in for scrap metal and the parts sold on.

Before scrapping the 300 I started talks with a Rx7 specialist who built my brothers Rx7 about having a quad rotor (26B) built and dropped in, the idea was to sell all my parts and go down this route. Until i really considered what i could buy for the money and admitted that car was just a bad omen. At the time Ferrari 355's (http://www.play.com/Home-Garden/Home-Garden//4-/54232709/-/Product.html), TVR's, Aston's etc were reasonably priced which i considered but i knew it would be a bad idea with my urge for more power, it had to be Japanese. I wanted to go the next step from the 300zx, it came down to 2 options Nsx or R34 GTR (http://www.play.com/Toys/Toys/4-/33712342/-/Product.html).

I bought my Nsx roughly 5 years ago a pretty much stock low mileage Charlotte Green C30A 5 speed Na1.

The car was owned by the family of Walkers crisps in the UK for most it's life and has a comprehensive service history, trailer receipts for services etc. you name it.

The car was spotless, I loved it but wanted something a little different in both power and looks.

So i started doing basic mods, LSD's, body work etc. I went down the NA route initially ticking most options, but was very limited to what i could squeeze out the stock motor. Over the years it went from looking stock to subtly modified to the race car look. I had done allot of mods like STMPO Messiah exhaust system (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_nkw=exhaust+system), Downforce intake etc.

I closely followed the forums, anytime anyone had a scare for example the crank pulley failing, water tanks splitting, oil pump gears cracking i straight away ordered the aftermarket upgraded parts. The car was mechanical sound. I covered most basis except the brakes at the time

This is when i started considering turbo kits, i really had my heart set on a single, as previously owning a twin i liked the sound single's produced and wanted to do something different. I looked at all the turbo kits (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_nkw=turbo+kits) on the market and went with Cody's and pick a few upgrades and custom options, GTX turbo, full ceramic coating of manifolds, turbo and exhaust system. Cody build me a custom exhaust, that had a Cat bolt in option and came straight out the back in the middle as a twin pipe.

Before purchasing Cody asked me to do a compression test, which i did. All cylinders were pretty close to each other with the exception of cylinder 6 which was just within tolerance, so i knew at some point i would need to install new pistons which i decided to purchase at the time along with head gaskets for a mild build. I never got round to installing these due to expense and not being sure if that was to be the spec i wanted to run, so still sitting in their boxes.

The install of the turbo kit (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_nkw=turbo+kit) was kinda a disaster but rewarding in the end, i saw that Angus kit was DIY and asked Cody could his kit be installed by a normal garage or needed to be a more specialized garage. I couldn't see why not so i arranged with a small one man garage who was a Honda enthusiast to install my turbo kit with my help, the day i got there to start the install he came hopping out the workshop and said chris i don't want to scare you but i've damaged my leg and will assist you with the install. I ended up doing most the install myself, i had done my homework knowing how most of it went together. So off i went, he didn't really help at all. I managed to get it all installed and running on a base map supplied from Cody on the FIC. The car ran fine. He then had the cheek and turned round charging me about half again the initial agreed quote for the install. He said i ran over to which i replied, no **** of course i did. I'm no mechanic, you didn't do the work as agreed with my help, i did it with very little help. that got a little messy. Again i got stitched over by another UK garage.

Anyway, i got the car tuned. It seemed to drive great on the way home and for the next couple of days then after a short while the car kept throwing me out of boost well seemed the car would just kill power mid pull and come back. Replaced loads of parts, Coils, igniters you name it. Went back to Cody who helped me with simply diagnostics. Cody assured me that a guaranteed route to resolve the issue would be going with the AEM Infinity. I was hesitant because it was sold as a kit, how easy would it be to install? who would tune it? Cody said it was pretty easy to install but i still wasn't sure and didn't want to take it to a garage who would charge allot of money per hour, having to spend days on installing it. So i decided the best option was to fly Cody out to install the Ecu and tune it, which is what we did. Install was actually very easy, Cody had the car running on the first day, over the duration we got the car road tuned and then dyno tuned. It drove perfectly the issues had gone that i was experiencing with the FIC. While Cody was here he said "Chris, your oil pressure is a little low." if it wasn't for the Infinity I would of had no idea as the gauge on the dash looked fine, so the Infinity basically kinda saved me, well made me aware of a potential serious issue. When tuning the car we had to slightly lower the oil pressure safety parameters to other cars to stop the infinity going in to safety mode until i resolved the issue. At this time the oil pressure could had been just the oil i was running, maybe the external oil cooler (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_nkw=oil+cooler) because the lines were crazy long or maybe even a faulty sensor. Cody had set flights to return home, the car done over a 200 mile round trip dropping Cody off at the airport with zero issues, we sat in about an 2 hour traffic jam on a hot day, no issue.

I then changed the oil, for a while it all seemed ok.

[jaffaz32]

Then over the next few weeks/months the car started playing up. Cody talked me through looking in the logs the power cut was the Infinity going in to limp mode due to the oil pressure once again. From there i changed the oil again but removing my billet purepower reusable filter to a normal type, eliminated and tested all oil related things i could externally, bypassing external oil coolers, new sensors. I tested the oil pressure per manual with a mechanical gauge. The issue appeared to be internal.

Now the Dilemma i faced.

Specialist garages charge crazy money. I didn't want to pay to have the engine removed and stripped just to be inspected as i would had to wait months for any parts or what if it was something major like a crank, full motor build etc. After speaking with Cody and going through different scenarios i decided to go on the basis of worst case. It sounds a little crazy but... it's so hard to get parts here and with the unknown of what was wrong or involved, i opted for a full build because i would have a car that is mechanically sound and trouble free with the peace of mind and confidence to drive. I thought to myself i've been here before!! my 300zx built motor blew up after a month. So i decided to over spec the motor for a element of safety. I can only afford to do this once so do it right. There was a possibility the bearing had gone due to the symptoms and going on worst case i decided the crank had to be replaced to be on the safe side. this meant stroker kits, i spec'd the engine for around 800-1000bhp i wanted to tick every box and dot every I.

I contacted several garages and specialists and decided to take my car to Plans Performance.

As we speak the car is currently in bits and with Plans, they were just as excited as myself when dropping the car off to be working on this project. The motor is apart and with the machine shop as of typing. They found that one of the bearings had gone. They have sent a comprehensive email with a to do list of other things they have found that needs addressing which is good as again I know in the back of my mind that the car will come home completely mechanically sound. So far so good with Plans but a little anxious based on my past experience with garages, time will tell.

I will post a complete spec list later with more details and info but this is a start at least.


So as you can see i have had my share of bad luck in terms of cars, i'm a decent guy and garages take advantages of this and stitch me up in the past. I'm a little nervous but very excited.



- - - Updated - - -

When i spec'd the motor i wanted to replace everything oem while building.

I ordered the oem motor rebuild kits (these do not contain everything)

I then went online and printed off the exploded diagrams for the motor, oil systems, wiring, throttle body (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_nkw=throttle+body) etc. etc.

I then cross referenced what parts i had and ordered every single gasket, seal, grommet and including all brand new sensors for everything... Some sensors were expensive like the knock and crank angle but as mentioned above i could only do this the once and needed it to be trouble free motoring.

I wanted to spend a little extra now to ensure i had a brand new motor for complete reliability and trouble free motoring.

[Pride]

Then over the next few weeks/months the car started playing up. Cody talked me through looking in the logs the power cut was the Infinity going in to limp mode due to the oil pressure once again. From there i changed the oil again but removing my billet purepower reusable filter to a normal type, eliminated and tested all oil related things i could externally, bypassing external oil coolers, new sensors. I tested the oil pressure per manual with a mechanical gauge. The issue appeared to be internal.

Now the Dilemma i faced.

Specialist garages charge crazy money. I didn't want to pay to have the engine removed and stripped just to be inspected as i would had to wait months for any parts or what if it was something major like a crank, full motor build etc. After speaking with Cody and going through different scenarios i decided to go on the basis of worst case. It sounds a little crazy but... it's so hard to get parts here and with the unknown of what was wrong or involved, i opted for a full build because i would have a car that is mechanically sound and trouble free with the peace of mind and confidence to drive. I thought to myself i've been here before!! my 300zx built motor blew up after a month. So i decided to over spec the motor for a element of safety. I can only afford to do this once so do it right. There was a possibility the bearing had gone due to the symptoms and going on worst case i decided the crank had to be replaced to be on the safe side. this meant stroker kits, i spec'd the engine for around 800-1000bhp i wanted to tick every box and dot every I.

I contacted several garages and specialists and decided to take my car to Plans Performance.

As we speak the car is currently in bits and with Plans, they were just as excited as myself when dropping the car off to be working on this project. The motor is apart and with the machine shop as of typing. They found that one of the bearings had gone. They have sent a comprehensive email with a to do list of other things they have found that needs addressing which is good as again I know in the back of my mind that the car will come home completely mechanically sound. So far so good with Plans but a little anxious based on my past experience with garages, time will tell.

I will post a complete spec list later with more details and info but this is a start at least.


So as you can see i have had my share of bad luck in terms of cars, i'm a decent guy and garages take advantages of this and stitch me up in the past. I'm a little nervous but very excited.



- - - Updated - - -

When i spec'd the motor i wanted to replace everything oem while building.

I ordered the oem motor rebuild kits (these do not contain everything)

I then went online and printed off the exploded diagrams for the motor, oil systems, wiring, throttle body (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_nkw=throttle+body) etc. etc.

I then cross referenced what parts i had and ordered every single gasket, seal, grommet and including all brand new sensors for everything... Some sensors were expensive like the knock and crank angle but as mentioned above i could only do this the once and needed it to be trouble free motoring.

I wanted to spend a little extra now to ensure i had a brand new motor for complete reliability and trouble free motoring.

Great story behind the build jaffaz32, you're obviously not holding back on the horses with this project are you???

What WHP are you hoping to achieve and what sort of time scale before you hope to get the finished monster on the road again???

Looking forward to updates on this if that's ok???

[jaffaz32]

Great story behind the build jaffaz32, you're obviously not holding back on the horses with this project are you???

What WHP are you hoping to achieve and what sort of time scale before you hope to get the finished monster on the road again???

Looking forward to updates on this if that's ok???

The motor has been spec'd for 800-1000 Whp but i don't want to push my luck and run safely within a safety margin.

Next limiting factors are the gearbox, turbo and injectors.

gearbox is recommended to support about 550whp, that being said with my engine management i have restricted boost in first and second gear also 12 boost settings so if i was to push the gearbox is would only be a fraction of the time when in the highest boost setting and not where the damage would be done most off the line with the restriction in 1st and 2nd.

The turbo and injectors will need upgrading for anything above 600-650

I think playing it safe would be around 550 ish. It's hard to say though as with the increased capacity i would require less turbo pressure to hit the desired bhp. I will make the tuners aware of the gearbox and see what they come back with.

Timings i was hoping to get it on the road in time for my brothers wedding (8th July) however i rather it was built right and not rushed, if it ran over it wouldn't be the end of the road.

I plan to keep everyone updated :)

[jaffaz32]

I got an email first thing this morning saying my brake rotors are on their way back from being Cryogenic Treated.

The process involves freezing them to -195 degrees.

The process removes imperfections in the metal and can increase rotor and pad life up to 300x (apparently)

It also helps with brake fade which I have experienced in the past. My brother found it highly amusing that i had limited brakes three quarters way around the ring and it was still braking hard.

[jaffaz32]

Current Spec:

Body Work:

Carbon Type R bonnet (color coded)
Custom Front bumper
Led front side lights
Carbon front splitter
Carbon Canards
Downforce Carbon Intake vents
BYS clear indicators
APR GTC Carbon wing
JDM rear upper bumper
Seibon Carbon lower rear bumper partly colour coded.
Custom rear diffuser
LED tail lights (http://rd.shopzilla.co.uk/rd2?t=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fc-moto.de%2Fepages%2Ffcm.sf%2F%3FObjectPath%3D%2FSho ps%2F10207048%2FProducts%2FAcerbis-LED-vision-HP-Headlight%2FSubProducts%2FAcerbis-LED-vision-HP-Headlight-0002%26Currency%3DGBP%26Locale%3Den_GB%26utm_sourc e%3DPortalexporte%26utm_medium%3DConnexity%26utm_t erm%3DAcerbis%20LED%20vision%20HP%20Headlight%26ut m_campaign%3DConnexity_GB%26Source%3DCON_GB&mid=284259&catId=13748&atom=11180&prodId=&oid=6664338866&pos=1&bId=18&bidType=0&bAmt=00925530d70da29f&cobrand=2&ppr=0f55cde20147503c&af_sid=96&mpid=Acerbis-LED-vision-HP-Headlight-0002-GB&keyword=led%20tail%20lights&rf=af1&af_assettype_id=10&af_creative_id=2912)


Brakes, Wheels/Tires:

Advans 17/18 in Satin black
Dunlop Z2's
EBC rotors and yellow stuff pads all round (on the upgrade list)


Drivetrain:

1.5 way LSD with ring and pinion
DriveShaft (http://rd.shopzilla.co.uk/rd2?t=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thomann.de%2Fpartner_redire ct.html%3Fpartner_id%3D25293%26page%3Dthoiw2_artik el-318337.html&mid=115085&catId=13872&atom=10995&prodId=&oid=5321444384&pos=1&bId=18&bidType=2&bAmt=ecd93aaedeb83d82&cobrand=2&ppr=430a811a06a0d944&af_sid=78&mpid=318337&brandId=4742&keyword=driveshaft&rf=af1&af_assettype_id=10&af_creative_id=2912) shop rear axles
SOS Carbon clutch

Suspension:

BC coilovers with Swift springs
Non compliance rear beam
Urethane steer rack bush
Non compliance front clamp set
Adjustable drop links front/back
Adjustable rear toe links
Carbon6 front ball joints top and bottom
Dali front/rear strut bars


Interior:

Bride Gias Carbon seats
Takata harnesses
Route Ks harness bar
Carbon centre console
Nsx navigation panel
triple gauge pod (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_nkw=gauge+pod)


Electronics:

LoveFab AEM Infinity 10 Engine management
AEM AQ1 datalogger with GPS
Various gauges
Gauge Art on Honda Nav screen


Cooling:

Koyo Rad
New oem coolant hoses
Aftermarket coolant tank (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_nkw=coolant+tank)


Turbo kit:

LoveFab with GTX upgrade, custom exhaust and ceramic coating.


New Motor currently being built by plans:

Block:

Brian Crower 3.4L Stroker kit. - Brian Crower crank, Brian Crower Rods
JE pistons
Darton Sleeves
ARP head bolts
ARP block bolts
Cometic gaskets
Science of speed oem oil pump with billet gear
New water pump
full set of oem sensors
full set of oem gaskets/seals
baffled sump
Power Enterprise timing belt (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_nkw=timing+belt)
Aftermarket stiffer engine mounts
ID 725cc injectors (to be upgraded next year)
Ati Crank pulley
SOS EGR kit
SOS oil sensor upgrade kit


Heads:

Full polish n port
Brian Crower springs
Brian Crower retainers/seats
Supertech valve guides
Supertech stem seals
Ferrea oversized intake valves
Ferrea oversized exhaust valves
Comptech cam gears
SOS LMA kit
Full seat of new gaskets/seals


We are slightly changing the plumping of the oil feeds within the turbo system and upgrading to Russell braided lines and fittings.
Also tapping the pan for a temp sensor
Left it open with Plans regarding an oil cooler (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_nkw=oil+cooler), i had supplied the parts from the SOS kit i removed.
Cleaning up the engine bay by removing anything no longer in use as suggested by Plans, less to put back on http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/images/smilies/redface.gif


First off Plans wanted to see the car running before starting work which is fully understandable, I was waiting for the AEM to return from USA after being upgraded, sent it straight to Plans and they started working on the car.

End of first week I received a detailed email with some advisories which was listed in order of priorities, this was outside of the engine build that covered a worn ball joints, corroded rose joints etc. Was good to see as this was using initiative to give the car a quick go over and flag anything else that may need attention.

[jaffaz32]

Sorry i still haven't uploaded any pics, i can't seem to post them from Instagram in to the thread so will have to upload all to onedrive.



A little update.

We had a few hold ups, first was the engine shop as they were busy before fitting me in, then we have been waiting for parts on 3 occasions and we all know what that is like.

The block and heads are back from the machine shop, i believe the heads are now built. The block is being built but waiting for bearings to arrive.

[jaffaz32]

While the motor was being built i wanted to replace every single sensor, gasket, seal and bearing with brand new oem and i mean everything :). So i purchased a rebuild kit, then i downloaded the parts catalog for everything engine related internal and external including fuel rails, water system, oil system etc. pretty much everything under the rear hatch :P. I then cross referenced with what came with the kit, anything not in the kit that was either a sensor, gasket, seal or bearing i then highlighted to order. Once ordered and the missing parts arrived i then printed all off again, highlighting everything i supplied and bagged by category. This was maybe a little over the top but being a highly sprung engine it had to be right first time.

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New oem water hose kit.

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New oem water pump

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[jaffaz32]

That's pretty much all of the oem parts going in, everything else is aftermarket

[jaffaz32]

I had a slightly leaky brake master cylinder, now was the time to replace it with a new unit.

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When Plans removed the motor before stripping they inspected the rest of the car and informed me that my front lower ball joints were worn, they offered a replacement service but i always prefer to go with a aftermarket option if it's better than oem plus i rather replace both lower and upper at the same time. These are Source 1 titanium ball joints as seen on Prime.

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[jaffaz32]

When installing a turbo kit there are different ways of doing it. I wanted to improve upon the way i had installed the kit originally. The oil pan was drilled and fitted with a screw fit type bung, i wanted this now welded along with a bung for the oil temp moving the sensor from the sandwich plate. I also wanted to use quality fittings and new. I also wasn't keen on how the turbo feed works. it takes the feed from the factory oil sender just before the filter, this is pre filtered oil so effectively every rotation there was a small amount bypassing the filter. I wanted to more the feed up to the heads where the SOS kit gets it feed from. By doing this i also reduce the amount of T's coming off the factory sender unit. Which was previously Factory turbo feed, aftermarket oil pressure, aftermarket oil temp and oem oil pressure. In order for plans to get the best possible fit i supplied a variety of fittings allow different options.

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Another thing i wanted to upgrade was the feed and returns themselves with Russel braided lines. Two reasons, These are much better quality, more robust from moving parts and withstand more heat secondly with a braided line there is less sag in the return from the turbo to the sump. if the return point is not lower than the turbo you will get smoke come out the exhaust from oil build up, also caused by a saggy return.

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[Kaz-kzukNA1]

Regarding the coolant hoses, I hope you are aware that there are several hoses that are sided (RHD/LHD), year model and AT/MT dependent.

The bake master cyl in the photo is not OEM so you must check the pushrod clearance before installation. In fact, even using the OEM one, you should check it as there is no guarantee that no one touched the adjuster in the past.

Using Ti with aluminium or any other metal materials…. I hope it went through long enough endurance testing…..

Kaz

[austrian type-r]

I had a slightly leaky brake master cylinder, now was the time to replace it with a new unit.

12678


When Plans removed the motor before stripping they inspected the rest of the car and informed me that my front lower ball joints were worn, they offered a replacement service but i always prefer to go with a aftermarket option if it's better than oem plus i rather replace both lower and upper at the same time. These are Source 1 titanium ball joints as seen on Prime.

12679

Let us know how this aftermarket ball joints work for you. I had a customer car in my place who got exact this ball joints installed and all 4 failed after just 2500km of driving. There was so much play in it, that it was dangerous to drive. ....and there is hardly better stuff outside than OEM on the NSX

[jaffaz32]

Really, that's interesting...

I made a typo, they are not Source 1 but Carbon6 parts which really surprises me as they seem to make quality products, surprised they didn't pick up on this in testing.

[jaffaz32]

Science of Speed EGR blank kit, only compatible with aftermarket engine management.

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Science of Speed Oil pressure gauge upgrade kit for the oem gauge on dash. Apparently resolving the issue of it being unreliable.

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Aftermarket engine mounts with a stiffer bush to help eliminate engine flex with the additional power, i didn't go crazy stiff because a little flex isn't bad and helps reduce vibration.

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[jaffaz32]

Science of Speed refurbished oil pump with billet oversized gear, they replace all the seals and machine the factory oem pump to accept a bigger billet gear than provides more oil pressure. The factory gear is made from cast and they are known to fail (shatter) causing loss possible engine failure.

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CT Engineering / Comptech Adjustable cam gears, these feature a locking pin that stop them from moving and also super light weight compared to oem and Toda which actually is a modified oem part.

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[jaffaz32]

Cometic metal head gaskets, the early cars had a weak gasket and is the limiting factor when turbo charging the factory engine, later models had metal gaskets from factory and is one of the reasons you can run a little more power on the later engines.

12688


Arp Head bolt and main block stud kit. The other recommended upgrade when turbo charging a factory engine, allot of the guys in the States only upgrade the head gaskets and studs to run a little more power with the next upgrade being pistons for a little more again.

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[jaffaz32]

Cedar Ridge cam pulley upgrade, the factory pulley is spring loaded and has been known to fail, this is a fixed solution.

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Power Enterprise timing belt, just a stronger belt that oem.

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[jaffaz32]

Ferrea forged oversized valves, the C30A has 1mm smaller valves than the C32B, i believe from memory it's only on the intake side.

12692


Brian Crower Springs, Retainers and Seats. I chose steel over titanium because you hear about titanium being brital and apparently they can snap.

12693

[Pride]

This is certainly no ordinary upgrade, it appears you've done a lot research into every single possiblity of mechanical weak spots and failures, very impressive jaffaz32, 👏
It would also be very interesting to know how much each part costs if that's ok with you???

When do you hope to get her on the road, I bet you're feeling both very excited and a little apprehensive all at the same time.😬

Please keep the info and progress coming as I'm sure there's a lot of us on here who are looking forward to your next posting.

[jaffaz32]

This is certainly no ordinary upgrade, it appears you've done a lot research into every single possiblity of mechanical weak spots and failures, very impressive jaffaz32, 
It would also be very interesting to know how much each part costs if that's ok with you???

When do you hope to get her on the road, I bet you're feeling both very excited and a little apprehensive all at the same time.

Please keep the info and progress coming as I'm sure there's a lot of us on here who are looking forward to your next posting.

Thanks :).

I will keep the info coming and updates coming, the end results should be very interesting.

I've took a different approach, i've not spec'd the engine to ran X amount of power. I thought it would be best to way over spec the motor so the power i want to run is well within the capability of the motor. I learnt the hard way on a previous car, squeezing every bit of power out of an motor. I'm not chasing numbers, i just want some fast, different yet reliable and strong.

I'm not sure how much the parts have come to, i don't dare check lol.

I spent months researching all the options and parts before making any decisions.

Yes, i'm very excited but to be honest a little anxious/nervous. I'm looking forward to getting a good nights sleep :)

I was originally hoping it was going to be complete couple month back but we had a hold up with external suppliers (engine shop) and then a couple of times parts, being limited UK stock we have a wait each time for a couple of weeks. Johnny @ Tegiwa has been a great help.

[greenberet]

Power Enterprise timing belt, just a stronger belt that oem.

12691

Just as a data point, my engine makes a kind of whining noise when it has warmed up ever since I had Comptech adjustable cam gears and a Power Enterprise Super Kevlar II timing belt installed. I heard the engine makes that sound when the belt is too tight so I readjusted the tension myself, trying to be as accurate as possible. It didn't make a difference. Next time I replace the timing belt, I'm going to use an OEM belt again and hope that gets rid of the whine when the engine is warm.

[jaffaz32]

ACL big end bearings, we are using Honda main bearings.

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Science of Speed Lost Motion Assembly (LMA) upgrade kit, these were upgraded by Honda in later Nsx's as the original design caused the tappy sound coming from the heads.

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[jaffaz32]

Darton Sleeves, when building a motor for Forced induction there is only so far you can go power wise regardless of what you have replaced pistons, rods etc. Sleeves are required to take you to the next level and Darton's are considered to be the best in the game by many. Basically they machine the block to install these, i believe there is a heating and freezing process involved and then the pistons sits within these sleeves.

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Again, i'm not chasing the number game. I've learnt the hard way on previous cars and it gets very expensive and doesn't always result in a faster car, there is a point where you can have too much power. The motor is being way over spec'd to last and for reliability.

[jaffaz32]

Just as a data point, my engine makes a kind of whining noise when it has warmed up ever since I had Comptech adjustable cam gears and a Power Enterprise Super Kevlar II timing belt installed. I heard the engine makes that sound when the belt is too tight so I readjusted the tension myself, trying to be as accurate as possible. It didn't make a difference. Next time I replace the timing belt, I'm going to use an OEM belt again and hope that gets rid of the whine when the engine is warm.

that's good input, i will let you know if i experience the same sound.

Maybe that's a sign to supercharge it ;)

[jaffaz32]

I often get asked what engine management i am running, On 1991-1994 you could replace the factory ecu with an AEM EMS Series 1/2 however anything after 1994 you had to piggyback which means you have two ecu's the factory and then an aftermarket ecu which works with the factory unit. The reason for this is because in 1995 the throttle body changed from cable to dbw which means it's electronic. This is nothing new but the Nsx DBW throttle body had a stepper motor which means it didn't have a plus and minus input on the wiring it required about 6 wires. This caused an issue with aftermarket ecu's and the reason why you piggybacked was because the factory unit controlled the throttle body and possibly traction control while everything else was controlled by the aftermarket ecu.

How did they get round this? replacing the factory throttle body but by the time this kit came in production technology had moved on, we now had much more advanced ecu's.

The major advantage replacing the ECU is all the safety benefits, I have sensors for all the key parts, oil pressure, oil temp, coolant temp, knock, fuel pressure etc etc. With this ecu you set safety parameters (safe zones) for each sensor. If one of these sensors reads anything outside the safety range, it restricts the revs effectively saving your engine from potential damage or even complete failure.

This is the LoveFab AEM Infinity kit which includes AEM Infinity, Wiring harness and Throttle body which is huge.

12699


The advantage of this kit means you get to replace the factory throttle body with another that has a much larger opening and faster motor. Maybe i'm just a hobbit, who knows haha.

12700


This is a AEM AQ1 which is basically a data logger for when you are on track, ever browsed Youtube and saw the video's while on track with the speedo, revs, other data and a gps indication of where you are around the track? Well that's what this does. It takes all the data and allows you to overlay it on a video. i've not really worked out how to use it properly yet, my first attempt was awful and a lot of room for improvement lol.

Being also AEM same as the ECU they talk together so you can read all the sensors and data from the ECU. This is optional and i think i was the only one to ask Cody about doing this.

12701

[jaffaz32]

Cody @ LoveFab sells his kit as DIY but most people overlook the ecu and the tune, it is one of the most important parts of any build, you can have the best spec motor but if the tune is not up to scratch, bang.

I wanted to make sure the tune was 100% so who else to tune your pride and tune, Cody himself. I just want to clarify, anyone could have installed the kit, as advertised it was easy infact i helped him install it. I just wanted to make sure the tuning was spot on. Cody has probably tuned more boosted Nsx's than any other single person in the entire world.

12702


12703


12704

I doubt i will fly him out to tune it with the new motor, i don't think there is any need because i will get the car tuned by TDI @ Lakeside and they will be tweaking Cody's original tune. Afterwards i will send Cody some logs and the Tune to check over.

Advanced Ecu's have allot of settings, these are now all pre set for the Nsx as AEM ECU's are car generic allow them to be installed on any car.

Oh and the other guy in the pics isn't me, that's Clive Ottowe who owns a garage with Dyno in Norwich.

[thelimpingwhippet]

Fascinating blog. I have a SoS LMA fitted and it is still very "tappy" compared with the Honda upgrade.

[jaffaz32]

Fascinating blog. I have a SoS LMA fitted and it is still very "tappy" compared with the Honda upgrade.


Really is that so? That's interesting.

There is some adjustments to be made in the heads, have you had these checked and dialed in?

[jaffaz32]

If you have a aftermarket ecu with lots of additional sensors and would like to be able to monitor all of the sensors on a screen GaugeArt will allow you to do this without the need for 100's of physical gauges.

It works with AEM EMS, Aem Infinity and Haltech. Apparently also now supports OBD2 cars in general so assuming it may work on a 1997+

It connects directly to the ECU or obd2 i would imagine the diagnostic port.

12706


Honda made a genuine navigation pod for the Nsx. I have used this to mount a screen with a constant feed to the Gauge Art. Alternatively you can connect it to some double din head units which i think mine would allow but i rather keep the gauge art separate, always in vision and on.

I need to find a better pic.

12707


With Gauge Art you use software to design the layout via an computer, you can show as much or little information as you wish from the ecu.

12708

[jaffaz32]

When increasing power you put more strain on other parts of the car which also need to be upgraded, when guys talk about breaking drive shafts 9/10 they mean the knuckle (join) breaks up. Inside there knuckle you have this tripod looking thing with bearings and it's normally the bearings that go. I think it's very unlikely to actually snap a shaft.

This just doesn't apply to increased power, it's also the intended use, if you track or drag race your car you may also break a rear axle.

These are aftermarket shafts which should handle just about as much power you can throw at them.

This kit does no include the tiny intermediate shaft, it is not as common to break one of them.

12709


Next upgrade would be the gearbox itself, it is rumored that the 5 speed is stronger than the 6 speed because they have thicker gears but they still have their limitations. This is a very pricey upgrade though. I doubt i will replace the box, i will most likely upgrade the gears with an aftermarket solution and get them Cryo treated which is a process that involves freezing components to -200c.

[exiges1]

Which screen did you use in the navpod?

[Pride]

Great update info jaffaz32
I notice that you also have gauges running down your A pillar, presumably the GaugeART solution will do away with the need for these and you can refit the origanol trim panel or are putting other gauges in these too???

12710

And are you going to alcantara the dashboard to prevent that annoying reflection???

[jaffaz32]

Which screen did you use in the navpod?

Science of speed, they offer a screen as an kit for the Nav Pod. I also recommend the metal bracket to keep it in place.

[jaffaz32]

Great update info jaffaz32
I notice that you also have gauges running down your A pillar, presumably the GaugeART solution will do away with the need for these and you can refit the origanol trim panel or are putting other gauges in these too???

12710

And are you going to alcantara the dashboard to prevent that annoying reflection???


The screen is great but it's not as bright or visible as a gauge. Although you have the ability to add any information from the ecu you like you are limited to the size of the screen, you just can't fit it all on.

I also have a secondary sensor hooked up just for the AFR (Uego) Gauge in case i get a faulty sensor.

The gauges were installed before i had the Gauge Art, perhaps i don't need as many now.


I don't find the reflection off the dash that bad, mainly only on a damp road but i don't tend to drive it intentionally in the wet. Although i do think the flocked dash with red stitching like an R looks awesome, perhaps something for the future.

[jaffaz32]

Brian Crower forged connecting rods. Not many guys upgrade the rods as the factory ones are titanium. Rods only tend to be upgraded for power levels over 550bhp.

12711


ARP bolts installed in to the connecting rods.

12712


The factory Pistons will take you to roughly 430bhp anything more than that it is advised to upgrade them. for two reasons, firstly to go forged and secondly to lower the compression.

The lower the compression the more power you can run safely, however... there is a catch. when lowing the compression the engine will become more lazy (sluggish) off boost. So you only drop as much as you need to, too much and off boost it will will be sluggish and not enough you risk damaging your motor. So when building the spec list you need to know first the power you may want to achieve to spec the compression accordingly.

If you look at the compression of other turbo cars in the Nsx you run a lot higher compression.

These are 9.2:1 CP forged pistons. This is a very average compression for a forced induction Nsx, some will go lower and some higher.

12713

[exiges1]

Science of speed, they offer a screen as an kit for the Nav Pod. I also recommend the metal bracket to keep it in place.

Thanks, I thought it would be, I should have ordered one last year before the ex rate drop!

[lotusolly]

When increasing power you put more strain on other parts of the car which also need to be upgraded, when guys talk about breaking drive shafts 9/10 they mean the knuckle (join) breaks up. Inside there knuckle you have this tripod looking thing with bearings and it's normally the bearings that go. I think it's very unlikely to actually snap a shaft.

This just doesn't apply to increased power, it's also the intended use, if you track or drag race your car you may also break a rear axle.

These are aftermarket shafts which should handle just about as much power you can throw at them.

This kit does no include the tiny intermediate shaft, it is not as common to break one of them.

12709


Next upgrade would be the gearbox itself, it is rumored that the 5 speed is stronger than the 6 speed because they have thicker gears but they still have their limitations. This is a very pricey upgrade though. I doubt i will replace the box, i will most likely upgrade the gears with an aftermarket solution and get them Cryo treated which is a process that involves freezing components to -200c.

Hi,

Which drive shafts are these? I need to refurb mine but would ideally like to get a set to swap straight over.

I was looking at the Insane shafts which i'm guessing these are, but found mixed reports and wondered wether you have found any play in the joints?

Olly

[jaffaz32]

Thanks, I thought it would be, I should have ordered one last year before the ex rate drop!

Yeah i know... Few more parts i need and the rate has really pushed the prices up.

[jaffaz32]

Hi,

Which drive shafts are these? I need to refurb mine but would ideally like to get a set to swap straight over.

I was looking at the Insane shafts which i'm guessing these are, but found mixed reports and wondered wether you have found any play in the joints?

Olly


They are, they fit well and they feel great but that being said my axles didn't go over night, got worse and worse so anything would feel good in comparison.

They are well made.


I do have a couple of oem rebuild kits laying about if you want to rebuild yours. They won't fix a worn axle though, just refresh it. That being said if yours is only just starting to go, splitting it, cleaning and repacking with fresh grease may just be enough for now.

[jaffaz32]

Brian Crower crank shaft, 99% of guys run with the stock crank but i decided to go for a 3.4 stroker build. This will improve overall torque, improve lag and make the engine more lively out of boost. It's mostly lighter and it's forged. The crank helped me to get away with a 9.2:1 compression. The main reason though for me personally is ultimately reliability.

12714


Here is a cheeky pic of the engraving on the crank.

12715


And here is the real P0rn :P In this picture you see the main block with Darton Sleeves installed. Heads with the oversized valves installed. The turbo which is a Garrett GTX, the GTX series features a billet turbine with Tial exhaust side which all helps improve spool time and then it was ceramic coated which help with temps, lower temps mean better spool, more efficient and keeps the temps away from everything else. The comptech adjustable cam gears. CP 9.2:1 forged pistons and Brian Crower forged rods.

12716

[jaffaz32]

I just want to add also

Anyone else planning on building an engine and speccing out a motor one thing that is always overlooked is the piston size.

Most people think bigger is better, this is wrong.... People think if they get the biggest pistons availible their capacity (cc) will increase. Well it does BUT... increasing a piston by 1 or 2mm makes such a small difference for example i believe the factory capacity of the C30A is something like 2997 increasing the pistons by 2mm the capacity will still be closer to 3.0 than 3.1. The increase in torque, will not be noticable in fact you may lose reliability as the bigger you go the less cylinder wall there is.

So why increase pistons size?

Well the idea is, you should go as small as you can install and if a piston fails, you get the bores machines and go .5 over size or bigger depending on how much was needed to be machined to get a baby smooth non damaged bore.

So how do you increase displacement? 3.2 or 3.4

With a stroker kit that consists of Crank, rods and pistons.

[Pride]

Wow!!! 😳 faffaz32 that last picture looks fantastic, did the guys at Plans lay those parts out for the picture and if so well done for keeping up this fantastic build thread.👍😎

[jaffaz32]

Wow!!!  faffaz32 that last picture looks fantastic, did the guys at Plans lay those parts out for the picture and if so well done for keeping up this fantastic build thread.

They did, easily pleased me haha.

Thanks.

[jaffaz32]

The factory coil packs are made from stone and flint, in the world of technology they are very old.

I have been searching for years to find an upgraded aftermarket coil packs, up until recently no one made them for the Nsx.

On a Forced Induction build a good strong spark is very important, it's the difference between detonation. To work with the factory coil packs in the passed you have to close the gap on the plugs a crazy amount. If the spark isn't strong enough you can also suffer from something known as spark blowout.

Like back in the old days, to get more power from a NA car you would replace the plugs, leads and distributor. This is the same principle a stronger spark gives you more power on a NA car and offer a element of safety on a Force Induction car.

www.amwdynoservice.com (http://www.amwdynoservice.com) Has developed a kit using Bosch coil packs from a modern supercar, this will provide a better/stronger spark compared to the factory coil packs. These come with a harness and are plug n play also replacing the factory wiring harness from the igniter including the igniter itself (little black box behind the throttle body).

12718


Here is another pic

12719


Not only for performance reasons i wanted to replace all the factory coil packs with brand new just because it's a electrical part partially exposed to the elements that is now 20 years old. For peace of mind and good practice. The factory coil packs cost a small fortune, it made sense instead of paying all that for oem to upgrade them offering more protection to the engine at the same time.

I think i must have about 4 sets of oem coil packs sitting at home, consisting of brand new and used :rolleyes: