Future Mods

Current parts that I have to install

Exterior

Lamin-X headlight covers
Sport Grille


by Chappy, on Flickr

Wheels/Tires & Suspension

2" Drop springs


by Chappy, on Flickr

Michelin 255/40/R20


by Chappy, on Flickr

TSW® - Valencia
Gloss Black with Mirror Cut Lip
• 20" x 8.5"
• +35 Offset
• 5x120.65 Bolt Pattern
• 76mm Hub

Engine

Bisimoto Stage 2 Cams

Custom 46mm Individual Throttles and secondary staged fuel injection (I am sidelining the SSFI for now)


by Chappy, on Flickr

Exhaust

RV6-P Pre-Cat delete pipes

by Chappy, on Flickr

RV6-P Equal length J-Pipe


by Chappy, on Flickr

Modified 2.5" Magnaflow Hi-Flow catalytic converter


by Chappy, on Flickr

Borla 2.5" cat back exhaust


by Chappy, on Flickr

 

Did you make the intake and MAF mounting piece? Looks really good

 

Thank you.

As far as the MAF mount goes. I just cut the stock MAF housing and tubing (mount) out of the OEM intake box and matched the aluminum tubing to it. That way it maintains the stock MAF scale in the ECU's VE tables. That keeps all the electronics happy and the ECU has the ability to adjust fuel and ignition appropriately.

 

Looking forward to seeing what it's like when its all done.

 

Nice work sir! When will we see the dyno in this? And how did you get approval from the misses?

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Thanks!

No AWD dyno's in my local area, have to travel to find one. The misses and I may go on a shop & tune road trip late spring. Until then, I'll be keeping the tune fairly conservative. For the most part everything that I have built and bought for the engine should balance out with a couple good street tuning sessions. May have to wait till I take it to the track to get any actual numbers....

Happy wife = happy life

 

We have two AWD dyno shops in my area! Bring her to Iowa, is beautiful this time of year!

Also, I need to find an extra air box lid/MAF housing and give that a shot. I think the truck has adequate power, but I wanna hear those cams sing when I lay into it.

 

To me that is the biggest gain from adding a cold air/short ram intake. I could really careless about the 5-10% claims of any gains in power or MPG. I love the wide open throttle sound that you get when you put your foot to the floor. amplified once again when she hits 4000RPM+ when the VTEC and secondaries open up.

 

Actually from what I've read we don't need an AWD Dyno, pull the propeller shaft (rear drive shaft) and put it on the dyno as a FWD. The rear drive only works to 18mph, IIRC, and don't know what it would do on an AWD Dyno

 

Carsmak, you are correct that the propeller shaft can be removed for dyno testing. Thats how I did all of mine. If you use an AWD dyno it needs to be speed coupled front to rear to prevent damage to the VTM4 diff.

Awesome build Ghost!!! You might want to think about KTuner so you can adjust your ecu mapping. It will make a BIG difference plus you can disable the secondary o2 sensors so you dont get a CEL with the PCDs.

 

Sweet I'll have to look into tuning it as a FWD. Only videos I have seen on YT have them rolling on AWD dyno's and it seems as though the rear wheels are rolling all through the RPM range. I would assume this is what you are referring to as speed coupled? So the rear rollers are coupled to the front.

dopes6070, I forgot to list that I have KTuner. I have been playing around with it on the stock setup for a few months now. Pretty sweet software for the price.

 

Yup speed coupled means it would lock the front and rear drums together to ensure the same wheel speed. Check out the vid below of my RL in FWD mode on Bisimoto's dyno. 262whp if I remember correctly. Awesome that you have ktuner it really makes me love honda's red headed step child that much more! I figure more of us buy it = more money for the developer to add more features. Maybe some day we will get AT maps ;-)

https://youtu.be/w9JIUS5Hw4I

 

Project Camshaft Upgrade

Mail box put out today! :grin:

Set of Bisi/Web Cams Level 2 camshafts


by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152306487@N03/]Chappy, on Flickr

Quite the ramp angle on the exhaust lobes......:surprise:


by Chappy, on Flickr

 

I dont think you have the ZDX TB and ITBs. Did you mean you have custom Secondary butterflies?

 

I do have them both, However I am not running them both at the same time. I'll sort out the confusion here. The first post lists my "current setup", where I have the ZDX throttle body installed. The second post lists "Future Mods". Where I have built a custom set of ITB's to be installed sometime in the future.

 

MAC Kustoms J35 46mm Individual Throttle Bodies

Making of the custom 46mm individual throttle bodies for my J35 biuld

Had the lower spacer and the bottom portion of the upper intake manifold machined to accept my throttle bodies.

Spacer


by Chappy, on Flickr


by Chappy, on Flickr

Upper Intake Manifold


by Chappy, on Flickr


by Chappy, on Flickr

GSX-R Throttles


by Chappy, on Flickr


by Chappy, on Flickr


by Chappy, on Flickr

The fuel injector spacing on these ITBs is exactly the same as the stock J35 rails. So I purchased an extra set of rails. I have a modified set of GSX-R injectors and complete wiring harness to install as well.

Secondary J35Z5 fuel rails and 240cc GSX-R injectors mounted.

Rails and injectors mocked up so I could get the measurements for the aluminum mounting brackets.


by Chappy, on Flickr

Aluminum brackets fabricated and rails mounted to the GSX-R throttles.


by Chappy, on Flickr

The stock rails have the injectors pointing out from the center where as these are pointing in. This actually worked out in my favor as it took less fabrication to mount them this way on the throttles.

Complete intake manifold with lower intake runners mounted.


by Chappy, on Flickr

I will be using the stock injectors and fuel rails as well as these secondary injectors. May have to step up to a stand alone EMS for this one. The KTuner isn't going to cut it.

Or I just so happen to have a spare MegaSquirt III laying around that I may look into setting up for this build.... Time will tell!


by Chappy, on Flickr

It will only be for fuel and ignition, stock ECU will continue to control everything else. That is, if I can get it to work as a piggy back.

 

Intake manifold modifications

Picked up my Non IAB upper intake cover this week. Preparing to paint it the same colour as the chassis.


by Chappy, on Flickr

Factory casting flaw removal.


by Chappy, on Flickr


by Chappy, on Flickr

Paint to follow.....


Also took some time to port and polish the upper intake manifold.


by Chappy, on Flickr

 

Intake Manifold Modifications

End of Weekend Update!


by Chappy, on Flickr

Wet sand and clear coat to follow next weekend.

 

As much as ITBs are cool, my question is, what is the point? This is not a racing truck or a truck that will be raced frequently. I would imagine this is a full fledged daily driver with full interior and all the stock creature comforts. The investment of $$ and time made into the ITBs and ECU programming/piggy-backing, wont it be easier and efficient to go with a forced induction via centrifugal blower or a turbo? Realistically, all this work would add what, at most 50hp at the crank with some crafty fuel and ignition mapping on pump gas even with the proper exhaust, intakes and cams? How much of that would be usable at the wheels?

Dont get me wrong, a decade ago, I was hell bent on getting a forced inducted A20 motor with ITBs and a straight up CF plenum. Your build is surely one of a kind and you have my admiration for having some serious steel balls to do this.

 

As much as ITBs are cool, my question is, what is the point?

F#@king right they are cool. That's my point. >

This is not a racing truck or a truck that will be raced frequently. I would imagine this is a full fledged daily driver with full interior and all the stock creature comforts.

You are 100% correct. This will not be a designated racing truck. However, if I can improve on the 8.0 second 0-60 and add 50whp... that would be sweet.

raced frequently... No. I will probably take it down the 1320 once or twice just for FUN. Because I can!

The investment of $$ and time made into the ITBs and ECU programming/piggy-backing, wont it be easier and efficient to go with a forced induction via centrifugal blower or a turbo?

I wouldn't say bolting on a turbo would be easier. Sure the power increase would be easier, but where is the challenge in that?

With the range of power that I'll be putting down, I'm pretty sure the stock ECU will work. Just need a few runs and a few quick tweaks with KTuner and I should be good to go. Only reason I am thinking of running a stand alone or piggy back EMS would be if I use the secondary set of GSX-R injectors. It would be easier just to tap and plug the GSX-R throttle body injector ports and stick with a single stage fuel injection using the stock J35 injectors and ports. If I use the single stage FI I will probably have to increase the fuel injector flow rate/pressure. Then make a few tuning tweaks. 30-60 minutes, 2hrs tops.

Realistically, all this work would add what, at most 50hp at the crank with some crafty fuel and ignition mapping on pump gas even with the proper exhaust, intakes and cams? How much of that would be usable at the wheels?

I'm not sure of the end result, but I'm hoping for more like 50WHP. And all of it will be put to good use. This beast is AWD and more than capable of putting 400 ponies to the ground. So 270-300whp should be no sweat. And fun as hell on the street. Hoping to put some of those over compensating, jacked up, never see the dirt, straight pipped, V8 super trucks in their place with ease! :surprise:

Dont get me wrong, a decade ago, I was hell bent on getting a forced inducted A20 motor with ITBs and a straight up CF plenum.

So why didn't you go through with it?

Your build is surely one of a kind and you have my admiration for having some serious steel balls to do this.

Thank you and really do appreciate your constructive criticism. It is food to fuel me to the finish line.:domokun:

 

Problem was, I was trying to build up a '89 Accord with a very inefficient motor, for which no one made any parts for. All that work would have been for a self gratification and satisfaction. One accident would have put years worth of work down the drain. So I ended up getting a '08 Accord and two years later got my RL. Now with a 10-month old kid and in two years give my '17 Civic and get an Odyssey. At that time, I would have to seriously think of the fate of the RL. It would be pointless to have two big gas guzzling vehicles, when I could have an Accord or a civic. Maybe if my life progresses good enough, I may keep the RL as a work horse and get a smaller car for day-to-day commute.

I have to force myself to refrain from buying things and doing stuff to make the RL go faster. I think I will approach it as a need-to-replace-broken-part and go aftermarket, than OEM (like an exhaust system). I had a lot of fun and it did give me great satisfaction modifying cars, but its no fun when you have to choose life vs fun.

To wrap up my sob story, I will be keeping an eye on your build and take satisfaction in that. lol

 

Hey that's life and it happens. It's always best to put family first.

I am a bit further on in my life now. I am able to take some money and put it toward working on my cars. As well as tend to the needs of my family. I wasn't always able to drop money on these sort of builds. We lived pay cheque to pay cheque. And as far as vehicles went. We had to make due with just being able to barely keep a car on the road. I have always done my own wrenching so that has helped keep a lot of the costs down. :wink:

 

Intake Cover Part 2

Wet sanded, letters filed down and ready for clear coat.


by Chappy, on Flickr

 

Finally took a few minutes to lay down some clear....


by Chappy, on Flickr

and took a few more minutes to clean and prime my valve cover.


by Chappy, on Flickr


by Chappy, on Flickr

Shame that its going to be painted


by Chappy, on Flickr

 

Valve cover and intake manifold cover done!


by Chappy, on Flickr

Love this colour. The pictures don't do it any justice.


by Chappy, on Flickr

by Chappy, on Flickr

 

Finally two nice sunny days in a row. All the snow is gone so now it's time to start adding some parts!

Out with the old



by Chappy, on Flickr

in with the new


by Chappy, on Flickr

Added a set of yellow DRL bulbs while I had the bumper off.

I also took a few minutes to add my splash guards. Figured in this climate that these would be standard equipment. Guess not with the Value Package!


by Chappy, on Flickr

 

New shoes.....


by Chappy, on Flickr

Wanted to get these wheels and tires installed to see how they looked. after seeing how they look. The 2" drop springs I have will definitely be installed next weekend.

 

Maybe I missed it but what size are the wheels and tires?

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Looking forward to seeing engine parts installed

And on the "Drop" springs, are those "Progressive Rate", just curious?

Looks Good, So Far!

 

Looking forward to seeing engine parts installed

As am I :wink:

And on the "Drop" springs, are those "Progressive Rate", just curious?

Yes. They are listed as, and also look like, progressive rate springs.

Looks Good, So Far!

Thanks

 

Unless I missed it, your build thread doesn't say what brand / spec wheels those are??

 

No you didn't miss it. I did forget to list the specs. :frown: I'll update that post now, thanks.

TSW® - Valencia
Gloss Black with Mirror Cut Lip
• 20" x 8.5"
• +35 Offset
• 5x120.65 Bolt Pattern
• 76mm Hub

They require a centering ring as they are hub centric wheels. The rings for these wheels where included as part of the install kit option that came with the wheels.

 

Exhaust Weekend

Got a few free minutes this afternoon to start ripping into the exhaust upgrade.

Figured the best way to do this was to drop the entire exhaust from the down pipe back. Rather than trying to unbolt the cat. Those nuts are rough!



by Chappy, on Flickr

Then it was on to the pre-cats...... Front one was fairly easy.




by Chappy, on Flickr

The rear was not as easy. There really isn't much room back there. If you have any size to your forearms this job will be a challenge. I was only able to get it out and it was BBQ time. Will get back to it tomorrow to finish the rest of the install.