In January of 2005, Honda of North America began a new vehicle campaign-looking to showcase the newly remodelled 2005 Acura RSX Type-S to the general public while keeping close tabs on the youth of the import tuner market. Scouring the top automotive publications within the industry, Honda approached Import Tuner Magazine with car keys and the expectation that 2NR had the skills and backing to build an RSX that would kick some serious ass. Faced with unlimited access to an orgy of companies who were willing to join forces with the magazine, the 2NR staff took into consideration that the build should appeal to our readership, and took the steps necessary to turn this mild-mannered sport compact into a streetable racecar. After months of deliberation, the final decision was made and it became apparent that the "King of the K-motors," Skunk2, was the logical choice.
Skunk2 Racing of Norco, California, has etched themselves deep into the import industry as the premiere import performance manufacturer of the last decade. Skunk2 has set numerous track records for the "Fastest All-Motor Vehicle," the first taking place in March of 1998 when their silver DC2, known as "Project Beta," clicked off a 12.8-second pass in the quarter mile at Sacramento raceway. Today, Skunk2 currently holds world records in NDRA, IDRA and NHRA with sub 9-second passes at 141 mph in their K-powered all-motor RSX dubbed "Project Delta." It doesn't take a genius to recognize these guys have done their homework over the years and have what it takes to accompany us in building one serious street machine.
Seven-hundred "streetable" horsepower. That's the magic number we're attempting to accomplish as you, the readers, will follow our journey from beginning to end. Over the next few months, look forward to our grand finale when the RSX-T will pound the Buttonwillow Raceway tarmac as we attempt to break the official front-wheel drive track record. Did your eyes deceive you? No... let me repeat that for you again...700 hp! An incredulous power number for any four-banger import engine and a challenge both Skunk2 Racing and Import Tuner will push to create as we team up and venture into the world of forced induction. You heard it first! Skunk2 has officially sold their souls to the devil and will fabricate their very first custom turbocharged project car.
Planning the first steps of the build took both teams to the brink of insanity. Numerous scenarios were laid out on the table while each option was carefully weighed and the RSX's fate lay firmly in our hands. "We wanted to do something different. Everybody was expecting us to build an NA car, so we said 'Hey, let's get these people to wet their pants and build a turbocharged car,'" says Skunk2 Owner and perfectionist Dave Hsu. With the plan complete, the K20Z1 powerplant was plucked from the engine bay and disassembled. The first item thrown into the scrap heap was the factory crank. Hsu and his head engineer/mechanic, Jeff Giovino, envisioned a custom K20 engine setup that would handle the rigors of road racing while delivering a mind-blowing 700 hp. Replacing the crank with a K24 crankshaft, taken from a Honda Accord's K24A3, the tedious journey had officially begun as the larger displacement crank was shipped out for processing. Joe Castillo of Castillo's Crankshaft Service, located in La Mirada, California, received the K24 crankshaft to perform the necessary modifications. Castillo's Crankshaft Service center has been the driving force behind Skunk2 and their record setting 9-second drag cars for a number of years and is stacked with an impressive clientele that ranges from imports to domestics alike. Before the crankshaft was to receive its altering makeover, the unit was hot tanked then magnafluxed to inspect for hairline or micro-fracture cracks. After checking the unit over for any inperfections, the crankshaft was then inspected for straightness. "A normal crank varies from dead on to off by five thousandths. If it encountered a spun journal, there's a good chance it will be bent anywhere from 10 to 15 thousandths. If a crank comes in bent, we can fix it up to 40 or 50 thousandths max," states Joe Castillo. Luckily for the RSX-T crankshaft, minimal straightening had to be addressed while the crank's rod journals were opened up and machined to accept the B-series rod journals while maintaining the standard-sized mains. To improve engine rev ability and reduce windage, the crank was lightened and knife edged, saving 3.5 lbs in the process. Additional machining to the crank included modifications to the oil galleys, which were teardropped and chamfered. Chamfering is a process often used to relieve the sharp edges on the oil galleys and allow the oil hole to flow at an improved rate. This process is also used in reducing the chance of scoring or damaging the bearings during dry startup or when encountering high rpm. After a quick nitrating process to harden the surface metal of the crankshaft, the unit was shipped back to Skunk2 ready for installation.