'95 Honda Civic With two of my three cars currently out of service (an engine fire put the '05 STI out of commission during last year's STI vs. EVO Shootout, and my '03 WRX continues to collect cobwebs due to a blown head gasket), it's become imperative that the D16Z6 1.6L engine in my '95 Civic remains in perfect working condition. Call me paranoid, but I spent the past weekend performing a leak-down test to diagnose its health. What is a leak-down test, you ask? Simply put, it's a compression test in reverse. Instead of measuring the ability of the engine to create pressure, compressed air is introduced into each cylinder through the spark plug hole during its compression cycle, and the amount of air escaping-or leaking from the cylinder-is measured. The percentage lost will indicate the condition of the cylinder, piston rings, valves-basically, the condition of the engine. Upon testing, the D16 engine displayed less than 10 percent leak-down across all four cylinders, and continues to run like a champ. Needless to say, I'm a little relieved. Senior Editor Scott Tsuneishi '09 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart With new wheels, tires, and suspension to complete the weekend track/canyon carving package on our Mitsu, we were in desperate need of a brake upgrade. With only a few options available for the Ralliart, luckily for us, EBC Brakes had a solution in their new Bluestuff full race brake pads. Unlike most race pads that are too aggressive for street use, the compound in Bluestuff is engineered to work well even at cool temperatures, helping it last three times as long as their Yellowstuff pads, while aramid fibers and a proprietary manufacturing process improve aggressive braking. Look for the full story soon. Editor Carter Jung '94 Acura Integra I drove Project DC2 from Long Beach, CA to Lake Havasu, AZ over the recent long weekend-on $25 of 91-octane Premium. The trek netted a 39mpg average, which included sitting in gridlock on the 605, detouring through a canyon road south of Palm Desert, and full-throttle traffic passing on the two-lane 62. Engine modification will be completed soon and we'll be looking forward to 45+mpg and more power! Tech Editor Luke Munnell By Carter Jung, Luke Munnell, Scott Tsuneishi Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!