Fact: Eric Hsu will be picking his favorite tech question for each installment of Question IT over the next few months, and we’ll be hooking up whoever submitted it with some new threads from our go-fast homies at Eat Sleep Race. Charles comes up this month, for asking Eric WTF the B16A-swapped Civic he just built can’t take out the single-cammer Civic he’s been putting around in for years, prompting the big guy to reply with the ABCs of engine diagnostics—something we’d all be wise to read.
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Crying Game
Well, I guess you can call this a question and a sob story. I recently picked up a ’93 Civic EX coupe with a B16A1 swap for $600—yes six hundred. The chassis has high mileage but even living here in PA, the rust is extremely minimal to my surprise, as this is the third Civic I’ve owned in two years. The sob part of this story is that my previous ’94 Civic DX coupe with a Y7/Z6 mini-me engine conversion with a DC Sport header, test pipe, cat-back exhaust, short-ram intake, high-compression head gasket, adjustable fuel pressure regulator, ’95 Si transmission, and stock P28 ECU is definitely faster/quicker than my “new” Civic. I don’t understand why this is possible if the B16A1 is rated at 170 hp stock. What can I do to change the fact that my old single slammer would have eaten this thing alive? I recently bought a B18A1 with a spun rod bearing for $80 and am considering an LS/VTEC conversion with a Brian Crower 2.2L stroker setup. I would also like to install a Full-Race turbo kit after I break the motor in, but I’m curious as to how much abuse the stroker kit can handle? Obviously, I will need to purchase some ARP head studs, a block girdle, aggressive lift/duration camshafts and supporting valvetrain. Any help/info for this 19-year old is appreciated.
-Charles Shirey
Slippery Rock, PA
Considering that the B16A1 first appeared in 1990, you could very well have a 20-year-old engine. Naturally aspirated engines will eventually become tired and make a lot less power over time due to abuse and high mileage. Aside from the usual diagnosing, which should entail checking the ignition timing, fuel filter, fuel pressure, etc., you should also check the engine’s compression and then do a leakdown test before deciding to throw parts at it. The compression test will give you an overall view of the engine’s health by giving you an idea of the engine’s ability to compress the air/fuel mixture. If an engine has worn rings or a leaking head gasket, it will affect the engine’s ability to compress the air/fuel mixture. You can buy a compression tester at the local auto parts store. Begin by testing the engine by pulling the ECU fuse and cranking it over with the throttle wide open. A healthy engine should be getting somewhere in the low 200s with a stock B16. The actual value will depend on the year of your engine so you’ll need to reference a factory service manual for the year of your engine to monitor its condition.
The leakdown test can help you diagnose where a problem resides, but not only will you need a leakdown tester, you’ll also need access to compressed air for this test. A leakdown test can help you diagnose where an engine is hurt. As the test name indicates, the test can show you how much and where the leaks are. With 100 psi of compressed air in your cylinder with its piston at TDC, the leakdown tester will show you what percent leakage there is past the piston rings, intake valves, or exhaust valves. Modern, healthy, stock engines will leak anywhere from 1 to 6 percent, but typically up to 15 percent is acceptable for an engine that is used in anger. Anything over 15 percent means something is probably hurt or worn inside the engine. After you figure out WTF is wrong with the engine, then write back with your budget for your proposed mods.