Hallo

[nominous]

Hallo everyone,

Im not a mini owner but a Honda CRX owner, and since a lot of folks from here are making there way over to http://www.hondacrx.co.uk/forum I thought I might pop in a learn a few things from you guys too!

FeEBLeUK sent me over, but have already spotted colin.ab and B20GT to whom Ive spoke to a bit in the past.

Did once upon a time look at buying a mini but after pressing the brake and getting all pedals and then gettin stuck in the back of one :oops: I figured it just wasnt the car for me. Things might change once Ive been here a bit, as I have a few spare vtec engines and parts lying around :D

I have built a B20VTEC engine for a crx (it was/is on ebay) and have done a bit of mapping too. Now planning for a turbo B16 build for my car.
What interests me is whyso many people dump the Honda PGMFI and go for the DTA. something Im hoping to learn.

Dave

[BassAddict]

Hi Dave - welcome to the forums !! Nice to get a fwe honda tuners to help us out !!!!
As for ditching the Honda ECU, I was always told the B18 manifold wouldn't fit in a mini - now I've got a B18 lump I can well believe it ! Must admit however, its only since buying the engine that I've realised I could've fitted the B16 manifold to it and used the honda ecu - typical ! Cos I didn't think I'd be able to use it, I didn't get the ECU for the engine so now I've not got a lot of choice :roll: ! Don't suppose you know anywhere in the UK that can supply parts from Unorthodox Racing ??!
Just aswell I like how the 4 TB's look in engine bay !!!
Rich

[PaulAmes]

Minivic, me and a few others have used the honda ecu - got mine working a few weeks back - no majour problems really. Just plug everything in and make sure I had all the right kit. Easy really. Must find out how to start playin with my ecu though. I wouldnt say it was easyer to use dta - probably quicker and easyer to use honda wireing loom if you know what you are looking for - the biggest problem is sourcing what you need and getting the info to do it (wireing diagrams). All I endid up doing was plugging the engine loom into the car loom - giving it power making sure a few things were gettin the power they needed and then it started and my smile was fixed :D

[PaulC]

Paul A,
I hope its as easy as you make it sound!! :lol: I've yet to do it. I have bought some honda workshop manuals today so if i get stuck i can refer to them (and Minimivic :wink: How are you Paul S?)

Paul C

[nominous]

As for ditching the Honda ECU, I was always told the B18 manifold wouldn't fit in a mini - now I've got a B18 lump I can well believe it !

So it's all the mini guys taking the B18 engines :twisted: I cant find one for love nor money.

Something to help out regards the wiring if you aint seen it before:
http://www.carenthusiast.com/crxuk/CRX_Workshop_Manual.pdf
http://www.carenthusiast.com/crxuk/VTEC_Supplement.pdf

I have some links somewhere to ones from later cars 92-95 B series which might help out too.


Does anyone with the DTA and a B series have the OEM Honda wiring loom, or do Watsons make up a new engine loom as well?
IIRC the DTA doesnt check things like the water temp for VTEC which the Honda ECU does. Can you go straight into VTEC after starting the engine from cold and pulling away? or does it have to warm up before it will work?

Dave

[B20GT]

Welcome to the Dark side Dave :D For any other forum members who don't/ won't know Dave, He is a kind of human Honda data book, and actually willing to put forward help, he has answered many a question I have asked( In sheer virgin honda teritory) and his explinations are very understandable. If you lot need a question answereing, ask Dave ! If he don't know he'll find out.

And what do you mean a mini's pedals are too close?You can build and re programme a B20 etc but cant modify a pedal box :? :?: :lol: Scott G

[nominous]

Hey I was young and inexperienced :P :lol:

IIRC Colin's was kinda set on fire so I would think he got a bit of a good deal. I know ITR engines generally go for £2.5K.
Thanks for those links I'll follow them up this weekend.

Been to see a couple that turn out not to be what I want. Aint that hard to tell a SOHC from a DOCH engine. Well for some people... :roll:

[Colin.ab]

Hi Dave,

My Type R looked worse than it was, Ive just sold off most of the surplus parts - even the distributor was melted,

Try a wanted add on the sites Ive posted via Darren, I posted a request on the web site on a Sunday, and by the Wednesday, The engine was in my garage.

Engine was the easy part, it was all the vintage 60's bits on ebay than took some tracking.

Last time I looked, there was a type R in a salvage brokers yard at Rugby

Yes, I can go in to Vtec from cold, I normaly let it warm up first before I drive, as I was told it buggers up the engine in the long run thrashing it from cold.

C.ab

[nominous]

Shame I didnt win on that dizzy, tho hopefully have a couple cming via USA now 8)
VTEC'ing when cold is a bad idea as you say, hence Honda building in a facility to stop then when the engine is cold. Leave it say 10 mins before you give it death :P

Its not an ITR engine Im after (B18C5/6) but a B18C4 which sadly is even more rarer :? But I will be trying those places out tomorrow, thanks.
That said, any details on the ITR engine? I could always get new pistons for it.

[Colin.ab]

The last time I checked the whole car was stacked on a shelf in the salvage yard, with complete engine drive train etc, they seem to be a more up market salvage company, as all the cars they have are on racking, and they remove the parts and clean them.

I beleive the yard was at a place called Crick, nr Rugby

Posting a request on the sites mentioned above will within a day or so produce what your after, my engine came on a pallet wraped in cling film from a company in Cheshire.

I still have the ITR radiator if your interested, it will be on Ebay this week

I'll be down at Combe for the Jap fest if you want a blast round the track.

(Have a 89 JDM CRX - 1.6 coming up for sale in April - Glass roof model, with 50Km on the clock, wifes car from new)

C.ab

[FeEBLeUK]

nice one glad to see you here nominus

[nominous]

Got a quote back from one of those sites of £920+VAT for a B18C4 :? A tad pricy...
I'll go see if I can find anything from "Crick" :wink:

Colin if you are going to sell that crx, best to do it on www.hondacrx.co.uk/forum

[BassAddict]

Hi Nominous - any reason why you want a C4 rather than the 5/6 - is it just the cost or are there any particularly good aspects to the engine over the type R ?
Rich

[nominous]

Boost! :lol:

The B18C5/6 is a higher compression engine as used in the ITR 11:1.
The B18C4 is around 10:1.

The main difference as far as Im concerned is pricing. I dont need the higher duration cams of the ITR or the 9.5K rev limit, and the benifits it has which are great for NA. Supposedly the going rate for an ITR engine is £2.5K, but then everyone gets a bargin.
The B18C4 should go for under £900 IMHO. But, the trouble seems to be in finding one :?

Plus the chances are that I might well be sleeving the block and getting new pistons and rods which makes starting with the ITR block a bit of a waste. Unless I can find a knackered one with a busted head and damaged pistons for cheap.

[BassAddict]

Not everyone gets a bargain - I paid £1300 for the B18C4 :cry: !!!
Rich

[nominous]

eek!! :shock:

[BassAddict]

Having said that, that was with the type R LSD fitted too ! :)
Rich