First Project - Could use some help: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Jan. 29, 2009 9:52 p.m. cl_your_way_to_the_top545 None

So I have been reading GRM for as long as I can remember my father bringing it home, and I've just registered on the forums now.

So here is my project: In Pennsylvania, every high school student has to do a senior project to graduate. I am just starting mine, which is renewing my 1999 Acura Cl 2.3. The transmission is beginning to go, so I am replacing that and thinking about doing an engine swap. My father and I have been working on cars for as long as I've been alive, but they are all old British classics. I was hoping for suggestions for an easy engine swap, and any other general advice I could get. Also any good websites/ parts suppliers would be helpful too.

Thanks ( I know that was pretty long... hahaha)
Jan. 30, 2009 8:02 a.m. 924guy HalfDork

welcome aboard. I would suggest , that for a first project you keep to the basics, replace only the bits that need replacing or repair, one component or system at a time, and increase your knowledge about the platform your working with. see what others have done, research the costs, practical application, and benefit of the upgrades, and most importantly, look before you leap.

lets say you decided to go with a 3.0 swap, how is that going to effect the rest of the drive rain, will the existing tranny work with it, if you have to change it, wil it bolt up? are the harnesses the same or will you need to rewire the whole car? and when your done how much power / drivability will you have gained and is it worth the $$$ to do so? maybe for much less you can get a factory "JDM" engine that will bolt right up and be of higher output, but will that pass your local inspection/emissions test if you have them?

just a few sample questions, maybe that will help get you started, there allot to this stuff. As much as i appreciate massive drive train and motor swaps other shave done, i learned a long time ago that for me, the best rule is to look at the highest performance factory version of the car i'm working on, and shoot for those specs, rather than trying to rewrite the book on it...that formula has worked well for me given time and budgets in the various cars i've built.. good luck!
Jan. 30, 2009 2:34 p.m. cl_your_way_to_the_top545 New Reader

thats the main thing i was thinking of, swapping to a 3.0. From what I have read it looks like if i do that, most of the parts can stay the same. Thanks a lot for the advice. I have been working on this car for a while now, helping replace bits and pieces when it was the family car. The main problem I am having now is finding suppliers. I am trying to find somewhere to get a brand new transmission. I'm not having much luck. hahaha
Jan. 30, 2009 2:54 p.m. 93celicaGT2 Reader

I wouldn't even do that to be honest....

What's the engine code of the motor in the car presently?

I have a much more dastardly plan, that would be much easier to undertake. But you gotta give me the info i need. Is that an F23 in there?
Jan. 30, 2009 3:22 p.m. ArtOfRuin HalfDork

Wiki says it's an F23A1 in the Acura CL.
Jan. 30, 2009 3:27 p.m. 93celicaGT2 Reader

Good.

Make a "G23 Vtec" and and H2B conversion. That sucker will SCREAM, and you could do it for reasonable coin, certaintly cheaper than the V6 swap.

F23 bottom end, H22a vtec head, H2B conversion to B-series tranny of your choice. Or an H-series tranny with a shorter final drive.

Search around the interbutt for "Honda G23" and you'll see what i'm talking about.

You can use K20 pistons in that motor to raise the compression. There was an article run in one of the magazines i get about doing this, and the guy was putting out like 240whp, and he did it without cutting any corners. With bargain hunting you could probably do it for $2000 or so. That's 240whp N/A out of a 2.3 liter 4-banger. Sound good to you? It sure did to me!
Jan. 30, 2009 4:12 p.m. confuZion3 Dork

That sounds crazy! Do it!
Jan. 30, 2009 4:15 p.m. 93celicaGT2 Reader

To put this in perspective (yeah, you're heavier than this scenario, BUT)

I once drove an EG Civic hatch, Si, fully loaded blah de blah, with an H23 non-vtec, with an H2B conversion on an ITR tranny. It was flat balls scary. It wasn't as fast as some of the turbo hondas i've driven/built, but the instant torque, paired with that gearing made for a SERIOUSLY quick car. And it was a stock H23 with intake/header/exhaust ONLY.

You'll put out WAY more power to offset your weight, and Vtec means you instantly win any competition you'd care to enter.
Jan. 30, 2009 4:18 p.m. 93celicaGT2 Reader

I found the link to the magazine article.

Try and tell me this doesn't tickle your fancy. This thing has Grassroots written all over it.

http://www.importtuner.com/tech/impp_0902_k24_vtec_vs_g23_vtec_tech_knowledge/inde...
Jan. 30, 2009 4:20 p.m. cl_your_way_to_the_top545 New Reader

that would be awesome to do... and with the people helping me, that wouldn't be too hard... but what about the EMS? would i have to reflash it or something? or would i have to do any tuning?
Jan. 30, 2009 4:23 p.m. 93celicaGT2 Reader

I think they said they used an OBD1 Honda ECU, chipped and tuned with Crome. Really.... unless you have a huge budget, that's the way i always did all my hondas.

If you look, he spent something like $300 on tuning on that sucker. That's peanuts.

Think of Crome as the Honda-specific (mostly) megasquirt with nearly as much, if not more information available. The ECU itself is really easy to chip, you could do it in under an hour with minimal soldering experience, and there's a huge database of pre-loaded base maps you can load to the ecu.
Jan. 30, 2009 4:46 p.m. cl_your_way_to_the_top545 New Reader

i have to say this is looking better and better... thanks for the info. If I end up doing this, I think I will pass with flying colors... only bad part is one of the Senior Project Committee members has to drive it And I have heard a lot of horror stories involving them and cars hahaha
Jan. 30, 2009 6:06 p.m. amaff HalfDork

Just remind them that it's the long skinny one on the right and they'll be good to go!
Jan. 30, 2009 11:18 p.m. cl_your_way_to_the_top545 New Reader

hahaha yeah... I am going to be such a nervous wreck sitting in the passenger seat