First rebuild atempt

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b16stalyun

New Member
hey everyone, im new here. Is it hard to rebuild a b16 engine. Any SPECIAL tools required? I dont have an engine stand. I have some basic tools sockets n wrenches. I want to start getting into my car and learning more about it. Ive got a book and video on how to rebuild it so ive done some research. Is it any harder than that?
Remember this is my first build so any first timer tips you got will be helpfull.


OR should i just pay to have it done.

thanks
 
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Assuming you are not going to take it to a shop, a Torque Wrench, a Cylinder Hone, a Piston Ring Compressor, a Micrometer, Feeler Guages, Valve Spring Retainer and Straight Edge or Level. I'm sure I'm missing something.
 
everyone starts somewhere,but do you know what new PARTS you will need??
if i was you i would do as blanco said and buy a garbage motor or something cheap,jsut incase you mess it up,it wont cost you
 
the plan was..........................to buy a engine rebuild kit online. that should have all parts i need. plus the video helps alot. it helps somone like me who cant stand to read a diagram. im more of a visual. other than that the engine rebuild kit should have all the parts. the video tells me all the tools ill need. basically what was said above.

check all the existing parts for damage and get em to a machine shop if needed. i plan on doing a bore on the block anyway to raise the power up a notch.

heres a question. on the rebuild it it has some options to get the main and rod bearings standard or .10, .20, .30 over. please explain this concept of oversized bearings.

and 2nd for the pistons it says standard bore, .020 or .040 over
ive always heard of these motors get bored 30 over so explain .020 or .040
 
hers a list of the two engine kits im looking at...
KIT#1
Complete Gasket Set
Cometic Head Gasket
WISECO Forged Pistons
(81, 81.5mm, 8.9-1 comp ratio)
Performance Rings
Performance Wrist Pins
TOGA HP Main Bearings
TOGA HP Rod Bearings
Thrust Washers
Timing Belt
Expansion Plugs
Re-Con Forged Crank
H-Beam Rods
Price: $1599

KIT#2 (probably will go with this cheaper kit the first rebuild)
complete gasket set, pistons and rings, rod bearings main bearings and thrust washers, timing belt if applicable, Intermediate shaft bearings if applicable and a freeze plug kit. Add oil pump to kit , Add Belt Tensioner To Kit
$658.56

gimme some feedback, sorry for the heavy questions. just dont wanna spend more money than i have to OR f*ck this project up, ya digg?

thanks!
 
I would just pay a machine shop to do the rebuild for you, being you have no idea what your doing. If you want to learn, than pickup a junkyard ls or sohc engine and learn from that. Its all the same. If you can understand power flow and the four strokes of the engine than you can have a good idea of how the engine works. $1600 for a rebuild kit (for boost) is pricey, a machine shop can build the shortblock assembly for just around the same price depending on the quality of the pistons/rods you want.
 
Go to an auto auction dude, buy a car for like 200 bucks, thats what i did when i wanted to learn to fix cars, that way if you break it, you can leave it sit until you learn how to make it work again. if
you fuck up your own car and get in bind your going to have to pay somebody to fix it and its gonna be alot of money and pain in the long run
 
LS_VTEC said:
I would just pay a machine shop to do the rebuild for you, being you have no idea what your doing. If you want to learn, than pickup a junkyard ls or sohc engine and learn from that. Its all the same. If you can understand power flow and the four strokes of the engine than you can have a good idea of how the engine works. $1600 for a rebuild kit (for boost) is pricey, a machine shop can build the shortblock assembly for just around the same price depending on the quality of the pistons/rods you want.
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hey i read about your build, my rebuild shouldnt be as complicated because im not doing an ls/vtec setup. . i was thinking of going with a bigger piston though. my build should be pretty basic
 
b16stalyun said:
hey i read about your build, my rebuild shouldnt be as complicated because im not doing an ls/vtec setup. . i was thinking of going with a bigger piston though. my build should be pretty basic
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see you think that just because your keeping it a straight b16,that it will just flow,that is not the case at all,a build is a build,,you are going to run into problems,and accidents are going to happen,look at ls_vtec'sbuild,hes experiencedand made a big mistake by putting the pistons in backwards-accidents,mishaps,and all that happen,chances are even higher for a newb..

how about the hardware your going to use? oem,reuse the old,arp?
whos doing the hone on the block?

are you familiar with all the tolerances,tq specs, and all that goodstuff


now im not trying to be a dick,or flameyou or any of that,imtrying to prepare you for what your getting into..also trying topush you to start out on something of less value
 
naw dude i feel ya, i know its going to be difficult and there will be some problems but thats why im on here :D.

i will look into upgrading the internals so the block is stronger, i want to increase power since im gonna be inside the block so why not do it right the first time.

the thing is, if you had somone over your shoulder the first time you did a build you wouldnt mess up. this video i have shows STEP BY STEP all tools, tq specs, how to hone the cylinders, using stp oil treatment on the bearings, what to look for if the journals are damaged, steps on how to tighten the bolts by sequence, how not to scratch the crank, and the list goes on. I feel confident with you guys helping me if i have a problem and that video i will make it through. and always the last resort will be just call a mechanic and have him look at it.

i know your not flaming me everything im reading here is helping understand alot about this rebuild. but i gotta ask lots o questions so i get it right.

now, heres a question. you asked about the tolerances. what are you referring to?
If im going with bigger pistons what does +.020 and +.040 mean? is that 20 over and 40 over? ive always heard people talking about boring these engines 30 over but on the rebuild kit im looking at those are the only two sizes bigger for the pistons.
 
yes the +.20/40 is .whatever over bore..
.30 and .60 is american vehicles

tolerances are how much play is in the crank,and what size bearings go where,piston ring gappage.etc.
 
INJEN78 said:
look at ls_vtec'sbuild,hes experiencedand made a big mistake by putting the pistons in backwards-accidents,mishaps,and all that happen,chances are even higher for a newb..
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Hey now, take it easyyyyyy. I was working on it tired as hell after a longggg day and it was at 11:30pm at night when I made the "boo-boo". I swapped them over, took 20 minutes.
 
LS_VTEC said:
Hey now, take it easyyyyyy. I was working on it tired as hell after a longggg day and it was at 11:30pm at night when I made the "boo-boo". I swapped them over, took 20 minutes.
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no i wasnt flaming you,i was just simply pointing out,your experienced and you made a mistake,shit happens,,as far as the rebuild kit,go to honda and get the gaskets/seals/and bearings,
get arp hardware,and whatever blanco recommends for your rings
 
INJEN78 ight, goto honda and get the gaskets, seals and bearings. and are we just talking about the arp head studs, main studs or both? will i need both?

Blanco, tell me what i should get for this rebuild. if i should go with standard 81mm? how much of a gain would i be looking at if i go with .020.

my number 1 priority is reliablility(meaning the car can withstand "some" abuse and a race now and then. thats my main reason for doing this rebuild is having a reliable car.

#2 priority is speed. If its gonna get rebuilt i want to have a significant gain. I would like to run it now and then but this is not gonna be a track car. its gonna be my daily.

a ball park figure i "would" like to reach is 180-200~ whp
 
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FIRST OFF, thank you everyone for helping me out. I do appreciate it greatly.

Now....
Will i pick up any more power from the overbore. you'd think you would. if the overbore doesnt give me enough bang for the buck, i may as well save the money and go towards a turbo later. so what else can i do to the bottom end to pick up any power. since im gonna be in the block i may as well spend the few extra bucks.
now that i think about it, i could go with hi-compression pistons? Give me some info on that.

I could just do a stock rebuild to get the motor fresh and spend the money i was gonna use on pistons/rods and get a decent port/polish + cam's. some good headers, throttle body and intake manifold.
(i got that idea from another post) :) ok......now im thinkin........save that money on the bolt ons for a turbo kit later. which will come with the Intake, headers. ill have to replace the cam's but the port/polish would still be usefull.

SO....now im back to doing a stock rebuild to get the motor fresh again and just saving all this money on a turbo kit. then rebuild the motor with forged internals. .

ok i gotta ask, why is there "full" turbo kits on ebay for 900$? are those kits POS's?
 
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if i want to get the most power out of my build, i may as well go with a turbo setup. thats what im starting to realize. how much money it will take to get a turbo setup on my car is another question. all in all im not power crazy and want 600hp in a civic, like i said im content with ~180-200whp which would be EZ with a turbo. it would be alot more work to get there going N/A. it would probly take the same money in parts/labor to get to that goal going N/A and the turbo setup will probly give me more in the end.

now, if you can give me a "recipe" of parts or things to be done that will give me my power goal im looking for AND be cheaper than a turbo setup then i may go that route.

Hondas use one header, so getting more than one would be a waste.
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lol, naw i mean i have a dc header and ive heard good things about the hytech ones. ive seen some replicas on ebay that look similar and they seem worth the money.
 
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