I supPOSE you can build an ok NA street engine on a budget... harumph...
To be completely honest, I would have to recommend a full head package for starters. It seems you are trying to build an engine without any\much machine work, so, the least you can do is make sure she is breathing well mechanically if you can't yet open the ports.
I'm going to be a big proponent of using the Stage 1 items from Skunk2 for this current recommendation. Their intake manifold was a step in the right direction. A few key things to remember about the head:
- Throttle body ID should match the intake manifold. Buy an appropriately sized TB for your application, after-market or OE.
- Without port work, the valvetrain and cams won't be able to fully realize their potential. However, that does not mean you won't have a lot of room for improvement\tuning with this newer version of your old head.
- OE is best. For an application like yours, try using as many OE sized parts as possible, like your valves and pistons for instance. This is because you are not altering your bore or reconfiguring your valve seats, so you shouldn't change the hardware.
- You may consider plumbing more oil to the head even though your engine is factory set up for VTEC. This should help improve cam lobe life, as well as minimizing wear on other head components. It will also provide you a nice "tap" for an oil pressure gauge, which you should buy whether you are going with forced induction or not!
- If you are building on a budget, I think you should leave your bottom end alone. The head is going to be expensive enough to upgrade and will show you the most improvement without upping your displacement or using FI. If your engine has less than 110-120K miles, you should be fine. If it's around there or over, perhaps consider building your block and leaving the head completely untouched. Then, when it's time for the head, you can just pull it off, send it off, and slap it back on. That way, you have a lot less work before you go to the dyno. Unless you alter the stroke, rod length or pistons when you do the bottom end, you won't need any tuning after it's over. A change in your compression ratio will require that you tune, however, if it's basically stock, just stronger now (and has a fresh rebuild goin on as well), then you can save the tuning money for after you get your head done. If you did the head first, then the block, that would be two trips to the dyno instead of one, which is a lot mor costly!
I'll think of more stuff later, I can't concentrate on anything right now, lol
To be completely honest, I would have to recommend a full head package for starters. It seems you are trying to build an engine without any\much machine work, so, the least you can do is make sure she is breathing well mechanically if you can't yet open the ports.
I'm going to be a big proponent of using the Stage 1 items from Skunk2 for this current recommendation. Their intake manifold was a step in the right direction. A few key things to remember about the head:
- Throttle body ID should match the intake manifold. Buy an appropriately sized TB for your application, after-market or OE.
- Without port work, the valvetrain and cams won't be able to fully realize their potential. However, that does not mean you won't have a lot of room for improvement\tuning with this newer version of your old head.
- OE is best. For an application like yours, try using as many OE sized parts as possible, like your valves and pistons for instance. This is because you are not altering your bore or reconfiguring your valve seats, so you shouldn't change the hardware.
- You may consider plumbing more oil to the head even though your engine is factory set up for VTEC. This should help improve cam lobe life, as well as minimizing wear on other head components. It will also provide you a nice "tap" for an oil pressure gauge, which you should buy whether you are going with forced induction or not!
- If you are building on a budget, I think you should leave your bottom end alone. The head is going to be expensive enough to upgrade and will show you the most improvement without upping your displacement or using FI. If your engine has less than 110-120K miles, you should be fine. If it's around there or over, perhaps consider building your block and leaving the head completely untouched. Then, when it's time for the head, you can just pull it off, send it off, and slap it back on. That way, you have a lot less work before you go to the dyno. Unless you alter the stroke, rod length or pistons when you do the bottom end, you won't need any tuning after it's over. A change in your compression ratio will require that you tune, however, if it's basically stock, just stronger now (and has a fresh rebuild goin on as well), then you can save the tuning money for after you get your head done. If you did the head first, then the block, that would be two trips to the dyno instead of one, which is a lot mor costly!
I'll think of more stuff later, I can't concentrate on anything right now, lol