built y8 block guard

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zackzerr

New Member
ok so im picking up a 95 civic with my taxes. it has a d16y8 and has been notched for h beams( not sure brand) vitara low comp pistons and a block guard and full crower head... i have witnesses y8's overheat frequently.... will this be a weak link under boost? plan on 14psi. will i have cooling issues? my first y8 and first block guard.. thanks
 
There are soooooooo many factors here... you can't just say "it's a Y8 block, it's going to overheat." You could have witnessed badly built engines, badly tuned engines, bad parts, bad installations, bad cooling systems, bad maintenance- so many ways to "overheat frequently." There are a TON of engines built the right way that do NOT overheat under boost. Most of the ones I've been around have zero cooling issues, but then again I've been around a LOT of tuned engines that have all the proper setup applied for large amounts of power. I'm guessing if you've seen a bunch of overheating Y8 blocks, they were built and boosted by people who cut a ton of corners while trying to make power on a small budget. After all, they're working with Y8 blocks and not K24s or J35s right?

There are plenty of ways to make good power cheap, but you have to build things right to do it.
 
i was speaking about the d16y8 head specifically having cooling issues. the ones im referring to were stock. block guards are also know to restrict coolant and slip down causing cyl wall cracks if not installed correctly..... im a mechanic and know about maintenance and contaminants. i have rebuilt d series engine and b series engines before. never personally owned a y8 but i got my 90 hatch because the kid needed a y8 put in his ek. i got car for labor. the ek over heated twice and blew head gaskets.. eventually warped the head... i just want to know if the block guard will be a problem in a y8
 
I'd skip a block guard all together to be honest. I just don't see the point in going through so much effort to slap a band-aid on there. The proper way to do things (if you're doubting the strength/integrity of the stock sleeves) is to install a set of aftermarket sleeves.
 
i was speaking about the d16y8 head specifically having cooling issues. the ones im referring to were stock. block guards are also know to restrict coolant and slip down causing cyl wall cracks if not installed correctly..... im a mechanic and know about maintenance and contaminants. i have rebuilt d series engine and b series engines before. never personally owned a y8 but i got my 90 hatch because the kid needed a y8 put in his ek. i got car for labor. the ek over heated twice and blew head gaskets.. eventually warped the head... i just want to know if the block guard will be a problem in a y8
Ooooook, now you're being more specific, and give us an experience level to go by. :)
I'd skip a block guard all together to be honest. I just don't see the point in going through so much effort to slap a band-aid on there. The proper way to do things (if you're doubting the strength/integrity of the stock sleeves) is to install a set of aftermarket sleeves.
It's all about the tuning too- there are quite a few boosted D series engines that make 300-400whp on the stock sleeves and stock head setup.

Not all block guards are created equal- there are some that will help if you install them correctly and don't create hot spots through the block in odd places. The decent ones have quite a few voids for cooling- but most people don't install them properly. You need to make sure your cylinder alignment is still good, and that the guard won't move after you've dropped it in. Considering the power levels people have been able to hit without a guard, I would just skip it and focus on overall engine health and tuning.
 
if i was building from scratch i would never use a block guard. but thats what the guy wanted so he had it put in. claims it was pressed in and decked... would i be able to remove it easily without damaging the block? the built head is wrapped up in plastic still... so when i put it on i can remove the guard... the guy im buying it from is a friend of mine... he has a stock head on it for dd
 
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