Our CR-X budget build continues as its B16A powerplant gets a mild freshen up and the first of its aftermarket performance  parts is fitted

The little engine that could

I’m a firm believer that power isn’t everything. I’m not just saying that because Racer X’s 1.6-litre DOHC VTEC B16A engine probably isn’t going to make a whole lot of the stuff, either. The fact is, if you do a little bit of tuning in all the important areas, the net result will be far greater than if you just concentrate on one aspect like the engine. That’s the premise this CR-X is being built on anyway, and one that fits with our less-is-more attitude especially when it comes to the spend.

Of course, mods are all but useless if your car isn’t reliable, so it’s important to have that side of the equation covered off before you get too carried away with power-making parts. If you’ve been following this build from the very start you’ll know that our engine the CR-X’s original fitment received a clean bill of health from NZPC tech guru Steve Murch. That was lucky, because we didn’t really want to crack it open. Instead we opted to give it a basic service, which has since involved fitting a new timing (cam) belt and replacing the cam seals, VTEC solenoid gasket and the water pump, among other more minor things. Big props to JTune’s Jacky, Jason, Steven and the lovely new recruit, Som, for getting their hands dirty to help us out! Of course, having the motor out of the car and on an engine stand (kindly supplied by the good buggers at Wayco Equipment, by the way) has made the whole process a lot easier on the knuckles, too.

Apart from the timing belt a flexible, durable and heat-resistant GReddy item ordered in via the New Zealand distributor, Dodson Performance all the other parts used are genuine Honda OEM replacements. The bill for the Honda parts alone ran close to $400, but since they’re not the sorts of things you should skimp on, it’s money well spent.

Along with the service parts, our initial performance engine upgrades were also attended to this month. We’ve added a pair of adjustable Toda Racing cam gears for fine tuning of the valve train (an important aspect of power making), a Gizzmo thermal intake gasket to reduce heat transfer from the cylinder head, and a B18C Type R intake manifold complete with larger bore Type R throttle body. On the other side of the engine we’ve bolted the 4-2 section of the stainless steel 4-2-1 headers of unknown JDM origin back on (they were on the car when it came from Japan).

While none of these modifications are by any stretch of the imagination extreme, we’re sure they’ll all help net the engine a little more poke than a standard-spec B16A, which when this CR-X rolled off the production line was good for about 160PS. We’ve got more tricks to come yet, including the cold air induction system, revised exhaust and ECU tuning, so a 20 to 30PS increase in power shouldn’t be too much of a stretch. That might not sound like a whole lot for the trouble we’re going to, but in a car that weighs two-tenths of sweet bugger all, it’s bound to have an impact on overall performance.

There are still a few small things to take care of before the B16A goes back in its hole. These include tidying up the engine bay and sorting the rear engine mount, which after years of abuse needs to be re-bushed. Iain and the crew at Autolign have a bushing fix for that and all the other suspension components that are looking pretty sad, so we’ll catch up on that facet of the project next issue.

The plan from here on in is to first get the overhauled suspension back in the car so it can roll again before we refit the engine. It will then be a case of sorting the rest of the under-bonnet performance upgrades and getting the car running. We’ll then turn our attention to the interior and exterior, before getting it all road legal, certified and homologated just in time to have it on show at the 2010 4&Rotary Nationals in January.

Words: Brad Lord Photos: NZPC

This article is from Performance Car issue 154. Click here to check it out.