My 2003 Civic Type R EP3

[EF Ian]

Looks like a fun day.

Good job to the guy in the NSX, thats what they are for.

 

[Neil_M]

Time for another track day (two weeks ago) in the EP3 at Kirkistown. This was another private one with the JPCCNI guys and girls, so stacks of track time in a very chilled atmosphere.

I didn't really take much in the way of footage and the gopro wasn't on most of the time. I just went out and enjoyed myself.

My times were not on power at all... My head wasn't in it so to speak and a few common complaints from me...

Several awesome photos of the car from Engineous (Album Link)

The two looming issues with the EP3 are the tyres and shifter.

I believe the AD08Rs are finally starting to give up. They do have a reasonable amount of tread left. However they have been through so many heat cycles, they are not gripping like they used to. R888Rs are the likely upgrade path. Though I may try to hold on until the end of the season...

The shifter was still causing problems throughout the day. It's generally a problem at the end of the front or back straights as you are going down the gears, using engine braking. It's helped gain experience of losing some braking force though...

I popped off the dash/shifter cover to double check everything was tight. The mounting bolts, throw adjustment lock screws and the plate that holds the shifter ball in place were all tight...

It seems the problem is the spring that centers the shifter in the gate on the side to side axis. I'd actually flagged this with Hybrid Racing when I bought the shifter (it seemed very weak), my comments were dismissed, despite every other aftermarket assembly offering upgraded springs. It may say alot when my reviews (including honest and constructive comments) on their shifter and cables were not published on their site...

Time for a quick bodge to see if my thoughts are correct, some strong elastic, wrapped around the end of the centering spring, with no preload, but enough elasticity to keep centering the shifter... Amazingly it works perfectly. It does at least identify the problem. I'll see how the elastic holds up!

Another option is to use the K-Tuned shifter spring (which looks like it may fit), which I'm sure Hybrid Racing would love.

I also would like a little more power. Piper do a very easy to install decat section, which is a direct replacement of the sports cat that is currently in place. Also the inlet manifold in the garage is sitting gathering dust as it's half ported. Time to finish it off and install it, then get the map tweaked.

I'll avoid any peak figure discussions, but the freer flowing exhaust should help torque and lower vtec engagement. The Skunk2 Ultra manifold "generally" helps low down torque and airflow at the top end, so win win all round. I may also upgrade the injectors, more to add a little reliability, as I wouldn't want to run the OE injectors at too high a duty cycle for the ~ 15 minute sessions at Kirkistown. I have the pump already installed to support them.

 

[svensktoppen]

888 will stay effective a lot longer with heavy track use The AD08 is a brilliant tyre and much better than pretty much any other road tyre when used on track, but it is still primarily a road tyre that can be used on track. The 888 is a track tyre that can be used on the road.

When you do get the 888, get out for a short session first to scrub them and get some heat in them, then come in and let them cool down. A couple of cycles like that will make a big difference. First time out on brand new 888 they feel like wet soap, lol, but fear not

 

[dddrrift]

i fitted a de cat on an ep3 years ago and it actually lost power and felt slower, came straight back off again! either that or needed mapped to benefit.

 

[Neil_M]

888 will stay effective a lot longer with heavy track use The AD08 is a brilliant tyre and much better than pretty much any other road tyre when used on track, but it is still primarily a road tyre that can be used on track. The 888 is a track tyre that can be used on the road.

When you do get the 888, get out for a short session first to scrub them and get some heat in them, then come in and let them cool down. A couple of cycles like that will make a big difference. First time out on brand new 888 they feel like wet soap, lol, but fear not

Thank you as always sir .

I certainly can't argue with how long I've got out of the AD08Rs.

i fitted a de cat on an ep3 years ago and it actually lost power and felt slower, came straight back off again! either that or needed mapped to benefit.

I wouldn't be surprised if it lost power. Don't worry it would be getting mapped to suit. It should also allow the VTEC engagement to be a little lower too, and thus the power benefits from that.

 

[svensktoppen]

Air flow really does seem to do these engines no end of good, even na.

It will need a remap so do it all in one go - intake, exhaust, etc.

Air flow will help the vtec point a wee bit but not all that much. Mine is around 4.7 I think and that really is the limit. We were playing around with different settings and you can't really go lower than that. At least not na.

But no matter - when you have a rock solid screaming banshee 8k+ available why would anyone ever use less than that

Main thing with decat for me is they do get very noisy. I have a race cat on mine, seems to be the perfect middle ground. And no issues with MoT (cat not present) and all that either.

 

[Neil_M]

Air flow really does seem to do these engines no end of good, even na.

It will need a remap so do it all in one go - intake, exhaust, etc.

Air flow will help the vtec point a wee bit but not all that much. Mine is around 4.7 I think and that really is the limit. We were playing around with different settings and you can't really go lower than that. At least not na.

But no matter - when you have a rock solid screaming banshee 8k+ available why would anyone ever use less than that

Main thing with decat for me is they do get very noisy. I have a race cat on mine, seems to be the perfect middle ground. And no issues with MoT (cat not present) and all that either.

100% man. Interestingly the American's rave about 3" exhausts on the K20 / K24 engined cars. Which would generally be perceived as a little large... So they really do want lots of flow.

It was mentioned during the mapping that the sports cat on mine is stopping the VTEC from dropping any lower.

I agree about the noise. But with the NVH introduced from the engine mounts, it won't be much louder to me. She isn't a quiet car at the moment.

Being only really used on track now, the decat isn't a biggie for me. So it's all win win.

I can easily swap in the sports cat for MOT .

 

[EF Ian]

100% man. Interestingly the American's rave about 3" exhausts on the K20 / K24 engined cars. Which would generally be perceived as a little large... So they really do want lots of flow.

I use a 3" on my B20, it loves it. Interestingly I had it fitted when I still had the B16B on the way to get the B20 and it destroyed all the power on that, but for the B20 it makes a lot of difference. Can't see a K20 not also benefiting from it.

 

[Neil_M]

Just a small update ...

I'd bought detent springs (by Speedfactory) for the Civic's gear box some time ago... time to get them fitted (especially as Saturday was a clinker of a day).

I shouldn't have waited as it was a pretty straight forward job to do.

If you aren't aware the three detent springs are what acts on the gear shift to center it between the front to back changes. I.e. 1-2, 3-4 and 5-6. A small spring acts upon a metal ball, which locks into notches on a shaft within the gearbox. These were bought as another way to tighten up the gear shift.

Parts are below, naturally I couldn't just fit the springs. So new bolts, balls and washers were bought too.

The three hex heads exposed below are for the detent springs (I really must get that gearbox painted).

A comparison between old and new springs. Bare in mind the old one has quite a few miles on it...

A video of the operation is below.



In short for a three springs that didn't cost a great deal of money, they have made a massive difference. Gear changes are now heavy but very positive. I imagine as the spring settles it will lighten a little.

 

[Neil_M]

Time to start into the (essential) winter rebuild of the civic. Quite a few updates incoming.

The first thing to do was to disassemble the spare head I had in the garage. This was great fun (it was the first head I have taken apart), such a great piece of engineering, it makes a lot of sense when you have it all apart.

Starting off with the head as it was...

Rocker cover, screen filter, sensors etc removed.

Cams, rockers, valves and springs etc all removed.

And that's it stripped.

I'll give Honda their dues, the ports are actually quite smooth!

Starting to wrap up the head.

All boxed up, along with a few bits and bobs, ready to be sent over to the USA .

The head was from a JDM EP3, so already had the slightly upgraded cams commonly found on the other JDM Honda's (DC5, FD2 etc etc). The cams have already been sold. But if anyone is interested in the valves, springs (it's the dual valve spring set up), retainers, keepers and LMAs, I will be putting them up for sale soon.

I recorded a little video of the process, hopefully it's of help to someone.

 

[Neil_M]

Time for a bracing update on the Civic, as the winter tweaks commence.

A used strut brace has arrived for the Civic. It was bought for a fair price and is in great condition.

I hadn't bought one of these before as they don't commonly do a great deal for the EP3 chassis, never mind the braces design compromises. However It won't do any harm.

Naturally I couldn't fit it as is...

So the torque mount side was chopped off. I have proper engine mounts in the Civic, so no need for it.

The chrome / bare metal look of the link bar was far too chincy for me.

So here it is primed.

The attachment legs, where they meet the top plates have also been filled to add support and strength.

Also in primer here... Yep, that's pitch black near enough and damm cold. It was the only time I had free.

Grey primer in these shots.

Then painted up satin black, I think I was just about to, or had just added the satin lacquer.

Time to install the brace. Everything laid out, including new fasteners, high tensile bolts and suitable nuts to go with!

Before....

And after...

And a wee video of the installation process is below.




I haven't had time to drive the car to see if there is much of a difference on the road...

My main negative is the lack of access to the fuse box now. I may try to tweak its mounting location and drop it down a little, or perhaps run a switch for the ABS.

Now for some similar updates on the rear of the car...

 

[svensktoppen]

That'll be nice on track even if, as you say, these cars don't need much bracing.

Good work too

 

[Neil_M]

That'll be nice on track even if, as you say, these cars don't need much bracing.

Good work too

Thank you sir . Satin black ftw!

 

[Neil_M]

With the front strut brace installed, it was time to improve the rear.

The OE rear strut brace is a three piece item, which isn't particularly rigid.

Again like most aftermarket items, the design is a compromise between fitment, quality and price. This used rear brace was bought for a bargain price, it was stripped, reinforced in specific areas, thick washers were installed and secured (the original mounting holes were elongated to aid fitment), then primed, painted and lacquered.

Additionally to the strut brace, an upper brace (noting it's a steel one unlike most) was installed and two triangular OE reinforcements were painted in the same process as both braces (these were also reinforced and are actually very rigid).

These were all fitted using new high tensile bolts.

A quick before photo of the OE brace loosely set in place.

The two upper and lower braces installed.

A shot of each side.

A front on shot, I think it looks great. Satin black ftw!

Time for the cars first drive for quite a few months. Let's make sure all is ok and see if the car feels any different.

A video of the installation and end result is below.



In summary I am happy I have fitted them. Certainly the rear seems to be a notable improvement (the rear brace doesn't flex when I lean on it), however it is not something I can feel any improvement of on the road. Unarguably it's not the worst chassis out there, far from it. But theory suggests it should all help. I guess I will see if there is any difference on track.

 

[svensktoppen]

Nicely done!

I take it the rear seats are gone by now? Probably mentioned earlier somewhere, I'm just too old to remember

 

[Neil_M]

Nicely done!

I take it the rear seats are gone by now? Probably mentioned earlier somewhere, I'm just too old to remember

Thank you . They are indeed sir, not a massive weight saving, but it all helps.

 

[j44nty]

Satin is lovely. Great car.

 

[Neil_M]

Satin is lovely. Great car.

Cheers batman!

She really is easy kept but still cleans up well as you know.

She could do with a good detail now though...

 

[Neil_M]

So in keeping with the budget ethos of the EP3 track car, some toys arrived from the states ...

This is a CNC ported head from 4Piston Racing. It has a full Ferrea valve train, titanium retainers, bronze valve guides, viton valve seals etc (everything is lighter and stronger). As you can see the head and parts are incredibly clean, it has been jet washed and soda blasted as part of the process.

In addition to the head are 4Piston's own cams, Saenz rods and Wiseco pistons. The rod and piston combination are much lighter and stronger than the OE items, with a slight bore increase.

Superb service and incredibly well packaged items. Even my old parts were delivered cleaned and individually wrapped.

The internet loves the K24 bottom end at the moment. As much as I thought about the bump in displacement, I've always been more interested in a high comp K20 build. More revs and response is the aim (I'll avoid posting figures ). Exactly the same reason turbo or supercharging wasn't on the cards. It's really just something I'm building for myself for fun .


The Civic hadn't moved much over winter. I was planning to take it to Cars & Coffee on Sunday past, so a good clean up was in order.

A few photos of the finished job.

And a wee video of me giving her a quick scrub and removing some of the green crud that has built up.

 

[dddrrift]

mmmmmm.... that all looks expensive! things just got serious! lol

 

[Neil_M]

mmmmmm.... that all looks expensive! things just got serious! lol

LOL just a tad on both counts.

I have to say I'm no mechanical engineer but speccing up the engine has been great fun. A serious amount of research, books read and people spoken to.

I may also get the head painted, not like I could let it get dirty .

 

[StephenDc2]

Should be a very nice power plant when it’s all complete

I like that you have decided to improve the K20, the K24 is great for torque and power but having to keep the revs down isn’t for everyone

Are you building the bottom end yourself and have you decided on who will do the machine work to bore the block? I used Comiskey to bore my last block and the finish was very good

 

[Neil_M]

Should be a very nice power plant when it’s all complete

I like that you have decided to improve the K20, the K24 is great for torque and power but having to keep the revs down isn’t for everyone

Are you building the bottom end yourself and have you decided on who will do the machine work to bore the block? I used Comiskey to bore my last block and the finish was very good

Hopefully so. It should be reliable too. Well I hope...

I haven't decided on who to bore the block. I would ideally like someone to bore the block, check the crank, line hone, build up the bottom end and of course check the piston to valve clearance. Then of course check the VTC, I believe it may have to be limited to around 30 degrees. I've a brand new VTC gear so the likes of CPL can physically limit it.

I'll give Comiskey a shout to see what they say. But I would prefer to rely on a Honda specialist that can also advise on the gaskets and other quirks that may come up...

I'm not quite at that stage yet though. But my current train of thought is to lift the engine out myself. Then take the bottom end and new head to get sorted in one package.

 

[StephenDc2]

Hopefully so. It should be reliable too. Well I hope...

I haven't decided on who to bore the block. I would ideally like someone to bore the block, check the crank, line hone, build up the bottom end and of course check the piston to valve clearance. Then of course check the VTC, I believe it may have to be limited to around 30 degrees. I've a brand new VTC gear so the likes of CPL can physically limit it.

I'll give Comiskey a shout to see what they say. But I would prefer to rely on a Honda specialist that can also advise on the gaskets and other quirks that may come up...

I'm not quite at that stage yet though. But my current train of thought is to lift the engine out myself. Then take the bottom end and new head to get sorted in one package.

Sounds good, Honda engines are very well built tolerance wise so my advice would be to not over think things or over pay for the build work

4P should be able to tell you exactly what VTC angle to use with your chosen piston and cam combination. Get the block bored to the right PTW clearance, get the rings gapped properly and build it up with the rod bearings clearances on the loose side of Honda clearances and you should have a good reliable engine on track

 

[EF Ian]

Some very nice parts there. Interested to see the difference they make.