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Secondary O2 sensor is in place. Had to order a 90 degree "CEL fix" spark plug non-fouler to get it to clear the exhaust tunnel.
Readjusted the exhaust due to a bad vibration at cruise. No more vibration.
Rear calipers were dragging, prpbably from sitting with the e brake on all winter. Gave them a good smack with the hammer and haven't touched the e-brake since. Don't seem to drag, good enough.
Fixed some small vacuum leaks and changed the PCV hose from a crappy silicone one to a reinforced rubber hose as it was collapsing on itself while running.
New problem: the car is WAY too low with the headers. I've already scraped through the front flex section coming from the front headers. Changing from neuspeed race to the sport springs made for the V6 95-97 Accords. I was sweating about how to fix this as the koni perches can't be flipped, are on the highest setting, and all I had were the stock springs. Found an eBay listing with the v6 springs, grabbed the part number, and checked out neuspeed website- still available new and only $125 shipped! (FYI same for the 90-97 4 cyl race springs). Score! If they're too tall(I want no more than .75" gap), I'll just lower the spring perch to the lower setting.
Car drives great otherwise! From 4k on up, it just RIPS. I can't believe how much of a difference it made after 5k. The engine wants another 500rpm or more to breathe. I really need to figure out a way tune this thing, I can tell there's a ton left on the table. Exhaust is WAY loud. I doubt the muffler has any packing in it. If the hangers were in a different spot, the 05-06 RSX-S muffler would fit PERFECT, it's so close it's crazy. Gonna try that out first before the Borla and habe it put in when I get the headers fixed, prpbably this weekend.
Rotated the tires and rolled the front fenders flat. Seemed to cure most of the rubbing. With the car going taller, it should be non-existent.
I tuned the 3.0 with an Apexi vtec controller. I had provided dyno graphs of the before and after tune around here but not sure if the pics still exist. I gained around 12whp and 15lbs of tq (i might be off by a number of two, its been about 15yrs). From what i recall, i gained the same amount of power tuning it as i did installing headers, intake, exhaust and UR pullies together. Stock the j30a1 puts down 150whp, I was putting in around 178whp with just those 5 mods.
The neuspeed sport springs are a fantastic choice for the 3.0 I too ran their race springs and it handled worse in the canyons (use to race in the mountains throughout all of socal roughly 3-4 times a week for some years before switching to the raceways). The race springs bottomed out the shocks so it basically ran on springs with that ride height and strut combo.
The 3.0 can handle a 125 wet shot of nitrous all day. if you wish to gain a quick 100whp, that route is safe as can be for these engines. I've ran nitrous for about 10+yrs with these j-series. All you need is cooler plus by about 1 degree AND race gas (100 octane) or alcohol mixed with gas (such as xylene or toluene containing roughly an octane rating of 114). In cali i used race gas as its found nearly everywhere. In texas I ran it with alcohol found at my local Home Depot and Lowe's.
With the race springs, your right, the car almost feels like its just riding around on bumpstops. I would not be surprised at all to have better handling car with taller ride height due to more available stroke.
I'll have to see if I can get a VAFC or Neo for cheap. I considered an AEM F/IC considering I'm planning some sort of boost down the line. I really need to get a 99-01 odyssey harness(already have an 01 ecu) and figure out how to convert to COP so i can actually have a decent base to make power from. Not having a knock sensor sucks.
I've really considered nitrous, but with such little experience, I'm just not confident with it.
The neuspeed sport springs arrived on Monday and I had some time tonight go mess with the car. Got the passenger rear done pretty quickly and started on the passenger front, got the Race spring swapped out for the Sport spring and....
Went to go install my new front LCA's and RR bushings, and that's when My horror began.
Radius rod bolt showing signs of some kind of crazy wear or rubbing. This is supposed to be a round hole. Not phallic shaped. Looks like that right fromt radius rod replacent that the previous owner did to "fix" a horrible wobble that he got he car with... wasnt correct. You can see the old vs a spare set of NIB rubber ones.
Heres how the story goes: guy before me had it for about a year as well and told me he "fixed" the really bad wheel wobble it had on the front right and said it was the big bushing up front. Prior to that the car sat neglected for at least 6 months, pretty sure the owner before the P.O. was a young kid who just beat the car bad and I THINK he either ran into something or got hit then let the car sit. The P.O. I got it from mostly let it sit, as well. I wish I could take a shit on the porch of the previous 2-3 owners and light their mailbox on fire. This car has fought me almost every single time I go to turn a wrench on it and it's 99% because of neglect of maintenance or carelessness. Crazy part is the car car drove super straight with only recently having a hint of torque steer. I've probably put 2k on it since I brought it home and just started noticing it.
Looks like i gotta start shopping around for a front subframe. This kind of thing is totally deflating. I was so close to being able to bring my daughter home from the hospital with the CL and even had the wife's approval.
I'm probably gonna try to make it work for now with a couple of big washers. I've found a couple of crossmembers locally for around the $100-150 range which I just can't swing at the moment. Wife is starting to go into pre-labor so baby should be arriving any day now.
First kid?
Congrats, man...
and just know...you won't do anything right. Which means you also won't do anything wrong...keep mom smiling and baby alive!
Fuck the car, it'll be waiting for you and your kid to work on together after...if it was all buttoned up you'd have nothing to work on.
On a good note, I picked up a set of 18x9 +55 SSR GT7's for a steal. Semi solid forged, but are all in pretty bad shape. No rash, just lots of corrosion. Came with original centercaps too! Talking with Accord friends, with my front +25mm spacer and 3.2TL rear hub, paired with a 245/35R18, it should be a PERFECT fitment.
Pair $400 for them. No bends, no rash, just corrosion as the guy used them for winter wheels on a G35. Paid less than what one cost new. Pretty stoked. I would like to run the centerlines first and take my time really getting these back to perfect. I'll post more pictures in the daylight and test fit pics when I get the chance.
Going to try to get the CL back on the road either tomorrow night or Sunday. Going to attempt to repair the existing crossmember by welding a washer in place on the backside. Really excited to just have the car with the new springs and front poly bushings.
Said screw it and threw in the new lower control arms with energy suspension bushings and the poly radius rod bushings in the front end and finished the install if the springs. One the radius rods were tightened, the bushings spread out and covered the damage. No play in the crossmember end to note. The neuspeed v6 sport springs are linear in the front vs progressive with the 4 cyl race springs.
The front came out to be about a inch higher, the rear stayed about the same, but the car rides SO MUCH BETTER. No more torque steer, straight as an arrow and no pulling when cruising. Feels much tighter in side to side as well as up and down motions.
And as promised, heres some test fit pics of the 18X9 +55 offset SSR GT7's. Keep in mind I run a +25mm spacer up front and the 1st gen 3.2TL rear hubs and rotors. The front is about perfect. T e rear is a little close to the spring but also just about perfect.
18x9 SSR GT7 +55 offset test fit. Just about even with the +25 spacer im the fronr. Beautiful. About 3/4\" clearance at the knuckle
Well, I'm sitting in the hospital waiting for the baby to come, having a quick bite to eat. Took the car out Wednesday for "our last date night and the wife was pretty impressed at how well the car drove and how smooth it was.
Well, she's here! 7lbs, 10oz, born at 6:33pm on 6/15. Edith Margaret. She came right on her due date. I can't believe how life changing it is, nor was I ready for how much I love her and how beautiful she is. What a game changer. Brought her home yesterday, and my amazing wife has let me get more than the 2 hours of sleep at a time she has been getting. Tackling everything as a team! Our 1 year anniversary was the 16th, and it was also father's day!
Sorry if I don't update everyone quite as often from here on out, but I promise to post updates when I can! Perfection. My wife, myself and our little Edie! Just in time for fathers day, such a beaut! First contact with the cats. This is Lola, shes a bit more curious than June, whos been keeping her distance for tbe most part. Boy were they happy to see us after 3 days!
Well it’s been almost a year, how’s it going over there? I’ll be leaving the CL Community soon, selling my car to a neighbor for a bit more than about for so I couldn’t say no
05-29-2019, 04:30 PM
Congrats man! 
