This thread summarizes my 1992 Integra RS progression from autocross and track days to NASA Time Trials (TT). It includes a list of modifications, maintenance items, links to pictures and videos, and lessons learned.
CAR
1992 Acura Integra RS
107k miles on original, unopened B18A1 engine
Driven to and from events
Emphasis is on reliability and performance balance
Chosen due to low cost to purchase and operate, as well as simplicity and practicality
NASA TTE with a dyno reclass
Allowed 2400 pounds minimum w/ 190 pound driver
Allowed up to 143 WHP
CONTIGENCIES & SPONSORS
Konig wheels (Thanks for the deal on the Flatout 15x8 wheels!)
Roll Cage Components (Jim is the man!)
Hawk brakes (big thanks for the 2014-2015 racing pad contingency support!)
FastBrakes (thanks for supporting NASA racers!)
NecksGen Rev (thanks for supporting racers & instructors!)
CURRENT MODIFICATIONS
Safety & Interior: Sparco Sprint V racing seats side mounted to modified OEM seat brackets, RCI latch & link 5-point harnesses, RollCageComponents U-weld 6-point roll bar, Ebay deep dish steering wheel, oil pressure & temperature gauges (VDO electric) using BWR sandwich plate, Raceequip front tow strap, custom front crash bar (1.5x0.120" DOM round tube and 1/8" thick angle iron bolted to stock mounts)
Wheels & tires: Konig Flatout 15x8 ET+25 with 205/50-15 Maxxis Victra RC-1 for dry track and Drag DR-21 running 195/55-15 BFG sport Comp-2 for rain and street, ARP extended wheel lugs, 20mm spacer with DR21s
SUSPENSION & STEERING
Tokico Illuminas set to 4F/4R
Ground control coilover perches
7" long 2.5" ID springs 12k front and 10k rear
Custom extended front shock mounts
Complete Energy Suspension bushings (except Prothane RTAB)
1 washer under each extended bolt shimming the rear UCA to reduce camber
Stock swaybars w/ poly bushings
De-powered OE rack & energy suspension rack bushings
BRAKES
FastBrakes front kit (11.6" rotors, Wilwood Dynapro calipers, DTC-60 pads)
Stoptech street rear pads with stock rear hardware
S.S. lines
Dust shields removed
DRIVETRAIN
OEM Honda LSD
JDM GSR transaxle
Fidanza aluminum flywheel
Fast Line Performance (FPL) shifter & Energy Suspension shifter bushings
Polyurethane filled engine and transaxle mounts
ENGINE
(3) different restrictor plates for cold, mild, and hot weather
I will be uploading detailed lists of maintenance and weight reduction, as well as additional pictures and videos in the near future. Feel free to ask questions or comment on the car.
I am really big on maintenance and place reliability as my number one priority. Well, i guess safety is number one… with reliability a close second. I will be addressing safety in the near future with the addition of racing seats and harnesses, as well as tackling the task of building a roll bar (perhaps cage) with a friend who is extremely good at welding.
As far as history of the car, i only picked it up mid-way through last year. Within that time, i was able to perform the items listed above as well as participate in 2 rallycrosses, 4 autocrosses, and 1 track day. The car needed a LOT of maintenance to bring it up to track-worthyness. I picked up the DA mainly because it is a sporty chassis that can be built and operated for very cheap. It needs very little to have fun. It is also pretty easy to work on and parts and cheap, plentiful, and available. I love the simplicity. I also like the fact is came with an aluminum engine, 4-wheel double wishbone suspension and 4-wheel disc brakes. Not bad for 1992!
As far as my history, i am new to Hondas (if you exclude sport bikes). Previous vehicles include an E36 M3 and Dodge SRT-4. I have been autocrossing regularly for three years have have done over a dozen track days. I also participated briefly in sportbikes track days and have done a few rallycrosses.
I’m looking forward to sharing the build with everyone, as well as pics, videos, and lessons learned, as well as getting feedback from those with more Honda experience.
One of my goals has been to remove weight from the front end. Some folks move the battery inside the cockpit or in the rear hatch area. I decided to keep it in factory location for a few reasons.
It’s easiest to keep where it is
It can’t come loose or leak acid in the cabin
It is lighter to not add extra battery cables
It keeps some weight over the front right tire, helping preserve forward traction.
I picked up a U1-format (lawn and garden) battery from K-mart for about $55. I got the diehard high power version to give me as much CCA as possible. It is rated at 340 CCA i think, and about 19 pounds, which is a heck of a lot lighter than stock. It starts the car GREAT.
i mounted it in the stock location with minor modifications to the tie down rods and the battery cables:
Because the battery is much shorter, i cut down the tie down rods and re-threaded them with a tap so i could use the stock tie down bar. The battery fits very securely with this arrangement.
I used crimp-on copper terminal lugs and some nice bolts to attach the new lugs to the different style of battery terminal. I had just enough positive wire that i didn’t need an additional length (i dremeled the factory clamp off, keeping the wire as long as possible). The negative lead was more than long enough. I used solder on the new copper terminals as well in addition to crimping for extra conductivity and security.
Voila. This battery close to drops right in, easily has the starting power for my car even on cold morning, is cheap, and drops a lot of weight off the front end. Pictures are located in the “build & modifications” photo album linked above.
The weight is not going to help your traction and the battery not meeting stock specifications may not be legal depending on the class you decide to compete in. I do agree moving the battery to the cabin or rear is not the best alternative, however pulling the battery tray, lowering the battery and mounting to the front frame rail is likely a better modification for a class with open relocation regulations.
A car from 1992 will probably require quite a bit of maintenance to be ready for rough track use. My DA Teg was no different. Because running well is more important than going fast to me, i focused my first few months entirely on maintenance. Major items included:
Changed all fluids with quality replacements
Engine air filter
Timing belt and idler pulley (timing belt was VERY loose!)
Tune up (Plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor)
Valve cover gaskets (leaking)
Cooling system refresh (Radiator, cap, hoses, thermostat, water pump [which was weaping coolant!])
Left CV axle (torn boot)
Alternator belt
Cam plug and distributor o-ring (major leaks)
Brake refresh (quality rotors, calipers, brackets, hardware, racing pads, S.S. lines, and fluid)
Tie rod boots and front lower ball joint boots
Rear main crank seal (was leaking slightly)
Suspension bushings
I picked up a Honda LSD and decided to take care of clutch as it was grabbing very high up. It turned out to be worn to the rivets. While is was in there, i refreshed other drivetrain items:
Exedy OEM clutch & pressure plate
Fidanza flywheel
Transmission output seals
Transmission shift select shaft seal
Shift linkage & boot
Throwout bearing and pilot bearing
Someone snapped the lower starter bolt off in the block, which turned out to be one of the most annoying parts of the tranny service. i had to drill out the bolt as an extractor failed. I damaged the first half in of threads in the block in the drilling process. Luckily, the hole goes another half inch deeper into the block. I used my M10x-1.25 tap to extend the threads into the block and i picked up a longer M10-1.25x120 bolt from Honda (it’s a common honda automatic transmission bolt) and the extra reach made it to the new threads.
In pretty much every FWD car i have owned, the motor and tranny mounts have been shot, leading to sloppy driveline feel and excessive movement during hard launches, fast shifts, and on/off throttle transitions. I turn to my trusty polyurethane roof and flashing sealant to firm things up:
I start by thoroughly degreasing the mounts. Next, i let them dry. Then i fill all of the cavities with the polyurethane and pack it in and smooth it out with a flat putty knife. Wear some latex gloves!
Curing can take up to a week, so plan on the car being out of service for a while. The alternative is to buy replacement mounts and fill those and let them cure and then pop them in. One tube will usually do two mounts.
I believe my battery changes are not H4 legal, but they are H2 legal. It is also legal with the CDC autocross group and (i believe) with NASA time trials. It made a nice improvement in front end grip, dropping that weight off the front end. Pretty cheap and easy too.
Nice, I have the same size battery in my car…it’s not a daily driver, and sometimes does not have enough umph to start the car after a week. Somewhere around the same CCA(340).
Good stuff! I enjoy seeing people who actually USE their cars, and better yet, use 'em for RACING! I would say though, you gotta get rid of that stupid photobucket account, the photos are tiny and their UI is horrible for showing other people your pics. Give Flickr a try, or there are some other services I’m sure too. Can’t wait to see the progression of this car.
I am looking for opinions on whether on not to go with a modified intake for this car. Nasa-TT penalizes a few points for a modified air intake. Some say that an intake can give solid gains, while others say factory honda intakes are actually pretty good. Is there consensus for the DA integra?
What’s the exact wording of the rule regarding intakes? And what other mods are you allowed to do? I’m assuming you’re talking about a relatively stock class? There can definitely be gains by adding an intake, whether it’s worth it or not that’s hard to say. Are the “points” you’re talking about points which count against your time in the TT or are they points which help class the vehicle? If they’re points that go against your time then it may not be worth it, but if they are points used for classing then it would depend on where your car currently sits, if you have extra points before getting bumped into another class then you might as well add an intake. I figure it’s smart to max out your points to get the best possible car that’s legal for your class.
NASA TT assesses points based on modifications, so doing an intake will mean less points for other mods. But you are exactly right, i’ll try to use every last point without bumping to the next class.
Rear muffler is Magnaflow part # 12225, ordered from advanceautoparts
2.25" flange to mate to header outlet
The piping kit comes with the flange at the cat, hangers, clamps, and the required tubing. The ends are flared so that a slip fit can be used between pieces. The flange hole diameter was larger than my center pipe, so i cut four slits in the tubing and expanded it with a tubing expander to yield a more gradual step-down and welded the slits closed. I was able to utilize all factory hanger points. While i was down there i replaced all of the rubber exhaust hangers.
The angles near the rear axle were tricky so i actually had to cut small wedges out of two of the 90 degree bends and re-weld to get the right angles. I welded everything from the cat to the axle together and then used clamps for the rest to allow me maximum adjustability and to swap mufflers if desired. Overall, it is tucked up pretty close to the body and fitment is pretty nice.
I was originally using a dynomax super turbo muffler, but it turned out more raspy than i expected (i used this muffler on another car with a cat and it was very deep and mellow), so i went with a magnaflow muffler. Going to a test pipe is a likely culprit for the raspyness. At WOT it wasn’t overly loud, but had a lot of resonance and rasp. By comparison, the magnaflow is slightly louder @ WOT and drones a little more cruising, but has almost no resonance or rasp. I feel its perfect for an occasionally street driven weekend car.
In regard to the intake, I’d just see what your options are for mods and then pick the best ones that keep you in your class. May or may not be an intake.
That’s nice to see that exhaust setup. Sucks it didn’t fit right and you had to cut some stuff. I’m also moving to a mandrel bent tubing kit, so I’ll scratch that company off my list. I’ll probably go with KTeller. The guys there said you can use the slip fittings without those clamps. I personally HATE those clamps. They work fine but I just don’t like them, I’d replace them with flanges. But since they said the slip fittings stay together by themselves I’m going to try installing mine without flanges or clamps to save a little weight. But I’ll definitely weld the muffler.
[QUOTE=Colin;2283182]In regard to the intake, I’d just see what your options are for mods and then pick the best ones that keep you in your class. May or may not be an intake.
That’s nice to see that exhaust setup. Sucks it didn’t fit right and you had to cut some stuff. I’m also moving to a mandrel bent tubing kit, so I’ll scratch that company off my list. I’ll probably go with KTeller. The guys there said you can use the slip fittings without those clamps. I personally HATE those clamps. They work fine but I just don’t like them, I’d replace them with flanges. But since they said the slip fittings stay together by themselves I’m going to try installing mine without flanges or clamps to save a little weight. But I’ll definitely weld the muffler.[/QUOTE]
The angles issue might have just been me working around the progress rear bar, but yeah i did have to make some angle adjustments… the pure 90 degree bends were too much for my alignment.
Yeah, those clamps are pretty awful and rust pretty quickly. To get them to bite enough, i had to cut four slits with a hacksaw down the length of the outer pipe pipe maybe 2" long to allow the pipe to compress a little bit to get a nice solid seal. There are better band style clamps which are cleaner. But going with flanges like the OEM style is a good idea. I’ve never heard of a slip fitting staying together (i.e. not rotating or slipping or leaking) without some type of clamp. And if you are pretty sure about your muffler, welding is lighter and stronger and less likely to leak, so i totally agree with you there. i might have mine welded in the near future as well.
I have the RCI 5-point latch harnesses in hand and the auto seatbelts are out. I am very interested in seeing how other DA’s have mounted their 5-point hanrnesses. I’m using a wrap-around to a harness bar that has been welded between the rear shock towers. the other three points are to be determined. i am using stock seats for now.
Harnesses and stock seats aren’t really meant to work together. Any pics of the “harness bar” you put in? Sounds like the angle might be OK, likely not ideal, but better than attaching to the lower rear seat belt mounts. You’re not supposed to have much angle in those shoulder belts. Too much angle causes spinal compression in an accident. Before my 5pt belts + roll bar I was running 3pt belts with the point for the shoulder belts attached to the c-pillar where the stock seat belts mount. The side to side angle was a little lame, but the angle from vertical was where it needed to be. My outer lap belt is attached to where the stock seat belts mount in the rocker panel. My inner lap belt is attached to the tunnel (I have a nut welded in here since my car was converted to CDM spec manual belts) but I’ve also attached it to the seat bracket. With aftermarket brackets there’s a spot where you can mount the stock belt and you can just use that mounting point. The 5th point won’t work with your stock seat, but when you get an aftermarket seat just drill a hole in the floor and use a kit like this: http://www.ioportracing.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=R45&Category_Code=MH
I suggest you hold off on installing your harnesses until you get a proper seat, and that you look into the safety concerns and harness mounting specs to see if you should re-consider your shoulder belt mounting location.
Lap portion = stock Canadian spec location, Shoulder belts = roll bar horizontal cross bar, and Fifth point = reinforced floor under the seat. Can’t see much here but this is all I have at the moment and I am on the other side of the world away from my car.
I would say though, you gotta get rid of that stupid photobucket account, the photos are tiny and their UI is horrible for showing other people your pics. Give Flickr a try, or there are some other services I’m sure too. Can’t wait to see the progression of this car.
