Building for the road course...again

Still on the fence about dropping my subframe.

I need to find a way to support the engine easily. I could definitely buy an engine support bar but for ~$130 and for how often I’m gonna use it probably not worth.

hmm…maybe a 4x4 and some ratchet straps lol?

 

see if you can rent one from the local parts store.

with construction material costs what they are now, trying to fab something up will get close to $130 pretty quickly.

 

I’ve got a carpenter buddy local for me. He’s gonna cut me a 4x4 today to the exact length I need. It’s just scrap wood for him.

i can then use the front and rear motor mounts from the block to ratchet strap it to the the 4x4. Kinda ghetto but it’ll work.

according to Honda the assembled long block weighs 275lbs. Without the head and cams and all that it’s probably at or just under 200lbs. Then the transmission mount is still there as well.

I figured since the cars gonna be sitting anyways, I may as well give this a shot. Might be ok if I do it over a few nights.

I do need to tap and plug the balance shaft feed hole so that’ll be a little…intimidating but according to YouTube a m8x1.25 tap fits perfectly. No drilling required

 

You'd be surprised how many times you might actually use it.

 

I thought about this. Gonna try the 4x4 first since it’s free. If it doesn’t work how I need it to then maybe I’ll have to buy the support bar. I’ve been buying tools like crazy lately. I’m running out of storage here in my small ass garage lol

 

Engine support picked up and semi tested
I lowered the jack down under the car and the engine didn’t drop or sag. Everything loaded up heavy though.

it seems ok but I’m nervous about the fenders supporting the weight with the other mounts off. It’s just thin sheet metal so I’m not 100% sold yet. I guess we’ll see how it goes

 

Lmao. Like fuck I hope it holds. This is how the real support bars are supposed to mount I guess right so it should work? Fuck lol

 

Add an additional bar from that bar to the front support. So it reduces slide risks

 

It won’t slide down. The fenders taper inwards towards the front of the car. The wood is wedged in there good

 

“This job simply cannot be done without fully removing the subframe” - literally everyone and the entire internet.

It wasn’t easy but it’s definitely doable. Took me 2 hours 45 minutes to get to what you see here.

I put the pan back on and put the jack under for the night.

Tomorrow I have to remove the oem stuff and tap and plug a hole for the balance shafts since those are being deleted here(Balance shafts are built into the oil pump on these motors). M8x1.25 tap. Bolt to match. No drilling required just tap. Need a generous amount of thread sealant and that’s about it for that.

 

Looks like that motor mount could use some eBay inserts while you're there

 

Not a bad idea. I have upgraded rear mount and passenger torque mount. The front mount and trans mount need upgrading at some point.

 

People are suggesting I should do an oil pan baffle right now.

i guess that’s a good idea. The options are kinda weird. There is a drop in baffle that’s recommended as “the best” “the only option for this platform” blah blah.
It’s built by a shop who’s local to me. Maybe 25 minutes away. They have a reputation for good oil pan baffles but not so good for other reasons…not sure. I might have to just send it on theirs

 

A baffle is a baffle, as long as it doesn't have any loose pieces and secures tightly down should be fine, no?

 

The fancy unit2 baffle contains some trapped doors and stuff. But it’s apparently “the best one”. There is some friction surrounding that shop for various reasons(people drama) so if I can find something else I will but it seems like the unit2 setup really is the best

 

If they make a quality component then why would their drama matter? You're working on your own car so it's not as if they'd mess it up. I say grab it since it's local and "the best one."

 

Picked my valve train stuff up. Looks nice

Dual valve springs with titanium retainers. To support all the rpm.

still waiting on my oil pump to show up.

 

Yea. I think this is the answer after all

 

Pulled the pump off today. Got the hole tapped and plugged as well.

Fuck this pump with the balance shafts is heavy as fuck. Apparently it’s -12lbs and + ~5whp with the type R pump going in. No balance shafts!


oil squirter. This feeds the balance shafts. You gotta pull it out then tap the hole and plug it.

removed by threading in a random screw then yanking it out with pliers


Had my buddy come by. Tap went in nice and easy. Used axle grease on the tap and that grabbed all the shavings. It was a pretty clean job. M8x1.25 bolt with high temp thread sealant and a washer. No pic of that installed. Forgot.


now waiting for the pump to show up so I can get it installed. Then I gotta deal with the cylinder head.