AFCO coilover springs fit like stock on the Honda. We used a selection of them to tune the handling. At the top is an AFCO aluminum height adjuster. If the rules allow, use it. Our Honda rides on exhaust pipe spacers made at a local muffler shop. We made them in 1-inch increments from 2 to 8 inches. Then we placed them as necessary to get the crossweight and ride height correct.
Axles and CV joints were removed during construction. The CV devil visited the storage box and spent the night of a full moon mixing them up. When it was time to reinstall the parts, they were washed up and laid out on a clean table. We had no clue as to which ones went where. OK, the different-length axles were obvious. The inner CV joint shells looked the same. Well, they weren't. For starters, that is why we had a transmission oil leak. That's also why one axle wouldn't snap into place. A striking device wielded by the "armstrong" method gave us what we thought was a suitable fit. Of course, it wasn't. It popped out on the second race night, leaving us with a one-wheel-drive race car.
Another problem occurred while the Honda and I were doing an arm-in-arm dance with another car, and my dance partner managed to pinch a small leak in the radiator hose. The Howe radiator took a pretty good lick, too, but it didn't leak. I wasn't watching the gauges, so I didn't know what the engine knew. New Autometer gauges with warning lights, along with a recall tach, should provide warnings before this happens again.
This is what I found out during the engine post-mortem. While the Victor-Rienz head gasket never leaked, the engine got hot enough to warp the cylinders 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 thousandths of an inch out of round. It did slightly warp the head, but the area around the exhaust valve seats was warped. This necessitated another valve job. A cleanup pass was also taken on the head, bringing the total removed to 0.92 inch.
Since the warped block had been bored to its maximum oversize, we took it out of service. Another engine was acquired. This one showed so little wear that a slight hone, new rings, and OE pistons put the short-block back together.
The intake manifold was a piranha-it bit me with thousands of razor teeth until my mind was shredded. This photo shows the original throttle-body manifold. It looked good. The opening was cut out to take the Holley Carb. It wouldn't work even after making a small plenum with two- to four-barrel adapters. The engine would run but would pull fuel from the accelerator pump. At 5500 rpm, it was so rich it wouldn't go any faster, even in neutral.
Just as with the original block, the valve relief in the pistons needed some work. Bill Gotwalt, a friend with a small milling machine, volunteered his services. I welded up a crude fixture to hold the pistons. Now, even if we do float the valves again, there will be clearance. And why wouldn't we float the valves again? Because we now have learned a lot about Honda springs. Intake and exhaust are different strengths. Originally, they were mixed; one must look closely to know the difference. After much searching, Noel Manton at Manton Valve Springs found some matching the specs I needed. He said something about them being older, Top Fuel inner springs. Later-model Honda springs are common, but for the D15B2 engine, it takes someone like Noel to find the right ones.
What Next?
We seem to have worked out the bugs at this point. Here are some of the things I found about the car. The '86 Honda EW-1 intake manifold originally had a carburetor. This is the one you have to have. Once you have had the engine and/or the transmission out a few times, it is no more difficult than with most rear-wheel-drive cars. I like being able to pick up the short-block and put it on a work table.
The cockpit is tight, similar to a modified. I should mention something that has worked flawlessly. That is the DUI ignition from Performance Distributors. This adaptation of the one-wire hookup GM HEI to the Honda is perfect for eliminating all the computer-controlled functions.
The chassis setup with the excessive left-front weight makes the car love to turn. There is no push. The car seems to have good steering response on slick dirt surfaces even with the power off.
It may seem to some like overkill, but the two M&R head nets with the G-Force SRS-1 head restraint holds your head in place when bobbling around a rough track. I can imagine they would do the same in a crash.
All in all, our Honda project has been a fun learning experience. I'm no longer unfamiliar with the intricacies of front-wheel drive.