Lude Generation

Posted: **Tue Aug 24, 2010 11:47 pm**

My Supercharged Mugen Lude

Silicone Vacuum Hosing in Black from SFS Hoses
Spare Engine Rocker Cover – Now Smoothed and AN10 breather fittings awaiting to be welded on
Spare Engine Rocker Cover Powder Coated Black (Temporary until above one is finished)
Spare Engine – H22A (for round 2 of my plans)
Innovative Motorsports Replacement Mount Kit – 95A race urethane
AN10 Braided Lines from Torques UK – for rocker cover venting to Catch Can
Performance Autoworks Baffled Sump
Custom Aluminium Ventilated Catch Can with AN10 ports
106pete special custom chargecooler

Transmission
UKDM standard M2A5 gearbox
ATR U2Q7 gearbox – LSD + better ratios + higher final drive
JUN 11lb ultralight flywheel
ACT Street Clutch and HD Pressure Plate
I-Tuned Goodridge Custom Braided Clutch Line (deletes damper)
Tegiwa Imports Magnetic Gearbox Sump Plug
Torco MTF Gearbox Oil – 2 litres from Nimbus Motorsports
New Clutch Slave Cylinder (Import Car Parts)
Forbidden Motorsports Short Shifter (or similar)
New Oil Seals

Intake & Exhaust
No exhaust or manifold currently fitted
Apexi Power Intake Induction Kit Filter and Modified Elbow
Tanabe Carbon Fibre Induction Kit Tubing (Short Ram)
Hondata Heatsheild Gasket
CNT 68mm throttle body (tapers out to 71mm) + new TPS sensor
Mikalor W2 Hose Clamps (for carbon intake tubing to throttle body) – 85mm+
Silicone Hose Joiner 3” to 3” in Black from SFS Hoses
New Stainless Steel Manifold Studs
3” Catback Exhaust System – tubing sourced by tonydpp & welded by Solid Fabs
3” Decat Pipe from a Mitsibushi Evo 4-6
Custom Solid Fabrications Manifold & Downpipe – 4-1 Design to a 3” Collector
BGA Manifold Gasket (Engine Block to Manifold) – three skin metal gasket
New 3” Evo Flange Exhaust Gaskets x 3 (3” collector and either side of decat)
New OEM Honda O2 Sensor (from a Civic 1.6 VTEC 5 door – same but slightly longer than the Prelude’s)
Used OEM Mitsibushi Evo 6 Catalyst Converter (For MOT emissions test)

Fuelling & Ignition
Denso Iridium Spark Plugs
Nology Hotwire Ignition Leads – Red colour
550cc RC Saturated Injectors
New Injector Seal Kit
AEM Fuel Rail – Silver
Torques UK – Custom AN6 Fuel Supply Line and Inline Fuel Filter
Fuel Pressure Gauge (1/18th NPT fitting to AN line fitting adaptor
HRC 255lph Fuel Pump
Spark Plugs – 1 step colder, 2 sets = 1 x NGK Copper & 1 x Denso Iridiums

Tuning / Electrical
Hondata S300 / P28 (with PWM boost components installed)
Jackson Racing air/fuel ratio gauge (made by Auto Meter)
Jackson Racing Oil Temperature Gauge (made by Auto Meter)
Odyssey PC680 Race Battery (for boot mounting)
Aluminium Battery Mount / custom cut off, circuit breaker, voltage tester unit / 0 gauge wiring, fuses, etc
AEM UEGO Wideband Lambda Gauge
Dyno Tune Digital Boost Gauge (accurate to within 0.1psi boost)
OEM EL Gauges, Loom, Switch, Dimming Box, etc
Pivot Blue Engine Start Button
Autometer Oil Pressure Gauge
New high & low tone horns

Cooling
Mugen Type D 1.3 bar Radiator Cap (Genuine)
Aluminium Thicker Core Radiator (97-01 5th gen fitment)
Tegiwa Import – Aluminium Radiator Stays (for top mounts)
SPAL 2 x 11” Radiator Slimline Fans
Revotec Rad Fan Fitting Kit x 2
Mugen Type F 1.3 Bar Radiator Cap (Genuine)
Mishimoto black Radiator Hoses
QH Thermostat (with new gasket)
Mikalor W2 Hose Clamps (for rad hoses) – 42mm
Millers Rxtra Cool Coolant Additive (Like Redline Watter Wetter)
AEM Water Injection Kit – No AEM Tank
5 metres of extra 6mm O.D. / 4mm I.D. Nylon High Pressure Hose for Water Injection – In Red
6mm Nylon ‘P’ Clips (for routing water injection hose from boot to engine bay)
10 Litre Red Metal Jerry Can for Water Injection Fluid
5 Litres of Distilled Water (for 50/50 mix of Methanol/Water)
5 Litres of Methanol (for 50/50 mix of Methanol/Water)
(Might not need all of the water injection stuff if chargecooler works)

Suspension
D2 36 way Adjustable Coilovers
Fully working OEM Honda Four Wheel Steering System (4WS)
Suspension Techniques uprated 25mm Sway Bars / Anti Roll Bars – Front & Back
2WS Rear Sub Frame, Control Arms, etc
Energy Suspension Master Bushing Set Installed into a Spare Set of Arms, etc – Including Rear Trailing Arms
Spoon Rear Upper Strut Brace
New Wheel Bearings
Megan Racing Adjustable Rear Toe Arms
Innovative Motorsports Competition Bar (Traction Bar)
Ultra Racing front under brace
Ultra Racing rear under brace

Exterior / Body
Full Restoration & Respray in OEM Milano Red Paint (Including Gloss Black Roof and Roof Rails, Boot OEM Spoiler & Bades Removed and Hole Smoothed, New Front Screen, Seals, Trims & Clips from Honda)
Mugen Front Bumper and Restored Mugen Emblem (Genuine)
Mugen Front Bumper / Headlight Plastic Covers (Copies)
Mugen Rear Spoiler and Restored Mugen Fixings and Emblem (Genuine)
Mugen Number Plate Screws / Washers (Genuine) x 8 for number plates and bumper fixings
Mugen Fuel Filler Cap Cover (Genuine)
Carbon Creations Carbon Fibre Bonnet – OEM Style[color]
EP Racing Bonnet Spacers
Carbon Fibre Fuel Flap
JDM Number Plates (Originals from Japan – Show use only)
Honda OEM JDM Door Window Wind Deflectors
Honda OEM UKDM Bodykit – Side Skirts
Honda OEM UKDM Bodykit – Rear Lip Skirt
Crystal clear bumper inserts - lost one side and used amber repsrayed red
Crystal clear side repeaters
Front Wiper Arms Resprayed Satin Black
Rear Wiper and Motor Removed and Blanking Grommet Installed
Aerial and Blanking Grommet Installed
Mugen Side Skirts Resprayed in Milano Red (Genuine) – just need to fabricate the last couple of small brackets
Aerocatch Bonnet Pins (Lockable)
Detango’d OEM Lights
JDM OEM Boot Number Plate Recess Panel
Mugen Side Sill Aluminium Plates (Genuine)
Honda Jazz Washer Jets
OEM Side Repeaters sprayed black
Spoon Style Fibreglass Mirrors (+ Civic Baseplates)
Spare Prelude Wing Mirrors to Butcher and make custom baseplates
AeroDynamics Carbon Fibre Sunroof Panel
Seibon Carbon Fibre Boot / Trunk
Varis Mitsubishi Evo 4-6 rear lower diffuser and side vortex generators

Wheels
No wheels currently!
Tegiwa Imports – Red Anodized Aluminium Extended Wheel Nuts
4 x 17” x 8” Volk Racing Group A Evolution 2 Alloys – 3 Piece Split Rims with Magnesium Baskets
1 x 17" x 7" Buddy Club SF Alloy Wheel (Spare Wheel)
4 x 17” x 7.5J Offset 38 – Antera 301 Alloys - Finished in Powder Coated Black with red vinyl rim tape
2 x 225/45/17 Yokohama Advan A048 track tyres (need another two!)

Interior
Mugen SW2 Steering Wheel with Integrated Cruise Control / Horn Pad (Genuine)
HKB Steering Boss with Integrated Cruise Control Buttons (Rare)
No seats currently!
Fidanza Short Throw Shift Adaptor
Custom Moulded 3 Gauge A-Pillar Pod Painted Milano Red
Front and Rear Door Card Inserts Retrimmed in Red Leathette
Handbrake Gaitor Retrimmed in Red Leatherette
Shifter Gaitor Retrimmed in Red Leatherette
JDM Flare & Holder to Passenger Side
Integra Type R Style Chrome Gearknob
Post-Facelift (94-) Chrome Door Handles
Pre-Post Facelift Transition Centre Console Conversion & Arm Rest (Rare)
Added Third Interior High Level Brake Light and Rear Roof Lining Panel
Rear interior part stripped
Centre Arm Rest - Finish Retrim
Recaro Sportline Top Fuel Specials - Grey/Black/Red
Recaro one-off 4th gen Prelude sliding seat rails (fitted to Top Fuel Recaros)
Recaro TS-G bucket seat (Japan only market seat) - Blue/Black
Recaro Japan bucket seat side mounts (Japan only market) - Black
Bride MO Sliding Seat Mounts (to fit the bucket seat to + spare)
Takata MPH-341 harness - 3" shoulder and lap straps (Genuine)
Takata 6 point V-style crotch strap (Genuine)
Tram Road Motors special Harness bar
FIA approved harness eyebolts & backing plates (4Nr for drivers 6 point harness)
Cargo Nets x 2

Brakes
Legend Calipers – Refurbed with Brakesint Kits
EBC Redstuff Pads Front
Ebay Cheap Front Discs Drilled & Grooved
EBC Redstuff Pads Rear
Bremtech Rear Discs – Drilled & Grooved
ABS removed
K Sport 6 pot Calipers - 306mm discs + Ksport pads + braided brake lines
Integra DC5 Rear Brake Calipers – Fully Refurbished
Tarox G88Rear Discs
Ferrodo DS2000 Pads Rear
Willwood Brake Bias Valve
Goodridge braided brake lines
Copper/Nickel Brake Piping to install new lines – 25ft
Various Brake items – Flare Nuts, Cutter, Bender, Flare Wrenches
8mm Aluminium ‘P’ Clips with Rubber Protector

ICE
Ripspeed 7 inch widescreen Flip Out Monitor DVD Player
JVC 100 Watts 6 ¼” 2 Way Mid Speakers to Rear Shelf
Pioneer 120 Watt 6 x 9” 2 Way Speakers in Custom Mounts (orig. 6 ¼”) in Doors

Performance
Previously dyno’d at 205.8 bhp & 152 lb/ft
¼ mile best = 15.5 seconds @ 90mph trap speed (not with a lot of mods and the weight saving I’ve done since)
Tracked as Castle Combe Circuit, Wiltshire UK
Hopeful target power after supercharger build = 300bhp+ & 210+ Torque
Hopeful target ¼ mile after supercharger build = below 13.5 Seconds

ENGINE BUILD FOR ANOTHER DAY

- Jackson Racing Supercharger kit + Motorvations 2" jackshaft pulley + Accord crank pulley = Approximately 12psi
- 106pete custom chargecooler from a Landrover SC V8 + heat exchanger rad, hoses, pump, reservoir, etc

- Benson sleeved H22A1 - 88mm bore + build up with spare H22A engine parts (50mm crank)
- Wiseco 11.5:1 88mm pistons + rings, sleeves
- Golden Eagle rods + ARP bolts
- ARP head stud kit
- Standard H22 head (unless I try a Type S / H22A7 head???)
- Full engine gasket set
- KS Tuned manual tensioner (transferred from old engine)
- Gates Powergrip belts
- ACL bearings

Posted: **Tue Aug 24, 2010 11:50 pm**

BUILD PART 0) – My Preludes History

My Preludes History

This is an introduction to my 4th gen Prelude and her ownership and modifications to date. Many may know and recognise the car and have followed my car’s profile on Prelude UK or Lude Behaviour profile threads - Here: Mugen lude

I first purchased my Prelude in October of 2003, 7 years ago! Time flies when your having fun VTECing!

She was the best example I could find at the time in the South West area. I was particularly after a UKDM due to insurance companies issues with imports at the time for my age. Something which I now realise I could probably have overcome. However, this led me to find a K plate 1993 Honda Prelude 2.2 VTEC UKDM finished (at the time) in Honda’s finest Milano Red, which was in good condition then. Just 62k miles on the clock and a full service history, mostly by Honda – including the full cambelt service by Honda just completed. All previous MOT’s, stacks of receipts, all the original UK purchase information, booklets, catalogues, parts and accessories catalogue and price list. Even two previous magazine adverts of when the car was sold previously! It was well looked after indeed.

The car was slightly modified by the previous two owners – the first item was a CAT 1 alarm and immobiliser from the likes of Autowatch and the second a JVC chameleon black mask tape headunit and 12 disc changer in the boot, along with remote. Further on from this another owner had thrown on a very controversial choice of wheel indeed – they were made my Momo and endorsed with Ferrari emblems – I think initially intended for use by the Ferrari 355 replica MR2’s. They were a 5 spoke design with a red star shaped centre cap. Here are the first pics of her by which time I had added some clear bumper inserts, side repeaters, lexarse lights (at the height of fashion back then!

), some ICE, strut brace and some Samco breather hoses.

I managed to keep modifications relatively low at this point for a year, mainly due to funds being at University at the time. During which I found the likes of Prelude UK and at the time Hyper-Rev and Honda Revolutions. It was these communities of enthusiasts that made my passion grow for the big hunk of metal and so the modding bug caught!

Bodywork

Near the beginning of my lude owbership I picked up these lovely looking items. If only I knew at this point the unhealthy obsession that would follow!

Over a year I had fitted the Mugen bumper and a euro rear lip but then due to an accident to the front wing/bumper and some emerging rust in places I decided to go all out and fully restore the car and paint to full glory and have the whole kit resprayed and add the Mugen rear spoiler and Euro sideskirts. All done in new Milano red but with a twist, a gloss black roof (in between the roof rails). The end result:

She was dropped off at the bodyshop: http://www.vdubresto.co.uk looking like this:

Lot’s to do!

Check out this link for full in depth work and pics of the restoration and bodywork:

Mugen BB1 Restoration

List of spec to date:

Body:
- Full Restoration & Respray in OEM Honda Milano Red Paint with Added Gloss Black Roof & Roof Rails
- Mugen Front Bumper and Restored Mugen Emblem (Genuine)
- Mugen Front Bumper / Headlight Plastic Covers (Copies)
- Mugen Rear Spoiler and Restored Mugen fixings and Emblem (Genuine)
- Mugen Number Plate Screws / Washers (Genuine)
- Mugen Fuel Filler Cap Cover (Genuine)
- Carbon Fibre Fuel Flap
- JDM Number Plates (Originals from Japan - Show Use Only)
- Honda OEM UKDM Bodykit - Side Skirts (Available Throughout Europe Only)
- Honda OEM UKDM Bodykit - Rear Lip Skirt (Available Throughout Europe Only)
- Honda OEM JDM Sunroof Wind Deflector
- Honda OEM JDM Door Window Deflectors
- Crystal Clear Side Repeaters
- Crystal Clear Bumper Indicators Resprayed Two-tone Red / Clear
- Lexus Style Rear Lights Resprayed Two-tone Red / Clear
- Tailgate OEM Spoiler & Badges Removed and Holes Smoothed
- Wiper Arms Resprayed Matt Black

Only things left on the bodywork side of things is to add the last bit of the Mugen kit – the sideskirts, plus my ganador mirrors and tidy up a couple of minor mishaps.

Suspension and Braking

I still have the same front strut brace and have only added some Tein S. Tech springs to date with the standard shocks. I intend to add some Koni yellows or KYB AGX’s to these unless some nice coilovers come up for sale at my usual bargain price! I also still have the 4WS fully working but may swap to the 2WS subframe one day.
My brakes to date are now using the Honda Legend twin piston calliper conversion. I mated these with some EBC redstuff pads and ebay drilled and grooved (nasty, cheap things):

Old setup:

New setup:

Full spec to date:

Suspension:
- Tein S. Tech Springs on Honda standard shocks
- Standard Honda Four Wheel Steering System (4WS)
- Stainless Steel Front Upper Strut Brace

Brakes:
- Honda Legend Front Brake Caliper Conversion - Fully Refurbished & Painted Red
- Rear OEM Calipers Fully Refurbished
- Bremtech Drilled and Vented Discs Front & Rear
- EBC Redstuff Pads Front and Rear
- DOT 5.1 Brake Fluid

Wheels

The Momo’s finally gave way to these babies - 16” OZ SuperTurismo’s which have been refurbished as the WRC edition white with red lettering and the lacquer coated over. I wrapped all four corners with Goodyear Eagle F1’s.

But also ongoing is my recent purchase of some 17” Volk Racing Group A Evolution 2 wheels, which are a 3 piece magnesium forged wheel.

Now currently two of them are in pieces and painstakingly being refurbished.

Full spec to date:

Wheels/Tyres:
OLD
- 15" Momo Ferrari Endorsed Alloys (don't know the name, came on the car when I bought it).
- 2x Pirelli P6000 up Front
- 2x Nankang's to the Rear
NEW
- 16" OZ Superturismos - Refurbished as WRC Editions in White with Red Decals & Clear Coated Over
- Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 - 205/50/16 V - All Round
- Red Anodized Lock Nuts All Round
REFURBING
- 17” Volk Racing Group A Evolution II (8” wide! Front and back) – 3 piece forged magnesium wheels.

Interior

Interior wise I’ve tried to tastefully mod things. I’ve retrimmed the door inserts (3 times now! Buy the right glue!), matching gear and handbrake gaitors, chrome teg style gearknob and pre-facelift to transition centre console conversion (with armrest awaiting retrim to fit). My favourite modifications are the rarer than my bodykit, Mugen SW2 steering wheel with integrated cruise control / horn pad, my EP3 Type R seats on custom 4th gen mounts and my A-pillar smoothed gauge pod finished in Milano red (which can now house a glorious boost gauge!

):

Full spec to date:

Interior:
- Mugen SW2 Steering Wheel - with Integrated Cruise Control Buttons / Horn Pad (Genuine)
- HKB Steering Boss with integrated cruise control buttons
- Personal Neo Grinta Steering Wheel (Trackday Spare) - Leather with Red Stitching
- EP3 Civic Type R Front Seats - Black Suede / Red Material Two Tone on Custom Prelude Mounts
- Moulded Three Gauge A-pillar Pod painted Milano Red
- Jackson Racing Gauge (Auto Gauge) - Air / Fuel Ratio Meter
- Jackson Racing Gauge (Auto Gauge) - Oil Temperature Meter
- Front and Rear Door Card Inserts Retrimmed in Red Leatherette
- Handbrake Gaitor Retrimmed in Red Leatherette
- Shifter Gaitor Retrimmed in Red Leatherette
- JDM flare and holder
- Integra Type R Style Chrome Gearknob
- Post-Facelift (94-) Chrome Door Handles
- Pre / Post Facelift Transition Centre Console Conversion & Arm Rest Added (Rare)
- Added Third Interior High Level Brake Light
Ice:
- Ripspeed flip out 7" widescreen monitor/DVD/MP3 player
- JVC 100 Watt 6 1/4” Two-Way Mid Speakers to Rear Shelf
- Pioneer 120 Watt 6 x 9” Two-Way Speakers in Custom Mounts (orig. 6 1/4”) in Doors
- Kenwood 700 Watt (silver) 12” ‘Tornado’ Subwoofer in Plain Black Carpeted Box
- Kenwood 250 Watt Bridged Two Way Amplifier on Custom Chequer Plate Wedge-Shaped Mount
- Autoleads Gold Plated Two-Way Distribution Block and Fuses

Engine

My engine bay to date is looking like this:

Full spec to date:

Engine:
- Mugen Version 1 Billet Oil Cap (Genuine)
- Mugen Type D 1.3 bar Radiator Cap (Genuine)
- Mugen Reservoir Covers (Genuine) - to Brake & Clutch Reservoirs
- P28 Civic ECU - Socketed and Mapped on Crome for Prelude
- VTEC Rocker Cover Resprayed 'Type R' OEM effect - Red Wrinkle Finish
- Apexi Power Intake Induction Kit
- Carbon Fibre Induction Tubing
- Toxic Rides - Ninja Catback Exhaust System with 4.5" Slashcut
- Megan decat pipe
- Denso Iridium Spark Plugs
- Nology Hotwire Ignition Leads - Red colour
- Polished manifold heat shield
- Stainless Steel Battery Cover with VTEC Logo laser cut
- Red Kevlar / Carbon Weave Plug Cover
- Red Reservoir Covers - to Power Steering Reservoir & Radiator Expansion Tank
- Red Samco Breather Hoses
- Red Cover Hoses to Electrical Wiring

With the modifications my latest dyno run achieved 205.8bhp & 152lb/ft with the P13 ECU. The P28 is currently having the components installed to enable the IAB’s. I shall dyno it for sake of it and possibly tweak some of the mapping but that’s only for me while I have time to drive it as it is and to make the ECU more valuable for someone else when I sell.

Dyno run:

[youtube]7PxzrwuU2Mw[/youtube]

Santa pod strip:

[youtube]Eec9oYWoJ9g[/youtube]

A while back but Castle Combe circuit during Japfest:

[youtube]F7L02bwe5Is[/youtube]

Posted: **Tue Aug 24, 2010 11:54 pm**

BUILD PART 1) - Introduction

So YES, as the title reads I have reverted to my original plans that I spent over a year researching – fitting a Jackson Racing Supercharger (JRSC) kit for a 5th gen Prelude onto my lurverly Moogen 4th gen.

(I picked this badge up last year on ebay for 99p from a guys EP3 kit, with good intentions that is what I’d be doing with the car!)

Taking you back a year or so ago, I had been busy pricing everything up, to buy all the parts for the supercharger build. However the main item, the JRSC kit was coming in at over £3,000 alone to buy in the UK from the main distributor CPL Racing. This is one large price hike from the US market – which put me off substantially.
Because of this, in all, the build costs were reaching approximately £5,000 (Note: Please don’t take the price as gospel as I may have missed the odd item and plans to fit a lot of stuff myself). The high cost at this point was then starting to sway me in the direction of a built motor and turbo kit from the likes of Treadstone. I was further persuaded chatting with various people and the no doubt thirst for more power in the long run. But I still had that deep desire for a supercharger – it’s just something that little bit more special.

Roll on this year and pricing up the Turbo build brought things to around £6,000-6,500 (Again, may not be a conclusive list of parts and a large majority of fitting myself + machine work for the block). So more money but a safer built bottom end and more scope to crank up the boost when the extra power becomes the norm to my right foot!

Soooo, that was the plan up until a month ago when I happened to stumble upon a JRSC kit in the US for a very good price which included many of the items I had priced for my build all included in the bargain price. To put it bluntly – it was too good to miss. I bought it! [smilie=hate-tunz.gif] [smilie=hate-tunz.gif] [smilie=hate-tunz.gif]
Before I knew it the transaction was completed and I was sitting around for less than a week like an excited little school kid on his birthday! Fedex took from a Monday to the same week’s Friday to ship the kit from California to my work address in Bristol!

Very impressive on their part. And the cherry on the cake was not having any charge what so ever for import duty tax or VAT! Wahoo!

This was Friday 20th just gone – Over the weekend I took the kit to my friends workshop where I plan to work on the car and opened up my goods:

The kit consisted of:

- JRSC kit including uprated 9psi charger pulley
- Brand new Honda Accord crank pulley to push this to 12psi at some point in the future
- RC 550cc injectors
- Hondata intake gasket
- P28 ECU with Hondata S100 installed (by Phearable.net)

It all looked in great condition and the seller was very helpful during the month and went out of his way to provide as much as he could and even to the extent of buying new parts where required! So a big shout to James Parker in California for his efforts – I hope your Prelude is fixed soon with a new engine.

Posted: **Tue Aug 24, 2010 11:56 pm**

BUILD PART 2) – Will the 5th gen Jackson Racing Supercharger fit and how?

The Myth

So will the JRSC kit fit a 4th gen Prelude is the all important question?
For so long now there have been rumours spread around the US forums from none other than Jackson Racing themselves! They have said that there is not physically enough room in the 4th gen engine bay to accommodate the supercharger and that serious modification to the firewall would have to be done. There are some other minor issues too, some myth and some simply to work around. Different issues are also specific to certain domestic car markets i.e. US brake booster and master cylinder clearances for the jackshaft / pullies where as our RHD UK and Jap 4th gens may have an ABS unit that can interfere.

And that is all it is – a myth…

The Proof

There are a number of 4th gen Preludes that have proved it can be done with varying methods of finish and execution. Here is a short and not exhaustive list of forum names (and most associated forums they post on) of people that have had or still run a JRSC 4th gen:

➢ Shane – Forum name: Caz (Scottsdale Az) (Prelude Online, Prelude Power) (email: caz345@cox.net)
➢ BB1SRV (Montreal) (Prelude Online)
➢ Riptide101
➢ Qveon (Northwest In) (Honda-Tech)
➢ h22blklude92 (Gloversville NY) (Honda-Tech)
➢ Slick_LudE (Vancouver BC) (Honda Tech)
➢ BB4arson (Prelude Power)
➢ Jeff25 (Prelude Power)

Jeff25 actually took the most informative pictures around showing the myth areas and it clearly highlights that there is enough room for the kit. Which does beg the thought as to why Jackson Racing said it wouldn’t??? Surely they could sell more then? Oh well.

As you can see there is enough clearance on the firewall, it’s tight but still room there:

The US also thought it wouldn’t fit with the location of there Brake booster / master cylinder. But Jeff says otherwise:

The main clearance issue I've seen is the shock tower, both the actual tower and the top of the shock. I've seen two different ways to clear them. A couple of guys now have fabricated a new bracket based on the JRSC one but with higher clearance at the top. Another (and cheaper) option is to stiffen things up to stop the engine torquing onto the top of the shock and batter the shock tower to make room for the belt.

Here are the two solutions:

1) Battered

2) Custom brackets

This is jeffs install, my engine bay :

Some more 4th gen JRSC engines:

Let’s get on with this then…

Posted: **Tue Aug 24, 2010 11:57 pm**

BUILD PART 3) – Parts

Jackson Racing Supercharger Kit

This will be a little background of the kit, the supercharger included in the kit and information surrounding it. Then I will describe the parts for my install.

Below is the official pic of the installed item which quite clearly shows the charger, mount bracket and plenum / bypass plate all fitted onto the lower part of the OEM intake manifold. They don't come in red as pictured (which is a shame!). There is an extension plate that comes of the plenum which a further bracket attaches to to extend the pulley system around the H22 block. The connection between the top charger 3 pulleys and the cambelt engine side pulleys is the jackshaft. This is essentially a shaft with a pulley either end fitted into the brackets hole with bearings either end. The final piece of the puzzle is the black bracket / pulleys attached to the crank side of the H22 block, which routes the belt around the engine mount, safely to be run off of the crank pulley:

And here are pics from the unveiling of their kit at a show in the US – just look at how new the 5th gen looked then! Mmm clean:

You are able to download the full parts list with part numbers, plus full fitting instructions from Moss Motors website (still branded as Jackson Racing) here: http://www.supercharger.com/Shop/ViewPr ... exID=33374

They use an Eaton M62 'roots' type charger directly mounted to the intake manifold, after the throttle body.

The official Jackson Racing Ltd do not own the rights to these kits anymore. They are still for sale new and under guarantee, but this aspect of the company was sold to Moss Motors but still available under the Jackson Racing brand name. Moss motors sell their kits on their site: http://www.superchargers.com.

The original Jackson Racing Ltd now work on kits for newer cars (some American only) using centrifugal chargers called Rotrex now becoming more and more popular here in the UK too. The difference between the roots and centrifugal can clearly be seen, the roots uses twin blades, like cam shafts that rotate in towards each other, forcing the air through and compressing it at the same time. The centrifugal charger looks like the turbine side of a Turbocharger. Where the pulley directly spins the internal rotor to induce and compress the intake air.

Centrifugal supercharger examples in comparison with a roots supercharger:

Vortech:

Rotrex:

A kit like the Rotrex would be good in that it's location fitted like the EP3 kit’s from TTS can easily root an intercooler to enable further boost / power further down the line. Due to JRSC roots blower mounting directly on to the lower half of the intake manifold it leaves little room to run such an intercooler. Some people have varying success with nitrous after the SC helping to cool temps and also water / methanol injection kits. There was someone in the US attempting to make some sort of thin cooling membrane plate to sit in between the intake and charger to run coolant from an aircon system through and cool the air. However this would mean making new brackets as it would throw out the fitment at the jackshaft. Unfortunately the project never got completed and the car and kit was sold.

There are other types of supercharger, for example the awesome Lysholm Screw charger, two of which are twinned and attached to the awesome Mclaren Mercedes SLR’s V8 engine helping it to produce 600bhp+.

If you have a healthy interest in reading more on superchargers generally, I bought and read the following books on the subject which are good to understand the mechanics of different superchargers and some specific applications:

- Street Supercharging

- Turbos & Blowers

(There are others around too mind – good for a petrolheads night-time or crapper read!

)

Moving back to the Prelude roots kit, Jackson Racing actually use a modified Eaton M62 which has had the rotors flipped to run the opposite way due to the crank side and direction of the H22 engines (and B16/18’S). So finding an Eaton M62 from the likes of a Mercedes Kompressor and trying to custom fit will mean that you either need to flip them yourselve (can be done but I wouldn’t trust myself) or flip the whole charger over so the intake sits on the other side of the engine bay. One successful 5th gen owner in Slovakia managed a good install using this method, see here:

5th gen custom Merc charger

I can give anyone information and links on custom installations if they decide to go down this route as it is something I was considering.

The basic pulley on the charger that is include by Jackson Racing will produce approximately 6psi of fairly safe boost – with many examples having run them on their standard engine internals for 20-30k miles. But you can change the pulley sizes to run more boost by either using a smaller SC pulley or larger crank pulley. Many different places can supply these. I think there are size combinations to obtain 9, 10, 12 and 15 psi available by using a combination of the two pulleys - think bike gearing ratios. Further psi and numbers in between can be found by trying different diameter pulleys but will most likely mean going custom.

Now for my build I would have been happy with the JRSC kit on 6psi – however the bargain I picked up came with one, and only one charger pulley…9psi! Like it or lump it that’s what I’m stuck with. Unless I buy the 6psi pulley at an additional cost. I’ll discuss my decision on the pulleys in a further post. In addition, I have an Accord crank pulley (can’t remember the year model it came off), which ups boost by around 3psi. Many use this to up to 9psi, but as I already have the 9psi smaller charger pulley with this combined will create up to 12psi. Not something I’ll be looking to install until I build a block up. One day though, one day.

One final thing to add on the pulley side of things is suffering from belt slippage. Quite common using 9psi+. A few different ways to ward it off – type of belt. There are a number of good belts out there to avoid slippage such as Goodyear gatorback belts which have slits in the grooves to aid grip, like a ‘gator’s back’! I have a couple of these belts for my build. A couple of people have also added a pulley to tighten things up by the jackshaft. The kit I bought also by chance had this pre-installed:

(The pulley with the shiny bolt

)

As with all power gain items, there are limitations. Even with Turbo’s the potential air that can be forced is limited by the size of the turbo. The same factors apply to superchargers which come in various sizes – especially roots chargers from the likes of Eaton. Here is a good link that describes the various sizes available, capacities, etc:

Eaton Superchargers

The limitation of the Eaton M62 with the JRSC is suggested at 300hp at 10psi. I’m quite sure this is power to the wheels, but I’ve seen people pushing more psi with some reaching 270-300whp! But the charger will start to lose it’s efficiency after the suggested psi of around 10-12. Beyond this the charger is heating up the air too much and will not be able to compensate the additional air to cram into the engine with the loss of power from high intake temperatures. It is an inevitable proven formulae that as pressure increases so does temperature. So unless a successful method of reducing the intake charge temps is achieved these limits cannot be breached without upgrading to Eaton’s newer MP version of the charger with more flow capacity or to the new TVS (Twin Vortices Series), which incorporates four lobe rotors which are more twisted in design like the Lysholm Screw. Of course beyond the Jackson Racing kit are the options to go up to the M90, but would mean all custom and a lot more effort. Not saying it can’t be done as there is a guy in the US working with Magnuson’s to supply kit’s to B series engines to fit the M90 – his goal is 500whp and he’s not far off. Check it out here:

500whp B Series – M90 Supercharger Build
Brave and inspiring stuff!

There are other ways of reducing the temperature and increasing the boost / efficiency of the SC – which many have used to achieve the likes of 270-300whp. Various companies in the US can decoat the turbines and port and polish it which helps reduce friction and increase airflow capabilities to not only run safer higher psi boost pulleys but even reduce the psi of boost. I.e. making more power from less psi of boost due to a more efficient airflow! What a great combo! Search for Endyn and Stiegemeier for their services. Other methods as mentioned above, are to run a cooling liquid of some sort to add to the air/fuel mixture for good cooling capabilities and in-turn ward of the potential for detonation. Water injection is the first port of call for most and can see some very good results for the initial cost outlay but will be a pain to keep the system topped up. Some add a mixture of Methanol and water – which is a popular method for running many cars for performance racing and works just as well for a high performance roots supercharger build. The final option is nitrous oxide – a proven easy bhp per £ for small bursts of power when needed. It’s cooling capabilities work the same as water injection but better and will increase power substantially. Nitrous should only be installed on these systems using a direct nitrous install after the charger. This is because the nitrous can start to strip the coating of the chargers rotors and compromise the longetivity of the whole unit.

The kit I have bought includes everything there as if it was purchased new except for some items, two of which relate to the power steering. The last car with this kit installed ran the car without power steering and so the brackets were lost/disposed of. They would consist of a bracket that moves the power steering pump/pulley further out to enable a fixing plate between this part of the block and the side main pulley bracket. See below:

In addition to this the main hydraulic line to the pump cuts across the back corner of the rocker cover in the general area of the main bracket/pulley area. The second piece missing is a cast hose re-routing pipe adaptor that fixes to the pump and moves the line over to the drivers side (RHD vehicles mind

). This clears it of the main bracket but I have read on various peoples installs that this compromises the pipe and fitting and some have noted leaks or broken pipes. This is the part below:

My first intentions were to just lose the power assisted steering (PAS) altogether by removing the pump, reservoir and lines and looping the lines on the steering rack. There are various guides around. Plus a couple of the successful people running the JRSC on 4th gens use the kit without the PAS and have theirs installed without the plate to secure the main bracket here without any issues whatsoever. See here:

However I have noticed that one guy in the US using an import (RHD) has not used the bracket or hose adaptor and has is still running his pump. The pipe routing is close to the main bracket and belt but not touching. So I shall have to wait and see during the install what will physically work. See here:

So is the main bracket supported? And how? Yes it is, in two places. The first is the very top bolted to the jackshaft via three allen bolts. See here:

The second is a mounting plate that sits under the alternator and fixes through behind one of the bottom pullies. See here:

The only other item I do not have from the JRSC is the rising rate fuel pressure regulator. I have the electronic FMU (Fuel Management Unit) and adjustable boost retard knob (+wiring). But this method of tuning in the JRSC has always been a weak point of the kit and deemed as a workaround method to tune in the extra fuel on boost. As I will be running after market injectors and tuning via Hondata I won’t be using the FMU and have no need to have the fuel regulator (no matter how shiny it is!).

Onto the charger connection to the intake. The charger sits on a mounting plate that is then secured to an extremely flat plenum. It is flat to enable the charger to fit in the area under the bonnet at the back of the engine without hacking up a bonnet. The mounting plate is shown here:

Note it has a number of vacuum nipples for the various lines that need to run off the intake – such as the vacuum assisted brake servo (or brake booster). It also has a 90 degree fitting which actually directs the boosted air to a closed off bracket on the throttle body which the MAP sensor is connected to. This is so that the MAP sensor can see the boost which is only going to be visible after the supercharger not on the throttle bodies OEM position. This is essential as the map of the car will depend on certain levels of air/fuel ratio while the MAP sensor reads boost.

The plenum bracket / area has three functions in this kit:

1) It also has an extended area in which the jackshaft / bracket is fixed to. See here:

2) It acts as a plenum like any other engine application to distribute the airflow as evenly as possible between the four / eight intake runners (eight on our H22’s

)

3) The plenum also extends towards the throttle body and has a connection to the throttle to charger adaptor plate. The connection has what is called a bypass valve connected to it. This enables the engine to draw in air with most air now bypassing the charger for everyday part throttle driving, maintaining fairly good mpg. Only when there is close to WOT (wide open throttle) will the bypass detect enough vacuum to close the valve and thus direct all the airflow to the supercharger. The charger will always be rotating with the crank and thus it will inevitably have airflow. But most air will find the bypass valve duct first and it is a more free-flowing option in comparison with squeezing through the rotors of the charger. I also note that the bypass valve helps the engine perform more smoothly on and off the pedal, in and out of boost. It releases the high pressure air back into the circulation of the charger as it winds down from the throttle closing up. In a kind of way, like releasing pressure on a turbo engine via a dump valve, except a more gentle and smoother transition. The introduction of these valves by many manufacturers have also helped to improve the running life of their superchargers.

Also attached to the supercharger plate is a small thin strip area to mount a vertical mounting plate. See here:

This bracket relocates the Idle Air Control (IAC) valve and also holds the bracket for the throttle cable to connect to before attaching to the throttle body.

I guess the final piece of the puzzle, bar some small bits and pieces is the actual adaptor plate that sits between the throttle body and the supercharger. See here:

This is essential as the opening into the supercharger is a very odd shaped, horizontally squashed shape which would not mate up to throttle body. This shape is essential in design by Eaton and other manufacturers through years of research and development to aid the optimum delivery of the airflow into the supercharger casing.

However, I understand that the opening to the throttle body side is approximately 64mm but am yet to measure the one I have. The OEM throttle body diameter is only 60mm so the two don’t marry up perfectly – very odd as you would think Jackson Racing would have matched it up? So the plan may be during this build on the breathing side of things to get a larger throttle body – possibly 68mm and port and polish the adaptor plate myself to match using my dremel.

I will have to see if my budget will permit and how large I can go without compromising the adaptor plates wall thickness integrity.

And that is about it, all I can think of for now. I could describe each bolt and connection but TBH, I can’t be arsed! I should hopefully cover most parts of the detail during the install over the year.

NOTE: Any information I have written is all from what I have researched and if memory is a little loose one or two details may have inaccuracies.

Posted: **Tue Aug 24, 2010 11:58 pm**

BUILD PART 3) – Parts (Continued)

Fueling

An essential part of any build, so please read and try to understand the essentials. A lot more essay than pictures in this instalment. Hope it’s not too boring!

Injectors

As described in my initial posts, I received with the kit a near brand new set of tasty looking 550cc RC injectors along with connector clips.

I thought this was a great addition to the kit I’d bought as they are around £300 a set of four to buy new. However I had forgotten an essential piece of the puzzle – the 4th and 5th gen Preludes use different types of fuel injectors. I bought these from a chap who bought them separate to his JRSC and was going to be installing them on a 5th gen. I quickly checked the part number inscribed on the injectors – PL9-550. Yep as I thought, they are a high impedance saturated type injector. The 4th gen Prelude run on a low impedance peak and hold type injector.

Here is some background information on various types of injectors from a couple of sources:

Links:
http://www.robietherobot.com/Storm/fuel ... rguide.htm
http://www.rceng.com/technical.aspx#Fue ... Worksheet_

I have extracted various information from these links and reading between the two have written the relevant parts for my injectors and supercharged build and amended the calculations to suit:

Firstly I checked that the injector size (550cc) I already have would be suitable for the build and power goals. The accurate way to measure an injectors hp capability is using the mass of the fuel (not the volume) and then working out the hp capacity at 80% duty cycle. This is done using the following:

Firstly convert the injectors volume flow per minute rate or ‘cc’ into a usable mass format by dividing by 10.5:

550 / 10.5 = 52 lbs. / hr

Now the second part of the calculations is as follows:

B.S.F.C is brake specific fuel consumption - How much fuel you are using per horsepower per hour. In most cases a naturally aspirated engine will have a B.S.F.C of .50. This means that the engine will use .50 lbs. of fuel per hour for each horsepower it produces. Generally B.S.F.C. should be .45 to .50 for naturally aspirated engines,.55 TO .60 for supercharged engines, and .60 to .65 for turbocharged engines.

52 x 0.80 / 0.55 = 75.63hp per injector = 303hp

I can check this the other way against a target horsepower which as worked out above at around 300hp:

So, more calculations:

300 x 0.55
________ = 52 lbs. / hr. (per injector) x 10.5 = 546 cc / min

(4 x 0.80)

So at this stage it appears ok. However if the BSFC goes up to more like 0.60 then the injectors will be going over the 80-90% recommended safe level. Or if the hp I can achieve exceeds 300 again I will start to increase the duty cycle. Or alternatively if the fuel pressure is raised beyond the recommended 43.5psi then the lb / hr fuel can be increased thus increasing the hp potential. However this is not recommended way of doing things. It is the method that the JRSC kits Fuel Management and Fuel Pressure Regulator does by raising the fuel pressure to allow more fuel as boost is identified – basically a quick fix but with various other disadvantages the main one being leaning out your motor.

Too much pressure has other disadvantages. Fuel injectors require more current to open, meaning they run hotter and are less reliable as a result. In addition, they can take longer to open, and there's a greater tendency for the fuel to leak past the injector seals. If the fuel pressure is really high, there's a chance of rupturing the diaphragm of the fuel pressure regulator (usually rated to 100 psi), resulting in fuel simply dumping into the intake.

This is why manufacturers don't run high fuel pressures, and instead use larger injectors and tune the engine management system. Rising rate FMUs are inexpensive, but the cost of injectors and an electronic fuel management system is normally less than the cost of an engine rebuild. This is why a tunable ECU and the correctly sized injectors is fundamental in any build, be it N/A, Turbo or Supercharger!

The above is also a reason why an adjustable fuel pressure regulator will not be required for my build, the pressure should be controlled using the correct injector calibrations on the ECU. So the factory linear 1:1 rising FPR will be sufficient.

So the size is acceptable at this stage but what about this injector type problem. Do I have the wrong ones! Crap! Or so I thought…

Reading around I found the following information which helps to explain a little on the difference between the injectors, the +ve & -ve of each and what is required to run the different types:

Two of the differences between Peak & Hold and Saturated injectors is in their speed and the amount of heat they generate.

The P&H injectors have faster response times (they open/close faster), making them more ideal for high HP. The downside is these types of injectors run a tad bit hotter then Saturated type injectors, and over time this will cause the P&H injectors to fail earlier than Saturated injectors.

Saturated injectors have slower response time, but they dont run as hot as P&H injectors. And because of their slow response times you wont see them for large sizes (IE 1000cc). P&H injectors on the other hand are easily available in 1000+ cc sizes.

One of the main differences between these two injectors is the current required to run them. Typically, Peak and Hold injectors are Low Impedance (2.5-3 OHM) and Saturated injectors are High Impedance (12-15 OHM).

If you run P&H/low impedance injectors in an ECU/EMS designed for high impedance you'll burn out the injectors drivers in the ECU/EMS. To avoid this you need to wire in resistors or a resistor box. This resistor box is standard on our 4th gen Preludes because they run peak and holds from the factory. OHMs is a measure of resistance, so by adding resistors you raise the OHM rating of the P&H injectors from 2.5-3 OHMs to 12-15 OHMs. By raising the OHM rating you limit the amount current that is in the system.

Now if you are running Saturated/high impedance injectors with an EMS/ECU designed for low impedance injectors, I have read that you will be fine without wiring in any resistors. This is a similar situation that I find myself in trying to use the RC 550cc saturated injectors into my 4th gen VTEC but using a P28 ECU only I already have the resistor box present. So this needs to be removed and the wiring run direct to the injectors.

I have also contacted RC injectors themselves, but they weren’t the most helpful people in all fairness. One sentence answers along the lines of it will work!

So fingers crossed I can, otherwise I’ll be selling these and having to buy some peak and holds new – no doubt for more outlay. I shall update you all during the install. But in future, if buying new make sure you buy the peak and holds for our 4th gens and saturated for 5th gens. Unless of course your plan is a big turbo build in which you will have to use peak and holds – fine in a 4th gen but for 5th gens you will need to wire in a 4th gen resistor box. Quite a simple job too.

On top of the injectors I already have I need to buy a set of the injector seals and O-rings. I am still finding alternative suppliers than the US or direct from Honda. So any pointers please let me know. Heres what they look like:

For the next couple of subjects, I found some good information from various sources and some good articles from Honda Tuning Magazine articles online. So onto Fuel Pump and Fuel Delivery items – Lines / Connectors / Rail / Filter:

Fuel Pump

A figure has been banded around that the stock fuel pump in our cars is supposed to handle high amounts of fuel delivery up to the regions of 250-300hp’s worth but I think this has only been done by raising the fuel pressure – as described above this is not the way to do things. However these are just words and the proof that I’ve read from actual incidents is that the fuel pump is struggling at this stage in correctly thought out builds and at high mph the engine feels starved and the fuel pump has burnt out in some cases. This includes Taffyludes N/A build on PUK with around 250-60hp.

So next up on the list is a new fuel pump with a larger flow capacity. I will be buying a direct replacement Walbro 255lph fuel pump average prices are in the region of £70-100 depending on where you look. Pic here showing the full kit:

Also worth noting that an uprated fuel pump will not only help with increasing the actual fuel delivery it will also help supply cooler fuel. Why is this good? A rule of thumb is that decreasing fuel temperature 10 degrees will drop intake temperatures 5 degrees. A cooler intake charge means a denser intake charge, and more power, so keeping the fuel cool is important to maintaining consistent power. So how does the uprated fuel pump do this? Well when idling, a typical Honda fuel pump dissipates about 80 watts, most of which goes into heating the fuel. Using a larger fuel pump will result in the same current being received from the battery / relay system but a larger pump to run will have to work less to achieve the same flow. Less power will dissipate less watts resulting in the above desired cooler fuel. This is all in theory and I expect in real life the difference is near negligible – but good information none the less.

That’s about it on the pump TBH. Generally needed for increased power builds like high N/A, Turbo and Supercharger projects.

Fuel delivery – Lines / Connectors / Rail / Filter

As the fuel flow and pressure increases, restrictions become more obvious. One place to start looking is where the internal diameter changes from large to small, and to a smaller extent, anywhere direction of fuel flow changes.

Starting from the pump exit itself, I have read the Civic’s metal pipe is rounded to make pushing the hose on a little easier. This also reduces the internal diameter of the pipe a little at the end. Cutting the pipe back a few millimeters will eliminate this obstruction. I will inspect the 4th gen Prelude’s pump connecting pipe and if similar plan to do this also – I shall provide pics.

Beyond this is the restriction of the existing lines – which I won’t delve into as they will be sufficient for my goals of fuel and injector sizing. Beyond this is custom larger diameter braided or steel lines.

Onto the fuel filter, it's worth pointing out how important it is to replace your fuel filter if it's old, however obvious that may seem. Better still is to get a larger fuel filter for high flowing capabilities with a filter element that can be changed when dirty and clogged. I managed to pick up another bargain over a year ago in the form of an AEM hi-flo race fuel filter:

Nice and shiny red item all for the price of £10 – these will set you back around £90 to buy new. In addition I bought the item knowing full well that it is a direct replacement for a 5th gen Prelude (97-01). The two generation’s fuel filters are different – see here:

4th gen fuel filter:

5th gen fuel filter:

Slight snag but my intention always was to see if it would fit or not. I figure it’s just a little re-routing of the hoses going from top to bottom as opposed to in and out of the top. I guess I have put this job on hold as I figured it would be a little messing around. Now is the prime time to install it for the build as many hoses and parts will be rerouted and taken off so it will go hand in hand.

Another minor restriction at the fuel filter is the intake and out fuel bolt sizes and connections. I don’t really want to start drilling out the out line to the fuel rail and figure my modest power goals it will be more than sufficient. However the angled connector ring isn’t as sufficient as a straight through connection. The 5th gen AEM filter I have has a straight through connection design which can help change to straight connectors – I just need to fathom out how to change them and what sizes. If it’s not too much hassle and if they need to change to install the AEM filter then great. Otherwise if there is no install advantage I will utilise the existing right angled connections again based on my modest power goals.

Many uprate their fuel rail to improve fuel delivery to the injectors, enable a pressure gauge to be connected, add a nitrous supply, and generally add a little engine bling! For my power goals I don’t deem the factory rail as a restriction, but if I can get ahold of one for a good price within my budget I may add one mainly to keep an eye on pressure levels. In high-flowing systems you could easily lose a few psi of fuel pressure when installing a fuel pressure gauge across the fuel filter connector. See here:

This is why it's a good idea to connect your fuel pressure gauge to the fuel rail itself and not the top of this connector on the fuel filter for the most accurate reading. Hence why I would consider buying a rail for this purpose. But for now it is out of my list of parts.

This concludes the fuel section for my build – some parts are a little geeky but good research helps to get it right.

Next update will be – Tuning.

Posted: **Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:03 am**

BUILD PART 3) – Parts (Continued)

Tuning

Everything I’ve written about and the other few bits and pieces to come would be nothing without tuning. What good is all this increased efficiency of air and fuel to create more power if we can’t harness it in the correct way, and more importantly, safely and making sure our engines run smoothly for everyday use. The key to tuning amongst other settings is to map the car on the correct mixture of air and fuel – also known as Air / Fuel Ratio.

So a few questions to be answered :-

- What options of tuning will/have I considered?
- How do they work and what do I need?
- What else needs to be considered for my build and for others?
- Who will tune my chosen system, on what and how?

So a lot to get through then! Again, I do waffle on a bit, but I hope I have written this so it’s easy to understand for all and that it doesn’t send too many people to sleep!

I’ll start with my current ECU’s of choice and delve a little into some information I wrote for Nathan a while back on Chipped Honda OEM ECU’s with added info, pics and links.

So, currently I run a combination of the standard OEM 4th gen Prelude P13 ECU for everyday use as it returns me good mpg. But when at shows with drag or track action I switch in my chipped P28 ECU which has some sort of map for a 4th gen Prelude on it. Both appear to be making good power with my current mods to date on a UKDM Prelude. Recent power runs at Got Boost Tuning have me in the region of 204-206hp at the fly. Not bad – albeit I need to get more of that power to the wheels – roll on a better gearbox, clutch and flywheel. But more on the transmission in another instalment. Pic of me on the dyno at Got Boost:

A popular option for many in the Honda tuning world is to stick with OEM Honda ECU’s from particular models and have the existing information on the ECU altered to suit your engines requirements. These ECU’s come in various formats, namely OBD0, OBD1 and OBD2 (there is also OBD2a/b mind) formats. Some OBD0 ECU’s for older Honda’s (usually pre 90/91 cars) have been cracked and can be altered. But the main ECU of choice is the OBD1 form for our Preludes – in particular 4th and 5th generation models. We all know that the 5th gen is an OBD2 type ECU and is a whole different kettle of fish and so 5th gen Prelude owners opt to install one of these OBD1 ECU’s to there cars using adaptor harnesses which reroutes the appropriate wire to it’s corresponding terminal. Look at various suppliers on the net: boomslang/xenocron/phearable…

So onto OBD1 ECU’s. Give or take some individual components most OBD1 ECU’s electronic boards are the same and in theory nearly any of the individual components for specific models can be added to the board and then ‘tuned’ or ‘enabled’ in the tuning software. A good example of this is the IAB (Intake Air Bypass) valves present in our 4th and 5th gen intake manifolds. More on these later. Some variations exist between domestic markets ECU’s but the components on the boards are the same.

Here is a good link showing the different types of OBD1 ECU’s available and there original application:

http://www.hondata.com/techecuid.html

A huge handful of these ECU’s can be used to socket, add components and remap to run our 4th & 5th gen engines. The most popular ones are P05, P06, P08, P28, P30, P72, P75, PR4. But others can be used.

The most popular ones for our Preludes are the P28 & the P72. P28 ECU is an OBD1 ECU out of Honda Civic with a D series VTEC engine and is very common to come across. The P72 is less common in this country as it is out of an Integra GSR which was never sold in this country. The main difference of the P72 is that the Teg GSR also came with a similar intake manifold to our H22’s in that it also had IAB’s (Intake Air Bypass valves). There are other minor additions and omissions of parts between ECU’s but nothing that can’t be added – again more on that later. However, the most important factor for both of these and the other ECU’s is that the hex codes of the fuelling maps have been decoded by some very brainy people throughout the world. This has enabled various software programs and physical hardware to be installed and used to alter this information and much more. Making yourself your own tunable ECU straight from Mr. Honda.

I must stress at this stage that our standard P13’s (2.2 VTEC), P14 (2.3) and P11 (2.0) use a slightly altered hex code system that hasn’t been fully understood and incorporated into the various software out there. So you cannot use them for systems such as Hondata / Crome / Uberdata / Neptune / ECtune / etc. Spoon managed to alter them way back when and is the only source I am aware of that actually supplied a ‘tweaked’ chipped P13. Some people have the real deal and others have the well known Darfsport / Sleepy copy – soon to be supplied by myself so keep an eye out in the for sale threads.

Pic of the real deal Spoon P13:

This Spoon map is only for the JDM P13 and will not work on our UKDM P13. The main difference to differentiate the two ECU’s is one, the size of it as the JDM is a slightly smaller shape), and two the prefix code after the P13 on the part number sticker. The JDM will have N01 and the UKDM will have either G00 OR G01. Yes there are two different UK ECU’s and as yet I havn’t figured out what the difference is???

There are numerous versions of the Spoon map on ebay – however some have been played with on an hex editor from the few I’ve managed to physically check now. Mainly people changing redlines and VTEC crossovers. Many people call them by other brand name origins like ‘Mugen’, ‘Skunk2’, etc. Other people claim to have cracked it or can remap it such as Superchips, but I simply don’t know the ins and outs to understand what they may have done. Soooo…

I’ve got a P28 (or P72), so what’s next?

You can’t just plug the P28 (or P72) in and go, whatever you do, it will think your car is a Civic D series VTEC (or Teg B18 GSR) and will run pretty awful from fuelling maps not meant for the H22 and no doubt throw one or many CEL codes.

Once you've bought a P28/P72 ECU you have some options on what to do with it for your Prelude. There are a vast number of software programs and hardware you can use but I'll just be mentioning two in this little write-up. One is a software called Crome and the other is, no doubt more heard of, Hondata. The Crome option will echo the ins and outs of using many other systems such as Neptune / ECTune / etc. They all essentially do the same thing but with different user interfaces and differing levels of code and precision. Crome is very popular in the states but has been heard to have some niggles in the code – so may not be for everyone. But here goes my explanation…

Crome is a software program that enables you to map a car and with some other bits of hardware you can burn new chips to install into a socketed ECU. You can socket the P28 and P72 just like a normal Prelude P13 is often done with the usual Mugen, Spoon, Sleepy, etc chip of your choice (usually all the same and suspected to have been produced by Spoon originally). This can enable you to install a new burned EPROM chip which has been remapped specifically for your car. However the P28/P72 will require some small component changes to work. See this site for the cost of parts and what needs changing:

http://www.xenocron.com/chipping-kit-w- ... p-277.html

Here is also a fairly comprehensive guide to ECU’s, chipping them and software choices:

http://www.xenocron.com/install/Introdu ... ipping.htm

Check out the rest of the site for more information, parts and prices.

The main items to replace are the large 28 pin EPROM chip which holds all the vital information that can be altered. The smaller chip next to it, a couple of connections need to be bridged and lastly the 4 pin connector added to the CN2/3 port on the board. This last item is vital to enable what is known as datalogging. This is basically a separate connection from the 4 point pin to your computer and tuning software which feeds back information from your car and engines various sensors, such as revs, speed, IAT (intake air temps), etc. This is vital to be able to help the mapping of a car successfully.

Here is a screenshot of Crome in the fuel map window:

The main hindrance of Crome is finding a place or person in the UK that has the know-how to use it. It is very popular in the states with plenty of tuners able to work with it. In the UK however they are few and far between. Not only this they will also require the Crome Pro license, which will be required for extended functions such as datalogging and such, to be able to map the thing properly. There are some in the UK you just need to do a bit of research to find them. If your confident enough and have the know how, it can most certainly be learnt from the website http://www.pgmfi.org, then by all means buy the license yourself and all the required hardware to tune your car yourself. You could certainly make a pretty penny or two from it.

Fortunately I've found someone who does. I happened upon his contact when I met a guy at one of our Prelude / HE meets. He had an Accord Turbo map by this guy which was running just over 300bhp.

His name is Craig and has set up his place called Got Boost Tuning: http://www.gotboost.co.uk, which has a rolling road and many other equipment to enable tuning on your vehicles and all other means of servicing and engine work. They're located in Llandow just past Cardiff. He tuned this Accord I mentioned on Crome using a modified P06 ECU. He still can map on Crome so is a good point of contact for the South West and Wales area, or more if your willing to travel. Always better to have your tuner fairly close if you need problems ironed out or maps tweaked with further mods though.

So without going into the detail of actually how you DIY tune with Crome, that's about it. The vital hardware that the tuner will have are: The Crome Pro License, an emulator, a chip burner/reader/programmer, the software and leads, a wideband sensor and last but not least a dyno and good experience. I can explain each component if anyone wants more information or have a read around the many sites I have linked to such as PGMFI.org / Xenocron / Phearable / Hondata and more!

But here is the mass of parts, to show you it’s not for the everyday modder:

So to summarise you'll need to get the ECU, get it chipped with the correct components and then get it setup by someone who knows what there doing with a dyno tune and street tune after generally. Should release some power and leave you a very happy lude driver indeed!

If anyone needs the service of chipping there P28, etc for tuning, Craig also does ECU modification. He can also just socket the P13 ECU for the original Spoon copies I’ll be offering soon.

As mentioned there are other software / hardware now on the market which some say has better code and usability but again it will come down to what your local tuner knows and can use.

So what other options do you have?

The above is the cheaper option, depending if you have someone to hand with all the essentials mentioned above. The P28 I purchased was already socketed and mapped by someone (Don't know who???) for a good Prelude base map with basic breathing mods. Previously fitted to a number of different ludes on here including Dino’s old ¼ mile freak!

So I was already on the Crome route, so to speak. I have also since had the P28 ECU modified to install the components of the IAB’s. I have yet to have the car dyno’d with this as yet though. But now my Supercharger Build will make this option useless as the IAB plate is removed and the Supercharger installed directly onto the lower runners half of the intake manifold. Oh well, I now have other plans and this ECU will be up for sale (with some others soon).

Ok, so the other option from the Crome route is the ever popular and established brand name Hondata:

I considered forking out some more cash one day for one of the Hondata systems - S100, S200 or S300 for an engine project but the Crome mapped P28 would have been sufficient. However I obtained a Hondata S100 chipped P28 with the Supercharger kit I bought and figured this would be the route to go down. It has a basemap for a supercharged prelude with 550 injectors so says the seller. I’ve no issues to doubt him based on all the info he has given me in the past.

Hondata have made the following systems to date: S100, S200 and S300. So what are the differences and which should you get? Well it comes down to cost and usability at the end of the day. Check out there own site which has stacks of information to read on the subject:

http://www.hondata.com/sproducts.html

The main differences are the S100 is the base model which only an official Hondata dealer can map as you will need a lot of the software and hardware similar to Crome. I.e. licensed softare not freely available, the larger S200 spare for it’s datalogging facility which the S100 does not have and all the regular emulator, burner and connections. However beyond this they are essentially the same as the S200 unit in terms of the code and software. The S100 is a very small electronics board which sits in your ECU in the datalogging port like so:

It will also have a remapped chip like in the pic above with the ‘SST’ logo.

The S100 is removed for tuning and reinstalled at the end. And is apparently vital for the ECU to understand the coding that Hondata use which is burned onto the final mapped chip. This unit is seen as the base model but provides all areas of tuning, just only for the Hondata dealer.

The S200 is the old upgraded version from the S100 for DIY tuners. It’s higher price tag provided a large unit which is external to the ECU and provides a number of other ports. The most vital being the datalogging port for tuning. It also came with the older licensed Hondata software called ‘Rom Editor’. It also added other functions such as launch control, full throttle shift and a shift light – all of which have to wired or setup. And that is all. If someone wanted to tune the car themselves with this unit you would still need the emulator and chip burner. The S200 is the vital missing link which the dealers use to map the S100 unit. Here is what the S200 unit looks like:

Please note though, the S200 unit / package is now discontinued. You can no longer buy this unit as the newer S300 unit does everything and more (and has a higher price tag!

). So S100 units can only be tuned by an official Hondata dealer, such as CPL Racing or Abbey Motorsport. Check with CPL Racing (official distributor) if there is a local dealer near your area. Some other non official places have old S200 units and software and the means to tune your vehicle, one of which I have been told of is Artech Tuning: http://www.artech-tuning.co.uk/. They are building a good reputation for tuning some serious Honda’s recently.

The S100 and S200's aren't miles off of the Crome systems in essence and many will say the time and money gone into the code and software of Hondata is a better system.

Beyond the S100 and S200 units is their flagship model, the S300 unit. This piece of kit is very good and they have pushed the technology further from the S200 unit. The main points to note are that it utilises all the functions of the S200 unit but it is now installed inside the ECU and there is only one connection piece required to run everything and this is a USB port which is accessed via a cut out in the ECU’s casing. Like so:

In addition the unit has its own flash memory to store the maps and variables and run them and any changes in realtime as your tuning. So no having to use an emulator or reburn a new chip when your done tuning. It also has the datalogging in built even with memory to store up to about 30 minutes of datalogging without having your PC/Software connected – handy for serious tuners to check performance of their maps when out on track. It also adds more functions in the updated Software called ‘S Manager’ which is a freely non licensed software now, downloadable from their site. It’s best to review their site and see if this unit is for you, but expect to pay in the region of £420-450 for the unit alone. Then you’ll need the ECU and modifications performed. Please note the ‘chipping’ of a P28/P72 for an S300 unit is slightly different than the S100/200 or Crome/etc – main point is the main 28 pin EPROM fuel/parameter chip is not switched for a female socket, instead it has male pins installed for the S300 to slot into. Like so:

The S300 has some other features which you can read about and other connections such as 3 instead of 2 (S100/200) spare output controls for the likes of nitrous or whatever and connection for a PWM boost control solenoid. This is great for Turbo applications to control boost levels like many other turbo timers/controllers. Check out there website for full details on features and useful information: http://www.hondata.com

So it's one or the other depending on budgets and tuners. And it will always come down to this at the end of the day. I must stress though If you want to go for the Hondata S300, it is installed differently to the standard socket on Crome chips, but either can be retrofitted

Once you have decide on one of the above you then need to find someone trusted to solder either item into the ECU. Of which I found out on my old P13 ECU, can be very annoying if they damage things.

So make sure they're up to the task. Hondata in the states can supply you a readily installed Hondata equipped P28 (or P72) which will also be covered under warranty, but of course will come with a price tag. There are a number of other companies in the states that can supply a pre-installed system also, so get googling to find the major players (Xenocron, Phearable, etc). However, if you have already bought a standard P28 ECU second hand then you'll be looking to get it installed. You can send it to Hondata or other companies or you can buy the Hondata system and arrange your own installation. Hondata should come with instructions to install and I think they're on their site. Similarly Socketing for Crome can also be found on the website http://www.pgmfi.org.

Please also note that for the S300 the ECU casing will need to be cut to allow access to a datalogging cable or the Hondata USB port.

Not hugely important for Crome as the ECU case lid will be off when the tuner has an Emulator installed anyway. But not a job for the shy as you don’t want to damage anything on the board.

Of course, official dealers of Hondata should be able to ‘chip’ your ECU’s and I of course recommend Craig’s services at Got Boost Tuning. Post it to him, he’ll sort it and post it back – call him for a quote if your interested.

In terms of Crome though, seriously check out http://www.pgmfi.org for all you can read on it. I've barely scratched the surface on all the info on there. Plus they have free downloaded maps (bin files) for base maps and peoples own tunes for you to run the car to the dyno.

A LITTLE TANGENT ABOUT IAB’s

Another point that I helped Nathan with a while back was a little write up on the use of the Preludes Intake Air Bypass Valves (or IAB's as they're often referred to) which sit in the dual runners of the intake manifold. Not anything for my project as they will be removed but worth copying the info here for all to read.

The common P28 board for the Civic is unable to run a number of items on the Prelude, one of which being the IAB's. Please read the Workshop Manual on what IAB's do for the H22 engine please, as this would be another essay to explain fully. But here is a clear pic of the IAB plate for reference:

A simple method to have working IAB's is to have the relevant bits and pieces soldered onto the P28 board to enable this function.

Check out http://www.xenocron.com/ for lot's of goodies including the necessary hardware to buy and instructions to install IAB functions. May as well if your gonna get someone to solder it all in – Got Boost can do this no problem and supply the parts.

As well as IAB's, the P28 cannot control the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) system, which is why I plan to bin all EGR bits on mine. Although my emissions will raise slightly - it should still be fine for MOT's. At least I won't have dirty hot exhaust gases going back into my engine! I have bought a block of plate for the intake manifold from the states which enables the removal of the valve and seals the intake backup - about £10 delivered, but it's pretty basic piece of metal. I will take a template of it if anyone wants to get their own made up. Just make sure to add a little instant gasket to the edges and you need some new bolts - not sure what size (I'll add this to this post when I install them). You can of course leave it all in, especially if for some reason you need to put the P13 back in as it will throw a CEL light if you removed the EGR parts.

But from gains on the P13 and working IAB's - I couldn't see a reason not to bin it - plus it will help tidy up the busy engine bay.

Also, the P28 can't run the knock sensor, so if your's is a JDM then it'll just sit there and do nothing. Personally it's not a problem for my UKDM, which never had them from the factory. But it isn’t that big a deal on JDM's, as from what I've read it only retards the engine upon detonation below VTEC engagement anyway. Pretty pointless from a design perspective on Honda's part as the real risk of detonation is most likely at high rpm's. I guess if there was a significant fuelling issue it would save the engine low down. So anyway, that's that. At the end of the day if it's been tuned properly on the same fuel you'll always put in (higher octane will help avoid detonation

), your car should be safe (don’t hold me to that statement though!

).

I think there may be some others items disabled with the P28. I know the Idle Air Control Valve (IACV) needs modification on OBDII vehicles i.e. the 5th gen, but mine is ok on that front.

So a few things to know, read around on those links and then decide which way you want to go.

Now onto some other options that I have tried or considered to alternatively run my IAB's.

Firstly you should know that the IAB's supposedly open a bit before VTEC - I've read 4500-4700ish??? With VTEC then at 5200rpm. Now there must be particular reason for this in Honda's design. However my current map in my P28 is already kicking the VTEC in at 4750rpm. So I needed something close to the 4000rpm mark (or so I think/thought).
Also the IAB's work opposite to a throttle when the engine is off, they are open at this point, but when you fire it up the IAB's close due to a vacuum let into the diaphragm valve from a solenoid. Upon opening of the IAB's from a grounded signal from the ECU the solenoid closes and stops vacuum getting to the valve. But keeps the vacuum in reserve in a small airbox space before the solenoid (black box that sit's underneath intake manifold). No vacuum in the valve the IAB's open as if the engine was off (with no vacuum). When coming back down out of the rpm limit the solenoid is then cuts the ground signal which in turn opens and releases the vacuum from the airbox back into the diaphragm valve and closes the IAB's again.

That's my best understanding of them so far, but don't flame me if some details aren't 100%.

So options I've read up on are:

1) Use the vacuum line directly from the IAB's valve to a point on the intake manifold. The intake manifold will have a constant vacuum - closing the IAB's. But should lose vacuum on near full open throttle and WOT. This would be fine for everyday driving where your not flooring it - regaining your mpg. But pointless in a racing, fast road situation where you'll be WOT as much as poss - so still losing that low down torque when pulling away in first. While I was at Japshow, I bought some spare vacuum hose and tried this with the missus in the car. They closed on engine start up but when she floored it (said her foot was to the floor) I didn't even see the IAB valve move. So annoying, but not really an ideal fix anyway.

2) Use the vacuum line directly from the intake systems resonator chamber system. There is another similar setup of solenoid/airbox and diaphragm valve on the resonator, as some may well have found out from removing the resonator after fitting an induction kit. It sits just next to the battery. So mine is essentially redundant and I've been meaning to remove it. This supposedly kicks in at 4,200rpm But again tried it at Japshow with some spare hose and the missus in the car and nothing, no movement at all. So either I did something wrong myself or it is another feature only on H22's like the IAB's. i.e. Civics don't have them? Not sure if anyone can confirm this? So Strike two no good either.

3) Third option, which would have been the last thing I tried after number four which seems feasible now after some hope from Rich at Performance Autoworks. Soooo...this option was to use a separately powered rpm activated switch, the likes of MSD do such an item, but they're around £100+. Hence why I was going to leave it till last. It is wired to send a power signal at a certain rpm (which is set as you please with an adjustable knob). So this would have to run to a switch on the ground signal to the solenoid using a relay. Sounds easy enough, but costly. I then thought that a variable shift light that you get on large tachos would do the same job - just use the power to the light to run to the IAB solenoid. Genius! Was gonna settle on this until...

4) Wire the feed that the IAB solenoid needs from the VTEC solenoid. So depending on whether it's +ve or -ve will depend on how I wire it up as above. This way the IAB's shall open as the VTEC cam changeover takes place. Not ideal as all VTEC engines with IAB's (H22's and B18's) have them open early approx 500rpm or so. So not ideal and originally I was going to rule this out and start looking into option three above. Then on PUK Rich of Performance Autoworks mentions this is how he has tuned alot of Preludes and tegs and I would certainly trust his skilled knowledge TBH. You may want to set up a separate feed from the VTEC signal to hit a relay or two anyway especially if like me you already have a VTEC light wired up to your dash, so you don't want to be draining too much voltage to the all important VTEC changeover.

Right. Get all that? Or have I lost you all?

In all honesty if you want to keep IAB’s, either buy the more expensive P72 or get the components installed in the P28, then in the software you can just type in your required rpm IAB point and save – SIMPLES! Speak to Rich at Performance Autoworks though as he has tuned the IAB’s out completely and still made very modest power increases.

BACK TO MY BUILD!!!

Nearly loosing track of my own project now with all my waffle!

Well I actually ended up purchasing a near new Hondata S300 & Hondata modified P28. The P28 has all the usual components for a Hondata S300 system but it also has the additional parts installed to run the PWM boost solenoid option – mainly for turbo applications. But nice to know it’s ready if one day I went in that direction or again to add to its sellability one day. The actual S300 unit was only 3 months old when I bought it and is still under warranty by CPL Racing, it is boxed with all instructions, software CD, USB lead, stickers and a spare bag of components to chip another P28 (with the male pins for the S300). All in all a good purchase albeit a pricy one. Here it is:

So this means my other S100 / P28 unit will be sold. I already have some
interest otherwise I’ll put a post in the for sale section. More suite for someone in the South / South East area for CPL Racing to tune I’d say.

I will run the P28 / S300 with my supercharger, removing my top intake and IAB plate and also removing the EGR valve and associated parts and fitting my block off plate (havn’t got a pic to hand). The 550cc RC injectors will be installed and the resistor pack removed and rewired as per my last section – fuelling. Then it’s simply a case of adding one of the many basemaps in the S300’s library to the unit and to drive very reserved to my choice of tuner. Luckily there are two H22 supercharged basemaps already in the library. One is for the 6psi kit using 440cc injectors and the other is a specific 9/10psi kit using 550cc injectors – the second being perfect for my build. It is beyond a basemap and is confirmed in Hondata’s forums as being this reviewed full map completed on a SC 5th gen in the states:

http://www.hondata.com/dynoh22ajrsc10lb.html

I must stress a basemap is not setup for your car, especially from the US! The ideal situation would be to trailer the car to a tuner. It is only a starting point for the actual tuner to map your car on the dyno. So do as you want, on your own back. You have been warned!

I have decided to go to Got Boost Tuning in the end to do my mapping. I figure he has his own dyno, prices are reasonable, he’s mapped a handful of SC’d Honda’s and most importantly all my base power runs have been done here to make a clear power hike increase. However, the way things are going with progress and (cough!) other news it may not be complete for a long time now. More on that in my next post.

So that’s about it without going into specifics of how to tune, which is a book in itself – one of which I’m not qualified to write!

Thankyou for listening, god bless and good night. Ah Thankyou….

Any questions just ask people!

Posted: **Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:04 am**

Last couple of updates on parts will be posted soon:

- Tranmission
- Miscellaneous

Posted: **Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:10 am**

Awesome write up, awesome car.

She's going to be a monster when you've finished.

Posted: **Wed Aug 25, 2010 7:30 am**

Fook me mate, I'm gonna take some time out later and have good read through

Lude Generation

Supercharged Mugen Lude (03/06/14 Update!)

Supercharged Mugen Lude (03/06/14 Update!)

BUILD PART 0) – My Preludes History

BUILD PART 1) - Introduction

BUILD PART 2) – Does 5th gen Jackson Racing SC Fit the 4th g

BUILD PART 3) – Parts - Jackson Racing Supercharger Kit

BUILD PART 3) – Parts (Cont'd) - Fuelling

BUILD PART 3) - Parts (Cont'd) - Tuning

Re: Supercharged Mugen Lude

Re: Supercharged Mugen Lude