dreamr

ok so i have a basicly stock dohc zc in my ef with i,h,e and poly mounts. but i want more low end power, (short of a swap or boost)
if i was to acquire mild aftermarket cams(do they exist for the dohc zc?) and do a port and polish and do some port matching and if possible take some meat off the head....would i be on the right track? the car is for now my dd.

any suggestions and/or advice would be greatly apperciated

ps sorry for the noob question

JDMej1

i believe that is the right direction you should be heading, i suggest building the entire bottom end while your at it.

dreamr

would only focusing on the head cause problems with the botom end? i have heard the bottom is reliable to about 200hp and i dout with the head work i plan on doing ill be antwhere near that

JDMej1

it shouldnt, but you can olny create more power with changing the bottom end, plus youd already have it apart

D.T.P

^^ not absolutely correct.
OP what is your budget? There are cams for dohc zc, and mild head build would benefit you a lot.
Only reason you may want to build the bottom end is for different compression pistons. Ofcourse you can get into the whole stroke travel of the rod, but I'm sure in your case that's not needed.

you can shave the head but talk to some engine builders and see what they recommend because you need to do some math for clearences. That will also determine your cam lobe profiles.
Overall getting a set of cams, bigger valves, stronger valve springs and retainers and shaved head to raise compression should give it the kick you are looking for. Also do not forget about tune after everything is installed.

Good luck.
Martin

dreamr

^^martin^^ u always seem to have sound advice..would you happen to know of any reputable shops in the gta that could perform this work and advise me on exactly what parts/work would work in conjunction with what i already have.

oh and this year my budget is about 4g. this year i wanna build the top end (possibly with itb) next year the bottom and with tranny...or should i go the other way around?

i know your all thinking why dump that much time and money into a dohc zc???????
well truth is im old shool like that. i love my red headed step child of the honda family. everyone wants a B or H hell even K is gonna be an everyday thing soon enuf! me......im stickin it out with the baby of the family
cheers!

D.T.P

DOHC ZC's are great motors. My brother had one in his old civic. There was also a member here a long while ago with a black eg [coupe i think] built dohc zc. for the life of me i cannot remember his username nor the brand of parts he used.

I know Crespo makes cams for dohc zc since crower and many/most other popular companies don't carry these anymore/or never did.

For builders, ive heard a lot of good things about "Etobicoke engines" and obviously Gord Bush or Candian Cylinder Head. There are many mixed feelings about Spitfire, since i've never had any experience with them, i cannot recommend nor tell you to stay away from them.

MPR

Martin had some good advice there.

The OP said he wanted more bottom and mid-range. Most aftermarket cams are designed for more mid-top end power, even the mild cams. So I suggest staying with the stock cams.

One really effective way to achieve more bottom and mid-range power is to increase the velocity flow of the intake and exhaust. This means creating carefully designed restrictions. By doing so, you will loose top-end power, but you will gain low-end torque.

http://www.torontocivics.com/f56/spo...-plate-166921/
^^That link shows a neat product that will help you achieve the results you're after and is a good example of what I meant by 'carefully designed restrictions'.

I would advise to not go crazy on porting. Port matching, however, is fine and will help. Do not increase the size of your tb or exhaust piping dia, keep it stock. Most factory engines are designed for low-mid range power since that is the range in which it is operated the most and need to be the most efficient in. They already have the exhaust and intake manifolds designed to do so. I hate to say it but the aftermarket intake header and exhaust won't do much to help, if anything, they may hurt your low-end torque, so you may want to go back to stock.

There is no need at all to build the bottom end unless you're going for big hp and high rpm.

A properly sized turbo will do wonders for you. By using a smaller turbo, you can have a quick-spooling low-boost setup that will net you the results you want.

What is your budget?

D.T.P

I, personally would not use the ventury blockoff plate. I like to rev high and mid/top range power is most fun.
If you would go with turbo setup, as Mike said, properly matched could spool early and keep boost down the whole rpm band.
Since you said you had $4000 to blow, turbo would really be the best bang for the buck. Piece together a kit. Some parts you can buy used like intercooler or exhaust manifold/downpipe but thing like injectors/turbo/wastegate you want brand new or in very good condition.

MPR

^ Yep. For 4g's you can easily build a turbo setup to suit your goals.

D.T.P

Its funny how every engine building thread turns into turbo setup thread hahaha.
But honestly in my mind it doesn't make any sense to dump $5000+ for something that's slower than $4000 setup. And if you don't wanna attract attention you can use a diverter valve instead of bov.

dreamr

thanks for all the advice guys, as far as goin to stock on my exhaust...not gonna happen! i love my stainless exhaust.. as far as goin turbo, 1,i love all motor cars, 2,as much as i would like to i was told by more than one person that aftermarket boost requires a fair bit of disposable income as things have a tendancy to break. and i dont exactly have a disposable income. i spend my yearly bonus on my car so mods come once a year

D.T.P

^^ turbo setips fail when:
A) you use cheap parts
B) don't have a proper tune
C) drive the car like a rental

A proper reliable turbo setup isn't any more unreliable than any N/A. But again its your choice for what you want to do.

dreamr

ok can anyone advise me if there is a "kit" so to speak that would be available? or is this one of those...spend time sourcing parts and put together a kit?

MPR

If you want to stay NA and want more low-mid range grunt, swap in a b20 non-vtec. And you'll have lots of cash left over.