1974 Honda - Mallala racer

[Civic74]

So over 12 months ago now I took my little street Honda out for it's first practice day at Mallala Motorsport park - 1.44.5 was my best lap, although obviously not this lap!

video.google.com.au/videoplay?docid=6930334650043962670

Not long after the bottom end went and she went in for a complete rebuild. Now it is time for another crack this Saturday! Since the last effort, as well as a spec'd up EB2, I have added a rear sway bar, front and rear strut braces, lowered King Springs and the doors are beginning to rust again so it's a bit lighter! So hopefully she will go a bit harder and handle a lot better. We shall see.

Provided she survives the experience, next will be a twin manifold Weber 40DOCE, electronic ignition and electronic fuel pump. Also toying with the idea of making a carbon fiber hood for some further weight savings. Hopefully I can keep an update on progress here and add some photos soon.

Check out this thread which discusses the King Springs

www.1stgencivic.com/forum/viewtopic.php ... c&start=60

I decided to keep the lowered springs and haven't had any problems on the road except for the occasional tire rub on a big bump or if the car is loaded (tires/wheels are probably too wide anyway but that's another issue - I need to flare my guards a fraction)
Taking it on a circuit might be a different story but I am going to 'suck it and see' anyway.

Not a good day. :

2 offs in the first 3 laps and a couple of 1.44's on the full laps without losing it and then what I thought was just the cap of the coolant overflow bottle popping off causing coolant to spray out the side hood vent and onto the windscreen.

Came in after the first 15 minute session and opened the hood to see the radiator overflow hose had come off the spigot on the radiator end and coolant covering most of the inside of the right hand side engine bay. Waited till it had cooled down a bit and refilled it with coolant, ready for the next 15 minute session.

Unfortunately when I started her up for the next session it was only running on 3 cylinders - to cut a long story short - blown head gasket and number 4 cylinder head filled with coolant and mayonnaise all over the inside of the rocker cover. Crapola!! End of the days sessions after one run and an expensive tow back home.

Haven't had the heart to open her up to see what failed yet but looks like I will be riding the motorbike to work for the next week or so!

On the plus side, it did seem to handle much better, although grip and braking seemed to be more of a noticeable issue this time.

So finally got the head off on the weekend.

What a nightmare though - it took me longer to get the slip joint for the exhaust apart than it did the rest of the disassembly!
]

Once I got it off though, confirmation that the head gasket was the culprit - it had failed in two cylinders. I've been told most likely due to detonation - the car perhaps wasn't tuned as well as it could've been so the higher stresses of track work have killed the head gasket.

So on to replace the head gasket... might also do the electronic ignition and add the twin manifold whilst I'm at this time and take it to a professional dyno tuner!

[Civic74]

Hooray - back on the road again. Of course nothing is ever easy on this car....got to the point of adjusting the timing belt, only to find that the guys who rebuilt it had left the spring off the tensioner pulley. So annoying!! :evil: Had to remove the bottom dust cover and dig about in the Honda spare parts bins for a spring. Luckily managed to find one and put everything back together again. Timed her up and she started first go! Blew a lot of smoke for a bit - but after 5 minutes or so it was fine.
Since I was on a roll, decided to add the '82 EN1 electronic ignition I have had sitting around for years - wish I had done it earlier now - swapped it over, plugged in all the wires and she started first go! No more adjusting points....ever, ever again!
:burnout