91 Civic rt4wd w/rebuilt d15z1 engine - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

vtecn8ive · 11-07-2010, 11:37 PM

$2200

Engine:
Rebuilt D15z1 (92-95 Civic Vx)
*New NPR Rings
*New ACL Main Bearings
*New ACL Rod Cap Bearings
*Cylinder Walls Honed by Wagamon Bros.
*block was chemically cleaned, primered and painted stock silver/aluminum looking
*New Oil pump
*New Thermostat
*New gaskets throughout
*Cylinder head was sandblasted, resurfaced
*Reconditioned Valves, 3 new OEM ones, 3 angle valve job
*New valve stem seals, new seals throughout
*New Timing Belt, New water pump, New Tensioner
*New Distributor
*New Distributor Wires, Cap and Rotor, Spark Plugs
*New PCV
*OEM Heater plug from an EG installed
*Only bad I can think of is that one of the valve bolt threads are stripped. I tried to drill and tap but it was unsuccessful. I tried to fill the hole with Marine-Tex but must not have had it in the right temperature range. Valve cover is held on fine by the other 4 bolts, the one that is bad is held in place by gasket sealant (HondaBond) and doesn't look sloppy.

Drivetrain
*Tranny new gasket sealant (HondaBond) applied throughout
*New OEM Exedy Clutch and Pressure Plate kit
*Resurfaced Civic Vx flywheel (lightweight)
*New Throwout Bearing, New Pilot Bearing
*New CV Axles (both front)

Brakes
*90-91 Civic Ex front brakes (larger and doesn't affect Camber/Caster)
*New Brake rotors and pads
*New Calipers
*New Wheel Bearings (both)
*New Lower Ball joints

Suspension
*Old Struts/Springs, could use replacing
*CRX Si manual rack/subframe installed
*New End bushing replaced (causing steering wheel shake when it gets old)
*New Inner Tie Rods
*New Outter Tie Rods
*New Tie Rod boot covers
*Energy Suspension Steering rack bushings
*New Upper ball joints
*Recent Alignment

Exhaust
*New Cat-back, oem style with 1 year warranty left
*May need a new gasket, can smell exhaust fumes on occasion (all the piping is solid)

Odds and Ends
*New Radiator
*New Fuel Filter
*A/C has been reinstalled, will need to be recharged (HAVE NOT TESTED IT)
*New Alternator Belt
*Intake Manifold EGR Ports were opened and cleaned. Closed using a threaded bolt, so now you can open them with ease and clean them anytime!!! (They gunk up over time and they are a closed system)

Modifications/Stock OEM Options:
*OEM Sedan Power window and Lock installed, works great
*Del Sol Seat is currently installed, but I have the original clean driver seat (no rips), that I can reinstall
*Black DA Armrest installed, clears the seat belt clearance issue
*$2 Wal-mart cupholder mod
*Dark Blue Civic Sedan Floormats, all 4 fit well.
*Rear Speaker Pods
*OEM Roof Rack
*Front and Rear (rt4wd) mud flaps

Rims/Tires:
*RT4WD Rims with Michelin Fuel Saver Tires (TONS of tread left, still under 65,000 mile warranty from Discount Tires)

Exterior:
*No accidents that I can tell, pretty straight body besides driver side fender and the rust issue
*Crx Front lip installed
*rough shape exterior on the rear
*Driver side doors (front and back) have been replaced for tan non-rusted ones and then painted
*Sedan Door handles, they come stock blue but realized afterwards they are a different shade of blue

*New rear window, previous owners kid busted it on accident and he had it replaced.

Spares that are being thrown in for free if buyer wants them (so no haggling price with these parts):
Rt4wd Tranny
*bad 2nd gear, good for parts
Rt4wd rear moldings in good/great shape for both sides w/clips
Moldings that go behind the rear doors w/clips (if you're fixing rust these will go in front of the tire but behind the door)
Vacuum gauge, there is a way to get even better fuel economy if you keep it in a certain vacuum range. This is not installed.

The car is running code-free on a stock Fed D15z1 ecu (5-wire o2 sensor). I plan to have the fuel injectors reconditioned soon.
For some reason the car has a slight hesitation/jerk on occasion. I've talked to TomO from Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com and he stated it's common for this issue because the fuel injectors shut off at certain vacuum points.
Motor has about 2-4,000 miles since it was installed this Spring. I've done 2 oil changes on it since. So now it should be good to go! I've only used Mobil1 Fully Synthetic and Mobil1 Oil Filter

The MPGs have not been as impressive as I have hoped. I am still trying to see why. The best I've got was 31mpg, Average has been High-Mid 20's. I would like to do more tweaking but that is not an option for me at this time.

The downside to this vehicle is the body. Rust has taken its toll. Underneath it is solid, however, the running boards and rear quarter panels are rusted pretty bad. Previous owner did some fiberglass and some filler work on them. The taillights fill up with water. Which can easily be fixed with silicone. I ordered new gaskets, but Honda only had 2 left

(which I have, but have no installed).

I've been driving this lately and I noticed it has a shimmy going on on the front. I have not and do not have time to troubleshoot this at this time. Its possible it could be the steering yoke that attaches the steering wheel to the rack and pinion. The bolt had cross-threaded and I had to improvise. So instead of it bolting onto the yoke, I have a bolt going through and a nut at the other end. I have no idea if this is the problem or not but that is one thing I had intended to change.

I never cared for how it looked because it was a winter beater. If you are looking for a beauty queen, this is definitely not it. If you want to work on your bodywork skills, this would be the car!

Otherwise everything seems to be working great. Has an Alpine CD player with ipod hookup, Boston Acustics up front and stock rear speakers (not broken, still sound good).

As you can tell I have listed all the pros and cons that I have came across while fixing/building this car. I am all about the fuel economy and that is the reason for the d15z1. The stock d16a6 motor had a valve chip that caused a cylinder to fail. The d15z1 is a stock motor from a 92-95 Civic Vx which is highly known for its fuel economy.

If you are local or would like to look at it beforehand please contact me and I will set up a meeting. I actually encourage seeing the vehicle in person since I personally would prefer to buy a vehicle I have checked over. Unfortunately the farthest I have driven this has been a 2.5 hour trip one way. If I had to I would drive this cross country.

Thanks,
Shane
[telephone and e-mail deleted at thread owner's request]
PM here

Exterior:

Interior:

*The picture below, I actually have the shock cover pieces, but the tabs are broken on them