Project Honda Civic EJ: Building the B18C1 Part V

 

With our ARP studs finger tightened in place, we cleaned the surface of the block and head one last time to ensure that none of the fastener lube would interfere with the head gasket's sealing responsibilities.

 

 

Instead of purchasing an OEM gasket, we decided to give JE Pistons new line of Pro Seal head gaskets a shot.  JE Pistons Pro Seal head gaskets are constructed from multiple layers of 301-stainless steel, which have each been precision laser cut and fastened together to insure optimal alignment and sealing.  

 

 

The embossing has been carefully designed, formed, and stress relieved to promote uniform clamp load distribution and increased contact pressures around the water jackets and cylinder bores.  Lastly, the JE Pistons Pro Seal head gasket features a polymer coating which is applied to the gaskets surface to help promote micro sealing of the engine’s fluids and compensate for small imperfections in surface finish.  With the head gasket in place, we carefully installed the cylinder head and torqued the nuts of our ARP studs to the specified 80 foot pounds.

 

Some like to say that the camshaft is the heart of an engine.  I like to think it more like the conductor of an orchestra, with the sophisticated profile of its lobes tasked with perfectly timing the opening and closing of each valve throughout the engine’s four stroke cycle.

 

The heart of our valvetrain would revolve around a set of Skunk 2 Pro 1+ camshafts.  In most B series engines, these Skunk2 camshafts typically yield an increase of 15-20 horsepower and 18-22 ft/lbs of torque.

 

 

As we mentioned earlier, the LMA (Lost Motion Assembly) sometimes needs to be changed out depending on the cam lift and generation of B-series engine.  Around peak lift, the older hydraulic style LMA tends to bottom out, causing excessive friction between the cam lobe and rocker arm, resulting in premature wear of both components.