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User avatar
By AndyTok
#3864326
Hi All,

I'm relatively new to the forum and never really done a build thread in years of modifying cars, hopefully will get to know a few of you and bump into you (not literally) on some track days around the UK.

So I decided that I've been too many years without a track car and decided to get something again. I really wanted a rear wheel drive car again but everything that interested me was out of my price range (including the parts to make it capable/safe for sustained track abuse).

I've had several Honda's previously and found them very reliable when driven hard and heard the EP3 Type R had pretty good handling straight out the box so I started searching ebay, after going to see several cars that were overpriced given their actual condition I finally bought the below 52 plate Silver Type R with 100k on the clock and full service history. The only mods being an headunit and AEM V2 induction kit

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So I set about some initial mods for my first trackday. This trackday would be mainly to gauge I was happy with the car before ploughing too much money in to it. So, I went and bought some bits:

17 x 7.5j Works Kai-CR alloys
Nankang AR-1 225/45/17 tyres
The exhaust was also blowing so got a Toyosports (silenced B Pipe) spoon replica Cat Back also.

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After going on my first track day I learnt several things:
• The standard pads/fluid are $hit.
• The suspension isn’t too bad out of the box, however needs higher spring rates (espically on the rear) and more roll damping all round and stiffer roll bar
• It really needs some type of LSD, power on understeer is annoying
• The low clutch has now given up the ghost and wont fully release, assuming worn clutch cover springs
• Car felt slightly vague in its response to road, especially during transitional manoeuvres, was quite good on steady state. Bushes worn?
• The seating position is too high (I’m only 5ft9). Feel like I’m on top of the car.
• I’m worried about oil pressure/temps even though water looks OK and should really buy some gauges
• The Nankang AR1’s are awesome! Better than I remember R888’s. Was easily catching some expensive machinery through the turns
• This thing needs a remap/k100, more midrange would be nice, annoying when dropping out of vtec, needs lowering.
• Geo needs doing to liven up turn in and give more oversteer (toe out the fronts and straighten up the rears)

So I set about purchasing my second set of mods to cure these findings:

Brakes
Motul 600 Fluid
HEL Braided Lines
Stoptech Handed Discs
Ferodo DS3000 Pads

Engine/Gearbox
Quaife ATB & Koyo Bearings
Exedy OEM Replacement Clutch
Clockwise Sump Baffle
Engine & Gearbox Mount inserts (Energy & Powerflex)
Tegiwa Suframe locking collars
Honda MTF Gearbox oil
Oil sandwich plate for sensors
Oil pressure and temp gauges with sensors
Oil & Filter
Piper 4-2-1 Manifold and sports cat (2.5”)

Suspension
Area Motorsport Yellowspeed Track Coilovers (16kg rear springs and castor increase)
Progress 24mm Rear ARB
DME Rear Camber arms
Replacement Track Rod Ends
Hardrace Ball Joints - extended
Full Super Pro Bush Set inc. increased caster bush

Interior
Sparco ProADV driver seat
Sabelt 4 point harness

Geo Setup
Front Toe – 1mm toe out per side
Rear Toe – 0mm toe
Front Camber – 3deg
Rear Camber – 2deg
Rear Spring preload – 135mm
Front Spring preload – As set my yellowspeed
Front & Rear Ride height - -30mm all round

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That is about the story so far. Decided I’ve had enough of crawling on the ground so I gave the car a quick diet and packed the car off the APTuning in Norwich to save my back. They will be fitting all of this bar the seat. I will also be looking at something more the up the power, thinking K100 and RBC inlet.

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I can’t wait to get the car back and get another track day. I’ll post some clips. Let me know what you think. I also have some question if someone can help:

• I have ordered fixed sidemounts and I don’t trust rails with a bucket seat. Does anyone do a bolt on adapter that bolts up to standard angled fixings and gives a flat rail to bolt sidemounts to? Or do I have to weld a bar/plate in to bolt to?
• Are there any other boltons worth doing before I get a K100 and RBC? Is the standard size RBC OK with standard throttle body or should I be getting a 70mm job?
• Is it worth having brake ducts to the front brakes, seen some bits from BYC that look to do the job, not sure if the setup I’ve got will still overheat?

Cheers,
AndyT
User avatar
By Lewisgame
#3864333
Looking good Andy!
To answer some questions. I've seen OMP make mounts to bolt into the floor for side mounting seats. Although they seem to only be advertised on eBay and located in Poland I think.
Keep the standard throttle body. Bigger does give very little gains and just isn't worth the money for 2bhp.
Brake ducts will help. I'd also look into other brand pads such as PBS, Carbone Lorraine and Carbotech.


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User avatar
By Lewisgame
#3864335
Yep that's the mounts! I need to get some myself. Currently using Tegiwa sliding rails which aren't any good.
Only issue you'll have with the ducting is the caliper sits towards the rear making the routing difficult.


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User avatar
By AndyTok
#3864344
I've asked the garage to swap the hubs/uprights/calipers from LH to RH while fitting the other parts.

I'm led to believe the damper and wishbone/balljoint position aren't handed so this should put the calliper at the front of car without any geo side affects?

Let's see...
User avatar
By Lewisgame
#3864347
I've heard people swap the hubs around. I'd imagine you'd need to re route or get modified brake lines and abs wiring due to the location changing. But yes geometry shouldn't change very much at all.


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User avatar
By AndyTok
#3864491
Bit of an update on the car. Everything the car was packed off to the garage with has been fitted. Love the way it handles now!

Still needs a couple of things which are on order (deep dish steering wheel, harness bar, cold air intake feed, Radio blanking panel, fit oil pressure/temp gauges, Hondata K100 etc...)

Since getting the car back i've also fitted my seats, belts, done some more stripping and fitted the brake ducts. There was no issue with swapping the hubs/upright LH to RH to get the brakes to the front, ABS cable and brake lines all reached nicely.

Bit worried about my db now with the piper manifold with sports car, better get it checked before booking a day.

Pics below:

Bit of extra cooling flow for the rad:
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Brake ducts fitted (BYC Kit)
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Seats and harness's fitted (I know i need a harness bar :Waks: )
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Too high at the back?
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Cheers, Andy
User avatar
By Lewisgame
#3864496
Looking good. Doesn't look that high on the rear. You want some rake angle to help with handling. Mine is set to around 15-20mm higher on the rear compared to the front.


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User avatar
By Norv
#3864516
Any chance of some pics of the brake lines? I swapped my hubs over but I'm not overly happy with the brake pipe routing now. Also the routing of your ducts would be good to see as well.

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User avatar
By Norv
#3864563
Perfect. Thanks mate. Just in case there's a better way of doing it than I have done.

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User avatar
By Ste333
#3864659
very interesting read. im looking into getting an EP3 as a track toy, so this thread is right up my street! Very informative, keep it up
User avatar
By AndyTok
#3865693
Norv wrote:Any chance of some pics of the brake lines? I swapped my hubs over but I'm not overly happy with the brake pipe routing now. Also the routing of your ducts would be good to see as well.

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Hi Norv,

Really sorry for the delayed reply, it's been a busy few months. Here you go:

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Cheers,

Andy

Added in 1 minute 49 seconds:
So its been a while since i updated this...

So the car went to CPL Racing for a K100 and a remap. Slightly dissapointed in the result (216.2bhp @7950rpm & 154.7Ftlb@ 6050rpm). The ambient temperature was very high though and understand their dyno is pretty conservative. Guy (the owner) was great, showed me around the place, he has some excellent machinery and engineering skill, i highly recommend him. He advised the intake temps were getting very high and that a cold air intake and RBC would free up ~20bhp.


First trackday at Snetterton (21/07/17) went well. The car ran faultlessly all day and could run hard for hard 20minute stints, some points from the day:

- Oil temps were going up to 130-140deg after 20mins, a quick cooldown lap would allow it to run again
- I completed around 60-70 laps, surprised the brakes survived
- The car still didn't turn in great, however mid corner and corner exit was spot on
- I could consistently turn low 2:22 laps for long stints, quickest around 2:21.8 from memory however there was lots of time lost nursing turn in understeer

Any enough jabbering, here are a few snaps:

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A quick clip:



More to come...

AndyT
User avatar
By kinky_boy
#3865712
great read and good job you have done until now.

If your brakes were ok after so many rounds using the Ar1 tyres, then the brake ducts are doing a really good job. I think this is the way to go instead of a bbk which turns to be very expensive in the long run. I will take it into considerations, only thing i don't know how to close the holes and also to look good during normal street driving, because using it all the time it will get a lot of dirt in the brakes.

It is pretty strange that after the geo setup you mentioned and a much stiffer rear arb you still have issues with understeer ... anyway, for the future you should try lower the front or raise the back a bit, stiffen the back a little more (or soften the front), lower front tires pressure. This is the fast setup you can do (either choose one of them or a combination) at ease.
User avatar
By kinky_boy
#3866183
hi Andy,

can you post some more detailed pics with the BYC cooling brake ducts routing on both sides, please? i got the kit also but it seems that any way i will mount it will rub the wheel or touch something else from suspension. i have the facelift bumper and i want to use the projectors holes, but everything it is very very tight.

If you are so kind of putting some more detailed pictures it will be awesome.
Did you remove anything?
Did you try to mount the kit with the standard position of the calipers?
Did you have any issue reversing the hubs an calipers? Any trouble with the abs sensor or other stuff?
Do you think is possible to keep the disc protections?

Thanks a lot!

Long time ago I had and Ep3 for 220k kilometers in[…]