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RYU's "properly molested" NSX build thread

Once in a blue moon I get a rare chance to partake in the "car scene". Loved meeting the guys at Team Revvolution. Really reminds me of how the passion for cars started in me so long ago.

The best part is 3mins 30secs into the vid. That flyby! Love my exhaust :) (pardon the dirty dirty car. It was track day the week before!)
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^^ Thanks Dave!

I fell in love with the old girl all over again tonight. I finally got her back on the ground. The new JDM short gear trans and the OS Giken clutch are AMAZING. Why didn't I do this 8yrs ago.

She's going in for a long maintenance overhaul soon :(

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Also got the DG5 coilovers back from Feels. So far so good but I won't know for sure until I get out on the track or the canyons. I also dusted off the 18/19 Enkei's. Tire selection was so shitty on the 215/35/18s that I haven't used these for a while. Now with the DF fenders and with Billy's recommendation on going with a 225 I've got renewed interests in using these again.

btw.. I made an error in stating a set of front spacers I used. They were 15mm not 10mm. Sorry if anyone relied on this incorrectly. I'll go back and fix those old posts if I can.
 
Quick update:

I ordered these Type R extensions from Dali. As many of you know you can't run a thick front sway bar and the Type R bar at the same time. These extensions relocate the bar below the battery tray bracket. I'm not sure I like it. I've already scraped it twice. It's the lowest point under my car at the moment.
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Swapped out the Dali Street/Track bar which I think is a 21mm diameter bar IIRC. Per Billy's recommendation I'm trying the Zanardi which is 19mm.
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Also did a full overhaul on my coilovers as well as swapped out springs and bumpstops etc. Got them back from Feels and so far so good. I'll know more later this season. Check out the busted bump stops. This was the better one. The other one is disintegrated.
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Some interesting tire info.
This is a straight angle showing how much tire stretch there is on a 215/35/18 on a 8.5" width wheel. Hellaflush baby!
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This is a pic of the rears at full droop and showing the distance of a 19x10 +27 rear wheel clearance to the coilover. You'll also see some tire stretch on the 265 tires. Going with 275s next.
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Couldn't get a shot of the fronts at full droop. Sorry Billy. Didn't have the angle or space in my garage.
 
I have the R bar on mine with the 1" straight bar and no spacers on the front, I had to take it out to clear the new splitter. I don't know how I did it but thats whats on there now
 
I have the R bar on mine with the 1" straight bar and no spacers on the front, I had to take it out to clear the new splitter. I don't know how I did it but thats whats on there now
Yes, you're right. It works fine with the straight bar but the OEM style bar has a curve towards the middle. I plan to install my Trophy Bar (the straight bar) when I get some free time and I won't have this problem :)
 
Did you cut down your bump stops to be the same height as OEM or shorter?

Your stock bumpstop looks 'killed' -from riding on it too much. Which sacrificed your ride quality and grip to an extent over time...

Didn't the DG5's come with new bumpstops?
 
Quick update:

I ordered these Type R extensions from Dali. As many of you know you can't run a thick front sway bar and the Type R bar at the same time. These extensions relocate the bar below the battery tray bracket. I'm not sure I like it. I've already scraped it twice. It's the lowest point under my car at the moment.
IMG_20140405_095656_zps65fa3dns.jpg

It seems like those long spacers might induce more flexibility, defeating the purpose of the R bar. The SOS kit accomplishes clearing the sway bar by providing smaller spacers (about 10-12mm I think) for both the R bar AND the battery tray bracket. Probably a better system, but $50 for some bolts and aluminum spacers? I have been planning to just make my own.
 
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Did you cut down your bump stops to be the same height as OEM or shorter?

Your stock bumpstop looks 'killed' -from riding on it too much. Which sacrificed your ride quality and grip to an extent over time...

Didn't the DG5's come with new bumpstops?
I'm still playing around with the bumpstops. I didn't cut those yet but it turns out I wasn't able to use the small ones for the fronts because the shaft diameter ID was too small to fit over the DG5 shaft. The fat ones were fine. At my ride height right now I do bottom out the front tire on the top of the frame of the chassis when hitting really big bumps. There's a spot on the 110 fwy near Pasadena that has a fwy transition with a messed up drop. At full fwy speed I do bottom out the front tires there. I can accept some of the drawbacks if I tune the bumpstops enough to limit that tire-to-fender/frame contact. It rides really well on the street so happy to give up some of that i guess.

There's an article on one of the Japanese tuning magazines that claims Tsuchiya continued to tune the bumpstops on the DG5s. I know for a fact that my bumpstop configuration is different than what the new DG5s sell with. I'm just experimenting now. My car won't see the track probably until the Fall when Nick has time to work on it.

I'm not sure I agree the ride quality decreased due to riding on the bumpstops. The reason I say this is because these bumpstops are really really quite soft. I'm surprised they work at all. The many other bumpstops i've experienced on other suspension systems are easily twice as firm or 3x as firm. I think he might be using the bumpstops to overcome deficiency in this old valving design. Not sure. I'm actually really really really jonesin' for a set of Super Ohlins custom valved DFV shocks for the JDM NSX but I can't seem to agree with Ohlins Japan on a proper spring rate setup. Their initial recommendation is to use a 14k F/ 10k R config. I feel like that'd be too stiff... but what do I know. I'm really not an expert at all.

It seems like those long spacers might induce more flexibility, defeating the purpose of the R bar. The SOS kit accomplishes clearing the sway bar by providing smaller spacers (about 10-12mm I think) for both the R bar AND the battery tray bracket. Probably a better system, but $50 for some bolts and aluminum spacers? I have been planning to just make my own.
The height of the spacers was an initial concern of mine as well. However, after installing them they are really quite firm and i'd be shocked if there was enough sheer force deflection to cause any measurable flexibility. All in all, it really doesn't matter because I don't like due to clearance. It just sits too low and any imperfection in the road and you're at risk of hitting it. I'll be installing they Dali Trophy bar (same as illWillem) at some point when I put on my NA2 ABS system next year. Excited about the NA2 ABS especially :)
 
I didn't mean "riding on the bumpstops" as in all the time, but when cornering at the track, you could be riding on them through the corner. Either way, they look like they have been smashed a lot more than over big bumps.

So you have the Dali 1" CURVED front swaybar? Not the Trophy? -That changes a lot on other things we've been talking about wheel/tire wise.

Do you have a pic of where your tire is hitting the top of the frame?

Sorry I can't keep up, but are you back on 9k/9k springs now?

14k/10K puts the wheel rates almost exactly the same front and rear. The 02 NSXR has the front wheel rate ~50lbs softer than the rear so I think Ohlins is in the ballpark of a good track setup.
 
I didn't mean "riding on the bumpstops" as in all the time, but when cornering at the track, you could be riding on them through the corner. Either way, they look like they have been smashed a lot more than over big bumps.
I think part of the cause of their degradation could be from leaky shaft seals? The oil would cause the foam to degrade even faster I reckon. So now, i'm just trying to find the right durometer and height to prevent my wheel from smashing into my inner fender. It will be trial and error since I don't have the measuring equipment or the skills to know any better. I hope maybe one day I can have a driver as good as you to help me fine tune this car so I can finally be done with my setup.

So you have the Dali 1" CURVED front swaybar? Not the Trophy? -That changes a lot on other things we've been talking about wheel/tire wise.
Yes, all my references on this thread have mentioned that I have installed the Dali Track bar which is a bolt-on-OEM-replacement. Not the Trophy bar which is the straight bar. I also have this but have not installed it until I get ready to do my NA2 ABS conversion.

Do you have a pic of where your tire is hitting the top of the frame?
I do not at the moment but i'll be mindful to take one for you next time i'm under there.

Sorry I can't keep up, but are you back on 9k/9k springs now?
I can't keep up either! I'm so tired of changing setups :( Yes, i'm on 9k/9k now.

14k/10K puts the wheel rates almost exactly the same front and rear. The 02 NSXR has the front wheel rate ~50lbs softer than the rear so I think Ohlins is in the ballpark of a good track setup.
I must admit.. I'm totally jonesin' for these Ohlins but can't afford it anytime soon.
 
You can always pull the spring off of the RF (or LF), disconnec the swaybar, put the shock back in (without the spring), put the wheel back on, and articulate the wheel/tire until it hits, see the gap, and adjust the bumpstop accordingly.

Ohlins does make good stuff and while I havn't driven a DG5, (Well maybe the Spoon NSX-R GT I drove might have had them), I think there are better ways to spend $ to make the car faster.
 
You can always pull the spring off of the RF (or LF), disconnec the swaybar, put the shock back in (without the spring), put the wheel back on, and articulate the wheel/tire until it hits, see the gap, and adjust the bumpstop accordingly.

Ohlins does make good stuff and while I havn't driven a DG5, (Well maybe the Spoon NSX-R GT I drove might have had them), I think there are better ways to spend $ to make the car faster.
Good idea on pulling out the spring and checking tolerances. I thought of doing that but with my lift kit, the piston system hides the bushing from plain sight. #hellaflushproblems lol

Agree 100% in that there are way better ways to spend $. Like driving lessons! Time for me right now is a luxury commodity.
 
Does simply adding an air lift kit (like yours or the others available) change the way the car feels or handles? In other words if you took a stock NSX with coilovers and added a lift kit, would anything feel or perform different?

Best thread ever.
 
Does simply adding an air lift kit (like yours or the others available) change the way the car feels or handles? In other words if you took a stock NSX with coilovers and added a lift kit, would anything feel or perform different?

Best thread ever.
I can't speak for other lift kits but I specifically designed mine knowing that if there were any compromises AT ALL to performance or safety I wouldn't even bother with it. I'm 100% comfortable tracking my car and I have. I couldn't tell any difference with or w/o them but that's also because I took every effort to design them properly and with strength and the proper components.

Steven's iLift system seems quite good also. I consider him a good aquaintance and though I have not inspected his product in meticulous detail I know of his work ethic and he wouldn't compromise.

Frankly.. some of the kits i've seen out there might work but not sure i'd ever put them on my car? There are varying qualities out there.
 
mate as you know spending money on these cars is not cheap but i have not regretted spending a cent on that brake upgrade, i will see if i can get a photo for you of the blue GT Spec bar to compare
 
I've gotten some questions and PM's on the OS Giken STR2C twin disc clutch. Here's a quick review after about 300 miles of break-in driving. In a nutshell this is the best clutch I've ever tried in the NSX. Billy has this in his personal car so please correct me if you disagree with anything stated here. It's subjective and opinions are always open to debate.

Here are other clutches I've tried.
* stock 5spd
* stock 6spd
* Clutchmasters FX300 single kevlar multi-puck
* RPS Single
* RPS/SOS Twin Carbon
* SOS 275 (Or whatever they call their "Sport" clutch)
* Exedy twin
* Exedy single
* Notable mention to the Comptech Power Grip which I have NOT tried.

Build Quality - 9/10. The machine is work is outstanding but i'm on the fence about whether or not they could have made the flywheel lighter.

Pedal Pressure - Positive and a tiny bit lighter than stock. I owned a stock 5spd 91 NSX recently so it was easy to compare back to back. The stock is more springy and more dampened. You couldn't feel the engagement thru your left foot but instead rely on your other senses to feel the car moving or the engine lowering in RPM as clutch engages. The OSG is much more crisp, positive, and not springy. It's consistent in pedal pressure throughout the pedal travel but with a slightly narrower sweet spot before the clutch fully engages. It also doesn't engage as high a stock clutch. It feels appropriate for a sports car (not a race car). I'm of the opinion that the OSG pressure plate is actually very heavy (for high HP) but their slave cylinder "Alteration Kit" add more leverage so it feels like stock. Great engineering.

Engagement - I'm very impressed with the engagement. I could talk about it for a long time but won't. Suffice to say it's easy to modulate and there's virtually no chatter (but you can make it chatter if you try). It's very easy to sense where the catch point is and it's more sensitive, in a good way, than stock or my Clutchmasters for that matter. The metalic disc have an interesting nature to it. It will allow for some smooth slippage when you're taking your GF to a nice dinner and don't want to pin her head to the headrest and induce whiplash but if you slam the clutch it responds like an ON/OFF switch as well and you can tell your motor mounts are working hard. It's dual nature in that way. I'm very impressed.

Noise - It does make noise when the clutch pedal is depressed for that short moment in time. Some kid thought my car was broken but it not loud and offensive like the Exedy version. Perhaps once I get more miles it will get louder. If you WPC the friction plates the noise is actually lower. I'll also drive a few other NSXs with and without the WPC treatment on their STR2C in the coming months for more comments. CDX_NSX just got his installed and he's got about the same amount of miles on his but he's got a 500wHP motor.

Torque Holding Capacity - I'm noticing no issues at all with my CTSC but a track day will be more telling.

MOI or Rev-eagerness - 7/10. I don't notice any difference from the Clutchmasters I had though I am supercharged so spinning the compressor will dull my revs already. I feel like the SOS Twin Carbon is more rev happy however I stalled that car twice and i'm not a rookie driver so it comes with some expense to daily driving imo. The STR2C is a good street/track clutch which suits my car.

Anyway, I'm a fan if you can't already tell.

I changed the pilot bearing. It was a tight fit so I heated up the flywheel and it slid in with just a little bit of persuasion.
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Here's the clutch installed. Very impressed with this product. The pedal feel is consistent and a bit softer than stock. I also liked the push alteration kit. I didn't have to screw around with the fork alignment. BTW... the OSG clutch kit doesn't come with an alignment tool.
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Also... the pressure plate bolt tightening sequence is a tedious process. Make sure you do it right and take your time. It's very important to the proper operation of the clutch discs. It took me a long time and had to do it twice because I had first not had the inner clutch disc aligned properly. Didn't push the alignment tool far enough. Rookie mistake!

Also here's a detailed pic of the clutch alteration kit.

I'm studying the install procedure on the OS Giken clutch. It occured to me to WPC the friction plates. Can anyone share any thoughts on this?

I know Billy/Nick, and a few other folks have experienced good success on doing this for the Diff components. Not sure how far to go on the clutch...

The friction plates i'm referring to are the plates separating the clutch discs.

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- - - Updated - - -

For those looking to install this clutch. Here are some useful links I hope don't ever get taken down from the interwebs.

OSG clutch install procedure. Kind of simplistic but has all the information you need if you've got good common sense too.
Start on Page 5: http://osgiken.net/upload/d42.pdf

Tighten the pressure plate allen bolts (M6) to 13 lb-ft. The tightening sequence is very specific.
http://osgiken.net/upload/d31.pdf

Honda has specified the flywheel bolts be installed at a 76 lb-ft at a specific tightening sequence.
http://www.daliracing.com/v666-5/info/acura-nsx-service_manual_91/4_engine_4_block.pdf

Also, i'm well aware this clutch will make noise when the clutch is depressed. Here's why that is. No, it's not broken haha!


- - - Updated - - -

One last thing.. here is a translated instruction set on the Alteration Kit. Not available on the web.

View attachment 110831

- - - Updated - - -

Had a chance to install the Alteration Kit today. It converts from a pull to a push release movement. Check out this wacky contraption. It's actually pretty cool because I don't have to line up the fork. It all comes off as one unit since it's attached to the clutch. Should make future removal and install a tad easier. I'm not sure what other reasons they convert this.

Disclaimer: This is a JDM transmission with a JDM spec clutch. I have no idea if it mounts the same way on a USDM transmission but I have no reason to think they're different.
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Got the Clutch friction plates back from WPC. Izumi is quite a nice guy. He said the WPC treatment helps engagement and reduces warping. I find it odd that the flywheel surface does not need to be treated so that all the friction surfaces are equally as slippery. My local acura dealer didn't have a flywheel pilot bearing so its going to be at least another week on jack stands.

Dan, haven't formally weighed the flywheel yet but it feels heavier than stock...though the pressure plate and midplate assembly on the stock overall weighs a lot more.
 
Nice write up thanks for sharing, this is in my cars future, i just bought a slightly used SOS 350 since my last clutch gave up last month sort of wish i had gone to this one but hey cant do it all at once, i will be sending everything to Izumi before it goes back in tho
 
Nice write up thanks for sharing, this is in my cars future, i just bought a slightly used SOS 350 since my last clutch gave up last month sort of wish i had gone to this one but hey cant do it all at once, i will be sending everything to Izumi before it goes back in tho
I have never experienced a clutch like this before. I'm hesitant to say more because I hate sounding like a uneducated fan boy but this clutch feels quite sophisticated. It can be docile when you want it too and fierce as well. I think due to the pressure plate clamping force being so high it can grab very deliberately. We ordered 3 of these among my local SoCal friends. I'll ask them to post their opinions here as well for additional non-biased opinions.

Btw.. I met with an engineer and head Japanese driver at Cusco last week. They recommended not to WPC their clutch disc components on their LSDs. They purposefully did not want to talk badly about WPC (it's a Japanese thing) but they were specific not to do it. I thought that was interesting...
 
ok thats interesting, i am about to debur my gears as per Billys write up on moto iq and get it all WPC treated what did the say about the NSX R spec LSD plates i have those waiting in the bag to install with my new clutch? If i dont have to do the clutch plates thats fine.
 
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