Just bought 1.5 blasters in lots of pieces..

[Lindso]

Awesome. I have the top of the case sealed right now for transport but I'll open it up soon and take a look when I bring it inside.

For the other things, I just wanna have you guys take a look at the jug and head and let me know if you think everything looks alright. Honestly I can't tell a difference between this one and my stock one, but I haven't compared them side by side.

The main thing I'm still worried about is the thickness of the cylinder; I took pics (1280x960 size) from the bottom so you can gauge it by that angle, and also from the top so you can see the thickness in the port area. I just don't wanna buy a cast piston and put it in here and have it seize up 5 hours into a ride.

Bottom of the cylinder;

Where the cylinder meets the jug (Is it sleeved?);

From the top down;

The head;

Exhaust side, looks normal to me;

Intake side, also looks normal?;

Pardon the pic quality - Took them on Digital Macro setting for close-up shots.

 

[sicivicdude]

Totally stock vito's big bore kit. Looks great! bore and hone and she'll be ready.

You can't tell anything about the crank without pulling it out of the case unless you measure the stroke from the mating surface.

 

[Lindso]

I'm thinkin about replacing the crank to be safe anyway. I dunno why kinda hell it's been through, just gotta find someone to crack the case open for me cuz I don't wanna spend $70 on that damn case splotter tool haha.

So the thickness of the cylinder looks okay? Would you think a +3 or +4 stroker crank would work best, and would I have to do anything to the head for it?

 

[sicivicdude]

If you want to do a stroker RIGHT, you should have the head cut for the extra stroke and chunk the spacer plate.

Unless you're trying to build a dragger, I would probably stick a +3 stroker crank in it (if you really want to do a stroker that is) because it will take the abuse but doesn't require case trenching.

 

[Lindso]

I shoulda let you know this in the beginning - I've been working on a Honda Prelude for the past two years and had to nearly cleanse my mind of 196cc engine vocabulary haha.

That said; 'Chunk the spacer plate'? Is this a piece I would shop for?
'Have the head cut'? like milled or shaved? Who would know how to do this properly?

Giving you rep for stickin with me.


Anyway, yeah not doin a dragster..strictly trail riding so +3 it is.

 

[sicivicdude]

Vito's intends the +3 stroker crank to be used with their 240kit as is. In other words, minimal machine work.

With a 3mm stroker crank, the piston comes 1.5mm higher (towards the head) than a stock crank. Without a spacer plate, the piston would hit the head so they include two gaskets and a 1mm spacer plate. It moves the cylinder up 1.5mm to make sure nothing hits. Most builders don't like the spacer plates because it makes one more potential leak point (two base gaskets instead of one) so they port cylinders to be used without spacer plates USUALLY.

Unless you plan on getting your cylinder ported to match, you NEED to stick with the +3 because vito's includes the spacer plate. Hotrods makes the +4 stoker crank and doesn't include a spacer plate because the +4 requires quite a bit of machine work just to install in the bottom end they figure you're going to get your entire engine built from the get go.

The super thin sleeve is completely normal for the vito's cylinder kit. The part that sticks down into the case is supported by the case anyway and has no compression pressure in there anyway. It just looks like it needs a bore and hone and it'll be ready to go.

 

[Lindso]

Vito's intends the +3 stroker crank to be used with their 240kit as is. In other words, minimal machine work.

With a 3mm stroker crank, the piston comes 1.5mm higher (towards the head) than a stock crank. Without a spacer plate, the piston would hit the head so they include two gaskets and a 1mm spacer plate. It moves the cylinder up 1.5mm to make sure nothing hits. Most builders don't like the spacer plates because it makes one more potential leak point (two base gaskets instead of one) so they port cylinders to be used without spacer plates USUALLY.

Ah so at this point it would be considered an 'interference engine' like my Prelude If the timing belt breaks on my car, the pistons could smash into the valves for this same reason, so I definitely understand this .

Unless you plan on getting your cylinder ported to match, you NEED to stick with the +3 because vito's includes the spacer plate. Hotrods makes the +4 stoker crank and doesn't include a spacer plate because the +4 requires quite a bit of machine work just to install in the bottom end they figure you're going to get your entire engine built from the get go.

The super thin sleeve is completely normal for the vito's cylinder kit. The part that sticks down into the case is supported by the case anyway and has no compression pressure in there anyway. It just looks like it needs a bore and hone and it'll be ready to go.

With regards to this spacer plate, I guess I'll need to order one from the Vito's website because I haven't come across anything that looks like it will go between the case and cylinder other than gaskets.

 

[UncagedShadow]

Or you could send the head of to a builder and have them shave it to allow the pistons extra stroke length. Shaving the head down would allow you to run without a spacer and still keep the piston from hitting the head.

 

[sicivicdude]

The vito's +3 stroker crank comes with the spacer plate and an additional gasket.

Or, as uncagedshadow said, you could send your head off to get modified and not have to run it.

 

[Lindso]

If I take the head to have the machine shop shave it, they only have to shave the dome part, right? Where the copper crush gasket goes? Or do they have to shave the whole dome up to the spark plug inlet to keep the same depth to it?

 

[UncagedShadow]

I beleive they just shave the dome part. This would in turn increase compression by moving the spark plug closer to the piston at TDC

 

[sicivicdude]

Do you have a vito's head on that engine? If so, you cannot shave anything... the vito's head is already "redesigned" for stock stroke.

If you have a stock engine (or at least a stock stroke and head), you can simply shave the mating surface down to raise the compression some. It works but it's not optimal. Optimal is to have the head "redesigned" to optimize the quench area. It makes the combustion more efficient and centers it around the spark plug.