Stephen_AUS DC5R

[89lude]

Honestly i would not trust my car at any workshop when it comes to mechanics. Nobody will ever put in the same amount of effort and time as you would in your own car! And you'll never have that piece of mind knowing you handed your keys over to someone else. If its tuning then its another story. Thats when you wanna pay for the best!

[Stephen_AUS]

Now time for my contribution !

I have had very bad experiences with 999 Automotive and was not happy with the workmanship they have given to my car. Ok first of all was when I got defected. I was fined for a 90mm clearance and that was with the Buddyclub N+ coil over and Buddyclub Pro Spec Exhaust. I got it raised up to 110mm by 999 and that clears the legal height shit. So ever since I got them to raise the car, it made klunking noises only from the front coils everytime there is stress on it (turning and bumps). I went back to 999 to get this fixed and they said it was normal and they wanted to charge me $80 to adjust all the coils to eliminate the klunking noises.

I decided to not get them to lower it down to 100mm and waited a bit to see if the klunking noises get louder. So it was like 2-3 months later. Noise got more louder and also my clutch had went on me. So then I decided to get my clutch replaced at Centrax. At the same time they fixed up the klunking problem for no extra charge. I was very happy, and having a good friend of mine who knows the guys at Centrax, I got a good price from them.

Also the Buddyclub N+ coil overs were still under warranty and still wanted to charge me to get it fixed, which therefore I think all they want is my money. So that's one issue down. Now, next issue. I went and sold my Buddyclub Pro Spec Exhaust as you all know and what I realized was that when I put the stock exhaust on, it was still at a ground clearance of 110mm. So there was an issue right from the start. When the car was installed with coil overs before my exhaust. It was already at illegal height. And I should have put the blame on them and take actions. But I had very little knowledge of cars back then, and I was also on my L's too ! But it's not to worry now as it has passed along time ago now.

Another issue was the gaskets on the exhaust were leaking, all of the supplied gaskets leaked badly, and Centrax had also pointed this out for me. Went to 999 to get it fixed and it was still under warranty. They replaced the gaskets and charged me for the labour and parts, we argued the point that it was still under warranty and wanted them replaced at no extra cost but it was useless and didn't bother going further with the argument and just paid. That's when I decided to not go back to 999 again. Not only that they replaced the gaskets, they used sealant so it won't leak. Now to let you guys know, your not supposed to use sealant on gaskets for exhausts. Which I also thought that it's just shifty work done right from the start. If sealant was supposed to be there then it would have been there when I got the exhaust new. And yeah that's about all the issues I've had with 999. Completely just wanting my money even if it's still under warranty.

Now to talk about Centrax. Chris and Steven are good well knowledge guys who know their Honda's back to front. Also being a Endless dealer which their products are known to be the top in Motorsport, they not only know how to fix cars, but they are very knowledgeable in the tuning industry.

I had got my clutch done, suspension fixed and service done there and am really happy with the quality of the work they do and the products they use. Another thing is, when you buy their products from them, they want to make sure you understand about the product and what it does so you are aware of the changes if you do this and that and whatnot. I bought brake pads from them a few weeks ago and Steven had ran me down what to do in order to install them, to make sure i know how to do it, what to use and what is needed. You know that there are many other good things I can say about them but it's just going to go on and on. Centrax is also now my new mechanic to go to for service and other stuff I need to get done will be done through them.

[Norm]

Just to let you know that in between exhaust parts ie, muffler and piping, some muffler places do use a high temp silicone sealant in between the gaskets. They put some on mine. People can correct me if im wrong. But all I can say is choose your workman carefully!

Norm

[Stephen_AUS]

Just to let you know that in between exhaust parts ie, muffler and piping, some muffler places do use a high temp silicone sealant in between the gaskets. They put some on mine. People can correct me if im wrong. But all I can say is choose your workman carefully!

Norm

Well if sealant are supposed to be used, 999 should have been using sealant right from the start. It was only when I went back to them saying that the gaskets are leaking and thats when they used sealant. I'm not too sure but what I have been told by some other friends too saying that sealant should't be needed. If you think about it, using a thick silicone sealant defeats the purpose of having a gasket, why not use sealant and no gasket. But yeah want to hear what the other guys think about this too.

[Stephen_AUS]

Ok so this is what you guys been waiting for, a full review of the J's Racing Engine & Tranny Mounts on a DC5R!

Product Review of the J's Racing Engine & Tranny Mounts for DC5R

The J's Racing Engine & Tranny Mounts is an full set of mounts which compromise of all 4 mounts that are necessary on the DC5R (left, right, front, rear). These mounts are a revised version of the OEM Honda Mounts where engineering is involved by replacing the busing from the OEM Honda Mounts to suit street and semi-racing applications for the car. This is done by purchasing brand new OEM Honda Mounts and replacing the bushing to enhance better performance yet does not interfere with ride quality.

The J's Racing Engine & Tranny Mounts would be a perfect buy for those who are looking for a aftermarket engine mount that their car is used on the street and every now and then is taken on the track. Unlike many other aftermaket engine mounts, ie. Hasport, Hardrace, Innovative, AVID and etc., most people cannot endure the amount of vibrations that go through the cabin and it gets quite irritating and for daily use it is not suitable, but the J's Racing doesn't vibrate through the cabin due to the very similar design to the stock OEM design.

Not only that ride quality is assured but quality of the product is at a high standard. As J's Racing have decided to use the OEM Honda Mount housings, it is assured that the housing will not crack, twist or break under any conditions as they have been tested in the factory before sending it out. Generally what J's Racing only done is cut out the OEM bushing and replace it with their revised bushing. I have heard of many cases that some aftermarket mounts, ie. Hardrace, Innovative, AVID, have tend to deform, snap or break under harsh conditions (track racing) as the design of the housing is not strong enough and also which can do some engine damage after some use. This is generally why people buy Hasport mounts due to a thick aluminium block which is very solid and I have never heard of any cases of those cracking under any conditions, though they do have their benefits and downfalls like any other product you purchase on the market.

Ok so I will list the Pro's n Con's of the product.

Pro/s

* Use OEM Honda Mount housings to ensure under high load it will not break
* Bushing revised is only a 20% harder compound than the OEM bushing
* Due to a 20% harder bushing, it doesn't compromise the ride quality
* Close to OEM aftermarket application
* Good for street and semi-racing
* Power is slightly more direct

Con/s

* Being an revised product and for a street application, in comparison to many other aftermarket mounts, the bushing still has gaps and for the rear mount, that still induces engine tilting therefore under harsh driving it can wheel hop and puts stress on other engine mounts. It doesn't mean that it is not good, it just means that it has its limits to how far these mounts can be used, it is generally the best option for street users.

The cost for the J's Racing Engine & Tranny Mounts is $520AUD for the product itself and then there is shipping costs on top of that too. In comparison to buying the OEM Honda Mounts, I was quoted from Southside Honda Spare Parts of a total estimated bill of around $1100 and all the mounts are in Melbourne, which I thought was a total ripoff! The mounts came direct from the J's Racing warehouse in Japan therefore shipping only took 1 week from Japan to Australia which is very quick! These can be purchased through JDM Concept which is a authorised J's Racing dealer which are able to order products from the warehouse very quickly and sent out fast. Not only that they come from overseas, you still have the warranty due to going through a authorised vendor and it only has to be shipped back to the JDM Concept warehouse where as if you buy it from overseas and there is a defect with the product, then it costs more to send it back out to Japan and then back to you for a replacement.

And I think thats about it for the J's Racing Engine & Tranny Mount review. I hope this helps out so you can choose the correct parts you are after for your application. Please feel free to ask questions if needed. Thanks guys!

[TGW92]

Well if sealant are supposed to be used, 999 should have been using sealant right from the start. It was only when I went back to them saying that the gaskets are leaking and thats when they used sealant. I'm not too sure but what I have been told by some other friends too saying that sealant should't be needed. If you think about it, using a thick silicone sealant defeats the purpose of having a gasket, why not use sealant and no gasket. But yeah want to hear what the other guys think about this too.

I believe the best stuff to use is the copper gasket stuff... Been told it works very good for joints between catback (when they are two piece like the rm01a) and according to its packaging it is the most advanced gasket out...

So I guess use no paper/metal/whatever gasket and just use that stuff?

Also after suggestions/corrections on this as I'll be doing my exhaust soon...

Car is coming along real nice Stephen, looked good at jdmst

[tofu]

Nice parts! I went with Hardrace engine mounts instead of J's Racing. Would love to meet up and see/feel the difference.

[Stephen_AUS]

Nice parts! I went with Hardrace engine mounts instead of J's Racing. Would love to meet up and see/feel the difference.

Definitely no problems, probably up coming meet !

And for the rest of the guys, I found this really awesome site, some of you may know of it, but for sure I know most of you guys don't. THRLL is an awesome site dedicated to build threads, very neat and good looking. I encourage all of you guys to start using this as a blog for your car as it keeps everything neat and tidy. Here is mine, very fressh. http://thrll.com/car/2003-honda-integra-12546

[Stephen_AUS]

Luminis G4 Micro 35W HID 8000K Kit Installed @ xxxxxx km

So today I received my Luminis G4 Micro 35W HID 8000K Kit from Hong Kong after 2 weeks being sent all around the world ! Before it came to me. But anyways it came in safe and everything was in the package. And again, as soon as I got them, I had spare time so I installed them straight away.

Here it is ripped out of the package, used an iPhone to show how small this package was.



Here is the ballast, it's so damn small and it produces 35w easily.







Now I am surprised with the quality of the ballast, it is really not some cheap arse China made crap but some effort has been put in to make this product. Really happy with the size, quality and how it has performed so far.



I am using 8000k bulbs to see what they are like, if it comes to the worse I will change to 6000k if I have to since I have a set put away from the previous HID's that blew on me.



Now I put my brilliant engineering into this and super glued a nut on the bulb so it can sit in place without moving, you guys should know you need some H1 holder to hold it in place, but this nut will do for now until I get those holders from Hong Kong.





And here is the final result. I think the bulb is too blue and possibly change it later on but yeah it does look good in the dark. This picture was taken in daylight.



I may write up a short review on this product for people who are looking to buy a set of HID's for their car. If I do, just keep updated. Cheers and stay tuned for more updates. Got heaps more stuff coming from overseas!

[Stephen_AUS]

So today my Pivot Gauges arrived from Adelaide!

Here they are, they consist of:

Pivot Gekko 60mm Oil Pressure Gauge
Pivot Gekko 60mm Oil Temperature Gauge
Pivot Gekko 60mm Water Temperature Gauge

All Stepping type gauge and paid a pretty good price for them!

Here is what they would look like, but will get some more pictures when they will be installed but before that I will need to buy Oil Sandwich Plate and Water Temp Adaptor.

[45SET]

Did you get them in blue?

Where are you going to mount them?

[dnapol]

pwoahh nice guages, wouldnt mind seeing them installed defis are looking too expensive for me :P

Also with your exhaust gaskets, I installed my exhaust myself with a mate (under the car in my garage). If the gaskets arent lined up perfectly is that a problem? I didnt bother to line them up perfect so they might not be spot on :S

[Stephen_AUS]

Did you get them in blue?

Where are you going to mount them?

They are blue and probably going to mount it above the air con controls.

pwoahh nice guages, wouldnt mind seeing them installed defis are looking too expensive for me :P

Also with your exhaust gaskets, I installed my exhaust myself with a mate (under the car in my garage). If the gaskets arent lined up perfectly is that a problem? I didnt bother to line them up perfect so they might not be spot on :S

Haha exhaust, thats like long gone ... I sold it, put stock back on and hunted down a 70RR. But normally you are supposed to get it sitting flush so it doesn't ruin the gasket. Not too sure but thats what happened with mine.

[plAythiNG]

The nut glued there is a smart idea, and I;m sure u wont have issues with it. However a perfect fix/fit is;

http://retro-solutions.net/product-i...ER-pid545.html

[Stephen_AUS]

The nut glued there is a smart idea, and I;m sure u wont have issues with it. However a perfect fix/fit is;

http://retro-solutions.net/product-i...ER-pid545.html

Bahahahahahaha, that was only temporary. I have adapters in it already. Just had to wait for them a bit longer than the HID's to arrive.