CT Engineering SC Stage 2 Install

I have finally found time to write my blog on installing the ct-eng sc stage 2 kit. Im going to go back in forth between telling you what we did and almost instructing you in places that ct-eng left out some details on.

I got the kit and went to work instantly. We started putting the tensioner assembly together, which was fairly simple when we figured out what each bolt was. The instructions state to leave the 3 bolts that secure the whole assembly to the engine block. Later you will tighten them back up after you adjust the belt. Next we had to move some harness around and mount them to certain areas, not necessary just make sure they aren't in the way of the radiator fans. My buddies installed the support bracket for the manifold while I prepped the manifold with all the stock sensors.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The fitting below the Air Bypass Thermal Valve may be installed when you receive your kit. Make sure it is tightened all the way before installing the manifold. I made the stupid mistake of assuming they had tightened it down all the way. It resulted in me having to rip the manifold, blower, and more back off the car. Next we got the manifold on which wasn't terrible(besides the fact I had to rip it off three times, read on) the one bolt on the lower left hand corner is a bitch to get to.....have fun.

Insert Fuck Attack: Now here is the part that caused me a huge freakin headache resulting in me ripping off the whole kit and re installing it 3 times. The hose that leads to the water pump and the brass fitting on the bottom of the manifold was not long enough for me. It also gets pinched by this stupid fucking metal coolant line that runs along the front of the engine. HONDA WTF!!!! Why does it need to be metal? Stop doing stupid shit like this because of whatever stupid ass reason you came up with and spend the time on coming out with a S2000 replacement.

Helpful hint here: There is two bolts that secure this line one right below the brass fitting on the new manifold and if you trace the metal line you will see the other. Take them out they are not necessary and they will give the hose better clearance and not pinch it. Also, Ct-Eng should have sent you a new hose plain and simple but they didn't. Go buy one. Its not worth having the damn thing leak after you have got the whole damn car put together. Make sure it has a pre-bent elbow in it also, use the stock line as a reference. Also get a wide hose clamp to place over the brass fitting. I haven't heard of a ton of people having this problem, but take it from someone who did, just go buy a new hose and clamp to save yourself the aggravation.

Back to the install. In the beginning it states to have your ac system discharged. Go do it, its not worth the headache of the fitment issues if you don't. I nearly broke my pulley trying to get under the ac line without the spacer. Also if you do some internet searching, there are some frowned upon ways of discharging your system and I will leave it at that. We threw the blower on, some of the bolts are a pain get ready. I attacked them from the front by pulling the heat shroud and supports for the fan shrouds so I could move them around. Threw the vac line from the bypass valve to the manifold and tightened down everything. Got the inlet on and then there is the belt install. Prepare for a time for patience. Of course Honda placed the AC system on the same side as all the pulleys. Its a bitch to get the belt down in there and set up right. Once we got the belt on we were ready to place it on the blower. They recommend a snap on tool here, I just used a 14mm open end and a mega pipe wrench as a pry bar. Make sure all the bolts that secure the adjuster plate are loose and adjust the adjuster screw all the way out. Release the tension on the belt and place the belt on the blower pulley. Release the tension again and adjust the adjuster screw, the plate should move up and down. Adjust the plate and release the tension. There is an arrow on the tensioner assembly that ct-engs instructions don't show. You may see a little dot in there picture, that is the arrow. Adjust according to their picture. Once you have it adjusted, release the tension.

IMPORTANT: CT-Eng does not tell you to tighten the bolts on the adjuster plate in their instructions(apparently I was the first person to catch this when I called them.....). You assume that you should, but I tightened them before I was supposed to which caused me to have issues when I adjusted the belt. When finishing up the belt adjustment, tighten the adjuster plate bolts then tighten the nut on the adjuster screw. I found if I tightened the adjuster screw nut first it caused the adjustment position to change.

The install continued with the fuel injectors, spark plugs, and manifold wiring harness changes....... nothing special there. We threw the throttle body back on, but I rerouted the coolant lines for it. Superchargers heat up your intake enough, you don't need 200*F coolant running through your damn throttle body.....once again HONDA WTF.....sigh! Defeats the fucking purpose of a CAI otherwise....sigh. All I did was take one of the coolant lines and route it from the metal coolant line back to where the other coolant line attaches for the TB. Installed all the vacuum lines and placed the CAI back on the throttle body.

NOTE: The Injen CAI already has fitment issues in the civic si I feel. You will probably have to trim the silicone elbow a little to get proper fitment on the throttle body with the SC changing the location of the TB from stock. Really crank the clamp down the the TB you don't want a boost leak there.

Next was the fuel tank modification. It was really simple. Getting the fuel pump assembly cap back on was kind of a bitch, but you can do it without the tool just requires patience. We refilled the coolant system back up. It took almost two jugs to really get all the air out and everything so insure you have enough. Make sure you also jack the front end up to get all the air out. I also had to burp the lines, it was a bitch. Overall the install wouldn't have been terrible if I wouldn't of had that coolant leak with the one coolant line that I described. Overall I say 4 out of 5 starts on CT-Eng instructions to install the kit. I will take the last star for myself with the summary of installing tips below.

1. Buy a new hose for the air thermal value thing on the intake manifold and a really good hose clamp. Make sure the garbage brass fitting is secured in the manifold with some thread seal. Also remove those mounting bolts for the metal coolant line to give the hose breathing room. You WILL have to pull the whole manifold off the car if there is a leak to fix it.
2. Make sure you discharge your AC system and place the spacer in.
3. Beware of your aftermarket intake, it could cause problems in your install.
4. Bypass the throttle body coolant lines, it only is going to bring up your IATs.
5. Buy Hondata TB and manifold gaskets, you will benefit from. Do the research if you don't believe me.
6. Insure you get all of the air out of your coolant system, for some its not easy.
7. Leave your bolts loose while adjusting your belt tension. Insure you tighten them first before the adjuster screw nut and torque them.
8. You may find some liquid or spray by your pulleys its just grease out of the bearings.
9. MAKE SURE YOU USE LOCTITE. You absolutely do not want to rip everything apart because of a boost leak on a loose bolt. Some bolts thread right down into the new manifold.
10. Buy the boost gauge barb with your kit. Its safer then putting a T on a vacuum line.
11. Read about my next blog with the CT-Eng basemap.

Hopefully all this info is helpful to somebody who is looking into installing this kit.

(I will throw up a pic of the engine bay with the finished product soon.)