Type R Club of America

Hi All,
I am about to pull my gsr engine out cause it is burning up too much oil. Engine has been DD’d for the past 20years and has 200k on it so I figured it’s time as I’m gonna be off of work for the next 3 weeks. The car is gonna be transformed into a somewhat daily/track special. I’m looking for a solid shop specializing in Honda motors in So Cal. I’m in the San Diego area but I’m willing to travel to LA for a good shop. Me and my pops can pull the motor ourselves I am just looking for a place to do the machine work.

Anyone with shop experience would be greatly appreciated

If willing to travel, I can recommend a shop for the bottom end in NorCal. I would go with PortFlow for the head work.

Call John @ hytech. Probably one of the best but price is going to reflect that. I wish i had him build my k24.

Also portflow for head work if you are gonna do them seperate.

+1 for Portflow. Tom did an amazing job on a 98 JDM ITR head I imported for my setup.
The head was pretty gross when I got it and he spent a lot of time getting it all cleaned up, valve job, new seals, guides, and rebuilt. His system is so precise you don't even have to lap the valves after the seats are cut.

I really credit Tom and Shawn (Church) both for the great numbers I got on the dyno (212whp\151tq)with an otherwise mild build.

Thanks y’all, it seems like portflow is the place for head work. There pricing seems fair and reflects the quality of their work. Those dyno numbers are impressive by the way. As I said it’s important to keep the smog ability of the car intact (legally). I don’t see much on their website about the bottom end so I’ll just have to give them a call.

Not trying to bust any bubbles here but you shouldn't compare or even hold ANY value to other peoples dyno numbers. I'm saying this as someone that actually owns a dyno and has been a successful engine building and tuning shop for over 20yrs.

A general rule of thumb is that dynamometers should only be used for diagnostics purposes, performing before and after tests or comparing one car/engine/setup to another using the exact same testing equipment.

I can't even explain how many times I've seen someone say they make 2xx at XYZ dyno shop to find out it makes 1xx, 3xx, etc... at ABC dyno shop. Comparing numbers from different dyno shops is stupid, even with certain "standards" supposedly being in place to ensure a level playing field.

I highly recommend you chose a performance shop based on customer satisfaction, your personal preferences and results.

That being said, I'm by no means saying that you could come to my place. My skin just crawls when I hear people say I made 123whp with this type of setup at so and so shop so you should do business with them.

As for cylinder head shops, if you just need basic valve work any decent machine shop should be able to do it. No Honda expertise is really needed for that and you'd probably save a good amount of money. In fact, basic machine shops might do a better job as they be more focused on longevity over maximum horsepower results. However, if you're looking for cylinder head work "porting"/cc'ing/chamber modifications, etc... a cylinder head performance shop like Portflow, Endyn, 4Piston, Headgames, InlinePro, etc... would be a good option. However, unless you have a high flowing exhaust system, high flowing air intake system, high performance camshafts, high compression "a built bottom end", an adjustable engine management system, or simply investing in future modifications, you'd likely end up with suboptimal results (poor bang for the buck) and would just be burning money.

No bubbles burst. I appreciate your input. The HP numbers weren’t swaying my opinion. I’m all for street performance but I’m not gonna go catless and install a non CARB header for a couple HP numbers. As for performance shops, I really just wanted a place to make my motor like new and trust they would do a good job for a fair price. I’m not looking to max my HP numbers. After calling Portflow they seem like a place dedicated to performance and aren’t really interested in the customer experience. Which is fine but I wanted a place to hold my hand a little bit.
Seeing how I’m in SoCal I don’t trust just any machine shops.

I'd consider Loispec. Ralph and Loi are really into ITRs (they both own Rs) and also have very reasonable prices. They have a shop near El Monte, ca (east LA). They've done a lot of work for me, including installing a jdm 4.7 fd on my R.

How about Golden Eagle Manufacturing? They seem like a very reputable company, I haven't had them build an engine but I do have a block with their sleeves in it and their cam gears.

Another alternative is Ken's Race Engines.

Or Laskey Racing Engines.

Are you only looking to only get machine work done or are you looking to get machining and assembly?

Just got the motor out and I’m gonna take it to Jacobs Engine Rebuilding in National City. They are doing machine work and assembly for me. The man I spoke to on the phone was very informative and straightforward. As I said the motor is gonna be for street/track with emphasis on “street”. I’ll post a pic of the motor after service and talk alittle about the experience for anyone in the San Diego area.