December 2013 Fastrack

[Greg Amy]

the classificaton of the B18C5. Not quite sure why the 1" porting note has to be there. Is that not the rule for all STL builds?

Early (1997) Type R B18C5s were hand-ported from the factory. Subsequent B18C5s were subject to a CNC clearance process (something that typically may be part of a good IT/STL-level engine build anyway). The CRB would not approve (and I would not have supported) the engine if we allowed the factory porting in, since it would not be able to be scrutineered (what part was done by eunich ex-Ninja Shinto monks, and what was done by the competitor?)

That note is an exclamation/clarification that the ported B18C5 engine will not pass scrutiny in STL. Any porting work, factory or otherwise, is prohibited. If you've got a hand-ported '97, you'll need to either get one that is not ported and/or start with a replacement casting (e.g., B16A/A2/A3 head).

- Greg