Sirfallsalot243
New Member
I wrote this and posted it on another forum, and I figured it would be just as useful here.
With all of the parts available for our cars, it can sometimes be confusing when you are trying to get more power out of your integra, but are new to the game. The idea of this thread is to help those people understand what it is theyre buying, and why. Id also like to thank Blake (98vtec) for the idea for this thread. He made the same thing for H22 modification, so i figured it wouldnt be a bad idea to do it for the B18.
BOLT ONS
Bolt ons are anything that bolts on the the exterior of the engine. This mainly consists of an Intake, a Header, and an Exhaust (catback). Often times this will also include an intake manifold.
INTAKES
Intakes are generally the first modification done to an engine. Because the stock airbox and intake setup is very restrictive, there is power to be had by upgrading the intake piping to a bigger diameter, as well as a better air filter. Some say "an intake is an intake," and some disagree. I personally believe that the best power advantage is in the filter. AEM or K&N make great filters that flow very well. Here are some options, with pro's and con's for each intake:
AEM Cold Air Intake- The cold air intake (CAI) relocates the air filter right in front of the front wheel. This allows colder air to be drawn into the intake. Because colder air is more dense, there is more power to be had by obtaining cold air. The negative side of this is the risk of hydrolock. Because the filter is so low to the ground, it is possible to submerge the filter in a rainstorm. Please note that you can still drive in the rain with a CAI- the filter must be COMPLETELY submerged to cause any damage. AEM came out with what is called a "bypass valve," preventing cars from becoming hydrolocked when using a CAI. Unfortunatly, and power gain of a CAI over a short ram is lost when using a bypass valve. Because of this, most people do not use one.
AEM Short Ram- The AEM short ram intake uses a short peice of piping that keeps the air filter in the stock location. This allows for good power, without the risk of hydrolock. The only downside of it is that it is not pulling in cold air. As the temperature of the engine rises, the intake will begin to draw in quite hot air, hurting your power. The installation of a short ram is also much easier then a cold air, as you do not need to remove the front bumper.
Comptech Intake and icebox - this is considered, by many, to be the best of both worlds. This intake keeps the filter in the stock location, but surrounds it with a protective heat sheild, to keep heat from the engine out. It also has piping that runs into the fender well to draw up the cold air. The benefits of a cold air, without the risks. The only negatives I can see is the price, and filter design. Since Comptech closed its doors a few months ago, prices on anything with their label will soon be rising- and their prices werent cheap to begin with. Also, the comptech icebox utilizes an oiled filter, which in my opinion, does not flow as well as a dry filter.
There are many other intakes available for our car, but this sums up the basic design of most of them. (SRI, CAI, and the Icebox, which as far as I know, comptech is the only company that makes this). Keep in mind, Ive only scratched the surface on intakes, but Im trying to conserve space.
EXHAUSTS
Exhausts run in all different types of sizes and designs. Its very important to know what you want out of an exhaust before buying. Future motor plans are also a good idea to have in mind. The most common exhaust size for our car is 60mm (or 2.36"). This is a good size for those who do not have major power plans in mind, or those with mild all motor plans. This size exhaust should not be used for a turbo car, as it will not be big enough. With serious all motor plans, a 2.5" exhaust is best, and for cars with forced induction, 3". Within the different sizes of exhausts, there are different designs. Staight-through, chambered, and twin loop are most common. The design of your muffler will greatly impact how your exhaust will sound. A straight through muffler will be much louder than a chambered or twin loop, but will also flow much better. Both chambered and twin loop mufflers are designed to keep the sound down, while retaining as much flow as possible. Hytech claims that their twin loop muffler (Muffler only, $395) has no exhaust flow loss.
Those who are serious about their performance goals should invest in a quality exhaust of Stainless Steel or Titanium. These are very expensive, but will not rust. Those who are only looking for mild performance gains can consider something less expensive. There are tons of choices out there, and you really need to know what you want to do with the car before you buy one. Here is a list of all of the exhausts available for our car with sound clips and specifications:
http://www.team-integra.net/sections/articles/showArticle.asp?ArticleID=451
HEADERS
Headers are one of the things that range in quality and price VASTLY. For those planning to go turbo- skip the header, you wont need it once you are boosted. For those doing mild bolt ons, without serious power goals, look into the DC Sports or Megan racing. OBX makes products for our car, but I would not recommend ANYTHING with their logo on it. I had an OBX header when I bought my car. I GAINED power by switching back to stock.
For those interested in SERIOUS power gains, there are full race headers that range from $500-1200. Some brand you may have heard of are Hytech/SMSP/Rage/AN-R/RMF. The cheapest of the bunch here is the Rage, which can be found for $500 (or less if purchased used). The Rage header is an exact hytech replica, but does require some modification to make it fit. Large gains can be expected with these headers. Most of these headers are a Tri-Y design, and eliminate the cat. If you absolutly can not eliminate the cat, another good (and less expensive) option is the JDM ITR 4-1 header w/ 2.5" collector. This is the stock header off a JDM Type R, and can support up to 200whp (or even slightly more).
CATALYTIC CONVERTERS AND TEST PIPES
Upgrading or eliminating the cat is another good way to gain power, as the stock one can be very restrictive. Both Magnaflow and Carsound make aftermarket high flow cats of different sizes to maximize exhaust flow while staying legal. You will not pass emissions without a cat. The replacement for a cat is a test pipe, which is just a straight pipe placed where the cat once was. A "resonated test pipe" is no different, except that it is resonated to help keep exhaust sounds down. Whether or not a test pipe has any benefit over a high flow cat is often debate, but i can tell you- you WILL make more power with a test pipe. I gained 6whp by simply switching to a test pipe (dyno proven). However, when switching to a test pipe, my exhaust got MUCH louder, AND raspier. If you are looking for a good exhaust note, stick with a cat. Test pipes (while they do gain power), sound like shit.
INTAKE MANIFOLDS
There is (usually) power to be had when upgrading the stock intake manifold to an aftermarket one such as Blox or Skunk2. On LS engines, this is a worthwhile investment. Ive heard that the gains are quite noticeable. However, if you engine is a mostly stock GSR, I would hold off on the intake manifold. The stock GSR IM is a dual stage manifold, allowing for optimal power at low and high RPM. Unless you have a modication that warrants upgrading it (cams, turbo, etc), you should leave it stock. Upgrading this part on a stock GSR will only move the powerband up, and give you a few more peak horsepower. Your car will not be faster.
The most common intake manifolds for our engines are Skunk2, Blox, and the Edelbrock VictorX. The Skunk2 and Blox are (generally speaking) identical, and can be used under proper builds in an NA or boosted situation. The Edelbrock's strenght is its use on boosted engines. If your engine is naturally aspirated, you will be better off with a Skunk2, Blox, or AEBS.
PISTONS
I would hope we all know what pistons are. For a serious build, piston choice is very important. A general rule of thumb is you raise compression for all motor, and lower it for boost. Raising compression in an all motor car will allow for the use of bigger cams, and more power. Lowering the compression on a turbo engine allows for you to run higher levels of boost. Some guys keep higher compression on their boosted motors to get better power off boost. There are different choices available when changing pistons. Often times, a desired compression ratio can be reached by using factory honda pistons. For example, my GSR is running B16 pistons. All B-Series pistons are the same size (81mm) except the B20, which uses 84mm pistons. Keep in mind that the factory pistons are cast, not forged. They are not ideal for running high levels of boost, but like a stock engine, low boost levels are safe. The benefit of using stock pistons is that they are much cheaper (about half the price new) when compared to forged pistons. If you are trying to achieve a compression ratio that cannot be provided by OEM pistons, you may need to look into aftermarket ones. Available cast and forged, some companies to look into are Arias, Wiseco, JE, and CP. These are available in all different sizes and compressions, so be sure what your plans are and choose wisely.
With all of the parts available for our cars, it can sometimes be confusing when you are trying to get more power out of your integra, but are new to the game. The idea of this thread is to help those people understand what it is theyre buying, and why. Id also like to thank Blake (98vtec) for the idea for this thread. He made the same thing for H22 modification, so i figured it wouldnt be a bad idea to do it for the B18.
BOLT ONS
Bolt ons are anything that bolts on the the exterior of the engine. This mainly consists of an Intake, a Header, and an Exhaust (catback). Often times this will also include an intake manifold.
INTAKES
Intakes are generally the first modification done to an engine. Because the stock airbox and intake setup is very restrictive, there is power to be had by upgrading the intake piping to a bigger diameter, as well as a better air filter. Some say "an intake is an intake," and some disagree. I personally believe that the best power advantage is in the filter. AEM or K&N make great filters that flow very well. Here are some options, with pro's and con's for each intake:
AEM Cold Air Intake- The cold air intake (CAI) relocates the air filter right in front of the front wheel. This allows colder air to be drawn into the intake. Because colder air is more dense, there is more power to be had by obtaining cold air. The negative side of this is the risk of hydrolock. Because the filter is so low to the ground, it is possible to submerge the filter in a rainstorm. Please note that you can still drive in the rain with a CAI- the filter must be COMPLETELY submerged to cause any damage. AEM came out with what is called a "bypass valve," preventing cars from becoming hydrolocked when using a CAI. Unfortunatly, and power gain of a CAI over a short ram is lost when using a bypass valve. Because of this, most people do not use one.
AEM Short Ram- The AEM short ram intake uses a short peice of piping that keeps the air filter in the stock location. This allows for good power, without the risk of hydrolock. The only downside of it is that it is not pulling in cold air. As the temperature of the engine rises, the intake will begin to draw in quite hot air, hurting your power. The installation of a short ram is also much easier then a cold air, as you do not need to remove the front bumper.
Comptech Intake and icebox - this is considered, by many, to be the best of both worlds. This intake keeps the filter in the stock location, but surrounds it with a protective heat sheild, to keep heat from the engine out. It also has piping that runs into the fender well to draw up the cold air. The benefits of a cold air, without the risks. The only negatives I can see is the price, and filter design. Since Comptech closed its doors a few months ago, prices on anything with their label will soon be rising- and their prices werent cheap to begin with. Also, the comptech icebox utilizes an oiled filter, which in my opinion, does not flow as well as a dry filter.
There are many other intakes available for our car, but this sums up the basic design of most of them. (SRI, CAI, and the Icebox, which as far as I know, comptech is the only company that makes this). Keep in mind, Ive only scratched the surface on intakes, but Im trying to conserve space.
EXHAUSTS
Exhausts run in all different types of sizes and designs. Its very important to know what you want out of an exhaust before buying. Future motor plans are also a good idea to have in mind. The most common exhaust size for our car is 60mm (or 2.36"). This is a good size for those who do not have major power plans in mind, or those with mild all motor plans. This size exhaust should not be used for a turbo car, as it will not be big enough. With serious all motor plans, a 2.5" exhaust is best, and for cars with forced induction, 3". Within the different sizes of exhausts, there are different designs. Staight-through, chambered, and twin loop are most common. The design of your muffler will greatly impact how your exhaust will sound. A straight through muffler will be much louder than a chambered or twin loop, but will also flow much better. Both chambered and twin loop mufflers are designed to keep the sound down, while retaining as much flow as possible. Hytech claims that their twin loop muffler (Muffler only, $395) has no exhaust flow loss.
Those who are serious about their performance goals should invest in a quality exhaust of Stainless Steel or Titanium. These are very expensive, but will not rust. Those who are only looking for mild performance gains can consider something less expensive. There are tons of choices out there, and you really need to know what you want to do with the car before you buy one. Here is a list of all of the exhausts available for our car with sound clips and specifications:
http://www.team-integra.net/sections/articles/showArticle.asp?ArticleID=451
HEADERS
Headers are one of the things that range in quality and price VASTLY. For those planning to go turbo- skip the header, you wont need it once you are boosted. For those doing mild bolt ons, without serious power goals, look into the DC Sports or Megan racing. OBX makes products for our car, but I would not recommend ANYTHING with their logo on it. I had an OBX header when I bought my car. I GAINED power by switching back to stock.
For those interested in SERIOUS power gains, there are full race headers that range from $500-1200. Some brand you may have heard of are Hytech/SMSP/Rage/AN-R/RMF. The cheapest of the bunch here is the Rage, which can be found for $500 (or less if purchased used). The Rage header is an exact hytech replica, but does require some modification to make it fit. Large gains can be expected with these headers. Most of these headers are a Tri-Y design, and eliminate the cat. If you absolutly can not eliminate the cat, another good (and less expensive) option is the JDM ITR 4-1 header w/ 2.5" collector. This is the stock header off a JDM Type R, and can support up to 200whp (or even slightly more).
CATALYTIC CONVERTERS AND TEST PIPES
Upgrading or eliminating the cat is another good way to gain power, as the stock one can be very restrictive. Both Magnaflow and Carsound make aftermarket high flow cats of different sizes to maximize exhaust flow while staying legal. You will not pass emissions without a cat. The replacement for a cat is a test pipe, which is just a straight pipe placed where the cat once was. A "resonated test pipe" is no different, except that it is resonated to help keep exhaust sounds down. Whether or not a test pipe has any benefit over a high flow cat is often debate, but i can tell you- you WILL make more power with a test pipe. I gained 6whp by simply switching to a test pipe (dyno proven). However, when switching to a test pipe, my exhaust got MUCH louder, AND raspier. If you are looking for a good exhaust note, stick with a cat. Test pipes (while they do gain power), sound like shit.
INTAKE MANIFOLDS
There is (usually) power to be had when upgrading the stock intake manifold to an aftermarket one such as Blox or Skunk2. On LS engines, this is a worthwhile investment. Ive heard that the gains are quite noticeable. However, if you engine is a mostly stock GSR, I would hold off on the intake manifold. The stock GSR IM is a dual stage manifold, allowing for optimal power at low and high RPM. Unless you have a modication that warrants upgrading it (cams, turbo, etc), you should leave it stock. Upgrading this part on a stock GSR will only move the powerband up, and give you a few more peak horsepower. Your car will not be faster.
The most common intake manifolds for our engines are Skunk2, Blox, and the Edelbrock VictorX. The Skunk2 and Blox are (generally speaking) identical, and can be used under proper builds in an NA or boosted situation. The Edelbrock's strenght is its use on boosted engines. If your engine is naturally aspirated, you will be better off with a Skunk2, Blox, or AEBS.
PISTONS
I would hope we all know what pistons are. For a serious build, piston choice is very important. A general rule of thumb is you raise compression for all motor, and lower it for boost. Raising compression in an all motor car will allow for the use of bigger cams, and more power. Lowering the compression on a turbo engine allows for you to run higher levels of boost. Some guys keep higher compression on their boosted motors to get better power off boost. There are different choices available when changing pistons. Often times, a desired compression ratio can be reached by using factory honda pistons. For example, my GSR is running B16 pistons. All B-Series pistons are the same size (81mm) except the B20, which uses 84mm pistons. Keep in mind that the factory pistons are cast, not forged. They are not ideal for running high levels of boost, but like a stock engine, low boost levels are safe. The benefit of using stock pistons is that they are much cheaper (about half the price new) when compared to forged pistons. If you are trying to achieve a compression ratio that cannot be provided by OEM pistons, you may need to look into aftermarket ones. Available cast and forged, some companies to look into are Arias, Wiseco, JE, and CP. These are available in all different sizes and compressions, so be sure what your plans are and choose wisely.
