Cheap upgrades for a D15B7?

Hi guys, I just bought a 1990 Civic LX sedan and I was wondering what I could do to give it just a wee bit more pep, on a budget.

Does this motor benefit from an air filter or intake upgrade?

What about a new exhaust, the stock one on it is pretty rusty and it's the first thing I thought about. 1.5L, so I'm guessing something like 1 3/4" cat-back would do the trick.

It's a daily driver, helping me get about 70 miles per day round trip to work, on the freeway. Anything helps... and again, it's a budget upgrade path that I'm looking for.

Thanks!

intake, exhaust, and bolt ons wont do shit, with that motor. best thing you can do is the mpfi. btw how much do you want to spend?

Not much really, $200 or so hopefully, maybe $250. I just want a little more motivation on the highway, right now the car doesn't know the difference between 10% throttle and WOT, I can't feel anything.

I guess a D16 swap would be the best way to go, but we're talking like $500-700 right? I don't want to divert that much cash away from my other ride, just looking for a healthy increase here.

So how much would the DEFI to MPFI upgrade run me?

[QUOTE=srt4evah] right now the car doesn't know the difference between 10% throttle and WOT, I can't feel anything.[QUOTE]

hahaha, ive been there man.

but the mpfi conversion can be done for about 200-250. definate possibility. its probably the only thing you can do for that price that would really help.

where are you getting your parts if you go to the junkyard you can do it for alot less just do it neat and not all sloppy

Thanks for the info guys! I wasn't sure if intake/exhaust would do anything, but I knew about the DEFI to MPFI swap. Now I know which to go for, and I'm sure I can get the MPFI pretty cheap from someone I know.

Thanks again for the help! Maybe now I can pass those minivans on the freeway when I have to get over a lane =].

lol welcome to the boards and hope u like it here. Hope u like your 4g4d...there are other guys out here w/ 4 doors but i'm willing to say that the hatch's and crx's outnumber us easily.

Also...do u got an srt-4? Just curious by looking at your username.

lol welcome to the boards and hope u like it here. Hope u like your 4g4d...there are other guys out here w/ 4 doors but i'm willing to say that the hatch's and crx's outnumber us easily.

Also...do u got an srt-4? Just curious by looking at your username.

Thanks, I think this is probably going to be the best site for me to get info on my 4g4d. I'm a bit of a car freak I guess, I can't stop reading about them, fiddling with them, etc.

I've been driving my SRT into the ground, it's about 10 months old and has 22,000 miles on it. That's why I bought the 4g4d from a friend. It is a real runner, rebuilt tranny, new radiator, new tires, etc., recently. Only thing missing is torque =]. Hopefully I can find the time to toss in the MPFI.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/160115fixed-left.JPG

Do you happen to be a member over at http://www.srtforums.com???

Do you happen to be a member over at http://www.srtforums.com???

Yah, I use the same handle over there. I don't post that often, mostly when I have Q:'s about maintenance or want to get into a flame war =].

lol yes there happen to be quite a few flame wars over there. I post under the same name also even though I don't have an SRT-4. Yesterday was my first time lookin at one up close and sitting in one up in a dealer. I posted it in the General Discussion but no one read it, prolly cuz i have a damn Civic, lol. Welcome aboard.

I have a 90 civic lx sedan,,,,.All im going to say is "fabricating".Thats what ive been doing from day 1 with my car.First off any1 with a d15,,,,dont bother wasting your money on a cold air or short ram intake.For best results in air flow,,,that u actually feel the difference is taking off the stock air box and the metal cover that says PFI.I took that peace of shit off and put a Hks filter right on top of the throttle body.I spent 25 dollars on a hood scoop that delivers the cold air to the intake port so that takes care of the problem of cold air getting to the engine.The second thing i did was ,i bought a Greddy 4in exhaust and i tried to weld it on at a 90 degree angle ,but it wouldnt fit right on my car so its at about a 75-80 degree angle with 2 inch straight piping.I say my "ghetto" intake and exhaust upgrades gave my car a 15-20 hp increase.I really feel a big differnce.And for you D16 out there,i spank d16,my 2nd is nasty and i cherp 3rd.Keep your head up yo and mod your d15 ,dont let anyone tell u your shit sucks and u need to get a swap.I race for emblems and i have never had to give mine up.Thats how we do it in Miami.

Future mods:
Headers
Mpfi manifold
Aem cam gear
port and polish

ummmm ok tht post was kinda hard to read but i think i got the idea of it. Do u have any pix of this "ghetto" exhaust or intake your talkin about?

Also, we only need one header, not headers...and does getting a cam gear really help if you dont even have an aftermarket cam?

get 2.25 full exhuast thats wut i have its great or juss get 2in u will notice a diff

I say my "ghetto" intake and exhaust upgrades gave my car a 15-20 hp increase.I really feel a big differnce.And for you D16 out there,i spank d16,my 2nd is nasty and i cherp 3rd.

wow 15-20 hp increase on a dpfi d15. thats an awesome engine. i dont even see those kinds of gains on my b18 with intake and exhaust. also you must have some bald tires on steelies to chirp in 3rd. btw racing 16-17 second cars for emblems is :gay:

I dont have any pictures now but my car is still "under construction".Any one who has a honda except for a couple of engines know's that honda engines rev up pretty quick.Put it like this the more your car breaths the better it runs.And no, my car does not have bald tires.Right now my car is sitting due to a blown head gasket ,that god knows how long that old gasket has been in there.My head is out and im waiting for it to come back from the machine shop.Since i have to change the head gasket im shaving the head as low as i can go.The higher the compression ratio the more hp and defenately torque you get.Also to the guy with the b18 in his civc,,,,,wow if u have an intake and exhaust and u dont have or feel a power gain more than me , you have some serious problems.

Thats definatly BS about the 15-20 hp from ghetto intake and exhaust. And even more about chirping in third. And just some advice, In my opinion it is a better plan to use high compression pistons to raise compression, shaving the head can weaken it.

As for the Sedan, i would save more money and do a swap either a full d16a6 or a minime

Thats definatly BS about the 15-20 hp from ghetto intake and exhaust. And even more about chirping in third. And just some advice, In my opinion it is a better plan to use high compression pistons to raise compression, shaving the head can weaken it.

As for the Sedan, i would save more money and do a swap either a full d16a6 or a minime

First of all , I dont have to lie.2nd of all do you even know what your talking about, because you obviously dont.I will put money or even my title on the line that my d15 ,barely even tuned will burn the shit out of you.Any1 knows the 'higher the compression ratio, the more hp and torque you get.And without shaving the head to get a higher compression ratio you would have to buy higher piston "rods" to raise compression.Its basicly the same thing just one, you pay $80.00 and the other u pay a minimum of $250.00.Man you r a joke,,,dont post shit that you dont know what your talking about.

___________________
4g4d
D15b2 shaved head
Greddy 4in exhaust 2inch straight pipe
Hks air filter
Gsr stocks
120hp

P.S
I only have 2 injectors and i will dance around your azz

Ever run at the track jayballa305?

Ever run at the track jayballa305?

haha is that a joke, :sly: you can't race for emblems at the track! :cwm27:

he will blow the doors off you with the 92 bhp!!! :loser:

Shit, what was I thinking...obviously I wasn't, lol. But with his 15-20hp he gained he could prolly easily take me, cuz i only have 108 stock (but im sure my mods dont count for hp or somethin) so he'd prolly dust me and steal my stock emblem.

hahah it's ok buddy, just do the dx swap!:bloated: you will be taking emblems like no other!

Thanx bro...I think i'm gonna do that, convert to the d15b2 and take away mpfi and get dpfi!!! I can't wait till I have enough emblems to put all the way around my car. Maybe I can even win some of the ones that Glow!!!!! :rofl:

All im saying is that im maxing out my d15.It runs hard for what it is without major up grades such as mpfi,cam,and a d16 head.And about the 15-20 hp gain, when i ran it on the dyno with the intake and greddy exhaust system it was a 14.8 hp gain.I did a tune up,double platinum spark plugs,10.3 wires,oil change,fuel filter,oil filter etc and i felt another difference in my car ,thats why i say 15-20hp increase.The greddy exhaust really works.



4g4d
d15b2 shaved head
straight pipe 4in greddy exhaust
hks filter
gsr stocks

Future Mods
Dc Header
1.6 head and Mpfi
cam gear

You are the one who obviously knows nothing about d series engines saying you have gained 15hp from exhaust and intake on a d15... d16a6 is much better, better head, cam, injection, block, bottom end, everything. Why use d16 parts on a d15 when you a d16 is pretty much the same price and much better.

So you gained 20 hp up to 112... i have 108 stock, and much better gear ratios 4.40 > 4.00 and weigh less, so a Si will still beat you.

BTW you said you have platinum plugs, they hinder performance because copper is a better conductor than platinum, which is simply meant for longevity not performance. But i guess because platinum plugs are 3x as much, they must add power. And anyone who knows anything about tuning Honda engines, knows that honda's ignition system is very good and does not need upgrading unless you are making 300+hp, so don't expect 10hp from your 10.3mm wires

Dude, when you put on d16 head your gonna be pushin 200hp :loser:

:owned:

Thanks for the info guys, and uhm, I think I'll hold off on the exhaust and intake mods until I do the mpfi conversion.

BTW, what is the stock exhaust size? The stock exhaust is kinda rusty...

Yeah, just do the i/h/e and when you have the money prolly a MPFI and/or a minime would get you much better results

You are the one who obviously knows nothing about d series engines saying you have gained 15hp from exhaust and intake on a d15... d16a6 is much better, better head, cam, injection, block, bottom end, everything. Why use d16 parts on a d15 when you a d16 is pretty much the same price and much better.

So you gained 20 hp up to 112... i have 108 stock, and much better gear ratios 4.40 > 4.00 and weigh less, so a Si will still beat you.

BTW you said you have platinum plugs, they hinder performance because copper is a better conductor than platinum, which is simply meant for longevity not performance. But i guess because platinum plugs are 3x as much, they must add power. And anyone who knows anything about tuning Honda engines, knows that honda's ignition system is very good and does not need upgrading unless you are making 300+hp, so don't expect 10hp from your 10.3mm wires

Dude, when you put on d16 head your gonna be pushin 200hp :loser:

Bro you dont know shit.d16 and d15 are the same except one has 1.6 head ,mpfi and different computer.The cam, cam gear are the same exact shit.Learn yo info and i have dyno test to prove it

I'm still waiting for that dyno sheet to post.
I'm waiting anxiously...'cause I've never seen one in CRAYON!
Flunky
PS-MPFI is the best first upgrade short of an engine swap. I know. I've got a D15 with intake and header, and very little noticeable difference, except for sound.

Bro you dont know shit.d16 and d15 are the same except one has 1.6 head ,mpfi and different computer.The cam, cam gear are the same exact shit.Learn yo info and i have dyno test to prove it

No sorry Bro, you are wrong, they are not the same, the have different block, crank, rods, pistons, everything, its just that SOME of those parts are interchangeable, ie Header, cam, etc. The b7 and a6 cam are not the same! you need to do some research before you come here with your BS.

Bro you dont know shit.d16 and d15 are the same except one has 1.6 head ,mpfi and different computer.The cam, cam gear are the same exact shit.Learn yo info and i have dyno test to prove it


this is where i jump in on this old thread... my apollo for ressurecting it and not spelling properly. I'm posting this info for the record = so if anyone searches for info like what i was doing when i came across this one..... = MORE INFO!

I know the difference between a 1.5 and a 1.6 d series.... at this moment i have both motors completely stripped right in front of me.

the blocks are different than you think... the 1.6 and 1.5 crank are the same lenght but DIFFERENT WIDTH! if you look at both (at the same time) you 'll see the difference in .1 of a lit ( 1.5 to 1.6 L). the 1.6 is factory beefier!

bigger rod bearings, longer and thicker rods. the crank itself is heavier.

as for the pistons... that one im currently questioning.

you can use d15 pinstons in a d16 block/vice versa... but not the crank/rods. if you can... please let me know how you did it.

you got a point on "except one has 1.6 head ,mpfi and different computer" - as for the cams and valves i cant speack for it yet because im not working on the heads at the moment = i just stripped and tossed both in a box until im done with the blocks.

dont you think the newer technology would be better than the older? why would honda make the 1.6's (NEWER TECHNOLOGY) weaker than the 1.5's? of course if you build a d15b2 up, i bet you'll out perform a stock 1.6 but what if you build up the 1.6 with almost the same mods and compare it to the 1.5? i think the 1.6 would spank that 1.5... or hey turn up the boost on the 1.5 and then re spank the .6...

Not to be mean but making a rig setup like that wont get ya hp on a d15b7, ya gotta do real power gaining things. I built my d15b7, forged everything, did a mini me swap with jdm vtec head, turbo, and still not the power i want Im still stuck under 300. And i put a lot of money into That To make it what it is. Not rigging crap. Haha i dont chirp into third still ;p

This thread was 10 goddamn years old and you brought it up to say you don't make enough power? 10 fucking years... I bet the OP is dead by now... with any luck anyway.

Despite reports of my demise, I am not dead. I sold the Civic, bought an SRT-4, then an SRT-8, then an Evo IX RS, then another SRT-4, then an Evo X MR, then a Lexus IS F.

I'll reply to this thread in another 10 years. Thanks all, til then!