Need advice on a 98 EX

[RoadRover]

I just bought a '98 Civic EX. 1.6l VTEC and I need some advice on hooking it up. I've done the 'sport compact / MAX Power' thing before, but not with a Honda. What I want to know first, is what muffler and cold air system provide the best HP gains?

I don't care for throwing huge amounts of cash at a car for things like bodykits until I'm happy with whats sitting under the hood, but I'm hoping to get a widebody kit on it after the engine, tranny and handling are sorted. Does anyone know of a widebody kit for the 98 coupe? All I've seen are ones for the 4-door and the hatchback.

Also, can you get a fuel pressure riser for the 98 EX? I can't find them listed anywhere. Would anyone care to give advice on wether a FPR is a better idea than a chip? I've heard both sides of the argument. Keep in mind, I'm looking for power gains above price, but still trying to keep my spending under control for the time being.

If I get into this project deep enough, I'll want to do an engine swap eventualy. What's the best idea when it comes to switching out engines?

That's pretty much it. Any advice you can give is appreciated.

[GOD]

Well as far as intake you should definitly get the Aem cold air induction . As far as i know there the best intake for gaining Hp and exhuast wise well theres alot out there but i would recommend a Greddy Evo from all of that you should gain around 10-15 more horses . Another thing you should consider is getting some pulleys like unorthodox racing pulleys and some Cam gears from jun,or aem . Next would be Cam shafts there gonna run from $800-$1000 i think . OR hell u could pay bout $6,500 for a completely tuned jun b16 or a b18 engine . I dunno those were some ideals that i thought of

[RoadRover]

Yeah, I thought of the UD pulleys after I'd posted the message. Those are a quick and easy way to gain a few HP. Good thinking.

Camshafts, well that depends on how far I get into the project. If I'm going to get into the engine a few grand, I'd go for an engine swap. The Jun engine seems like a good notion. How much HP and torque am I looking at with one of those?

Also, whats the deal with Spoon engines? I assume they're good. I just can't find a HP / torque chart for them, or any prices.

I'll keep your advice in mind about the AEM intakes. They're one of the brands I looked at. I considered the Greddy exhaust, also but I'm not in love with the way they sound. I know 2 guys who have them, and they sound too 'farty' to me. I can't stand that.

Anyone else have any input on this?

[kris]

Originally posted by RoadRover
I just bought a '98 Civic EX. 1.6l VTEC and I need some advice on hooking it up. I've done the 'sport compact / MAX Power' thing before, but not with a Honda. What I want to know first, is what muffler and cold air system provide the best HP gains?

Well, good to hear you know a little bit about whats going on. With a Honduh, you have a wide range of products. With the Exhaust, you need to sit back and look at what you want in the future. Are going Turbo? N/A? It makes no sense to buy a good exhaust for your motor now, then in the future, you go turbo, and need a bigger exhaust. So you need to sit down and think. Then you can go from there. As for the intake goes. ÆM is not the only one who makes a CAI, again, you have a wide variaty of options. Does it rain alot where you are? are you prone to driving through puddles? Probably not, but, CAI is better than a warm air intake. CAI will take a little modifications to get it to fit right.

I don't care for throwing huge amounts of cash at a car for things like bodykits until I'm happy with whats sitting under the hood, but I'm hoping to get a widebody kit on it after the engine, tranny and handling are sorted. Does anyone know of a widebody kit for the 98 coupe? All I've seen are ones for the 4-door and the hatchback.

Clears and stickers, the best bang for your buck Some body kits are nice, others are too much. As far as a wide kit, I have no clue on what they are.

Also, can you get a fuel pressure riser for the 98 EX? I can't find them listed anywhere. Would anyone care to give
advice on wether a FPR is a better idea than a chip? I've heard both sides of the argument. Keep in mind, I'm looking for power gains above price, but still trying to keep my spending under control for the time being.

I am not that knowledgable in the differences on the ECU deal. But a fuel pressure regulator, you should be able to get one that fits any Civic with a SOHC Vtec, and it will work.

If I get into this project deep enough, I'll want to do an engine swap eventualy. What's the best idea when it comes to switching out engines?

This all depends on what you want, and what you can spend. I would say the most common swap is the B16 swap. Which is what I may be doing in a while here. If you are going to eventually do a swap. I would not recommend cams, cam gears, stuff like that, it would be a waste of money.

[RoadRover]

I'll keep your advice in mind when it comes to the exhaust. If I decide that I'll do an engine swap, then the turbo idea will go out of the window. It depends on what there is when I can afford to do either. I live in Arizona right now, so rain isn't a problem, but I'm moving to LA at the end of the year, so the CAI thing is kind of up in the air, too.

About your idea for the clears and stickers. We all have our own opinions, and I think clears look shit on some cars. I'll just go with the half red, half clear lights. I can't stand altezza lights, they just look so out-of-place, and clears aren't my thing. Stickers: no way. I'm not interested in what is 'in style' when it comes to modifying. I'd rather save the money I could spend on stickers and lights, and wait until I had money to do something to the engine. Building sleepers is so uncommon these days, and thats what I'm planning to do with this car. I'm not even going to look seriously for a bodykit until I'm happy with the car's performance. Don't get me wrong, I respect and value your input, I just won't blow money on something that could make the car look better until I'm happy with it's performance and handling. I've seen a lot of cars all decked out with kits, spoilers, big-$ paint jobs and stickers get blown away by cars with absolutely no body mods at all. All because the owners of the 'sleepers' had put all the money they had under the hood. Thats what I'm about. Sure I won't get into any magazines with a car like that, but I'll be happy knowing I can pull up next to a prick in a camaro, rustang or whatever and blow his sorry ass away because I put my money under the hood.

[piscorpio]

I dont know if this will help you any, but I can tell you my plans for my EX.

First, Im just going to concentrate on handling aspects. (lowering, strut ties, sway bars, wheels, maybe brakes, etc.)

Then Ill decide which way to go as far as power is concerned. Im leaning toward supercharging the SOHC, but having an automatic complicates things, and I may decide to swap as well. Which is why I have vowed not to get any more go-fast goodies, until the rest of the package is up to speed first. I did break down and buy an AEM cold air, but thats the last thing, I swear! Since it sounds like you are leaning more toward swapping, perhaps you should save the money you spend on headers and exhaust (since they wouldnt be compatible with the new engine anyway), that way you can swap that much sooner. I would definitely stay away from any internal stuff and other generally expensive mods, if you really dont know where you plan to go with the engine yet. I wont tell you not to get an intake, since I got one myself and it is nice.

Well, dont know if my rant means jack to you, but just thought I might be able to give you some things to think about.

[RoadRover]

I've been thinking about he whole 'swap' thing. Right now, I'm with you. I think I'll go for the supercharger. The new intercooled system looks like a good idea. (if I can remember who makes the damned thing) For under $3000 installed, it can't be that bad. plus, that way I can fix the engine up right now, and I won't have wasted my money when the time comes to get the blower put in.

PS, what RPM does the VTEC in the SOHC 1.6l engine kick in?

[JD@af]

I'd really urge you not to supercharge your single cam engine. A B series swap (doesn't need to be the pricier VTEC B series swap - you'd be surprised how much of a performance increase you'll see with a relatively cheap B18B in your Civic EX.. so much more torque at your fingertips) is the preferred route for power here. It's all about what you want in the future. If you want more power from a single cam once you've supercharged it, you'll probably have to start with a new motor and SC. Choose carefully.

From there, again, you'll have to decide what you want. If you're toying with forced induction, don't even think about changing your cam(s). This is very expensive route to get.. seriously, like 6 horsepower, tops. Stock cams work very well with forced induction applications. Remember that higher duration, lift, and overlap offered by aftermarket cams generally blow mixed air and fuel right out the tail pipe when running some boost. However, if you want to go all motor, than I'd look into cam options. I know Jun and Toda make great all motor cams, as does Crower. Your options are plentiful. Getting a B series motor (perhaps coupled with intake, header, and exhaust) will make your Civic a pretty mean machine.

Also, if you do want to go all motor, then I would put down the extra cash for a VTEC B series engine. There are so many items designed into the VTEC engines that make them superior over the non-VTEC, but below 7,000 rpm these added security measures are pretty much superfluous.

Please write back with more questions.

[RoadRover]

The problem with engine swaps is that they are hard to get done properly. I don't have the space availiable to do a lump transplant myself, so my only options are: Find a place that will do it, or work with what I've got.

Not only is finding a TRUSTWORTHY shop not an easy feat, but you also have to consider that you're pulling out the most important part of your car, and replacing it with something that (most of the time) you have no knowledge of the history of. Think about it. 90% of the time, you have NO idea where your 'new' engine came from, how well it works, if it leaks like a seive, if it's on the verge of crapping out on you...

Too much hassle. If you buy an engine from a tuner, then a lot of the worries associated with engine swaps are eliminated, true. However, you still have to worry about the quality of the install. I've seen engine swaps, even ones involving high-dollar engines, installed by professionals, go horribly wrong. I won't seriously think about getting it changed out unless I can either find the facilities to do it myself, or I can find a place to do the swap who I TRUST.

Forced induction or an engine swap on my Civic are a LONG way away, I'll remind you. Until the time comes when I have to make that choice, I'll just stick with the basics.

[JD@af]

This is all true. Engine swapping is a much better option for the hard core enthusiast who can get a motor, do a tear-down to check everything from the camshaft lobes to the pistons rings to the rod bearings and inspect them for wear, and then reassemble everything, replacing parts wherre necessary. And it is so hard to trust anyone these days.

Yet, I stand my ground on my advice. Pick up a Helms manual (or a Hanyes if you can't find or afford a Helms) for a Honda with the engine you want, and read about it, see pictures of it inside and out, etc. You should find in time that the thought is inspecting your engine is not so daunting a task anymore. In fact, you may even get to the point where you regard this as being fun! So, when you are ready to make a move, having more familiarity with you what you'll be working with will make your options more palatable. Also, on the forced induction front, I know Jackson Racing for one includes complete, downloadable instructions on their supercharger installs on the web site, if you want to take a look (http://www.jacksonracing.com/).

[piscorpio]

Originally posted by RoadRover
The problem with engine swaps is that they are hard to get done properly. I don't have the space availiable to do a lump transplant myself, so my only options are: Find a place that will do it, or work with what I've got.

Not only is finding a TRUSTWORTHY shop not an easy feat, but you also have to consider that you're pulling out the most important part of your car, and replacing it with something that (most of the time) you have no knowledge of the history of. Think about it. 90% of the time, you have NO idea where your 'new' engine came from, how well it works, if it leaks like a seive, if it's on the verge of crapping out on you...

Too much hassle. If you buy an engine from a tuner, then a lot of the worries associated with engine swaps are eliminated, true. However, you still have to worry about the quality of the install. I've seen engine swaps, even ones involving high-dollar engines, installed by professionals, go horribly wrong. I won't seriously think about getting it changed out unless I can either find the facilities to do it myself, or I can find a place to do the swap who I TRUST.

Forced induction or an engine swap on my Civic are a LONG way away, I'll remind you. Until the time comes when I have to make that choice, I'll just stick with the basics.

These are my sentiments exactly. Plus, I really do not intend to become a drag strip monster anyway. So, the 3500+ spent on getting an integra swap, would be a bit much for me when I can get the JRSC and other complimentary components for less. Theoretically with a 40% increase in power that the JRSC promises, Id have more power than the GSR engine anyway. (Who knows, it may end up being faster, due to lighter engine) Couple that with the fact that the supercharger can be upgraded, with port and polishing the internals of the blower and a pulley upgrade, and you can raise the boost higher than 6psi. Just be sure the engine is strengthened for such duty. Of course, this is where the need for speed becomes more costly as most B series engines can withstand higher boost levels in stock form. Basically, www.theoldone.com has provided alot of inspiration for keeping my SOHC, you should read everything you can there.

That being said, Id love to keep my SOHC and work it into a fast little sleeper (who doesnt love an underdog?) but the fact that I have an automatic tranny throws a wrench in the works. When the time comes Ill have to decide if I want to keep the engine and swap in a manual tranny, or just swap a whole new engine and tranny combo?

[JD@af]

Yeah, I've seen you over at TOO.com. I'd just like to remind you that Larry's power numbers from single cam engines never seem to add up. He obtains numbers using a Motec (which is a $five-figure stand alone engine management system with an internal weather station - it is always optimising fuel mixtures while taking temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, and a host of other factors into account, and that's why he gets such good numbers on the dyno), and I remember him even saying recently that in general, B series are more practical for building, even though he prefers to work with D series engines. Remember that Phil Hooper's D series engine, with both the engine and blower worked on by Larry, only puts down 190 real world whp (i.e. without a Motec, Speed Pro, or other advanced engine management system).

If you so choose, work with your single cam, and best of luck. But my advice stands: start with a B series.

[RoadRover]

Originally posted by JD@af
This is all true. Engine swapping is a much better option for the hard core enthusiast who can get a motor, do a tear-down to check everything from the camshaft lobes to the pistons rings to the rod bearings and inspect them for wear, and then reassemble everything, replacing parts wherre necessary. And it is so hard to trust anyone these days.

Yeah, see thats my problem. I don't have the space to do a rebuild on an engine. Don't get me wrong, I DO know engines. I just don't have a garage or anything to work in when it comes to tearing greasy motors apart and rebuilding them. I think my wife would go spare if she found me with a motor in peices on the dining room table..

Yet, I stand my ground on my advice. Pick up a Helms manual (or a Hanyes if you can't find or afford a Helms) for a Honda with the engine you want, and read about it, see pictures of it inside and out, etc. You should find in time that the thought is inspecting your engine is not so daunting a task anymore. In fact, you may even get to the point where you regard this as being fun! So, when you are ready to make a move, having more familiarity with you what you'll be working with will make your options more palatable. Also, on the forced induction front, I know Jackson Racing for one includes complete, downloadable instructions on their supercharger installs on the web site, if you want to take a look (http://www.jacksonracing.com/). [/quote]

Well, like I just said, I know what I'm doing. The task of doing a teardown just is out of reach because I don't have a place to do it in. An engine's an engine, isnt it? Not terribly complex, really.

Also, on the blower front, I wasn't talking about the JR supercharger. I'm talking about the turbine-style one from some other company. I can't remember who makes it, but it mounts on the passenger side of the engine, with an input shaft going across the front of the block to the pulley on the drivers side. It also has an intercooler, whereas the JR one does not (if memory serves) Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

[piscorpio]

Originally posted by JD@af
Yeah, I've seen you over at TOO.com. I'd just like to remind you that Larry's power numbers from single cam engines never seem to add up. He obtains numbers using a Motec (which is a $five-figure stand alone engine management system with an internal weather station - it is always optimising fuel mixtures while taking temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, and a host of other factors into account, and that's why he gets such good numbers on the dyno), and I remember him even saying recently that in general, B series are more practical for building, even though he prefers to work with D series engines. Remember that Phil Hooper's D series engine, with both the engine and blower worked on by Larry, only puts down 190 real world whp (i.e. without a Motec, Speed Pro, or other advanced engine management system).

If you so choose, work with your single cam, and best of luck. But my advice stands: start with a B series.

Im surprised youve seen me, Ive posted maybe 10 times!

I know what you are saying, and Ive always wondered about Larry's HP numbers, so basically you are saying he has access to more intricate and precise tuning equipment right? Given his background that isnt too surprising. I do not intend to be a drag racer, so 190 hp is just fine for me, I never for a second thought Id be driving a 400hp Civic. Plus, I already have my SOHC, so thats what Im starting with, but who knows, maybe the speed bug will bite and Ill have to get a swap. I was never arguing that the D series is a better starting point than a B series, I was merely relating to being in a similar situation and options available to us EX owners. (It sucks having all the bells and whistles of the Si, but not the performance.)

I guess the whole D versus B debate is really a question of how fast do you want to be and how much money do you want to spend? (As it always seems to be! )

[Racing Rice]

IMO - Id go with the things to start building up for a turbo.. Thats the easiest way to get the most power out of you car.. Get things like a new clutch, ignition and fuel upgrades then slap on a turbo..