I'm such a ricer, modding the Honda...

S

Scottwax

New member
Upgraded the wheel tire combo from the ugly 7 spoke wheels and 205/60/16 tires to Acura RSX wheels (9 lbs less each wheel and easier to clean!) with 215/55/16 tires, gaining 1.4" of tread width. 


 





 


Stock J-pipe (connects the precats to the cat back exhaust) is pretty restrictive, ordered the XLR8 V2 j-pipe. Showed 19 hp and 30 lb-ft gains on a TL Type S that other than an AEM cold air intake was stock. Didn't dyno mine but the gains are very noticeable in the midrange and top end is stronger too. And my car is still quiet. 


 





 


Installed


 





 


Looking at a true cold air intake, AEM V2 seems to make the most power, also considering the 3.7 manifold and ZDX throttle body and maybe even the RL cams. Apparently they make even more power than the TL Type S cams. Just trying to see how much power I can get and keep the car quiet. 


 


Then to address handling (at least starting to...) I got the 20 mm TL Type S rear anti-roll bar to replace my OE 14 mm bar. 


 





 





 





 


Cornering and lane changes are flatter, understeer is noticeably lessened. I have a DC Sport front upper strut bar on order so that should tighten up the front end. Thought about doing the front anti-roll bar but I'd only be upgrading from 25.4 mm to 27.2 mm and the back of the front subframe has to be dropped to do the install. I'll see how much the FSB helps first. LCA bushings are showing some signs of deterioration, so I'll replace those with urethane bushings. 


 


 
 
Wing? I don't even have any badges! Plus the exhaust is blacked out, you have to really look to see the dual exhaust. 


 


I know some of the TL guys say you don't really need an intake until you do a lot more mods but the design for the 7th gen Accords isn't nearly as nice as the TL's cool air system. The K&N intake, for example, is identical for both cars but makes 10 hp on the lower hp Accord vs 7 hp on the TL. AEM v2 is supposed to make the most power on either. Plus if I do an intake/TB or cams, the extra airflow will be nice. 


 


Best of all, my car looks stock and is barely louder than stock. 
 
House Of Wax said:
Sounds more like an anti-ricer lol. Got any before/after of the whole car with the wheel change?
Click to expand...


 


Not my picture (too lazy to switch to my PC right now....) of another Accord, same year and color with the OEM wheels. 


 


20130722_132523_zps7f4d1c57.jpg



 


Mine at a similar angle


 


 
Scottwax- I wouldn't call those mods "ricer" at all, good moves IMO.  Especially like that it's not appreciably louder.


 


If you change the cams do you need to retune the PCM/ECU/whatever it's called on Hondas?
 
Accumulator said:
Scottwax- I wouldn't call those mods "ricer" at all, good moves IMO.  Especially like that it's not appreciably louder.


 


If you change the cams do you need to retune the PCM/ECU/whatever it's called on Hondas?
Click to expand...


The stock ECU will adjust to the added airflow through the engine but to get the best results I'd probably have to go with any aftermarket tuning system and need some dyno time. 


 


Honestly, it would probably be cheaper just to swap in a 3.2 to replace my 3.0, used, low mileage versions aren't any more expensive than my 3.0 and its a direct swap. Others are doing 3.5 and 3.6 swaps now but that's not quite as good proof, ECU's need to be modded (remove/add pins), tuned, etc. But some guys are making pretty big power without any power adders. 
 
Thanks David! Not loud by any means (at least compared to a G35 or BMW 335) but has a nice growl as the rpm build. 
 
Scottwax- Yeah, dyno-tunes are great, gotta watch the tuner doesn't mar the paint though ;)  My white/older/ratty Crown Vic is in a Indianapolis shop at present, and I shudder to think how much worse it'll be by the time I get it back :o


 


I gather the rest of your drivetrain can hold up under a lot  more power.


 


The swaps would sorta spook me...make the car too "different" and I can imagine servicing issues down the road.
 
WillWashesCars said:
Wow it looks really good with the RSX wheels. Just lower it a tad bit and I think it would be flawless.
Click to expand...


 


Thought about that, needs to come down about 1.5" front, maybe 1" in the rear. Roads are so bad here though...


 
Accumulator said:
Scottwax- Yeah, dyno-tunes are great, gotta watch the tuner doesn't mar the paint though ;)  My white/older/ratty Crown Vic is in a Indianapolis shop at present, and I shudder to think how much worse it'll be by the time I get it back :o


 


I gather the rest of your drivetrain can hold up under a lot  more power.


 


The swaps would sorta spook me...make the car too "different" and I can imagine servicing issues down the road.
Click to expand...


 


3.2 swap has the same service intervals, basically the same engine with a better intake, a little more compression and a bit more displacement. Since the TL is based on the Accord chassis, it bolts right in. 


 


I have the 5 speed automatic and my car has a very late '04 model build date (05/04) that is after the fix to the automatics was made. Plus I've made the switch to Honda's new DW-1 ATF which has friction modifiers (unlike the old Z-1 ATF) which tightened up the shift quality. Firmer, faster shifts mean less slippage and heat build-up. Going to start adding in the Redline D4 ATF now (huge write-up on acurazine about it) that means even better shifts. 


 


J32 swap into a 6MT coupe, XLR8 J-pipe and Borla exhaust, 14.1 at 100: http://www.v6performance.net/forums/7g-honda-accord-performance-discussion/215071-j32a3-swap-7g-accord-1-4-mile.html


 


That's the base TL engine (rated at 270 hp, then 258 hp when the correction factors were changed) so it isn't even the TL Type S engine. Pretty decent for two exhaust mods on an otherwise stock engine. BTW, Accords have about a 250 lb weight advantage on the TL. 
 
Scott-


 


Car looks great... dig the bolt-ons. However, I'm not a Honda guy-- performance wise-- love 'em for everything else.  So you'll have to pardon my lack of knowledge on the car.


 


Anyway, personally, I would strongly consider having that thing tuned.  Not necessarily because you are leaving power on the table but just due to the short-term and long-term fuel trims changes.  (You did reset the ECM after the mods right?)  I would have NEVER believed it but... (always a 'but') I added some long tubes, y-pipe, and a Superchips program to my Dodge Ram 5.7 1/2 ton and 30K later I got the 0420 code.  Replaced the factory 02s and cat with an aftermarket Magnaflow... 5K later... another 0420.  Let's just say I've got 1k in catalytic converters and 02 sensors since the bolt-ons and that is CHEAP because I did all the cutting and welding in my shop.  I ended up doing some things that I won't mention here to solve the problem.  After I remedied the code issue I eventually I took it to a local shop and my fuel trims and A.F.R. were way out of wack due to the increased scavenging of the exhaust. 


 


So just because it's not throwing a code now... doesn't mean it won't in the future.  At the very least data-log that thing!  (Not trying to rain on your modification fun... really I'm not.  Just don't want to see what happened to me happen to anyone else!)


 


Anyway, back to the fun!


 


Skip the cold air intake... you would need forced induction to warrant any increase in intake cfm or velocity.  The cost/ benefit just isn't there.


Again, I'm Honda performance challenged but is a .2 liter increase in displacement really a reason for an engine swap?  Surely there is a shop somewhere that can grind custom cams or has some off-the-shelf profiles for your current V6?  Maybe mill the heads to increase compression and have a good head shop port them?  (I know one if you are looking!)  Combine new cams, springs, headwork, with some good tuning... that Accord could be pretty fun!


 


However, something I'm sure of... I do like the new DW-1 ATF... much better than Z-1.
 
Scottwax- That's some interesting info, thanks for schooling me on Honda performance in the 21st Century!


 


When it comes ot servicing, I wash thinking more about....what if you have to track down some intermittent problem.  But that might not be an issue if the swap is that straightforward.


 


Dellinger- Yes indeed, one can open a can of worms with "simply bot-ons" in the absence of a proper dynotune (voice of pricey experience).
 
Dellinger said:
Scott-


 


Car looks great... dig the bolt-ons. However, I'm not a Honda guy-- performance wise-- love 'em for everything else.  So you'll have to pardon my lack of knowledge on the car.


 


Anyway, personally, I would strongly consider having that thing tuned.  Not necessarily because you are leaving power on the table but just due to the short-term and long-term fuel trims changes.  (You did reset the ECM after the mods right?)  I would have NEVER believed it but... (always a 'but') I added some long tubes, y-pipe, and a Superchips program to my Dodge Ram 5.7 1/2 ton and 30K later I got the 0420 code.  Replaced the factory 02s and cat with an aftermarket Magnaflow... 5K later... another 0420.  Let's just say I've got 1k in catalytic converters and 02 sensors since the bolt-ons and that is CHEAP because I did all the cutting and welding in my shop.  I ended up doing some things that I won't mention here to solve the problem.  After I remedied the code issue I eventually I took it to a local shop and my fuel trims and A.F.R. were way out of wack due to the increased scavenging of the exhaust. 


 


So just because it's not throwing a code now... doesn't mean it won't in the future.  At the very least data-log that thing!  (Not trying to rain on your modification fun... really I'm not.  Just don't want to see what happened to me happen to anyone else!)


 


Anyway, back to the fun!


 


Skip the cold air intake... you would need forced induction to warrant any increase in intake cfm or velocity.  The cost/ benefit just isn't there.


Again, I'm Honda performance challenged but is a .2 liter increase in displacement really a reason for an engine swap?  Surely there is a shop somewhere that can grind custom cams or has some off-the-shelf profiles for your current V6?  Maybe mill the heads to increase compression and have a good head shop port them?  (I know one if you are looking!)  Combine new cams, springs, headwork, with some good tuning... that Accord could be pretty fun!


 


However, something I'm sure of... I do like the new DW-1 ATF... much better than Z-1.
Click to expand...


 


I did do the ECU reset procedure before driving my car after the j-pipe. And since the 3rd cat isn't monitored, no chance of a CEL. The ECU has no way of knowing its missing. And 420/430 codes seem to be more of a super tight operating parameter built into the ECU than anything else. If the ECU detects more than a few percent change from the standard, you get the 420/430 codes. Huge problem with Maximas. Had to keep a code reader in my glove box for both Maximas I've had. But in 72,000 miles of driving now, I've yet to have a CEL in my Accord. I might go up to Cobb tunning one of these days and get my car tuned. Probably wait until I do more though. 


 


As far as an engine swap goes, that's only if I need an engine and decide to keep the car. If I was going to do a swap for performance, I'd do a J36 swap. The 3.2 makes sense as a direct replacement though, price is the same so why not get a slightly larger engine with a bit more compression? 


 


The RL cams are the ones that seem to work the best (without spending $$$ on aftermarket) and don't affect emissions. They make power everywhere in the J30 and I believe they are also lighter than the TL-S cams. Biggest drawback is price, I've done cam/heads in my Chevelle but not sure about my abilities nearly 30 years later with 2 cams in a much more cramped engine bay. Supposed to be 5-6 hours book time. I've got a good mechanic for the things I can't do and he isn't as expensive as a dealer on labor but 5-6 hours and the price of the cams will end up being in the $1000 or so range. And if I do cams, might as well do the 3.7 manifold swap (port and polish the lower runners of the stock intake) and the ZDX throttle body. But then again, there are people on v6performance putting down pretty decent power with the stock cams. On has Intake/PCDs/Jpipe/Exhaust/3.7 intake & TB/Runners/Pulley/FlashPro tune and it putting down 274 hp and 238 lb-ft and running mid 13s at 104 at the strip.


 


On the intake side, all I have done so far is removed the resonator box so the filter box is now pulling air directly from inside the fender. Might extend that tube deeper into the fender (right now it extends in about an inch) and seal the hole off better so all the air comes from outside the engine bay. Still might get the AEM v2, but not in any big hurry. 
 
The 13 range @ 104 through the traps... man, how much does that car weigh?


 


Sounds like you have a good game plan for the Accord.  I hear you on messing with anything OBDII, lol.  My ears 'perked up' when you mentioned your Chevelle.  What year?


 


I've got a '67 Malibu and a '55 Chevy 210 post.  The Chevelle is just a cruiser really... 283/ 2 speed power glide with a peg-leg 3.08 gear.  It's a dog but I love it... my dad and I painted it about 15 years ago when I was in high school.  I'm about to go back on it and clean up the paint since the last time I worked it was after wet sanding.  (That was with the old Makita that only went down to 1,500 rpm and Meguiar's #4, lol)    I'll be posting a C-n-B on it after I'm done.


 


The '55 on the other hand is my 'rowing gears' car.  Nothing crazy but a 327 with a solid cam, some vortec heads I worked over, a M21 muncie, and 4.10's.  It might have 350hp... but the 4-speed and gear make it fun!


 


Glad to know you are a gear head too!


-Gabe
 
Don't think the Accord has any weight reduction done, so around 3350 is what they weigh. 


 


My Chevelle was a 1971. Got it when I started my senior year in high school, paid $400 for it. And it looked like a $400 car. Needed the front suspension gone through, and needed some body work and paint. 350 2 barrel, TH350 and 2.56 gears. Took a body shop class, but there was so much work needed all I was able to finish was the body work and primer it. And swapping out a front clip...takes forever to line the fenders up! Put dual exhaust on it as my first mod, so disappointed when it was running high 16s (best was 16.83) at 83 mph. Then I did a chrome waterneck (leaked first time) and gold anodized Moroso valve covers (also leaked first time) followed by a larger 350 cfm Holley 2 barrel carb (no leaks!). Then I got serious. My brother found some Blackjack headers on sale at Super Shops for $20. Why $20? California airpump emissions version with ugly brass fittings to plug the holes the airpump would connect to. But they were $20! Used a friend's lift after hours at the gas station he worked it. Couldn't afford an exhaust immediately so we uses Thrush header mufflers. So freaking loud...within a week my Dad loaned me the money to put a proper exhaust on it! Did a 4 barrel intake (Holley's cheapest single plane) and carb (Holley 1850), everything went good until the distributor went back in, got it a tooth off I think. Ended up having to call a mobile mechanic to get it in right, I think it he charged me $25.Drove it like that for about a year, also finally got it painted. Met some friends out cruising on Central Ave. in Phoenix, all were gearheads. One of them helped me change cams. Went with a Comp Cams 268H, 218 duration @ .050, .454 lift. Install and break-in went smoothly. Went to the drag strip. And ran high 16s...but this time at 95-96 mph. Kept spinning that right rear all the way through first gear. B&M torque coverter, Ladder bars and 041 heads (3 angle valve job) got me into the high 14s at 96 mph. By then I had an Edelbrock Torker intake and Carter 625. Friend had a Holley 650 double pumper that was way too much for his mostly stock Firebird so we traded. First run with it, I did a 14.68 @ 100 mph. Still with 2.56 gears! Next run on a 14.65 dial, I went 14.63 @ 93 on the brakes which meant I was done for the day. I've I'd known I was going to break out, would have kept on it. Switched to 3.08 posi rear end, went low 14s @ 98 (now I had to shift into 3rd about 100 feet before the traps), might have gone quicker but my last two runs on a 14.30 dial were 14.32 and 14.33 and I was lifting. Ended up winning selectra eliminator that night! 


 


Then came the 4.11s, a different engine with my compression and a bigger cam, then an even bigger cam (Comp Cams 292M, 244 duration @ .050, .501 lift, 106 degree centerline), Holley Strip Dominator intake, Holley 700 double pumper and a modified Vega converter with a 4000 stall. Ran a best of 12.84 @ 108 with that combo in full street trim. Fun car, but getting 6-7 mpg city and 9-10 freeway was just killing me. When the last engine took a dump, I sold the car. 


 


Don't hate on the driving lights, dealer did that. Someone hit the front of my car, all they knew is I had driving lights, but not that I'd mounted them behind the grill. Nice of them to drill right into a new bumper....


 





 


 
Dig the photos Scott!  I feel like I'm reading an article from Super Chevy from the very early 80's... you know, the tall Moroso valve covers that could be had in Gold or Blue or Red... the slotted mags... ah nostalgia.


 


I bet those long tube with the smog pump 'inserts' would be worth money today.  (Looks like Mr. Gaskets exhaust gaskets?)  My '67 is a California car and had the smog pump and all that jazz.  Took it off but I've got the pump and stock headers with the inserts and all the hardware.


 


What's on the passengers inner fender well?  Looks almost like some sort of gauge?


 


You know, that Holley Strip Dominator is really a great single plane manifold even to this day... not sure if Holley still offers it or not.


 


The 041's are some of the best of the  'double hump' variety.  I know they don't have the same markings but the chamber is very similar if not the same... I have three pairs lying around   Did you keep 'em with 1.94's or did you 2.02s?


 


So, do you ever wish you had it back?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top