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Weighing in with a stock 115HP, what can I achieve with bolt on's and a new exhaust? With everything else on my car being an really good deal I would like the engine too, to give me the best bang for the buck

With the intake on the way I would like to plan out a new exhaust system. I know there are several articles on what needs to be changed in order to use an EX exhaust along with keeping the cat. Please don't just chime in with (use the search button).

I am just wondering if someone could itemize some of the basic bolt ons along with their recommendations and what kind of HP I could be looking. I definitely want to maintain my MPG (so no turbo etc..).


I am thinking my target is around 175hp. Is that pretty realistic?

 
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Haha, 175? Man, even some guys with turbos are barely scraping past that number. Intake/header/exhaust will yield roughly 10hp, and you will lose engine torque. This topic has been covered infinity times on this forum. Do not waste your money on your D17. Throw an intake on it and call it a day.

 
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Wow, this is exactly where I would tell you to search because you don't know very much about bolt ons. You said you want to keep your same miles per gallon but you want more power. The only way to get more power is by maximizing the airflow into the engine which will cause more constant ignition and better compression. You know if you fan a fire and give it more oxygen that it will burn better, right? As a result, that hotter flame is burning through the wood at a faster rate so it's the same with your gasoline. Once you increase the airflow into the engine and increase combustion, you're going to be burning more fuel and decreasing your fuel efficiency so it's all downhill as soon as you start tuning.

If I were you I'd take your 5 year old car and check the head/block for any leaks or problems because you can actually increase horsepower by fixing any problems you have there from poor maintenance or just bagging on the engine. Once you have a good block which is probably the way it is right now, I'd do the following:
- NGK spark plugs - better ignition / spark
- synthetic oil - less friction on the engine
- cold air intake with water bypass - getting more air and colder air into the engine
- larger headers - more air in requires more air out
- properly tuned exhaust - need more air out but still need restriction so you're not actually decreasing horsepower
- Kpro / Hondata to tune your engine so it's not tuned for economy driving
- better alternator/battery/wiring might give you a bit of a boost

Otherwise you're looking at throttle bodies, valves and cams which aren't exactly bolt ons. All of the suggestions above are going to kill your miles per gallon but that's the only way to get horsepower out of your car. Also, you'll soon learn that there are other measurements besides horsepower that you should be considering. A big one is power/weight which means you can keep the same amount of power but if you lighten the car somehow, you'll increase your fuel efficiency and also make it feel more powerful because you can accelerate quicker. As well, by changing your air intake/outlet system, you'll modify the rev band and put your existing power at a different RPM making the engine accelerate at a faster rate without actually increasing the horsepower by very much.

And lastly, you don't have to make a car faster to make it more fun to drive. By lowering the car and putting some good wheels/shocks on it, you can make taking corners put a smile on the faces of both the driver and passenger.

And P.S. - the cheapest, fastest way to get 175 horsepower is another motor. Or another car.

 
Rep Power: 277

Wow, this is exactly where I would tell you to search because you don't know very much about bolt ons. You said you want to keep your same miles per gallon but you want more power. The only way to get more power is by maximizing the airflow into the engine which will cause more constant ignition and better compression. You know if you fan a fire and give it more oxygen that it will burn better, right? As a result, that hotter flame is burning through the wood at a faster rate so it's the same with your gasoline. Once you increase the airflow into the engine and increase combustion, you're going to be burning more fuel and decreasing your fuel efficiency so it's all downhill as soon as you start tuning.

If I were you I'd take your 5 year old car and check the head/block for any leaks or problems because you can actually increase horsepower by fixing any problems you have there from poor maintenance or just bagging on the engine. Once you have a good block which is probably the way it is right now, I'd do the following:
- NGK spark plugs - better ignition / spark
- synthetic oil - less friction on the engine
- cold air intake with water bypass - getting more air and colder air into the engine
- larger headers - more air in requires more air out
- properly tuned exhaust - need more air out but still need restriction so you're not actually decreasing horsepower
- Kpro / Hondata to tune your engine so it's not tuned for economy driving
- better alternator/battery/wiring might give you a bit of a boost

Otherwise you're looking at throttle bodies, valves and cams which aren't exactly bolt ons. All of the suggestions above are going to kill your miles per gallon but that's the only way to get horsepower out of your car. Also, you'll soon learn that there are other measurements besides horsepower that you should be considering. A big one is power/weight which means you can keep the same amount of power but if you lighten the car somehow, you'll increase your fuel efficiency and also make it feel more powerful because you can accelerate quicker. As well, by changing your air intake/outlet system, you'll modify the rev band and put your existing power at a different RPM making the engine accelerate at a faster rate without actually increasing the horsepower by very much.

And lastly, you don't have to make a car faster to make it more fun to drive. By lowering the car and putting some good wheels/shocks on it, you can make taking corners put a smile on the faces of both the driver and passenger.

And P.S. - the cheapest, fastest way to get 175 horsepower is another motor. Or another car.

 
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I'll be the first one to admit it. I know next to nothing about car performance. I am doing my best to try and ask the right questions.

Thanks for your answers, they are partly what I was looking for. I know the search could find this info, but again I do not know what I am actually looking for (LOL). Also the search is insanely slow and the google one is not as effective.

Is it plausible to match the power of a stock eighth gen ~140HP?

 
Rep Power: 277

I guess you could but you're going to send your engine into a screaming rage to get there. The K series engines in those cars are built much better for performance and will achieve it without much hesitation. And start calculating horsepower to weight rather than just horsepower.

 
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Ahh

So stock:
7th gen does about 20.8Lb per HP.
8th gen does about 19.1Lb per HP.

So I guess they aren't too far apart. Just by going up to 125HP in my 7th gets about 19.2Lb per HP. :P

 
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I believe those factory horsepower ratings are calculated at the flywheel. Your car as it sits with the automatic tranny is probably pushing approximately 90hp at the wheels.

 
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90 horsepower is right.

Civics aren't drag cars. Their intent is awesome gas mileage. However, one of the many perks about owning one is it's handling ability. My civic might not smoke a mustang gt off the line, but I gurantee you i'll lose him going around a 30 degree curve at +90 mph with mild body roll on my suspension setup.

If you want to get your car up anywhere NEAR the 175 benchmark you've set yourself up for...and want maintain your current gas mileage...it sounds to me like Nitrous is the setup for you bro. You can drive around town all you want getting your 30+ mpg and when it comes time for you wanting to go fast you just gotta hit a button.

To me setting up your car with nitrous as far as prices go will run you about the same as an intake, headers, and full catback exhaust...and you'll make more power.

 
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Thanks for the awesome insight lightningslp77, I'm definitely not ready for nitrous, but I like the way you think :P

I am not looking for a specific number. I guess my goal is to keep up with a stock 8th

 
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I don't know why everyone assumes you get crappy mileage with a turbo. If it is tuned properly you can have both. I have about 200 hp, and regularly get 32 mpg city, mixed driving boosting usually every day. I recently just took a 6 hour roundtrip highway drive and got 41 mpg. The only downside to that is that I have to use high octane fuel.

 
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Lol don't forget though baron not everyone has the same discipline as you.

people blow their civics out from under them running 6lbs out here where i'm at boosting from stopsign to stopsign thus, getting bad gas mileage lol.

what they probably mean are "how can i still beat the hell out of my civic and get awesome gas mileage?"

 
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LOL We drive the same way!

I put those 115(90)Hp to work! I test my 0-60 at every stop light I still achieve 32mpg

 
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i have a 02 ex. i know its VTEC but i figured i would let u know. i have an aem intake, DC Sports 4-2-1 headers with cat delete, and a Greddy Evo 2 catback exhaust. honestly i dont really notice a big difference over stock. my buddy has a stock 02 and we ran after i put the mods on and i didnt have that much more power than his. like the other guy said 10-15hp max. i hope i have been some help

 
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Swap with a A2 Head, Crower Stage 2 Cam, KPRO (http://www.hondata.com/kpro_d17.html)

or turbo

 
Rep Power: 263

Swap with a A2 Head, Crower Stage 2 Cam, KPRO (http://www.hondata.com/kpro_d17.html)

or turbo

 
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how much of a difference would the a2 head make? how much of a boost would it give it?

 
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Not very much at all. Not enough to be worth it in my opinion unless you are planning to drop a cam and k-pro in. You can get a cam made for the LX too, so you really don't need the head.

 
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I was thinking about doing that, with a D17a02 VTEC head.

 
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Hmm! Sell your vic and buy an 09 camaro. Our engines are meant for commuting. LOL