03 civic rebuild
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Joined: Aug 2003
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Re: 03 civic rebuild
If you want a bit more go with the d17..
cam it, let it breathe a bit easier with I/H/E. If manual tranny, lighter flywheel to reduce loss at the transmission.
Still won't be uber fast, but it'll have some pep to its step. IIRC, my setup (Crower Stage 1 cam, AEM V2 intake, kamikaze ceramic header, random tech high flow cat, apex'i WSII exhaust, ACT streetlight flywheel) dyno'd at like 135whp (stock dyno on a d17a2 MT is 110whp, auto dynos in at a mere 100whp or so)
alternatively, or even concurrently, build/prep for boost
cam it, let it breathe a bit easier with I/H/E. If manual tranny, lighter flywheel to reduce loss at the transmission.
Still won't be uber fast, but it'll have some pep to its step. IIRC, my setup (Crower Stage 1 cam, AEM V2 intake, kamikaze ceramic header, random tech high flow cat, apex'i WSII exhaust, ACT streetlight flywheel) dyno'd at like 135whp (stock dyno on a d17a2 MT is 110whp, auto dynos in at a mere 100whp or so)
alternatively, or even concurrently, build/prep for boost
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Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 8
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If you want a bit more go with the d17..
cam it, let it breathe a bit easier with I/H/E. If manual tranny, lighter flywheel to reduce loss at the transmission.
Still won't be uber fast, but it'll have some pep to its step. IIRC, my setup (Crower Stage 1 cam, AEM V2 intake, kamikaze ceramic header, random tech high flow cat, apex'i WSII exhaust, ACT streetlight flywheel) dyno'd at like 135whp (stock dyno on a d17a2 MT is 110whp, auto dynos in at a mere 100whp or so)
alternatively, or even concurrently, build/prep for boost
cam it, let it breathe a bit easier with I/H/E. If manual tranny, lighter flywheel to reduce loss at the transmission.
Still won't be uber fast, but it'll have some pep to its step. IIRC, my setup (Crower Stage 1 cam, AEM V2 intake, kamikaze ceramic header, random tech high flow cat, apex'i WSII exhaust, ACT streetlight flywheel) dyno'd at like 135whp (stock dyno on a d17a2 MT is 110whp, auto dynos in at a mere 100whp or so)
alternatively, or even concurrently, build/prep for boost
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 21,620
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Rep Power: 512 Re: 03 civic rebuild
Some things to remember if you decide to go the bolt-on route.
DISCLAIMER: Please keep in mind, I always assume whoever I'm talking to knows very little about modding. If you already know this information, please don't take it as me being condescending. Maybe you know this info, but someone down the line will see this as valuable information. Also, I have a tendency to have a potty mouth (US Naval service will do that to you), do I apologize in advance for my language. We're all adults here, right?
1) Just bolt-ons (e.g. intake, header, exhaust) does not necessarily provide power. Companies claim, "OMG! 10HP INCREASE FROM JUST THIS INTAKE!" That's largely bullshit. Best case scenario, under optimal conditions, you'll get a 5 hp increase. Furthermore, what those do is really shift the power band. Depending on design, you'll lose a few hp in the low end of the RPM band, but you'll gain it in the top of the band.
Take a look at this dyno sheet that Import Tuner did on a 2008 Civic Si. In this power pages, they did a baseline dyno (blue), then installed an exhaust (red), intake (green), then header (orange) in that order.
What you see is a progressive loss in the low RPM band and a progressive gain in the upper RPM band. This is something a lot of new modders don't take into account.
2) On top of letting your car breathe easier (same intake, header, exhaust, etc. information), bigger is not always better. Your engine needs backpressure to work. Don't believe me? loosen the bolts on your header to downpipe connection so there's a massive "exhaust leak" and drive around. There's a good chance you'll find yourself struggling to get up a driveway. Best analogy I've come up with was this:
3) Turbos are fun. I'm not gonna lie. I was boosted for a year and a half, and it was great fun. However, maintenance costs get higher and more frequent, and you do inevitably decrease the lifespan of your engine. If properly tuned and maintained, yeah, you minimize that lifespan decrease. Tuning for a turbo setup is the make or break aspect of it. If you don't deliver enough fuel to the setup, boom goes the dynamite. If it's not properly cooled, boom goes the dynamite. When I was boosted, my tune was crap, and the tuning shop I was recommended to visit was crap. That was an expensive lesson.
4) When you do get bit by the modding bug, learn to shop frugally, not cheaply. Don't settle for cheap crap because it was in your budget. You'll pay in the long run. Fast, reliable, cheap, pick two.
There's more stuff I should mention, but I can't think of it at the moment. Please, don't let all that deter you from modding. These are just lessons I've learned or other people on this forum have learned the hard way. We're here to help if you need. Alls you gotta do is ask.
DISCLAIMER: Please keep in mind, I always assume whoever I'm talking to knows very little about modding. If you already know this information, please don't take it as me being condescending. Maybe you know this info, but someone down the line will see this as valuable information. Also, I have a tendency to have a potty mouth (US Naval service will do that to you), do I apologize in advance for my language. We're all adults here, right?
1) Just bolt-ons (e.g. intake, header, exhaust) does not necessarily provide power. Companies claim, "OMG! 10HP INCREASE FROM JUST THIS INTAKE!" That's largely bullshit. Best case scenario, under optimal conditions, you'll get a 5 hp increase. Furthermore, what those do is really shift the power band. Depending on design, you'll lose a few hp in the low end of the RPM band, but you'll gain it in the top of the band.
Take a look at this dyno sheet that Import Tuner did on a 2008 Civic Si. In this power pages, they did a baseline dyno (blue), then installed an exhaust (red), intake (green), then header (orange) in that order.
What you see is a progressive loss in the low RPM band and a progressive gain in the upper RPM band. This is something a lot of new modders don't take into account.
2) On top of letting your car breathe easier (same intake, header, exhaust, etc. information), bigger is not always better. Your engine needs backpressure to work. Don't believe me? loosen the bolts on your header to downpipe connection so there's a massive "exhaust leak" and drive around. There's a good chance you'll find yourself struggling to get up a driveway. Best analogy I've come up with was this:
Think of your engine as a water tank, where water is constantly being filled from an inlet (e.g. your intake) and constantly emptying from an outlet (e.g. your exhaust). The bigger the inlet, the more water you'll be able to put in. You can fill it with water all day, every day, but you're gonna be limited by the outlet. It'll just overflow your water tank, but that's okay, since you're keeping your tank full of water. Solution: make your outlet bigger, right? However, you make the outlet too big, and your tank will empty faster than you can fill it. Find that happy medium where you can move water faster, but still keep water in that tank.
4) When you do get bit by the modding bug, learn to shop frugally, not cheaply. Don't settle for cheap crap because it was in your budget. You'll pay in the long run. Fast, reliable, cheap, pick two.
There's more stuff I should mention, but I can't think of it at the moment. Please, don't let all that deter you from modding. These are just lessons I've learned or other people on this forum have learned the hard way. We're here to help if you need. Alls you gotta do is ask.
OF top 99.5% creator (Formerly of the Puffinblunts variety)
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Throw a J35A4 in it. V6 245 hp/240 torque: http://www.superstreetonline.com/how...s-engine-swap/
Not sure if it will fit in a 7th gen though.
Not sure if it will fit in a 7th gen though.
OF top 99.5% creator (Formerly of the Puffinblunts variety)
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 3,634
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Rep Power: 211 
OF top 99.5% creator (Formerly of the Puffinblunts variety)
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 3,634
Likes: 109
Rep Power: 211 Re: 03 civic rebuild
In the tutorial I linked it said that the J35a4 adds an extra 100 lbs. over stock. The extra weight will help keep the wheels planted. Forget about air conditioning though and the chassis vibration might be pretty harsh.
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Thanks for all the info guys! This is really helpful! My car hp is fine but it annoys the **** out of me when I try to pass someone and my cars like... buffering....buffering....buffering..... ah yes let's do this.
