X2BOARD

Please help, serious, leaving soon, need to make a decision.

I have a stock hard running D16z6 as my daily driver h/b w/ 190+ across the board, I have a turbo kit that happens to fit it... I am trying to decide btwn fuel options. The hack, hondata, emanage...etc..
I am taking the car to Trinidad, where I will have access to 95 octane gas on a daily basis.

I currently have a 6BTM and 450 DSMs w/ resistor box.

The VAFC Hack (Price $315.00 new, $200+ used):

It's cheaper, quicker/cheaper to tune on a dyno.
I can install it myself.
But, it doesn't run smooth 100% and there is the partial throttle, low boost advanced timing issue. (But would the 95 oct. be beneficial to that ??? )

Hondata (s200b $495 new, $400+ used):

Almost double price of hack.
Full mangement of fuel, ignition maps, seamless operation
no bulky computers on dash, on the DL
Don't know any Hondata tuners in Trini... so car tuned at 92 oct in US.
Hondata MUST be dyno tuned... ($300+)

What should I do ? Saving money is great... but Hondata would be worry free... or would it ??

pissedoffsol

if you can afford the hondata, by all means go for it. Get it tuned here before you leave, and then simply don't change anything.

the hack is a hack- its not the best solution out there by far, and its name even says so.

the main advantage of hondata over the vafc is that you can control the ignition timing with the hondata as well.

there are other options for the vafc though too... such as MSD's BTM which will allow you to retard your timing X points per Y psi.

So, my opinion- hondata if you can afford it.
vafc hack + BTM if you can't.

liam821

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pissedoffsol &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if you can afford the hondata, by all means go for it. Get it tuned here before you leave, and then simply don't change anything.

the hack is a hack- its not the best solution out there by far, and its name even says so.

the main advantage of hondata over the vafc is that you can control the ignition timing with the hondata as well.

there are other options for the vafc though too... such as MSD's BTM which will allow you to retard your timing X points per Y psi.

So, my opinion- hondata if you can afford it.
vafc hack + BTM if you can't.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I couldnt have said it better myself.

liam

X2BOARD

Well, I'd like to save where possible, but as far as a dyno tuning session. How far can the hack take me and maintain daily driving reliability ?

Would the professional tuning eliminate the instances of starting issues, stumling, etc ?

VTC_CiViC

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by X2BOARD &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well, I'd like to save where possible, but as far as a dyno tuning session. How far can the hack take me and maintain daily driving reliability ?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well, as you already know I'm far more an advocate of Hondata than any "hack", but while the stumbling/bucking was a pain, it did work for me for quite a long time with no major problems. The key IMO is to limit yourself to a safe boost level i.e. 8psi or less.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Would the professional tuning eliminate the instances of starting issues, stumling, etc ?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Nope. The problems are inherit to the hack itself, not a product of tuning.