I currently have a 97' Accord SE. I've started the process of upgrading its performance, it has an AEM short ram intake, muffler, & i have megan racing headers coming in by next wednesday. My question is after i get the headers, have i pretty much maxed out everything to do the engine before i started thinking about the exterior? I.e. paint, tint, rims, etc? I will post pics once i get the headers on

 

Well, if you like major disassembly, you still can cam the motor and slap a lightweight flywheel on it before the bottom end would need to come apart. Also, if you don't have a full exhaust you can do that as well.

 

"before the bottom end would need to come apart?...what do u mean?

 

As in the reciprocating assembly, consisting of the pistons, connecting rods, and crankshaft. If you want more power, you need to install pistons with a different dome displacement in order to increase the compression ratio

 

@chikin pickle....gotcha guess i got more work to do on the engine before i begin working on the outside

 

Anymore suggestions? Anyone?

 

it can almost never be maxed out, the first thing youll max out is your wallet. Nitrous would be your next cheap upgrade. Risk comes with it though.

 

that true! but im def staying away from nitrous!

 

re-ground cam, pistons, IM, re-built head...but like what was said before you are very far from what can be done to the engine

 

thanks wolf. i appreciate the advice. im new to this so...i will def keep "breaking the bank..."

 

a cheap upgrade is replacing the fuel delivery system. get a new fuel rail and new fuel injectors. also, if your radiator fans run of the battery, get electric ones. those are cheap enough, and free up some of the energy. but deff go with the upgraded fuel delivery.

also, if you don't have a cat-back exhaust and just a muffler, fix that. i have a Megan Racing cat-back, and i love it.

have you thought about new pulleys? they are pricey, but every little bit of horsepower works if that's what you're looking for.

 

Great suggestion! thanks TimeChaser44!!

 

Great suggestions by everyone! thanks alot

 

@Timechaser44, u suggested new fuel rail & new injectors...with that said should invest in a regulator & pump as well?

 

You dont need to upgrade your fuel system for the mods you currently have. Get a cam & adjustable cam gear along with an OBD1 ecu and a duno tune. You will be very pleased with the results.

 

duno tune?

 

dyno tune....my bad.

 

man im not sure if there are any dyno tune shops in Birmingham...

 

Well, some of that is alright, but let's clarify some things...

Upgrading the fuel system, when you aren't re-tuning to add more fuel will do NOTHING. Your ECU is still on it's factory map, which means it will not send more fuel just because your fuel system can handle it. It will act as it always has.

Don't worry about the fans. Your stock ones are perfectly fine and are not worth worrying about unless you have to modify your radiator placement/size. And that's usually just for turbo setups.

You can do exhaust, including the header (you only have one, so not "headers") just don't expect it to do a whole lot besides change the sound.

Pulleys... There is a lot of debate on whether they are worth it. I personally wouldn't mess with them because I think they are a waste of money (if you really want to lighten the load on your accessory drive, why not just take off A/C, P/S?) but if you do, I'd only look at Unorthodox pulleys. They at least have the best reputation.

Also, it should be added that "bolt-ons" (intake, header, exhaust) are no reason to get a new tune for an Accord engine. If you go for some of the mods chickin pickle or adrbi suggested, then start considering it. I would HIGHLY recommend you look around the forums for a while before attempting any major engine modifications. There is a lot to learn...

If you are going to do some actually engine work, you may want to consider bigger injectors and a better fuel pump.

Also keep in mind that some cams recommend (or require) upgraded valvetrain parts to run them properly.

Check the Forced Induction forum to find a list of tuning shops all over the country (It'll be at the top, called "Tuner Directory").

 

You don't need to upgrade your fuel delivery or your injectors unless you start to do major internal upgrades or you look into boosting your engine. You also have to be able to tune your engine management system / ECU. There are OBD1 (90-95 Civic/Integra) Honda computers that can be chipped and tuned.

So what do electric rad fans run off if not the battery?

Upgradding your exhaust without a good flowing header probably won't do much power wise. It may sound louder though. I suggest looking into a good header first.

Again, pulleys don't do much for power vs the cost, they look good though!

Thing you should do is set some goals. What kind of power are you looking for? What is the car going to be used for, daily driver or daily driver weekend track car? Naturally aspirated or Boost? Do some research into what types of engine modifications are out there. Also remember to set a budget.

First thing I would suggest to do is make sure that all of the general maintenance is up to date on your car. Ignition tune up, engine tune up (valve adjustment, timing belts, water pump, gaskets & fluids) and also suspention & brake tune ups.

 

Ghost is exactly right, make sure all maint is up to date and also perform a compression test to ensure motor is healthy, i drive a 96 accord lx as my daily driver and wanted a little more power but on a budget so when the time came to replace the timing belt i installed a bisimoto level 1 cam, header, short ram intake. Then when the clutch showed signs of slipping i installed 11lb flywheel with exedy clutch. Finally i got a phearable chipped ecu. Car has 190k and all 4 cylinders have 175psi compression....gotta love honda.

 

Ghost, BWill, & Adrbi...whoa...this is why this forum is the "ish", always useful info!

 

Underdrive pulleys are a bad idea, due to the fact that they delete the harmonic balancer feature.

This leads to crankshaft resonance at certain RPMs, which will lead to crankshaft failure eventually.

Basically, your crankshaft is placed under load by a rod, and will deflect, or undergo torsion (twisting) as torque is applied by a connecting rod. When the torque is released, the crankshaft returns to it's original shape causing the crankshaft to vibrate.

However, at certain engine RPMs the torque applied by the rods is in sync with the vibrations of the crankshaft. This causes resonance (a function where a system oscillates at greater amplitude at some frequencies than others). In this particular system, the amplitude is equivalent to the force imparted to the crankshaft and when it resonates it will eventually lead to crankshaft failure.

The harmonic balancer resists the vibrations, and the rubber portion absorbs the energy effectively preventing resonance.

 

Exactly why I don't mess with them.

I mentioned Unorthodox because you will find that a lot of fans of their product (and the company itself) go out of their way to show that they work properly and don't have issues.

I still think it's a waste, as you really aren't going to gain a whole lot and there are better places to put that money. Why change what you really don't have to? As I said, if you happen to a be a person who really wants stress off the accessory system, be a man and take off A/C and P/S and call it a day.

 

Does your car have the f22? If so buy a h23 vtec head and make your self a g22/g23 vtec motor. WHEN VTEC KICKS IN YO, ITLL BE FAZZ!!!