Looking to upgrade my stock manifold what should I upgrade to.

 

Upgrade it for what purpose?

 

Alright check it out here's my situation. I don't know very much mechanically about cars as I'm sure you can tell. I recently bought a project car that I've always wanted. I would like to do as much work as possible with my son. I have a 89 si hatch with a b16a1 nothing internally done only a couple minor bolt-ons. I want to keep it a nice daily driver with some performance upgrades. What do you recommend we start on first. It has neuspeed headers, skunk two exhaust, some suspension work. Pretty much everything but motorwork.

 

Nothing. Unless you plan to crack open the engine and KNOW what it is you're doing then I'd leave the car the hell alone. You can't just start slapping parts on a car and not know what they will do to your car and how they will work with the other parts already on the car.
To speak bluntly, how do you buy a project car and not have a clue what is it you plan to do with it past "wanting to upgrade"?

My suggestion is to search these forums for a build thread with a platform similar to yours and study what was done. If you have any questions, search first, Google second, then post a question last. In other words, do some serious research to educate yourself. Polling strangers on a forum is not research. I can tell you anything. How do you know what I'm saying is legit or utter nonsense?

 

also being blunt why do u assume I don't know what I wanted when I bought this car. I know exactly what I want just don't know what I should do to achieve this. I want a nice daily driver with some minor engine upgrades that's gonna help with both top end and bottom end. Overall performance but not lose driveability. I really don't know where to start.

 

Because these statements are contradictory.
Everybody wants more power. So what? How much MORE power? You have no plan to get there nor can state what that power goal is supposed to be.

Driveability? That means different things to different people so continuing to say that over and over isn't defining anything. How are people supposed to help you? An intake swap with no internal mods? Waste. You should know that but you don't. Upgrade ECU? To what? YOu somehow think that's what you're supposed to do but you're wrong again. You don't "upgrade" an ECU. You can get an EMS and spend about $500-$600 on it then another $500 to get it tuned only to get a measly gin of maybe 10 horsepower. You can even have an ECU chipped and tuned yourself for free, but again you have no clue how to do that either.

Advice? Leave it stock until you know more about your car and how it works.

 

First make sure the motor is at least running at 100% how it is. Just because it's running, and has 'bolt-ons' doesnt mean it's all working together properly.

Any cell codes?
Anything feel weird when driving?
Any hesitations or sputtering?

If it's a JDM B16A, and you are still OBD-0, you need 2 O2 sensors. You NEED them, you will not get max performance and driveability without both.

Next, make sure all of your sensors are hooked up and working properly.
Check your MAP, TPS (make sure it's calibrated!), IAT, Knock, and water temp. Those are the main ones that affect the performance of the engine. If one or more of those is giving incorrect readings, you will not get the best performance.

Check your timing. Make sure it is set correctly and in the proper range.

Check your valve clearances. Adjust to stock spec if necessary. If you are not good with engines, have someone that is help you. And for this, HAVE THE MANUAL WITH YOU. FOLLOW IT WORD FOR WORD.

Then after all that is done, and you still want more, THEN you can get into changing parts and all that.

I see all these people bolting on performance parts before they even check the basics. Why worry about putting in a high performance coil pack if you're not gonna even check your timing??

Do the basics first!

 

you know being jerk to people is always the best way to help. and you know what you contradict yourself is he supposed to explain to you his definition of drive-ability or should you just take the statement how it is ya jerk.

dude do what everyone else does lurk on the internet and try stuff out start with little things see what works and what does not

 

^it's this type of mindset that leads to blowing a motor. What if someone said they made 400whp+ on a completely stock B16a and drove it for 10k miles untuned and never had a problem? Would you tell this guy to try it?
You HAVE TO know what you are doing, otherwise, you have a great potential of messing a motor.