Hey guys. I used to have an integra. Being that I currently do not own a car I am planning on getting either a RSX-S or a WRX. I was hoping someone may be able to answer a few questions I had about modding the RSX as searches either neted mixed results or no answers. If I bought a RSX I would plan on doing some basic bolt on perf (I/H/E and a hondata reflash and IM gaskit swap)

My questions are this:
Most people seem to be pushing the Injen intake over AEM's CAI. Has anyone had experience with AEM's V2 system. I'm just not sure if its worth the extra money. Anyone has had any experience with it?

In the header department, it seems most people push Jackson racing and comptech headers. Being that I live in Cali I would need a street legal Header (maybe the comptech??). Is a street legal header even worth it on the K20A2? Couldn't really find much hype of CARB legal headers on this platform.

I may also go with the comptech exhaust. (Comptech is based about a half-hour from my house so it is easy to get parts direct) Anybody have any complaints, likes dislikes etc about it?

It seems like with I/H/E and a hondata reflash and IM gaskit swap i could be getting maybe 30-40 more hp out of the engine. Is this accurate?

Now heres the big noobie question. If I did these mods would it be worthwhile to go get the car dyno tuned or will the hondata essentially self tune? Im not sure what exactly a dyno tuner would adjust to change output (there no adjustable cam gears for timing changes or anything)

Thanks in advance for any information you can give a guy who's trying to get back in the game

 

the V2 will yield slightly more HP, but is it worth the $$?? I can not say, up to your wallet


Is a street legal header even worth it on the K20A2? Couldn't really find much hype of CARB legal headers on this platform.


nope, you really need a comptech race "type" of header to get that extra HP


hondata essentially self tune

hell no, get some form of fuel controller and dyno tune that bitch

 

By Fuel controller do you mean a FPR or a Variable Air-Fuel Control (like an Apexi unit right?)?? I Really don't have much experience with anything other than bolt-ons (my teg only had I/H/E and suspension work) so I am really clueless when it comes to actually 'fine tuning'. If I grab a VAFC should this be something I make an effort to disguise (ie will the SMOG guy from upon it?)

Thanks again for the help

 

Aem's V2 is basically a warm air intake. People prefer Injen's CAI over Aem' s V2 because aem pretty much took the same design as Injens warm air intake and aimed the filter toward the fire wall. Aem's V2 is not really a CAI, but actually a SRI. And the reason why people do not go with Aem's CAI, is due to the fact that you have to cut and relocate your washer bottle and most people find it not worth the time, hassle, and extra money if you mess up.
Your best bet would be to go with a Injen SRI, or Injen CAI,

Well this is a very tough thing to answer seeing as you want to stay CARB legal since you live in Cali. Well If you do not go with a race header you are stuck with the "shorty" headers which consist of only the top part of the header( 4-2) With the Shorty header you are stuck with using the stock downpipe which leads into the cat. This part of the exhaust system is what hold the true power of the K series motor back. With a Race Header which Comtech and Jackson Racing currently offer it is a complete 4-1 header that has the stock Cat removes. So you have a direct connection from the header to the exhaust. Now the part that is not legal is the fact that you no longer run any to of catalitic convertor. The car is what control or rather helps reduce carbonmonixid and other pollution. The only reason the Race header is illegal is due to the fact ther is no cat present. So if you would not like to chance any tickets and you want to pass emission ( which won't be for another 4-6 years. Get a shorty header and be happy with you 1-2 hp gain. But if you want power get a Race header and gain 16-20 whp the go for it. Remember you can always remove the race header when you have your car tested. But if you get caught with it on. oh man hello huge fines. Like I said it's your decision.


Well Comptech makes very good products so this is mainly up to you. But if you look at Comptech's website they also offer a Race Exhaust for 450.00

Well with that set up depending if you do intake, Race header, exhaust, and hondata this will put you around 208-209 whp. But if you want more power do this route. Intake, Race header, Exhaust, type R Cams, Type R pistons,Type R, Intake manifold, and the hondata type R flash this will put you around 225-230 whp which is really good.


Well with the type R flash provided from Hondata they tune everything for you. If you were to go with that set up I would say no and do not get the car tuned with the ITR set up. Hondata has alreadyt did the work. Our cars are not as easy as the b,h series when it came to tuning. Our K series ecu's are much more advanced and harder to tune. More is being learned each day about the K motor. But if you would wish for a shop to tune it, then good luck. Hondata has spent thousands of hours working with the K series ecu so I would trust them to handle the job. I wonder what a couple thousand hours on a dyno would cost.
Well bro good luck with the car.

 

Thanks F1nal zeros, your response was VERY helpful/informative. Ill continue to look into it but im still gonna look at the WRX too