Car/mechanic peeps

[Kraig]

So my car is due for its major maintenance and I am debating picking up some extra's for it. Nothing crazy, just odds and ends rather than just the standard stuff.

I was hearing that there is a noticeable performance/gas efficiency increase if I purchase performance spark plugs and replace the spark plug wires with more efficient ones as well.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

[Kraig]

(bump)

Originally Posted by Kraig

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Psstt Kraig - I used to work at Honda - and my mom still does - you should answer your cellamer, I am about to call you.

[hardstylin]

plug wires are a good cheap buy that will increase performance. what kinda car do you have and what kind of performance do you want out of it, more speed, better on gas louder??

[mapleleaf4ever]

^ Exactly... if you're driving a Four Cylinder, there isn't too much more to get better Gas mileage. If you're getting 400+ km a tank, that's nothing to sneeze at. The only way you'll get more gas mileage is by driving a Turbo Diesel. However, if you want more performance then I can talk to you about that. :kam:

[Kraig]

I drive a 1998 Honda Prelude. Thing is in wicked working order however it's now at the 100K mark and going in for its major servicing.

I figured since I am taking it in to get done, if there is anything else I should look at to do while it's in there (within reason), then I'd like to know about it!

[G-Style]

fastest way to boost performance cost effectivly is to throw an after market exhaust on it. You can gain anywhere from 10 - 30 hp from a good exhaust.

[Dean]

Originally Posted by Kraig

I drive a 1998 Honda Prelude. Thing is in wicked working order however it's now at the 100K mark and going in for its major servicing.

I figured since I am taking it in to get done, if there is anything else I should look at to do while it's in there (within reason), then I'd like to know about it!

what exactly is "major servicing?"

Originally Posted by G-Style

fastest way to boost performance cost effectivly is to throw an after market exhaust on it. You can gain anywhere from 10 - 30 hp from a good exhaust.

you watch too much fast and the furious... realistically "good exhaust" does little to nothing if your car is bone stock in every other way

[G-Style]

Originally Posted by Dean

you watch too much fast and the furious... realistically "good exhaust" does little to nothing if your car is bone stock in every other way

Actually this would be the advice of my best friend whos the chief mechanic in his shop and has every mechnic certificate available from BCIT. So I tend to believe him.

[mapleleaf4ever]

Get a 4 to 1 Exhaust Header, High Flow Catalyitic Converter and a better flowing Muffler should net you about 15 - 20 HP. If you get your Cylinder Head ported that would be a noticable increase as well. Probably around 3 - 5HP. Cold Air Intake is also a good mod... you can get another couple HP from that. Underdrive Pulleys are also cheap upgrades.

[hardstylin]

unless its a mopar i cant really help you out kraig. i love my car so easy to work on haha

[Dean]

Originally Posted by G-Style

Actually this would be the advice of my best friend whos the chief mechanic in his shop and has every mechnic certificate available from BCIT. So I tend to believe him.

on a 4 cyl engine with nothing else done to it?

i highly doubt you'd get anything near 10-30hp
maybe 1-5?

"good exhaust" is simply allowing it to flow better but if it flows good enough already (as it would if its just a regular 4cyl engine) there's not much point to getting a bigger pipe with less sound deadening... other to make your car louder and more annoying...

taking out the cat and stuff will help a bit but then you get to the point where its not street legal... but you sure as hell wont get that kinda power gain with a 4cyl

[mapleleaf4ever]

On a stock 4 cyl, you can get almost 15 if you do the header and the stuff I mentioned. But the best performance upgrades would be a camshaft and a decent aftermarket cylinder head. Porting and Polishing, bigger Throttle Body and a Performance Chip. I've been reading up on this crap as I might be trading my 5L Mustang for an '86 2.3L Turbo.

[G-Style]

An exhaust system complete with new head and cat will run you around $700.00 and can give you increases of up to 30hp. I know i've seen the improvements first hand done on a honda civic.

[Dean]

Originally Posted by mapleleaf4ever

On a stock 4 cyl, you can get almost 15 if you do the header and the stuff I mentioned. But the best performance upgrades would be a camshaft and a decent aftermarket cylinder head. Porting and Polishing, bigger Throttle Body and a Performance Chip. I've been reading up on this crap as I might be trading my 5L Mustang for an '86 2.3L Turbo.

hahahahaha have fun finding an SVO

they are amazing though if you can get your hands one one

Originally Posted by G-Style

An exhaust system complete with new head and cat will run you around $700.00 and can give you increases of up to 30hp. I know i've seen the improvements first hand done on a honda civic.

doing the headers will help alot more...

but the way 95% of dumbasses out there put "performance" exhaust on their car it just improves the excessive noise produced by the car

[StOkerD]

Originally Posted by Kraig

So my car is due for its major maintenance and I am debating picking up some extra's for it. Nothing crazy, just odds and ends rather than just the standard stuff.

I was hearing that there is a noticeable performance/gas efficiency increase if I purchase performance spark plugs and replace the spark plug wires with more efficient ones as well.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Good quality spark plugs and wires should help your mileage... especially if you current ones are quite worn. Performance benefits are debatable and depends alot on the car. (don't expect too much) I changed all of my plugs in the summer and my mileage went from an average of 12mpg - 13.5mpg consistantly. Again, performance benefits weren't anything to brag about

If you can do a little research or check out a message board to see the brand of plugs/wires that others have found successful with their cars. Cars can be picky with plugs... ex. A high end plug that may work well with one engine may not perform so hot with another.

[mapleleaf4ever]

In the end this is what it comes down to folks. :p

[mapleleaf4ever]

Originally Posted by Dean

hahahahaha have fun finding an SVO

they are amazing though if you can get your hands one one

Some guy in Missouri wants to trade me his '86 2.3L Turbo (non-SVO) for my '79 5L... we'll see, if I get mine driveable I might meet him in Idaho and trade off. With a couple hundred bucks I can get the 2.3L Turbo pushing 300HP easy. HA! Like to see that from a Honda without spending $15,000...

[Spoon]

Originally Posted by G-Style

An exhaust system complete with new head and cat will run you around $700.00 and can give you increases of up to 30hp. I know i've seen the improvements first hand done on a honda civic.

Cars like yours are the ones that give Hondas a bad name. I put a Jackson Racing supercharger on my Civic and it barely made 45hp more @ the wheels and now with my Integra it took a whole hell work to get it to run 14.23sec @ 104mph in the 1/4mile. So lets race. It takes quit a bit to get 30hp out of an import engine. They are already very well tuned from the factory. Any ways Hondas with an exhaust sound like lawnmowers so whats the point? If you want a bit more power best dollar spent on a Predule would be an AEM Cold Air Intake.

[DJDeeb]

Kraig, You should install a NOS sticker on your car. Also having a cigarette ad or two on your car will also boost performace:keebler:

Also some chassis lights would be an a very good "upgrade".

:P

[Hot Karl]

Originally Posted by Spoon

If you want a bit more power best dollar spent on a Predule would be an AEM Cold Air Intake.

THE single best bang for your buck mod on a stock import.

i think about $300ish.

[Scarface]

Originally Posted by Spoon

now with my Integra it took a whole hell work to get it to run 14.23sec @ 104mph in the 1/4mile..

Details?

[StiDzOfReNiA]

Originally Posted by Kraig

So my car is due for its major maintenance and I am debating picking up some extra's for it. Nothing crazy, just odds and ends rather than just the standard stuff.

I was hearing that there is a noticeable performance/gas efficiency increase if I purchase performance spark plugs and replace the spark plug wires with more efficient ones as well.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

.... My boyfriend is a car xpert, he worked @ lyke 7-8 different car shops, he can probly give u a lot of info & even do the job 4 u 4 cheaper than in an actual shop. U'd just have 2 pay him lyke however much it costs for the parts & then $20 or so 4 doing the job. He'll be home around 7:30 I'll msg U then

[Hot Karl]

Originally Posted by Evolve

Kraig, honestly the best performance mod you can do is have your computer re-tuned for performance (PCM Programming). That is the best bang for your buck.

i've always thought you'd save cpu re-programming for last or later. all you're gonna do is make a stock car run on non-stock settings. something the engineers at honda probably don't like. whereas if you reprogrammed after mods, you'd be using the full spectrum of power through your mods and the cpu.

and quite frankly i'd rather bolt on an intake then fuck around with my cpu.

if he was driving a vw 1.8t i'd say go get it chipped. but he isn't.

[Leviathan]

I have a 97 type SH, from my understanding you can't reprogram the prelude ECU, I don't know why you would want to anyway. If anything you could get a Vtec controller. If you want good gas mileage, stay out of Vtec :)