Honda FAQ Pt Du!

[Terrence Bell]

Part two guys 8O

6.1 Assorted Nitrous Oxide Information

From: FuSiONSi@aol.com (RoN)
Subject: NOS jet sizes

Now correct me if I am wrong but I thought that a dry system only fogged
nitrous into the intake. Maybe I am wrong, well NE way here is the jet size
for a wet system, maybe it might help you

NOS FUEL
43 28 80hp
41 26 70hp
39 24 60hp
37 22 50hp

From: The Garden Weasel (lindsey@flash.net)
Subject: Re: HP: NOS jet sizes

jetting for a dry manifold NOS kit:
40hp 34 nitrous/44 fuel
50hp 37 nitrous/42 fuel
60hp 38 nitrous/42 fuel
70hp 41 nitrous/36 fuel
80hp* 44 nitrous/34 fuel+
90hp* 46 nitrous/34 fuel+

Larger fuel pump reccomended/(+)requires a .040" shim be placed in
the co2 regulator.(this is the large apparatus between the two solenoids
the top will unscrew from it) you also may have to experiment with
leaning out the fuel jet for maximum performance. Also make sure the
line between the Stock fpr is hose clamped or that you are using the NOS
fuel pressure safety switch otherwise you might break something you
don't want to fix. later.


From : Ryan Vanderwerf (amachine@pauls.net)
Be careful with the dry system, the jet numbers go backwards from the
wet/direct systems. (Ie. the higher the fuel number jet the LESS it flows).
See turbo mag, May 96 issue for all the jettings to start with on all
systems. I'm putting in a single fogger 60hp shot in my prelude today,
I'll let you know what jettings we end up using.

From : Elson Cho
> Now correct me if I am wrong but I thought that a dry system only fogged
> nitrous into the intake..maybe I am wrong...well NE way here
Yea, that's right. Dry system injects nitrous into the intake. But there
is a fuel "T" that connects to the solenoid and taps into the fuel line at
the fuel pressure regulator. So when nitrous is injected, you need more
fuel to compensate for this, thus the fuel jets. More nitrous, then more
fuel. Basically, unlike the wet systems, its a single fogger with one
outlet for the nitrous and the second part of this fogger is located at
the "T" connector.

From : Ken Woods (kwoods@kens.com)
No. It's 13 parts air and one part fuel. The best A/F ratio for power is
about 12.7:1, 14:1 is "normal" and 15:1 will get you the best gas mileage.

If you can spray, and still run 12.7:1 in the upper RPM ranges, then your
car will make ALOT of power. If you jet it for 60HP, and then run 15:1,
you will make less power than if you jetted for 50HP and ran 13:1.
Make sense??? That's why I say to install the 34N, then watch the A:F.



6.2 How much NOS can my stock engine take?

1996-on Civic DX motor

Elson Cho (choman@u.washington.edu)
"Not much. A 50hp system such as the 5122 dry manifold NOS kit would be
safe on a stock block."

B18 series motors :

The upper limit on NOS capability seems to be around 80-120hp
shot (direct port of course) You will need to add the appropriate
fuel of course!



6.3 What kind of gains should I expect with NOS?

Elson Cho (choman@u.washington.edu)
"I've dropped about 1 full sec in the 1/4 with a 50hp dry system.
It really depends on the type of car."

Weyland Jung has performed in the mid to high 13 second range
using a direct port setup on his (90-91) Integra GS. Off the giggle
gas it's reported to run solid 15s.



6.4 How much does a refill of NOS Cost (15 pounds)?

Elson Cho (choman@u.washington.edu)
"In Seattle, Nitrous oxide goes for about $3.50/lb. 15 lbs is the weight of
the bottle empty. There is 10 lbs of nitrous oxide in the bottle. So a
full bottle weighs 25lbs, 10 lbs being the gas itself."



6.5 What causes NOS backfire? Why should I use a purge valve?

From : NETTORUN@aol.com
"I had a backfire out of my filter once []. I was told by NOS that there was
probably an air bubble in the lines. You can sometimes trap air when you are
removing and installing the bottle. If you add a PURGE VALVE to your kit this
will eliminate the chance of another inicident. I [] squeezed all night. I later had
my mechanic check the car and he said it was o.k."



7.0 Supercharging

7.1 What is it like ordering a supercharger from Jackson Racing?

Although it's not really a performance question, I'd thought I'd put a customer
experience in just to see the hassle you get when using one of these things.
Let alone the installation and use. ;D

From: Young Song (ysong@slip.net)
"Okay..
I've gone up to bat for Jackson Racing and their supercharger.. I stuck
up for them and advocated their blower even though I don't have one... I
even put in an order around end-Feb early-March...

but dang it, after over a month of calling and waiting, I keep getting
answers like "it will be ready in a week" or "call back in seven
days"... That's all I've been getting for the last month from them!

and oh no... today, I called them and after they told me the
supercharger wouldn't be ready yet, I did the unthinkable.. I criticized
them for being slow in delivering the product I ordered... "So.. why is
this taking so long? I'm getting really impatient here.."

and what do they do? They act like total assholes on the phone!
"You know, I'd be more than happy to cancel the order if that's what you
want.."

great service guys. As a matter of fact, yes, if that is the kind of
common courtesy you give to paying customers, then yes, I will cancel
that order.

Shoot. Maybe Ken Woods was right after all..."


From: Ozzie (doctoryes@earthlink.net)
"I read your mail message this morning and contacted Larry at ENDYN who
called Oscar Jackson at Jackson Racing. He stated that he had been in
the orient and had just returned and that the reason for the delay is as
follows:

The supercharger has an accessory drive system for the alternator which
must be relocated to install the kit. Previously the idler pulleys on
this assembly and the bolts associated with it were SAE. They ran out
of units and decided to redesign the unit using metric nuts and bolts -
a good idea. And while they were at it they decided to modify the
design so that you could install a variety of different sized pulleys on
the supercharger to alter the boost levels - another good idea. There
were some production problems (CNC milling machine broke down) as well,
but Oscar assured us that kits would be available next week.

Oscar also looked up your order and said that you had cancelled it
yesterday. During this conversation it was implied that you would be
worth your time to call back and discuss your order after May 1st.

Good luck on whatever your decision is,
Ozzie"

[Ed : Boy don't you love it when the company sells the product
to the public and uses the 1st wave of buyers for R&D?? To be
fair, a lot of tuners are guilty of this]



8.0 Turbocharging

Greddy offers a pretty good basic picture of how a turbocharged engine works :
http://www.greddy.com/turbo.html

Remember, Honda engines are normally aspirated engines. They tend to run
a more aggressive compression ratio than an OEM turbocharged engine.
So you're limited to how much boost you can spool.

Justin offers some engine and boost advice :

"It is not recommended to run over 7 psi of boost on stock pistons. Stock
Integra rods can take up to 10 psi of boost on a daily driver GSR and the
occasional 12-14 psi. Any more boost on a day to day basis or the occasion
14 psi at the track, you better get better rods.

The safest turbo applications generally follow these rules:
5 psi : intercooler
7 psi : pistons
10 psi : DFI or something to look after your fuel and timing
12 psi : rods

DFI is a little extreme, but then again, how often
do we want to take apart our motor."


8.1 What's in a DRAG turbo kit system?

Daniel H. Spain (touchwood@mindspring.com) :
"Just called DRAG, and this is the information they gave me over the phone
for a '92-'93 VTEC GSR:

Exhaust manifold [Ed : Last I saw, was welded, stainless optional]
Garrett T4/T3 hybrid turbo
Remote wastegate [Ed : Last I saw, was HKS]
Exhaust downpipe
Air-to air intercooler
Chrome intake pipes
HKS sequential blowoff valve
High-pressure / high-volume fuel pump
Boost dependent fuel pressure regulator
Boost gauge
Braided steel oil lines
Water lines for turbo
MAP sensor bypass
All silicone hoses and clamps
Works w/ABS and A/C
10 psi, 300 flywheel hp
$3995"



8.2 Does VTEC work well with turbocharging?

From: Frank/G.speed (fmlin@ccnet3.ccnet.com)
"Normally aspirated cams, especially high RPM oriented such as DOHC
VTEC's have longer duration and overlap. when you use force induction,
you don't need all this duration and overlap... a properly engineering
VTEC cam for turbo applications would offer KILLER torque curve and
power."

Overlap is used as a way of exiting exhaust gases to actually suck in
the intake charge. This is partly what VTEC does, kind of a wanna be
turbocharger. So imagine if you have a lot of overlap on a turbo.
Under boost, the compressed air would blow right through the cylinder.
You wouldn't get all that quality compressed air to stay in the cylinder!

This is why B18A/B motors respond so well to turbocharging with
cam sprockets and JG Engine Dynamics #1001 camshafts. The camshafts
are used to maintain peak cylinder pressure and sprockets dial it all in.
The turbocharger can cram all of it's boost into the cylinder.

So far no one has good turbo VTEC cams. It is questionable whether
or not sprockets can dial enough overlap out to use 100% of the turbocharger's
output.

VTEC motors do respond well to turbocharging, but there's still a lot of room
for improvement.



8.3 How much horsepower will a Greddy Bolt-On Turbo Civic make?

From: Weyland Jung (punchie@primenet.com)
Some 95 or so Civic had the Greddy kit on the dyno over at Dynamic Autosports. Made
like 145 +- 3HP.



8.4 How is boost regulated?

A turbo's boost is typically regulated by a wastegate. A wastegate
reroutes some exhaust flow around the turbo, thereby not allowing
the turbo to spin any faster. Some wastegates can be adjusted,
others cannot. Whatever the case, the wastegate's signal to open comes
from the compressor side of the turbo itself. This air pressure signal is
linear and gets stronger as boost increases. Performance wise, this kind
of regulation is bad because the wastegate always stays open under
boost. Only electronic boost controllers are able to keep the wastegate
shut as long as possible (thereby reaching max boost faster).



8.5 What's the difference between a manual and an electronic boost controller?

A manual boost controller either bleeds off or restricts the air pressure
signal going to the wastegate. In effect, the wastegate is fooled into
staying shut longer (thus allowing more exhaust to spin the turbo,
thus making more boost). MBCs aren't very precise but they're really
cheap and do work. They are prone to boost spiking because they aren't very
complicated devies. Normally as boost builds, the wastegate
creeps open. However w/ a MBC in the middle, when the pressure signal does
indeed become strong enough to open the wastegate, the MBC doesn't allow
the wastegate to open completely. Call it wastegate delay if you will.
A resulting boost spike happens (as the turbo happily spins unregulated).
It doesn't last long (by human standards), but hey funny things can
happen when you don't have enough fuel for the boost.

From: Joshua So (jhso@ucdavis.edu)
"Like I said, manual boost controller tend not to be accurate since they
do not account for weather, temperature, barometer pressure etc. etc.. You
really do get what you pay for and for the DSM guys who keep telling me
that the 10-11 sec DSM cars are using manual boost controllers, good for you...
but you do not have experience with turbo hondas... all I gotta say is that
the damn deltagates and the TVVC's or the VBC's don't work that well. well
good luck..."

Electronic controllers differ in that they usually have a small microprocessor
using an expensive air pressure solenoid. With such sophisticated technology,
they can regulate the wastegate more precisely. The wastegate stays shut long
enough, and the EBC can effectively open/close the wastegate. EBCs can
also precisely maintain a boost level (so your motor never does exceed that
fine line of running great and a blown up motor) They also handle
environmental changes quite well.



8.6 What's the best boost controller?

The HKS EVC III/IV is considered to be the best damn unit. However,
A'PEXi's AVC-R makes a strong bid to upset the EVC's title.
There are many reports of problems with Greddy's Profec.
Interestingly enough, they've released a Profec B w/o fuzzy logic.



8.7 What's a blow off valve? Do I need it adjustable?

A blow off valve mechanically performs similarly to a wastegate (a pressure
signal causes it to open. Whereas a wastegate reroutes exhaust around the turbo,
a BOV reroutes compressed air into the atmosphere or back into the intake
side of the turbo). A BOV vents compressed air during upshifts (when the
throttle plate slams shut) If the BOV wasn't there, the compressed air has
no where to go but back into the turbo (bad bad bad). People usually associate
turbocharged cars with BOVs (cool sound!)

A BOV compares two pressure readings (one after the throttle plate, and
one before) If the pressure pre-throttle plate is greater than the post
throttle plate pressure, than the BOV opens and vents the pre-throttle
plate air. So a BOV performs three things 1) Prolongs turbo life
2) Increases turbo response (when vented to atmosphere, sometimes
venting back into the intake hurts response), and 3) Sounds cool.

You need it adjustable because at part throttle under boost, the
pre-throttle pressure may be greater. So you need some degree of
flexibility so as to not have the BOV open under part throttle
while on boost.



9.0 Ignition

Remember the spark plug gap allows only a certain amount of energy to jump.
More energy won't jump across unless you also widen the spark
plug gap. The gap distance determines the voltage requirements
for a spark. There's a reason why OEM plug wires are very resistive,
you don't need a huge amount of current to fire the plug, you need
a great deal of voltage (V = IR, typical plug wires are in k Ohms,
voltage is really high, current is really low)

The voltage (V) is constant in your ignition system due to the physical properties
of your ignition coil. Keep this in mind when you read the following sections.



9.1 Will changing my plug wires give me more hp?

Recall that Current = Voltage / Resistance (I=V/R), as resistance
goes down, current goes up. For you math inclined types :
The limit of I as R->0 = infinity.

The least resistive plug wires will transmit more of the available
current to the plug electrode (ensuring that a consistent good spark
will happen).

If the plug wires are prohibiting full power transfer of your ignition
system in turn causing a weak spark for the combustion process, then
changing them out will yield more power. Otherwise plug wires alone
cannot give you more hp.

Nology manufactures wires with capacitors inline. Theoretically they lower
the discharge time thereby increasing electrical power. Do recall
the above information before purchasing Nology wires.

From: Jake McClean (sin@value.net)
"I own a 95 GST which I use as a daily driver, and which has signifigant
performance modifications. I currently use magnecor 8.5mm wires.
Regardless of the mods, and this includes the spark plug wires, I can
still get 30mpg under "average" or highway driving. Wires will ONLY
increase performance or mpg when you are replacing old beat-up wires which
were hurting your car's performance/mpg in the first place."



9.2 What kind of plugs should I use?

Stick with the OEM NGK plugs. If you're running forced induction or
nitrous oxide you may want to consider switching to a different plug.
You may elect to run a colder plug (see owner's manual for part numbers)
if you're modified since your car will be running a bit hotter.
Since the motor is running hotter, your plugs will be running hotter.
A hot plug may cause the air/fuel mixture to auto-ignite (detonation)

Anyone wanna submit their favorites for these respective setups?



9.3 What does a colder/hotter plug mean?

These terms refer to the operating temperature of the plug. The ceramic
portion of the plug is longer allowing less heat transfer from the plug
to the cylinder head (increasing the plug's operating temperature)
In other words : a longer ceramic makes a longer path, a longer path
means more resistance to heat flow, more resistance to heat flow means
less heat loss, less heat loss means higher temperatures.
In this case it's a hotter plug. A colder plug works the opposite way.

For heavily modified cars, you always want to run a colder plug in order to
avoid detonation from extreme operating temperature (see glow plugs in
diesel engines. Explanation : Glow plugs in diesel engines are not actually
spark plugs. They are merely heat coils that auto-ignite the air/fuel
mixture. No spark. So when running heavy duty modified engines,
check your exhaust gas temperature and then select your plug
heat range accordingly.



9.4 Why do I need to upgrade my ignition system?

The more air you pack into a cylinder the more difficult it is for a spark to
jump across the plug gap. An ignition upgrade is a must for forced induction
setups as well as big nitrous oxide shots. This is to ensure that your
(OEM) coil is quickly and electrically capable of consistent high voltage
outputs with a good chunk of current.



9.5 How does advancing timing improve power?

From my understanding, engine ECU's advance the timing to the max spec allowed
at higher RPM's. So expect advanced timing to only help at lower to mid
range RPMs. Advanced timing tends to make throttle response crisper
and bumps up the power a bit down low.

However if you advance the timing too much, you may get detonation
at lower rpm's. What happens is the air/fuel ignites, but the engine
speed is way too low. These two opposing forces meet and your engine
starts making lovely knocking sounds.

So be careful when advancing your timing, and listen at lower RPMs for
detonation.



9.6 How do I advance my timing?

For detailed instructions check out http://integra.vtec.net/timing.html



9.7 What does indexing plugs do and how do I do it?

This is one of those every little bit helps modifications. Don't expect
a huge increase, but it does help a little. I believe Ken Woods
mentioned it was probably good for a .5% increase in hp. It originates
from those hardcore drag racing machines which translates into a bigger
chunk of horsepower for their motors.

Ideally the plug should be facing the the intake valves. What that means
is the open side of the plug (opposite of the electrode prong) faces
the intake valves. This promotes a much better air+fuel burn.

Sometimes when tightening your plugs, they will be positioned correctly.
For those times they do not line up, you will need to purchase spark
plug indexing washers. These work by varying the thickness of the washer,
allowing more or less threading rotation; thus aligning the plug
towards the intake valves. You can buy the washers at Summit or your local
muscle car shop usually.



9.8 When should I widen my spark plug gap?

If you have upgraded your ignition system, you may want to consider widening
your gap by just a little bit (not too much!). Consult your ignition's
manufacturer for gap recommendations. With the added punch of an upgraded
ignition system and plug wires, you now have more electrical power to jump
the gap. But remember, this extra power can only be put to use
with a wider gap. Don't get gap happy though, because there's a point
of diminishing returns. It's probably not worth gapping larger
unless you have an upgraded coil.



9.9 Why should I examine my spark plugs?

By examining your spark plugs, you can determine how your engine is
runing air/fuel ratio wise. You don't want to run too rich or too lean
and your spark plugs are a good indication of what's happening.

Ken Woods (kwoods@kens.com) says :
"A light tan is good, and what you are aiming for.
Black means too much fuel
White means not enough fuel."

My Diamond Star Motors friend says the best way to check your air/fuel
ratio under W (ide) O (pen) T (hrottle) (pedal to the floor)
is to put in a fresh set of plugs. Make a WOT pass and immediately shut
down the car, and brake to a stop with engine off. Then check your plugs.
Although this maneuver may be highly illegal on a public road, it guarantees
a good plug reading.


9.10 What good is an ignition unit rev limiter?

Not much. Your Honda engine ECU already has a built in rev limit you
cannot exceed. If you do desire to kick in your rev limit earlier,
than an aftermarket ignition unit with a rev limiter can do so
for you. Usually, the ignition unit will offer a drop sparks
in a more gentler manner for the the motor.



9.11 Do Nology wires deliver horsepower improvements?

This is another heated issue. Some people claim they saw horsepower gains,
others claim they do not. Some say the wires cause interference with on board
electronics. Others claim they need upgraded engine grounding wires to reap
their benefits.

From Nology's website :
"Anyone that had physics in college knows the formula for power. In this case we're
referring to ignition spark power. Power equals work divided by time, (P=W/t). Thus,
to get more power, you have to do the same amount of work in less time. Manufacturers
of conventional ignition systems though, want you to believe that it is possible to
increase the power of ignition systems by lengthening the spark duration. This is not true!
Lengthening the spark duration actually reduces spark power, as we already know, (P=W/t)."

Nology offers a very convincing argument why their product should make engines
produce more power.

Although I have a few problems with their electrical/engine argument, I definitively
don't know enough to dis/prove their claims.

I would like to point out that :

1) Nology has a very low resistance plug wire (too low for street use?)

2) Must use special expensive Beru plugs

3) Besides shortening the time of discharge, the wires do nothing
to bolster the energy side of the equation.

4) Interestingly enough, Nology now sells a coil to complement
their wires.

5) In car stereo circles, capacitors are used to stabilize power fluctuations
when amplifiers are driven hard. These capacitors in no way make
the amplifier generate more output wattage (power). How do Nology
capacitors differ?



9.12 [VTEC] Should I run stock platinum plugs or switch to copper?

First off, platinum is an inferior conductor compared to copper.
Platinum does however hold up against corrosion and in terms of life
far better than copper.

Usually it comes down to, do you want to replace copper plugs more often
or platinum plugs once in a while?

From: Nhut P. Tong (tongnp@cig.mot.com)
"In searching for 60k tuneup parts for my 93 Prelude VTEC, I spoke
with the NGK-California technical rep. My stock plugs are
the NGK-platinums which can cost as much as $19.74/ea from a Honda
dealer to $12/ea at NOPI.

After speaking with Craig at NGK-CA, he had indicated that I am only
getting longer life out of the NGK-plat. He highly advised me to
purchase the regular NGK-resister plugs because the copper tip is a
better thermal conductor and would perform better under hard acceleration.
The life of the NGK-resistor plug is around 15K-20K miles.

The normal NGK-resistor plugs are for $2.99 at Car Quest. I'm going
to get the NGK-resistor plugs and keep a log of the gas mileage for
every fill up to see if there's any difference.

If there's no performance difference and decrease in gas mileage, I'd
stick with the less expensive resistor plugs. Otherwise, I'll have to
go back to the ultra-expensive platinums."

From: Adrian C. Black (acblack@outwest.net)
"It's the right decision to use the regular NGK plugs. I think Honda is
only switching over to platinum becuase they want to make their cars look
like they need less routing maintenance.... (AKA 100k miles between
tuneups! CRAP!)"



10.0 Transmission


10.1 Why does my transmission crunch during shifts? How do I fix it?

Persistent crunching during shifts may be an indication of bad synchros
in the transmisson.

Sometimes a rough tranny needs a simple transmission fluid change. Many racers
have had success with using Redline MTL transmission fluid in their Honda
gearboxes. Redline also has a new ShockProof transmission fluid now.

Also, be sure you're always rev (RPM) matching when shifting. This is
especially so during downshifting. The 2nd --> 1st gear shift tends to be
stiff at times. A careful blip of the gas pedal in neutral to bring the tach
to about 5k RPM may be required to get the shifter to slip into 1st gear.

For those with hydraulic clutches, make sure your master cylinder's seals
are good. Otherwise your clutch may not be full engaging/disengaging
when pressing on the clutch pedal.



10.2 What's clutch chatter?

This phenomenon results from a clutch that repeatedly grabs hold of the
flywheel and then loses it's grip. You will notice clutch chatter the most
in 1st gear accelerating from a complete stop. The whole car will shudder
as the clutch slips and then grabs... then repeats. Eventually the clutch
should catch, and off you go.

Typically performance/racing clutches have some to severe clutch chatter.
To some extent you can avoid the chatter by riding on (aka slipping) the
clutch.



10.3 What's a good performance clutch to get?

Again, another heated issue. Some recommend Centerforce, others warn that for
some FWD transmissions they use rebuilt aftermarket clutches and neglect to
use the weights.

Current clutch players are :

Bullfrog, JG Engine Dynamics, Centerforce, Clutchmasters,
RPS Turbo Clutch, and Dynamic AutoSports/Action Double D.



10.4 Why should I lighten my flywheel?

The idea behind this is to reduce the amount of weight your engine uses power
to move. One heavy item to shave weight off is the flywheel. For street, it's
recommended to shave off about 5 lbs. For racing, you may consider removing
even more. The negative effect of lightening your flywheel is the loss of
rotational mass inertia when accelerating from a stop. Without careful
clutch and throttle work you may stall the engine more often. Be sure to
rebalance your flywheel after lightening.


From: "Frank/G.speed" (fmlin@ccnet3.ccnet.com)
"My friend had his B17A flywheel (18 lbs) machined down to 12 lbs. The
materials were taken off the back of the wheel, and mostly just the
rough castings removed."

From: lowell@smartt.com
"What you have to consider is the rotational inertia [when lightening], as
that's what's important here. My stock flywheel weighed in around 18lbs,
and I removed about 5.5-6lbs. The thing to look at though, is where did
the weight come off? Notice that there is an outer 'ring' on the back of
the flywheel and that's where a good chunk of material comes off. I machined
the back side flat, and just skimmed off all the rough casting surface on the
rest of the back so I don't think I compromised the strength in any way.
For the extra 2-3 lbs you'd save, I don't think a billet flywheel is worth
the insane price.

Just take it to a machine shop you trust, and have them cut the back of the
flywheel. Please don't drill any holes in it though. If you're really
worried, an SFI scattersheild would be the answer."



10.5 What's a limited slip differential (LSD) ?

Conventional transmissions have an open differential. This allows both
wheels to spin independently. Under certain conditions,
having them spin independently isn't ideal (launching). At the same time,
having them both spinning at the same rate isn't a good solution
either (a welded differential doesn't take turns gracefully). Enter the
limited slip differential. This mechanical device replaces your open
differential and allows your wheels to spin independently. Once a certain
threshold of wheel slippage happens, the LSD causes power to be transferred
to the wheel with more traction. This allows engine power to be put down during
huge torque launches or powering through a turn.

From : Frank (fmlin@ccnet3.ccnet.com)

"A torque sensing (TorSen) and torque biasing (Quaife) LSD, which [both] operate on
the same principle NEVER lock. When one wheel starts to slide, torque is
progressively transfered to the wheel with more traction. Under
most circumstances there [is] no wheel slippage. Under certain
conditions wheel slip will occur slightly."

"There are three popular types of LSD available for Honda's :

- Torque sensing/biasing; worm gear type - Honda Type-R, Quaife,
TorSen...

These units use complex (some say surprisingly simple) gears
to automatically adjust the torque split. It will give more
torque to the wheel with more grip. It works as we computer dudes
called "automagically". Reputed to be excellent for street use. Will
not work with one wheel in the air. [Ed. note : see warning about
LSD care]

- Clutch packs - Mugen, Cusco, CRE...

The most popular LSD used for road racing/autox applications. Clutch pack
type uses multiple friction discs to limit the slip. They do wear out but
they are rebuildable. Locking percentage depends on the builder. Will work
with one wheel in air. Response time is quick. One way LSD - locks
under acceleration only. Two way LSD - will lock under acceleration and
deceleration. 1.5 way (Cusco) - ?! I saw an article in Japanese but I
dunno how to read it. :-)

- Viscous coupling. Honda Real-Time 4WD.

Used as the center differential in the Honda Wagon. Also used by other cars
such as Porsche 959 (center diff), Nissan SR20DE (NX2000, SE-R, Infiniti G20),
Diamond Star Motors Eclipse/Talon/Laser AWD (center diff). Uses special fluids
that thickens quickly when one axle starts to spin. Response is slightly retarded
but works great as the center diff. As a FWD diff it works okay, better than
a open diff any day!

Dave from Nevada sez :
"about parking a straght axel honda: did anyone see some of the cars
at the Battle trying to turn around ? yeah, i watched one car do a
12 point turn, just to turn 90 degrees..."



10.6 Should I use a Type R LSD or Quaiffe?

From : Frank (fmlin@ccnet3.ccnet.com)
"Unlike clutch type LSD's, Quaife/Torsen units do not wear out.
Torque split is continously variable. About the only drawback
on Quaife/Torsen units is the higher cost when compared to
clutch pack and/or viscous LSD's. Quaife/Torsen's work very well
for FWD applicaitons, because the torque transfer is very smooth,
unlike clutch packs which tend to be very abrupt and tends to
cause undesirable steering effects... but it still comes down
to driver preference and track testing results. Most BTCC cars
use clutch packs, as serious FWD race cars often lift the inside
front tire on corners... Quaife/Torsen's do not work when a
wheel becomes unloaded in air.

As far as which one to get, that depends on how much Honda will
sell the Type-R Torsen's for. Quaife's are about $1200. If
the Honda units are cheaper, then I'd go for that.

LSD, Clutch/Flywheel, Gearbox are all interchangable between B18C/B16A."



10.7 If I have a LSD, do I need to care for it differently?

Yes you do! Otherwise you may actually damage the LSD.
Straight from Honda, here are things you shouldn't do on a LSD equipped Honda :

1) Never mix wheel/tire combinations from side to side (DO NOT USE A SPARE TIRE
if you get a flat in front, use one from the back!)

2) Do not run the engine to on-car wheel balance your wheels&tires.
Your balancer must be self-driven and both wheels must be completely
of the ground. You may damage the LSD if you don't follow these directions!



10.8 What kind of aftermarket flywheels are out there?

From: "Frank/G.speed" (fmlin@ccnet3.ccnet.com)
"There are few companies selling the 3.5kg/7.7lbs flywheel made by
Toda Power. However, few companies also have their own. HKS has
their 11 lbs units, Trust has their own, Mugen has their own, Feel's
offers a aluminum unit and a steel (still lighter than stock) units.
Spoon's flywheel are in house too.

Most of these flywheels have a steel friction face that can be replaced
if it's worn out. The flywheels that are available here right now are
HKS, Spoon, and Clutch Masters (only 3.2kg/7.04lbs).

All flywheels for B16A, B17A, B18A/B/C should be interchagable. I'll
add some more pix later (http://www.ccnet.com/~fmlin/pbh)."



10.9 Is my speedometer accurate when I am gunning for a top speed run?

Speedometers are notoriously inaccurate at high speeds due to
tire deformation and speedo calibration etc. So no they're not
very accurate. And please don't endanger people on public
roads shooting for a top speed test of your vehicle.

Someone writes :
"My speedo was showing an honest 148 once on my gs-r suh-dan. That may actually
be possible with a downhill grade and a tailwind - but even so, it's not likely
accurate. And my Prelude is showing right at 100mph or so when I hit the traps
but the slips always say 91-92ish. So far the most I've seen on the Prelude
speedo is 130ish, though."



11.0 Brakes


11.1 What's brake fade?

There's a couple kinds of brake fade. Brake fade is the inability of the car's
braking system to function properly due to overuse of the brakes.

Heat is the main culprit. There are many things to upgrade to prolong maximum
brake performance.



11.2 What performance brake pads do I buy?

Again, another heated issue (is this getting to be a cliche yet?) You need
to determine whether or not you car needs race brake pads or street
enthusiast ones.

Racing brake pads tend to leave a very stubborn dust on wheels and the body
paint. This requires constant cleaning lest it bonds permanently. Some race
pads are extremely noisy and may even destroy rotors in a few
days/weeks/months (depending on how you drive!)

Many people have had good success with Repco/Axxis MetalMaster pads. Other
brands to look into are Hawk, Performance Friction, and Porterfields.



11.3 Why should I use cross drilled/slotted rotors?

Theoretically, the extreme heat build up between the brake pad and the rotor
causes gases to be released from the brake pad. The pad is then riding on
this thin layer of gas and is not able to fully contact the rotor. You push
harder on the brakes but even more gases are released and so the braking
effectiveness is decreased. This is known as pad fade. A cross drilled or
slotted rotor provides a channel for the gases to evacuate.

Be careful using drilled rotors since they may cause uneven brake pade wear
and sometimes are prone to cracking (the drilling causes weakness in the
rotor)

It should be mentioned by drilling the rotors, you will actually create less
surface area to dissipate heat. Your mileage may vary with cross drilled
rotors.

Other shops slot their rotors. This involves creating a groove (slot) into the
rotor. The idea behind this modification is to allow an edge on the rotor for
the brake pad to bite into. By slotting the rotors, you can ensure even brake
pad wear as well. Theoretically the slotting of rotors would increase surface
area, so you might be able to expect a cooler rotor.

IMHO, I upgrading your rotors may not be a worthwhile effort. I would only
do so if you have a severe brake fade problem. Most street enthusiast
driving does not punish the brakes hard enough.



11.4 What kind of brake fluid should I use? What's wet and dry boiling temperature?

When brake fluid gets hot enough it boils. Like many other aspects of
automotive performance, high temperature brake fluid has its compromise.
In order to make a brake fluid withstand high temperatures, it tends to
absorb water very quickly. Thus all brake fluids are rated at two
temperatures, wet (absorbed water) and dry (no water).

WARNING! High performance brake fluids tend to absorb water quickly,
and some need to be bled before each race. Bleeding your brake fluid is
important to your master cylinder life. On aged hondas, its common for the
Master Cylinder to go bad gradually. If you notice that the brakes are mushy
and start to fade in traffic or on hot days, especially if it you've just bled
the brakes, then you've got a bad Master Cylinder. Your local big parts store
should have rebuilt master cylinders with a life time warranty for not too
much money. Fix it fast or you may regret it. We don't want to have to tell
your next-of-kin that we told you so.

Again a lot of people have their favorites of fluid to purchase. Motul, Castrol
Heavy Duty, Wilwood 570, Lucas Girling DOT 5.1, and Super ATE.



11.5 Do aftermarket brake lines improve stopping distances?

In a word no. Aftermarket lines improve the feel of the brakes; offering
a firmer, more positive feeling of control to the driver. A low buck tuner
way to make the brake lines firmer feeling is to use zip ties around the
softer OEM brake lines.



11.6 Who makes brake lines? And is DOT approval necessary?

From Frank Lin : (fmlin@ccnet3.ccnet.com)

"When Z.Speed looked into getting DOT approval for their stainless lines, they
found that there is no certification process. There is a spec for brake lines
however. Z.Speed's lines meets or exceeds the DOT standard.

When SMC first started selling lines (early 96), they were selling Goodridge
lines (which claimes to be the 1st DOT approved lines). I'm not sure if SMC sell
their own lines now.

Stillen also recently started to market Goodridge lines."



12.0 Wheels


12.0 Wheel basics (offset, diameter, width)

Diameter : This refers to the diameter of the wheel. Most people regard
a large wheel as attractive. Remember larger wheels tend to weigh more.

Offset : This refers to the distance in mm between the centerline and
the mounting surface of the wheel. If you're unsure of what this means check
out http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/wheeltech.htm for a diagram better
illustrating this.

Width : This refers to how wide the wheel is. This determines what tire widths
the wheel can accomodate. The general width rule is that the wheel width
should be no less than 70% of the tire width.



12.1 I wanna get a set of wheels, how do I make sure they're gonna fit?

When choosing wheels and tires, it's a good idea to ensure that the overall
diameter of the new combination is +/- 2% of the OEM configuration. Your
speedometer will be changed as well as your effective gear ratio. You may
want to rethink your car's shift points.

Once you've determined what wheel diameter you're interested in, and what
tires size will make a good combination ... it's time to measure your
inner clearance. I'd recommend turning your car's front wheels completely
to the left and right and checking clearance.

Also jack up one corner of the car at a time to compress the opposite corner
of the car. Doing this you can get an idea of what kind of clearance your car
has under hard cornering or loaded down.

If you're looking for a way to calculate wheel/tire combinations, check out :
http://mr2.com/cgi-bin/tires.cgi



12.2 How do I buy the best set of wheels for handling and acceleration?

For handling, the widest width for the tire and lightness are desirable. The
wider wheel ensures a stabler tire contact patch and minimizes tire sidewall
flex. You're sure to get as much of your tire rubber down on the pavement
where it needs to be. Having light wheels reduces the amount of unsprung
weight. Unsprung weight is an area we'll neglect to mention, but suffice it
so say less is good. For more wheel information, again consult :
http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/wheeltech.htm

For acceleration, you want lightness and perhaps a shorter wheel/tire
combination than the stock setup. With lighter wheels, the engine uses less
power accelerating the wheels' mass. With a shorter tire/wheel combination,
you can effectively change your gear ratio for the better. Don't go too short,
otherwise you'll have to shift every 20 feet. ;D

From: Kin Leong (KinL@adepttech.com)
"I had the opportunity to weigh a couple of 16" wheels when I had my new
wheels & tires installed this past week. I decided to do this after an
inspiring discussion with Jerome on "weigh reduction" at our last
"rained out" drag meet.

I weighed 4 different wheels that were available to me -- all were 16".
The results were:
TSW Blade 16 lbs each $280Cdn
TSW Hock R 18 lbs each $290Cdn
Inter Milano 13 lbs each $300Cdn
ASA FS-6 16 lbs each $160Cdn

For further comparison, I weighed my stock tires & wheels to compare
them to the new 16" wheels. FYI, I have a 1990 Integra GS 4-door, so
the factory wheels were the full face style that had about 21
unidirectional slits around the edge. The results were:
33 lbs each Factory 14" mag + Yoko AVS U+4 in 195/60-14
36 lbs each ASA 16" mag + Toyo FZ4 in 205/45-16

My conclusions from this:
- Expensive mags are not necessary the lightest.
- The more open the mag's style, the more likely that it's lighter.
- Larger size tires weigh more. Especially performance tires that has
a firmer construction (in plys and belts)."

[Ed : Generally bigger wheels will weigh more than smaller wheels.
Think about it. Also, I'd expect a tire and air to weigh less
than solid metal itself. Don't you think? Remember don't go
with too heavy wheels! Some Japanese wheels are made
to be light SSR Type X wheels for example. 11lbs each I think.]

From: Natural One GSR (ctprentiss@ucdavis.edu)
"The 5 Zigen Div.3s are pretty light at 12pds for the 16". "

From: RYAN B YEE (rizzye@sfsu.edu)
"SSR TYPE X 10.5lbs
MUGEN SUPER WEAPON RNR 4.95kgs
SPOON SPORTS SW388 3.88kgs"



12.3 What's a hubcentric wheel? Why do I need hubcentric adapters?

OEM wheels are hubcentric. They are produced in such a way that they fit snugly
on the hub (wheel mount location). The hub has a ridge on it that mates to the
backside of the wheel. This is done to ensure proper centering
of the wheel on the hub.

Aftermarket wheels are usually overbored on the backside for different car applications.
Special adapter rings are manufactured for individual cars to ensure their wheel is
hub-centered when mounted.

If not properly centered, you can have a steering wheel shimmy.



13.0 Tires

People look at tires primarily in these ways : cost, life, noise, wet
performance, and dry performance.

Manufacturers take all of these factors and more into account when making
tires. Currently there is no miracle tire that will do everything you want
the best. So choose your tire carefully within your budget.



13.1 Will I really sacrifice my ride comfort with low profile tires?

It's not so much the low profile tires, it's more of the volume of air you
have now. If you've chosen a wise tire/wheel combination and haven't reduced
your volume of air much, expect your ride quality to be the same.



13.2 What's a good tire pressure to set?

For cornering, you usually want enough air pressure in the tire to avoid
tire rollover. Tire rollover is indicated by the scuff marks you see on
the sidewall after some spirited driving.

Here's an easy test to figure out how much rollover there is : Put some
chalk across the outer edge of your tire until 1 - 2 inches onto the
sidewall. You can use shoe polish too. Go out and take a turn hard.
Wherever the tire met the pavement is where your marks will be missing.
So you can determine how much rollover you're experiencing! Start with
recommended tire pressures from the factory and add or reduce air psi
until you like the ride quality and cornering attitude.

Remember FWD Hondas usually understeer by design. You usually want more
tire rollover in back in order to make the rear end turn better.



13.3 How do I pick a good tire?

It all depends on how you define "good" Usually the best gripping tires wear
out in less than 30k miles, some even as little as 10k miles (any NSX owners
out there?) If you choose a reputable company's top notch Z rated tire, you
won't be disappointed although you will notice a hefty price tag on them.
Budget accordingly.

Some good high performance tires are Dunlop Sp Sport 8000, Yokohama AVS-i,
Bridgetsone S0-1, etc etc



13.4 Why do my tires wear out fast on my lowered Honda?

Engineers design the suspension of a car to perform certain alignment
changes when under compression (weight transfer, bodyroll, cornering, etc)
Usually a typical Honda suspension experiences toe in as well as
negative camber under cornering. This is done to ensure the car
maintains as much tire footprint as possible under cornering.
So when you lower the car, the suspension becomes
partially compressed causing your suspension to think you're
cornering 24 hours/day. While this is great for cornering,
this is bad for tire life for long distance driving.
When driven in a straight line, the tires ride on the inner
most edge causing extremely short tire life. IMHO, it's
the combination of toe in and negative camber that causes
rapid tire wear (see NSX owners' tire woes)

To correct the camber, you usually need to purchase some kind of
camber kits. See camber kits.



14.0 Suspension

Stiffer isn't better. Be VERY careful when modifying your suspension. Make
sure you understand what you're trying to fix by switching out parts and
changing alignment settings.

Make sure your familiar with the principles of weight transfer as well as
understeer and oversteer. Keep in mind your vehicle's weight distribution
and drivetrain layout.



14a.0 Springs


14a.1 How low can I go?

This is a very personal question you should ask yourself. There are
hundreds of hopped up Hondas with ground clearance of no more than a few
inches. Some say this is attractive looking and good for cornering.

Although a lower center of gravity is desirable, the struts on these
cars are usually riding on the bumpstops. This results in suspension
bottoming very frequently (not a very comfortable experience) With the
limited range of travel, you may actually hinder the suspensions ability to
put down the maximum tire contact patch on uneven roads (which road is ever
perfectly clean and flat eh?)

Be careful not to go too low, especially when travelling over various
environments (snow, mud, flood, grass, dirt, and even big potholes) I've had
a friend who put a huge dent and gouges into his oil pan from a large pothole
when he dragged (at this point I wouldn't call it driving) his lowered
car over it.

Finally the last concern is tire wear. Lowering a Honda results in a some
negative camber (an alignment change). The negative camber makes the top of
your tires tilt inwards. When driving in a turn, the tires sit up straight
which is great for cornering. However in a straight line, they ride along the
inner edge of the tire, resulting in heavy uneven tire wear.

Conservative lowerings are usually 1-1.5" A heavy street enthusiast lowering
is 1.75"-2.25" inches. A race car lowering is 2.25" or more. Keep in mind, race
cars get hurt frequently and racers don't mind hurting them. Would you mind
hurting your street car frequently?



14a.2 What's the difference between a progressive versus linear rate spring?

A linear rate spring has the same stiffness throughout its compression. A
progressive one is wound in such a way that as it gets compressed more, the
spring rate (stiffening) goes up. This is a good compromise for the cornering
demons out there who want a really stiff spring but need a more compliant
suspension during regular street driving.



14a.3 Do I need new struts if I get lowering springs?

IMHO, any lowering spring will wear out OEM struts faster. But a conservative
lowering (~1 inch) should be okay for the OEM struts. Stiffer springs and the
extra shock compression from lowering tends to put a big strain on the struts.
So be sure to save yourself headaches and do the struts at the same time.


14a.4 I want to cheap out and cut my springs. Why shouldn't I?

Here's a non scientific explanation : Every manufacturer engineers a car
with something in mind. Mind you, don't taking the word engineer lightly.
We're talking about hundreds of hours of design and planning. So when
you cut the springs, doesn't it strike you as just a bit odd
of what you're doing to your car? Sure you can still drive the car
and maybe in your ignorance not notice anything different.
It's kind of like running around without an air filter. Sure the car
runs still. And you don't notice anything wrong. But you're really
doing more harm than good in the long haul.

Since I didn't major in Physics and my last Physics course was 3 years ago,
I'll dance around the spring equation. Every spring conforms to this
equation. And by hacking off the the # of coils you adjust this equation
accordingly. Let's just say it's in a very bad way. And your OEM shock's
won't like you for it.

Still if these aren't good enough reasons to dissuade you from cutting your
springs, how about peer pressure? Everyone with lowering springs
will make fun of you as drive around on cut springs bouncing along
your local bumpy road.

Don't do it.



14a.5 Do I need to realign my car once lowering springs are installed?

Can you afford it? A good alignment is recommended for tire life, not necessarily
for cornering. You may need camber kits, and your toe should be adjusted too.
If you've done a very mild drop, I think you can forgoe the alignment until necessary.



14b.0 Struts/Shocks

14b.1 What's compression and rebound?

Compression refers to how a shock compresses under load (spring compressing
the shock). Rebound refers to how fast the shock returns to its original
position (spring allowed to return to its original shape).

It would make sense to fine tune both of these to improve handling.



14b.2 Should I get adjustable or non-adjustable struts/shocks?

Some non adjustable shocks tend to be unbearingly stiff. Choose your shock
wisely. Adjustable shocks are definitely worth the extra money because of
the flexibility with suspension tuning and daily comfort.

It's been reported that Tokico Blue shocks are equivalent to a setting 4
on Tokico's Illuminas.



14b.3 Should I cut my bumpstops if I lower my car?

Bumpstops are cheap but effective way of halting suspension travel.
Bumpstops sit on the strut/shock shaft and prohibit the spring from fully
compressing the strut/shock. Thereby limiting the amount of suspension
travel.

When you lower your car, you decrease the distance of suspension
travel (because your car's suspension is partially compressed)
What some spring manufacturer's recommend is to cut the bumpstop
to lengthen your travel. This can have some possible negative
effects (like arranging a blind date between your upper A-arm and your
engine bay)

Follow the spring manufacturer's tech advice. Most recommend trimming the
bumpstop. This helps provide more suspension travel especially
for lowered cars.

FWIW, all lowering springs should increase the spring rate in the correct
proportion to the amount of lowering. What this means is, the spring
should be stiffer to make up for the lessened suspension travel distance.
You shouldn't need to cut your bumpstops if your spring has been engineered
right in the first place! What this also means is this, do not expect a
OEM ride with stiffer springs! You wanna go low, pay for it with ride quality.

I won't come right out and bash any particular spring companies, as most
of them do make high quality springs. But some of these "performance" springs
are really springs just to lower your car; and trimming the bumpstop keeps you from
bottoming the suspension out which in turn gives an illusion of a halfway decent ride
quality. And if you're bottoming out, well the companies figure half of these young
Honda owners don't even know what it is anyhow.



14b.4 Why do my Tokico Illuminas bottom out so much on my 3rd Gen Integra?

WARNING! Do not purchase Tokico Illuminas with aggressive lowering springs for
3rd generation Integras. Konis are a good match with Neuspeed springs.
The Integra Web Page Editors are still investigating this issue, more information
to come.



14c.0 Swaybars


14c.1 How do sway bars work?

When weight comes down on corner of the car, the sway bar actually twists
in such a way that it forces the opposite side's tire down and bringing
the acted upon corner up. This also prohibits weight transfer to the
end of the car with the sway bar.

So with a sway bar you can further reduce body roll, keeping the
chassis flat. By reducing bodyroll, ideally the tires
are allowed a better contact patch. Typically the removal
of the weight on the sway bar end of the car removes traction
moreso than the gain in traction by the elimination of bodyroll provided.
In other words, the end that has the sway bar will have less traction.

If you wish to only eliminate bodyroll, be sure to select a matched
sway bar set if you don't wish to upset your car's weight transfer
characteristics too much during cornering.



14c.2 Should I disconnect my front sway bar?

An easy trick to get a FWD car to turn better is to disconnect the
front sway bar. Problem is you will suffer from more bodyroll in front.
Typically this is done in stock classes of autocrossing as the rules
disallow rear sway bar changes.



14c.3 Should I only get a rear sway bar?

It would seem the best thing to do to make a Honda FWD car corner better
is to simply upgrade the rear sway bar. Unfortunately no one sells
just a rear sway bar tuned for an OEM front bar setup. Most of the companies
will sell their rear sway bar individually, but use caution. These
rear bars come in a matched set. So expect the rear sway bar to overpower
a stock front sway bar. The car will get particularly tail happy
when lifting while turned or braking while turned. So make sure you know
how to handle oversteer.

I've been informed that Neuspeed does offer a rear bar tuned for the
front sway bar on 1992-1995 Civics and 1994-1997 Integras (although
they do upgrade the bushings up front too)



14d.0 Chassis Braces/Roll cages/bars


14e.0 Misc suspension components

14e.1 I've heard of camber kits to correct my lowered Honda's negative

camber problem. How do they work and who makes them?

Most recent generation Honda/Acura cars have Honda's double wishbone (unequal
length control arms) configuration on the front suspension. This uses
a shock and spring configuration in which the camber line is NOT determined
by the angle of the shaft of the shock. Strut type suspensions require camber
plates in which the angle of the shaft of the strut can be adjusted to dial in
the needed camber.

On the recent generations, the high upper A-arm is responsible for determining
the camber of your front suspension. A camber kit for the front suspension
consists of an entire replacement upper A-arm with adjustable links in the arm.
The adjustable length arms can be extended or shortened. If you pull off your
front tires and look at the upper A-arm, you can see that shortening the arms
will give you more negative camber and lengthening the arms will give you more
positive camber.

In the rear, the recent suspensions have been of a rear trailing arm with two
lateral links. Again, pull off your rear tire and notice that the larger lateral
link is what determines the camber of the rear suspension. The camber kit for
this involves replacing this larger lateral link with one that is adjustable
in length. Extending the link gives you more positive camber while shortening the
length gives you more negative camber.

Currently ZSpeed and Specialty Products(Jackson Racing, Lightspeed,
perhaps Eibach distribute the latter) make camber kits for Hondas.
I've had problems with the SP front camber kits and would not recommend
them although they are much cheaper than ZSpeed's rebuilt
front a-arms.

It should be noted that in my experience any reputable alignment shop
should be able to order Specialty Product camber kits. So you don't have to
buy through the expen$ive middleman speed shop. Shop around to save money.

A low buck tuner method of correcting rear tire camber is to use
some washers in back to lengthen the lateral link. By having
more positive camber in back than front, you also reduce the amount
of understeer.



14e.2 Why should I upgrade my bushings to poly-urethane ones?

The OEM bushing material is generally rubber. Bushings go in
between suspension joints to allow the suspension to move freely
without having metal on metal contact at the joints. Performance
bushings generally are made of a harder and longer lasting
poly-urethane. The harder bushings allow the suspension to react
much quicker under load and transfer its movements to other
suspension components quicker. Since the poly bushings deform less
than rubber ones, the suspension is much more nimble feeling
and precise. The obvious compromise here is that the ride quality
will suffer.



14e.3 What kind of alignment settings should I get?

Every driver has their own preference for how a car handles.
So you should understand what handling characteristics
you want. Do you want oversteer, understeer, neutral?
And remember these usually change for different
vehicle speeds.

Typically on FWD Hondas, you want more front end bite with
a lot less rear end bite. So you want more toe-in, and negative
camber in front. In back more toe-out and positive camber.
Remember these settings DO affect tire life considerably.
Consult your local performance minded alignment shop
for recommendations.



15.0 Drag Racing Results

15.1 So what 1/4 mile times can I expect for [xxx] mods?

Depending on driver, running condition, and environment here are some ranges
of times to expect.

Now don't write in complaining about these posted times or bragging about how
fast your car is with minimal modifications. If you feel like you must prove
something, I require two timeslips from two different tracks with a list of
complete setups (including fluids types) and the elevation and temperature and
time of day.

Typical Bolt On Mods (tbody, ignition, headers, exhaust, intake, chip)
Accord 16.0s-->17.5s
Civic 15.8s-->17.5s
CRX 15.3s-->16.5s
delSol 15.1s-->16.0s
Integra 14.8s-->16.2s
Legend ??
NSX 14.0s-->14.5s
Prelude 14.5s-->16.5s
TL, RL, CL ??
Vigor ??

If someone can send in the results of the fastest Accords, Civics, CRXs, etc etc
I'd appreciate it. Of course the categories should include :
NA, NOS, Turbo, NOS&Turbo, and there will be more categories for
Civics (Civics w/ 1.6DOHC, 1.6 DOHC VTEC, 1.8 DOHC, 1.8 DOHC, 1.8 DOHC VTEC
and then use NOS and Turbo combinations on top of those!)

Pull from the Honda Performance list, the following URL (not really complete listing,
but good enough for now) : http://www.ccnet.com/~fmlin/eg2/fastest/
Thanks Frank!



15.2 How do I read my time slip? What's trap speed and what's E.T?

When you get your time slip, you should look at three numbers. Your reaction
time, your E.T., and your trap speed.

The reaction time DOES NOT factor into your 1/4 mile time. Do not subtract
your reaction time from your E.T. Maybe this is why everyone claims they're doing
fast fast fast 1/4 miles w/o much modifications! ;D

The E.T. is your official 1/4 mile time pass (elapsed time, I think)

Trap speed indicates what kind of horsepower you're pushing (or if you were
sandbagging)