acceleration

I own a '97 Accord EX. I am looking to get smoother acceleration out of my car. It is all stock as of right now.

[Accord Man]

Hi! Welcome to HS.

So you want a smoother acceleration, as you wanna accelerte faster?? Or does your car rattle when you accelerate?

Well both would be nice. I eventually want to replace the exhaust and do over things to the car. Sometimes when I press the gas, the car with rev up to like 5000 rpm and then the gears will change and drop the rpm. I think I am pressing the gas evenly, so I don't know what to do to help performance.

Thanks for the welcome.

[ebpda9]

welcome to hs dude.

do u have a torque starved i4 or an underpowered v6 ? I know the accords are not the fastest cars out there, but you can try the basic I/H/E mods. that should give you some increase in torque and hp. also you may wanna upgrade the plug wires and the sparkplugs for better trottle rersponse.

Please excuse my stupidity, but I am new to this stuff. What is I/H/E? I have a starved I4.

[Accord Man]

Ok, so we'Re working with an auto..

How much do you wanna spend?

I am working with an auto. I have tought about dropping the tranny and putting in a manual, but then I thought if I was going to do that, I might as well get another car. Assume money is no object, what would you do?

[ebpda9]

I/H/E means intake header exhaust. as far the tranny swap i wouldn't bother about it. if u really wanna make the car faster get a h22 swap, that comes with a manual tranny

do you guys do all this work yourselves? I would like too, I just don't have the space to do that.

[ebpda9]

Originally posted by asteiger
do you guys do all this work yourselves? I would like too, I just don't have the space to do that.

i do most of it, except the oil cahnges in the winter. my car is almost stocks but i replaced most of the front suspension on it (by myself)

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

If money is no object, go for the H22A swap (prelude engine). That is the single best way to get more HP out of your car. The engine you have just doesn't have too much potential.

[Accord Man]

LOL, if money is no object..

Like 94_ACcord said, an h22 (92+ prelude engine)..

Ribuild it, and turbo it..

There you go, simple as 1-2-3..


Its a pity that the Accords arent that fast in their stock form. Cause they are soo pretty.


But seriously, how much are you wanting to spend?

I don't really know how much too spend, I am just looking for a car with a little more pep.

[Accord Man]

Originally posted by asteiger
I don't really know how much too spend, I am just looking for a car with a little more pep.

ok, lets look at it from another perspective..

How fast do you want to be?
- ie : like a golf gti..
- are you aiming for a particular 1/4 mile time (stock accord pull a little over 17 secs.


so?

I will not be racing, but pulling a 13-14 sec 1/4 mile would be sweet!

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Originally posted by asteiger
I will not be racing, but pulling a 13-14 sec 1/4 mile would be sweet!

Well, you really have no choice but to start with and engine swap, and probably add a turbo to get get into the 13s...

[Accord Man]

LMAO..

That funny.. You have no interest in racing.. Yet you wanna be in the 13's..


So you have no choice but to go with a swap.
H22 (2.2 vtec)
or
H23 (2.3 non vtec)

Both prelude engines.

If you are ready for some major ass rebuilding, then go with the h22..

But if you'Re not into that stuff, a mild job on the h23, and it'll accommodate some serious boost (turbo).

I have to get away from work fast!!!

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Originally posted by asteiger
I have to get away from work fast!!!

Lol, so would you consider starting with a swap?

[Accord Man]

Originally posted by 94_AcCoRd_EX


Lol, so would you consider starting with a swap?

Damn it.. For the next 3 years i cant do anything major..


School is starting to piss me off big time..

Not right as this momemt, maybe if I got a second car that I could use.

h22 and a greddy turbo. simple. fairly inexpensive. and hella fast.
that'd get ya 14's

[Accord Man]

Originally posted by asteiger
Not right as this momemt, maybe if I got a second car that I could use.

Same problem here..

We have winters over here.. I aint driving a lowered, T3/T4 on h22 powered Accord in 1 foot of snow.

i here that...i am thinking now I will end up waiting till I can afford another car, then completely trip out my Accord...maybe even race it!

Hey all,

I'm in the same boat as Asteiger here. 4 cylinder, 2.2 liter, DOHC, '97 Accord. Only difference is a 5 speed manual tranny. The car does OK off the starting line, but I would like to have a little more power. Don't want (and can't afford) a new engine. But at the very least, I don't want to have to worry about getting smoked by a Sentra when I try to pass it on the open road! That's demeaning! At least the stick shift still provides the illusion that something is happening under the hood. Anyway, I already talked with a mechanic friend who suggested the I/H/E upgrades. My questions to this forum are this:

1. Can any of you tell me what kind of bang I will get for my buck in horse power terms? If you could put it in HP per modification terms that would be usefull. How much HP can I expect to get from each seperate mod?

2. I've heard that you can get a chip from some dealers that modifies your fuel:air ratio--also improving your HP. Is this available with my make/model? Is this available with any car? Or is this just some crack-pipe rumor that I've been subjected to? I haven't seen anyone talk about that in this forum. Just asking...

3. Also, can any of you suggest some good "do-it-yourselfer" manuals? I've got money for parts, not labor.

Thanx for any help you can provide. This is a great forum. Wish I had known about it a year ago...

best bang for the buck hands down is Nitrous. but that is 500+
2nd would be an air intake depends on the brand but the AEM should give you 10hp or so. those are about 180-220 depending on the make.
headers should give you 5-10hp
exhaust 5-10.
im sure there is a chip for your ecu i have no clue how much hp or $ they are.
as far as a manual... get a Helms manual. that is the car bible. i think the site to check that out is helmsinc.com but im not sure.

welcome to hondastyle. enjoy your stay.

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Originally posted by Dosferatu


1. Can any of you tell me what kind of bang I will get for my buck in horse power terms? If you could put it in HP per modification terms that would be usefull. How much HP can I expect to get from each seperate mod?
2. I've heard that you can get a chip from some dealers that modifies your fuel:air ratio--also improving your HP. Is this available with my make/model? Is this available with any car? Or is this just some crack-pipe rumor that I've been subjected to? I haven't seen anyone talk about that in this forum. Just asking...
3. Also, can any of you suggest some good "do-it-yourselfer" manuals? I've got money for parts, not labor.

Thanx for any help you can provide. This is a great forum. Wish I had known about it a year ago...

Welcome to HS! First of all, you have an SOHC engine in a 97 Accord 4 banger.

1) If you did I/H/E, you'll probably see 10-15hp to the wheels. Not much bang for your buck, but it will help out.

2) You can get a chip, but it is recommended to wait until you are fairly heavily (or at least mildly) modified, as the chip is programmed for the mods you have. You won't see hardly any gains on a stock engine.

3) Get a helms manual at www.helminc.com That will be your best bet.

[ebpda9]

Originally posted by 94_AcCoRd_EX
3) Get a helms manual at www.helminc.com That will be your best bet.

and how a helms manual increses power ?

Thanx for the correction , 94_AcCoRd_EX. Shows how much I know about my own car. I have an SOHC, VTEC engine in my honda. Just went out and opened up the damn hood and looked. But alot of the mods I've been hearing about lately have espoused the virtues of VTEC. Does that help me out any with what I want , though? Or is this just a hopless cause? By the way, thanx for the manual recomendation. I'll definitely get a copy.
One more question for you guru's, though. From what I've read, it looks as though the header/exhaust mods are going to be the most troublesome. Can I do this in my driveway with a couple of stands or am I going to have to rent some space to lift my engine block out of the car body? It looks like the cold air intake isn't going to be that much trouble. I wouldn't know, though. The only engine experience I have is with the tranny of a '79 Custom Deluxe ford pickup. I swear there was enuf space under the hood to house a whole family! I swore offf doing my own mechanical work about 10 years ago. Thanx for the info everybody!

Many thanx Maxvla,

LOL! I'm laughin' my butt off thinking about my "Fast and Furious" self draggin' down the road on NOS just to pass the old lady in the Sentra! I'de probably kill myself! I agree it's the "best bang for the buck," though. Don't know how long my car would last. I'm not much of a mechanic! I prefer to inhale my NO2, though. I just want a little more HP then I've got. I will definitely go out and get the manual you recommended. I appreciate the recommendation. Take it easy.

Dosferatu...

i strongly suggest you don't inhale NO2... unless you just love sniffing fertilizer. NO2 = Nitrate N20= Nitrous
just some clarification.

you dont hafta pull the engine out to put headers on... its actually not to bad to put those on.
cold air intake is probly the simplest mod to install. maximum 5 minutes.

and hondamaniac... helms adds 40 horsepower... didn't you know?? lmao! j/k not really... for those who know absolutely nothing it doesnt really.

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Originally posted by hondaman-iac


and how a helms manual increses power ?

It increases power by allowing him to have the knowledge to install his mods. Actually, he asked what a good manual would be. If you don't have the $80 or so for a Helms, a $15 Haynes will help you.

If you've never done work before, a CAI will take you probably 45 minutes or so. You have to remove the stock airbox, jack up your car probably, remove wheel (for convenience), etc. Then install the intake.

[ebpda9]

Originally posted by 94_AcCoRd_EX


It increases power by allowing him to have the knowledge to install his mods. Actually, he asked what a good manual would be. If you don't have the $80 or so for a Helms, a $15 Haynes will help you.

If you've never done work before, a CAI will take you probably 45 minutes or so. You have to remove the stock airbox, jack up your car probably, remove wheel (for convenience), etc. Then install the intake.

actually haynes is pretty descriptive, but when it comes to specs, it just sucks, plus is a very unorganized book. i have one sitting under my desk (keeping it leveled ).

Originally posted by hondaman-iac
i have one sitting under my desk (keeping it leveled ).

haha... the best use for one.

Thanx for the info everybody! It's been very helpful. I think I'll go check out that Helms manual on Amazon. I do have one more question for you all. Earlier, I asked how much HP I would get from doing the I/H/E mods. Maxvl replied that I'de get basically +10HP per mod. The way I do math, that equals @ +30HP.

However, 94_AcCoRd_EX replied with:
"If you did I/H/E, you'll probably see 10-15hp to the wheels. Not much bang for your buck, but it will help out."

So, who's right here? Are you both right? Do I get +30HP from the mods with only a 10-15HP increase overall to the wheels? If so, it doesn't really seem like the price of the mods is worth it. I need +30HP to the wheels or it be worth the investment. Thanx for the help and the welcome to the forum.

[ebpda9]

usually you lose power thru the transmission, and the headers are the biggest gain 15-20 hp depending on the model. since you have an ex you already have a header, so the gains from a header will be up to 5 hp.

So if I understand you correctly, my 140HP rated accord is not actually giving me 140HP at the wheels? Although it does make sense that the tranny is going to do that. Also, did not know that my EX already came with the headers. Thanx for that info.

more questions:
1. Anybody actually know how much power my car has at the wheels?
2. How much power is lost thru the tranny anyway?
3. If I go ahead with the I/H/E mods, am I even going to notice the difference afterwards?
4. Since the accord EX came stock with a header, should I even bother with replacing it? Sounds to me like even if I spend top-dollar on a new header system, I can only expect to get maybe a +5 HP increase.

What does everyone think?

[ebpda9]

no it won't be worth it, but it's the cheapest way to go

Sorry about my earlier reply to your tranny explanation hondamaniac. I replied before I took the time to understand what you were "saying." I edited my reply to ask what I really should have. Thanx for the help so far. I'm still debating what to do. Maybe I just need to save up and get me an Acura or a Prelude if I want more power.

[ebpda9]

don't worry about the question. i'm not sure but thru the tranny you lose like 5-15% of the power. it all depends on the tranny. also another performance upgrade will be the suspension and the energy motormount insert kits. they will not increase power but will make the car use power more efficiently, so you will notice some differences.