3 Mods you should do that are under $1K

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amirza786

amirza786

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Yeah Motul is absolutely safe for gearboxes because it’s made for gearboxes, hence the name. It seems popular with the Subaru crowd. The oil squeeze out or flow rate is what makes the synchros action take longer as it’s more viscous. Honda designed gearbox for lighter oil. For that reason I am considering trying the Driven product, to make gear exchanges a little easier.
There are two types of MT fluid: Non-extreme pressure fluids and Extreme pressure fluids, which gear oil falls under. Synchromesh MT fluid falls under non-extreme pressure fluid, which transmissions with synchros use. I'm not saying gear oil is not going to work, but in the long term it may cause damage to the softer metals that make up the synchros. For websites like Amsoil that have you put in your vehicle when picking the fluids, you will not find gear oil come up, although they do sell gear oil as well
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Aftermarket drop-in filters provide negligible performance increase and oiled filters can cause MAF sensor issues if over-oiled. Obviously people can spend their money however they want, but I'd never consider a drop in "performance" filter a "must-do".
Never ever had a problem with this or know someone that was affected by a filter properly oiled.

The main reason I like reusable filters is that you can wash them and never have to buy a new one again. Specially the drop in filter last a lot of miles between washes. Chances are that you will sell the car before you wash it.
 

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The overarching problem is surface area. Increased flow comes largely at the expense of efficiency. There are a few tricks you can do by altering the materials and media design. But ultimately, improved airflow = increased contaminants, all other factors held constant.
 
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amirza786

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The overarching problem is surface area. Increased flow comes largely at the expense of efficiency. There are a few tricks you can do by altering the materials and media design. But ultimately, improved airflow = increased contaminants, all other factors held constant.
Again, if you look at K&N's published filtration tests, they meet or exceed OEM filters. I also mentioned this earlier, I have been using them on several of my cars, and my 2 current Toyotas have 113K and 140K respectively and have never had even one engine related or MAF sensor related issue. In 7K miles of driving with one on my Si in all types of conditions, including dusty conditions, my last oil analysis did not show any unusual amounts of contaminants
 

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Port injection is an entirely different discussion. On DI, the contaminants can mix with oil and fuel vapors from the PCV and attach on the runners and valves. Honda has some trickery to combat this, from the valve material to combustion temps. But it's still potentially a long term issue due to the placement of the injectors. Over time, reusable materials like K&N tend to thin and degrade, allowing increased passage of micro-particles. And their efficiency claims may not take this into consideration.

This probably won't show up in a typical UOA. You have to crack open the IM or take a boroscope through the TB to inspect. And these aren't huge deltas we're talking about either. But worth mentioning to owners who like to keep their cars past a few years.
 
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Port injection is an entirely different discussion. On DI, the contaminants can mix with oil and fuel vapors from the PCV and attach on the runners and valves. Honda has some trickery to combat this, from the valve material to combustion temps. But it's still potentially a long term issue due to the placement of the injectors. Over time, reusable materials like K&N tend to thin and degrade, allowing increased passage of micro-particles. And their efficiency claims may not take this into consideration.

This probably won't show up in a typical UOA. You have to crack open the IM or take a boroscope through the TB to inspect. And these aren't huge deltas we're talking about either. But worth mentioning to owners who like to keep their cars past a few years.
Thanks for the info, will take this into consideration. You could reuse the filter twice instead of 4 times and you would still save or break even over the OEM filters
 

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Huh?

If you're talking about the KTuner V2, you never need a computer in your car. That's it's big advantage. Are you sure you have a V2 with the 5" touchscreen?
Yep you are correct, there was a bit of a learning curve. I was flashing from my computer through the V2 unit. I finally have it down to a science. I now flash only through the V2 unit.. Hey at least I learned..... Ha Ha
 

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There are two types of MT fluid: Non-extreme pressure fluids and Extreme pressure fluids, which gear oil falls under. Synchromesh MT fluid falls under non-extreme pressure fluid, which transmissions with synchros use. I'm not saying gear oil is not going to work, but in the long term it may cause damage to the softer metals that make up the synchros. For websites like Amsoil that have you put in your vehicle when picking the fluids, you will not find gear oil come up, although they do sell gear oil as well
I realize what you are saying, but the fact is that transmissions of all kinds use a complex oil with a particular viscosity and this viscocity is lighter than the oil used for differentials. Gear oil that works the best with synchros, which may be called “fluid”, is often a gear weight of 70-80. 75-90 oil that is compatible with synchros due to the additive pack may work in some cars better than others. Very light gear oil may shear and feel rather mechanical when in operation, and will generally run hotter and louder. This is what I experienced with the factory fill from Honda U.K. at 29k miles.

In my car, the Honda gear oil became very thin and it was impossible to feel anything when shifting gears. Acuity makes products to restore sensory inputs that are often not there. Using the new Motul oil, I can feel a lot better where I am and the lubrication is there to actually protect from mashing gears. But without trying other gear oils for manual transmissions I cannot say for sure that what I am using is the best. I plan on trying others down the road.
 
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amirza786

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I realize what you are saying, but the fact is that transmissions of all kinds use a complex oil with a particular viscosity and this viscocity is lighter than the oil used for differentials. Gear oil that works the best with synchros, which may be called “fluid”, is often a gear weight of 70-80. 75-90 oil that is compatible with synchros due to the additive pack may work in some cars better than others. Very light gear oil may shear and feel rather mechanical when in operation, and will generally run hotter and louder. This is what I experienced with the factory fill from Honda U.K. at 29k miles.

In my car, the Honda gear oil became very thin and it was impossible to feel anything when shifting gears. Acuity makes products to restore sensory inputs that are often not there. Using the new Motul oil, I can feel a lot better where I am and the lubrication is there to actually protect from mashing gears. But without trying other gear oils for manual transmissions I cannot say for sure that what I am using is the best. I plan on trying others down the road.
You will find that Amsoil Synchromesh works very well in all types of conditions, and maintains excellent viscosity at 300 degrees F. I just came from an almost 1k miles trip from Los Angeles (the total trip including driving while I was there) where the temp was almost 90 degrees F. In both high speed as well as a lot of stop and go traffic, both shifting and transmission performance was excellent. In fact IMO if I could only do one thing to make my car perform better (Ktuner etc) I would do the Amsoil mt fluid change over anything else. But if the fluid you are using works for you, then stick with it
 

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If you own the X gen Si, you know that you have a pretty special car. But what if you are an amateur like me, want smoother shifting, better performance, but don't want to spend a bunch of money, or bolt on a bunch of aftermarket parts and turn under the hood into Frankenstein? No plans to race a Dodge Charger? Well you are in luck. For older and new Si owners, here are 3 must do "mods" that won't break the bank, or your car:

1. Drop in a K&N air filter or similar "dry" performance filter (for those that don't like the oil type filter)
Cost: $49 on Amazon
Why: Simply put, a K&N filter allows more air to enter your engine. The better your engine breathes, the better it performs. It's not going to give you a ton of power, but it will make your engine smoother. Some people state that a K&N filter lets in a lot of contaminants, but if you look at the published filtration on their website, it meets or exceeds the OEM filter in filtration. Plus it can be cleaned after 50K, up go 4 times. I have been using these filters for years, and none of my cars have ever had an issue, even after over 100K miles plus

2. Change out the factory fill Manual transmission fluid with Amsoil Synchromesh Manual Transmission Fluid
Cost: 2 quarts at $16 each plus 2 x crush washers at .25 cents ea. If you do it yourself, labor is free, $20 to $30 if you take it to a garage
Why: I have a multi-page post on this, so you can check out that post, but like many of you, I felt the shifting was not as smooth as it could be, and I also felt the transmission was just not performing well. After changing out the factory fill, life changed for the better! Smooth shifting, most of the notchiness gone, and generally my transmission performs one thousand percent better! Do it for your car, do it for your stick...just do it!

3. Ktuner with Two Step Performance stage 1 tune
Cost: $449 for a new v1.2 Ktuner
Why: Why not! I have another post on this as well, basically with Ktuner and the tsp stage 1 tune, you have a choice of 3 different maps, all you need is a laptop to install the tune, and you can drive your car in 3 different modes. Map 1 slightly enhances the driving experience, and Map 3 brings the cars whp to 237! That is 55 extra horses! I won't go into a lot of detail, you can read my post on Ktuner, but let's just say the performance increase without adding any additional add-on's is crazy!

So do yourself a favor, do these 3 mods, and your car will thank you!
Great advice, I’m going to do exactly that.
 


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I’ve been very satisfied with the K&N air filters that I’ve used in the past. Would a dry (vs. oiled) filter reduce my chances of running into issues with the MAF sensor? Forgive my ignorance here, but I would hate to have the dealer fighting me over a warranty claim that they deny due to a freaking drop-in air filter.
 
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I’ve been very satisfied with the K&N air filters that I’ve used in the past. Would a dry (vs. oiled) filter reduce my chances of running into issues with the MAF sensor? Forgive my ignorance here, but I would hate to have the dealer fighting me over a warranty claim that they deny due to a freaking drop-in air filter.
K&N states on their website that it will not void your warranty and they give you a million mile warranty should the product itself cause a defect: https://www.knfilters.com/instructions/89-11835-1_inst.pdf
 

Bru87tr

I’ve been very satisfied with the K&N air filters that I’ve used in the past. Would a dry (vs. oiled) filter reduce my chances of running into issues with the MAF sensor? Forgive my ignorance here, but I would hate to have the dealer fighting me over a warranty claim that they deny due to a freaking drop-in air filter.
K&N oiled filters do not cause MAF issues.

I had a turbo car for quite a while way back, never one issue and a cone filter will wake up a car a bit. I am not saying if over oiled it couldn't happen, but I have never seen it.

I have been running a K&N olied in my 2017 since new, now at 15k. No oil residue, no issues. I have checked and nothing has run off it.
 
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Precisely items on this list to keep the mods mild. Just dropped in a dry air filter and ordered a silicone intake hose for the CTR (mostly for little bit more noise). Two quarts of Amsoil are on the way. But still undecided on the tuning platform as I’m mostly happy with stock power. Just wanted a little more sound from the exhaust.
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