Effective mods without a tune

zhendexing

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Is an intercooler upgrade really necessary if you're mostly (80% of the time) using the Si for normal commuting (i.e. shifting @ ~3-3.5k rpm using only light throttle to accelerate) and 20% / rest of the time is spirited driving / WOT above 3k rpm?
I think it depends on how much you drive. Stock intercooler gets heat soak fairly quickly and no longer cools the air sucked in. Let say 20mins spirited driving gets the intercooler heat soak, 40mins normal driving would get you there as well.
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You've already hit the nail on the head but mine as well reiterate it... TIRES TIRES TIRES!!!

Out of everything listed above, grippy tires will be the single most beneficial performance mod you can do. Better tires alone will cut down seconds in lap times with ease. Your next purchase should be to combo tires with lighter wheels and you will see drastic change in car behavior. Bridgestone RE-71's & Michellin Pilot Sport 4's are the hot commodity with nothing but great reviews.
 

COOL COUPE

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Don't laugh ... but I have had zero issues and many smiles with my Torque Solutions Blow off plate. Although it's true you can not tune for a BOV ... this is NOT a BOV... it's $58 of pure joy from MAPerormance. Folks are talking about Injen intakes blowing up civics ... trust me ... under medium to hard boost pressure this mod will be fun as hell. I feel like everyone is missing out because they drank the Kool Aide --- Thanks to Boomba ... it's taboo ... I mean ... it's a block off plate with no moving parts ... the problem with Boomba is that the spring failed or was improperly loaded. pppppppppppppppppsssssssssssttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
 

jakabony

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gtman

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Is an intercooler upgrade really necessary if you're mostly (80% of the time) using the Si for normal commuting (i.e. shifting @ ~3-3.5k rpm using only light throttle to accelerate) and 20% / rest of the time is spirited driving / WOT above 3k rpm?
While I think an intercooler is a nice upgrade to get, for the average driver (mostly doing commuting), it wouldn't be a must get top performance mod. If you have the extra money to spend though, sure, do it. On the other hand if you mostly push it hard or do AutoX or race it's a necessity.

On a budget, the two best overall mods are tires for handling and a tune for power. Everything else has a more subtle effect. Intakes and exhausts are mostly for sound although there is some minor power gains. For handling, a rear sway bar upgrade is the best bet after tires because it reduces body roll.

So, on a budget, tires + tune + beefier rear sway = a real transformation.
 


JT Si

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Don't laugh ... but I have had zero issues and many smiles with my Torque Solutions Blow off plate. Although it's true you can not tune for a BOV ... this is NOT a BOV... it's $58 of pure joy from MAPerormance. Folks are talking about Injen intakes blowing up civics ... trust me ... under medium to hard boost pressure this mod will be fun as hell. I feel like everyone is missing out because they drank the Kool Aide --- Thanks to Boomba ... it's taboo ... I mean ... it's a block off plate with no moving parts ... the problem with Boomba is that the spring failed or was improperly loaded. pppppppppppppppppsssssssssssttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
:thumbsdown:
 

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Is an intercooler upgrade really necessary if you're mostly (80% of the time) using the Si for normal commuting (i.e. shifting @ ~3-3.5k rpm using only light throttle to accelerate) and 20% / rest of the time is spirited driving / WOT above 3k rpm?
As someone who watches the IAT's frequently, yes it is worth considering. Even with conservative easy driving on the highway the IAT quickly rises to 30 over ambient. However if you consider the price of the upgrade vs the annoyance of heatsoak, subjectively there are greater "bang for the buck" mods out there.

As others have said, lighter wheels are probably the best option. If you mess with intake or suspension components there is a fair chance a dealer will give you crap if you need service on anything they feel is related. I've never heard of anyone catching crap for changing to lighter same sized wheel/tire. Unsprung weight makes a difference.
 

Seth_FC3

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Don't laugh ... but I have had zero issues and many smiles with my Torque Solutions Blow off plate. Although it's true you can not tune for a BOV ... this is NOT a BOV... it's $58 of pure joy from MAPerormance. Folks are talking about Injen intakes blowing up civics ... trust me ... under medium to hard boost pressure this mod will be fun as hell. I feel like everyone is missing out because they drank the Kool Aide --- Thanks to Boomba ... it's taboo ... I mean ... it's a block off plate with no moving parts ... the problem with Boomba is that the spring failed or was improperly loaded. pppppppppppppppppsssssssssssttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
That's why if you want a BOV that actually works, you gotta drop a little extra cash and just get the HKS ssq bov
 

Micah

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Don't get a BOV, our cars are MAF tuned. The ECU and all tunes are designed for the stock BPV along with it's spring pressure and the airflow that results. Deviating from those parameters just to hear a fast and furious sound is ridiculous. Use the search or hit the link in my sig for additional detail about why BOV are a bad match for our cars.
 

gtman

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Don't get a BOV, our cars are MAF tuned. The ECU and all tunes are designed for the stock BPV along with it's spring pressure and the airflow that results. Deviating from those parameters just to hear a fast and furious sound is ridiculous. Use the search or hit the link in my sig for additional detail about why BOV are a bad match for our cars.
Micah, you know as well as I do that a lot of people here don't care about real performance gains or reliability. It's all bout the sound, dude. :confused:

For those that don't know, the above is sarcasm.
 


Micah

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Micah, you know as well as I do that a lot of people here don't care about real performance gains or reliability. It's all bout the sound, dude. :confused:

For those that don't know, the above is sarcasm.
See also why honda owners, specifically Civic owners, have a bad reputation on every car forum I've ever belonged to.
 

Phy

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See also why honda owners, specifically Civic owners, have a bad reputation on every car forum I've ever belonged to.
To be fair, he's asking for actual advice rather than "what's the loudest fart can you can get".
 

Micah

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To be fair, he's asking for actual advice rather than "what's the loudest fart can you can get".
Don't get it twisted. gtman and I were referring to the BOV apologist/advocate types who randomly post on this forum.
 

gtman

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Don't get it twisted. gtman and I were referring to the BOV apologist/advocate types who randomly post on this forum.
Yes, what he said. Not referring to the OP.
 
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RicEeyEs

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