2001 2.3 V-Tec Modding Advice.....

[Jeremiah]

Turbo makes the car so much more what it should have been from the factory. The tall gears in N/A is rediculous... but w/boost, are perfect.

 

[turboputz]

Turbo makes the car so much more what it should have been from the factory. The tall gears in N/A is rediculous... but w/boost, are perfect.

I won't disagree with that. It's like they made the gearbox just for turbo cars, but it's found in an underpowered, heavy, NA car, that needs all the help from gearing it can get.

It really makes no sense. How many 6th gens were made 5-speed? 15%? Maybe less? Don't you think those 15% of buyers are more interested in performance than fuel economy? And if they want the ease of not shifting i.e. shifting less with tall gears then they'll get the auto anyways.

A 3000lb car with 152 lb. ft of torque has no business topping out at 135mph! Yay, floor it downhill for a mile and you'll hit top speed. Woo-frickin-hoo.

Yes lower revs at high speed blah blah..reliability..piston speeds and the long stroke..blah blah.

When I downshift and grab a gear I want it to mean something.
It meant something in my 102hp Civic and it does with the M2S4 in the Accord.

/End rant

 

[HondaLuver83]

H23 transmission swap (M2S4) and 11 lb. flywheel, or 8 lb. but that is less street friendly.

Until you do this you won't realize that one of the primary reasons the 4 cyl Accord is painfully slow is the absurdly tall gears and final drive ratio. This swap easily knocks at least 1 second off the 0-60 mph. Yes that's my butt g-force meter, but if you drive my car back-to-back with yours you wouldn't argue.

Revs will be pretty high at highway speeds, but there is the option of swapping the F-trans 5th gear if it bothers you - PM AFAccord.

Exhaust will give you more up top but you pay for it on the bottom end.
It's funny, I have a stock exhaust that I keep to pass inspection, and whenever I switch back to it from my Apexi WS II I am tempted to leave it on there. Power is smoother and there is definitely more torque under 3500 rpms. But there is no reward on the top end, instead the engine just feels like it's choking. I always reinstall the cat-back, it's just too fun.

Here's my best advice on the F23, if you don't like revving to get into the powerband, then leave the header and exhaust alone, and put that money into your suspension.
If wringing out the power is good times to you then open it up.
Trust me though you will not be shifting at 3,500 rpm if you get a cat-back, more like 5,500 rpm.

Dollar-for-dollar nothing will make the car quicker than the H23 transmission. If I am choosing between I/H/E and the H23 trans, I'd pick the H23 trans every time, even with no damn bolt-ons.

I'm exlcuding nitrous when I say that. I mean is it really smart to pop that on when you're trying to merge on the highway? Good gears are always there, they never run out, and they keep the car totally reliable. Presuming you don't drive it at 6k rpms all day long.

I used to have a 4 speed automatic in my car, and its funny. Even when I installed the long geared F23, I probably shaved about a second off my 0-60 time. Even with my "marginal" gains and stock cat back, I have already compared with a bone stock 4cyl 6thgen merging on the freeway. It was like night and day.


I just like the feel of my car right now, I don't have to rev high to easily get up to speed. If I can find an exhaust that doesnt sacrifice much of my low end and gives me nice high end gains, I'll probably buy it.


I don't plan on turbo or anything else of that nature. I want a drop and a wings west kit and thats probably it. Since I dont have the tools or enough knowledge to build a fast car, it will probably cost me way too much money. Ive never driven a GTO, but I had a charger srt-8 for a weekend, which is probably comparable. If I want a fast car, I will probably just buy one and maybe add a few basic mods to that....

 

[turboputz]

If I can find an exhaust that doesnt sacrifice much of my low end and gives me nice high end gains, I'll probably buy it.

Sounds like you have a good plan.

What I was saying is that there is no exhaust that will not sacrifice some low end for high end. I've had a couple now and they all do it. Exhaust velocity or volumetric efficiency, you can't increase both at the same time, it's just physics. So even if a manufacturer says that don't believe it.

My past Greddy SP and current Apexi WSII are both 2.25" mandrel bent piping.
Stock is 1.75", but with nasty pinches at the crush bends where the inside diameter drops way down.

I think a 2" custom made mandrel bent exhaust would be ideal for keeping low/mid-range torque but opening up the top-end. Good for light-to-light or auto-x power, less so for peak hp or drag racing.

 

[BlkCurrantKord]

Blah blah blah....don't mod a car with only 27k on it.

 

[HondaLuver83]

Sounds like you have a good plan.

What I was saying is that there is no exhaust that will not sacrifice some low end for high end. I've had a couple now and they all do it. Exhaust velocity or volumetric efficiency, you can't increase both at the same time, it's just physics. So even if a manufacturer says that don't believe it.

My past Greddy SP and current Apexi WSII are both 2.25" mandrel bent piping.
Stock is 1.75", but with nasty pinches at the crush bends where the inside diameter drops way down.

I think a 2" custom made mandrel bent exhaust would be ideal for keeping low/mid-range torque but opening up the top-end. Good for light-to-light or auto-x power, less so for peak hp or drag racing.

I'll probably take that advice. Thanks!

 

[hiddengamer7]

blah blah blah....don't mod a car with only 27k on it.

qft

 

[Accord281]

I would do manual swap, exhaust, and remove the power steering. Those 3 things would completely change the feel of the car. Unless you do a lot of parallel parking, you really don't need ps anyway. Just loop the rack and pinion and your set.

 

[EnjoiPugs]

Don't bother with boosting it. It's not gonna happen for less than 3 grand unless you scavenge parts or have the hook up on stuff. You could also be wrecking good reliability on a low mileage engine.

I would get the H22 manual. Add onto that the normal bolt ons and a tune. It'll sound good if done right and have a little more pull. Way more fun. Just be done there I'd say.

 

[CrosCntryAccord]

NORMAL BOLT-ON's DON'T DO **** FOR OUR CARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if you're so bent on modding this car for power get a cam and some head work done

otherwise i suggest you buy a cheap *** beater and invest in that, 1G crx's run for a quarter to half your budget and you can do lots to those cars to make them fun beaters