Upgrading Em1

[bkjj77]

Im want to do some upgrades to my car over christmas break.
Im not trying to put any turbos or nitrous junk..just bolt on
Ive looked at throttle boddies and Intake manifolds but most people say they are useless
what other upgrades can i do
I dont want anything that im going to have to dissasemble my whole engine
Also should i get a DYnoTune


So far:
CAI no name
Mugen Twin loop exhaust
I think i have headers but i cant see any brand on them

I want to be able to beat my friends ep3 by 2 cars

 

[MistahJuice]

I wouldnt say that throttle body and intake manifold would be useless, but I have heard that on a relatively stock b16 it isn't worth changing from the P30 manifold as it flows well already. Thats just what I've heard though. I'd say ur best bet would be bigger cams (ITR/CTR or up) and springs and retainers to go with em. And check if you actually have headers. Also do u simply have the mugen twin loop muffler or a full catback?

I believe the ep3 weighs like 100lbs more than you car and only has about 20 more torque so if his is stock with a few mods and some practice you should be able to take him. Maybe not by 2 cars lengths but still.

 

[bkjj77]

Im usually about half a car ahead. his redline is at 7 mine is at 8

 

[MistahJuice]

Yeah figured as much.

 

[00siboy]

If you already have a full exhaust, you could get a high-flow cat or even a test pipe, but honestly they won't make much of a difference on your setup. Like Juice said best bet for a b16 is valvetrain upgrades. Just research different setups and see what you want. If you do get a new valvetrain it would be a good idea to get it tuned, especially if you end up modifying any fuel components.

 

[bkjj77]

i dont realy understand how to upgrade valveterain...do i get new cams or what. isnt it expensive

 

[Billy.]

want to take him by 2 cars? you need displacement. do a short block swap to a b18 or b20. you'll gain a bunch of torque and smoke his ass off the line. I don't think bolt-ons are going to get the performance you want, at least not without breaking the bank

 

[bkjj77]

OK then beat him by my bumper being in front of his lip so 1 car lenght i think

 

[Billy.]

exactly what distance are you even referring to here? a quarter mile? 1/8th mile? end of your street? tail of the dragon?

 

[bkjj77]

1/8 mile

 

[MistahJuice]

Yeah b18 or b20 block would be best but OP obviously isn't super car savvy and doesnt wanna have to disassemble engine so that would be a bit pricy. OP if know how to change your timing belt then you can install cams and a valvetrain. Basically all you have to do is remove the valve cover get the belt, unbolt everything keeping the cams in, then use a spring compressor tool to remove and install new springs and retainers, then put the new cams in and get her tuned. But if you don't have confidence in doing stuff urself, or money to get stuff installed at a shop u wont be able to do much more.

 

[wazup_74]

Put 100lbs of weight into his trunk when he isn't paying attention. Then deflate his tires a bit.
JK

But cams/springs/throttle body and all that stuff would be good i guess. I would save up and get a turbo. I know you say you don't want that but if you decide want all that power you'll love it.

 

[Failsafe88]

Turbo it and beat it by more than 2 car lenghts

 

[bkjj77]

well the thing is i live my parents who bought me the car....if they see that im turboing they will be pissed....also doesnt turboing a car hurt the engine

 

[203CT]

Yes and no..turbos are alot more power and they are fun but alot more maintance to keep up with all the stress the engine has to deal with...if u go turbo just keep up with errythng..i just had a buddy who blew his ej1 due to a hose busting.

 

[203CT]

I also heard turbos can n some cases help save gas when ur not pushing the car it helps the gas burn better..but tht just somethng I heard havent researched it yet

 

[00siboy]

....also doesnt turboing a car hurt the engine

A safe tune won't hurt it, but don't cheap out on parts if you do go boost. That's the main reason people blow stuff up.

 

[Billy.]

well the thing is i live my parents who bought me the car....if they see that im turboing they will be pissed....also doesnt turboing a car hurt the engine

Doesn't racing your friend all the time hurt the engine too?

You're never going to beat him by 2 lengths in a 1/8th mile with bolt-ons. Not even 1/4 mile. You could easily spend $1000+ on N/A bolt-on parts and gain maybe 25whp. Or spend $1000 on a b20z block with ARP studs and rod bolts and gain 30-40whp

I also heard turbos can n some cases help save gas when ur not pushing the car it helps the gas burn better..but tht just somethng I heard havent researched it yet

This is 100% true. The key is to drive the car like you don't care that it has 350hp. My LSVTEC turbo got me 30+ MPG mixed city/highway with occasional WOT

A safe tune won't hurt it, but don't cheap out on parts if you do go boost. That's the main reason people blow stuff up.

I say just stay away from boost until you have more experience. Pop your first motor, learn a thing or two while rebuilding it on a budget, and then you'll have the knowledge needed to piece together a reliable turbo kit. Find a reputable shop experienced with what setup you want and have them do a detailed dyno tune over the course of a day or two. That will ensure your motor has many happy thousands of miles.