small mods for my maxed out turbo??

Mikeorock

Well-Known Member
424
88
queens, ny
Vehicle Model
civic si
Body Style
coupe
Spring is here!!!! Time to get crazy.... my prl stage 2 turbo is basically pushing my stock motor to its limits.. but i still have the bug!!! What else should i do to get it even better as far as engine performance???
I have the hasport rear motor mount, 4 bar map sensor, boost controller, working on shifter bushings..
What do you guys think about side motor mounts?? Spark plugs???? (only 12,000 miles on it but they are still the stock plugs but gapped) im thinking i can get it a little smoother? Because it does sound just a little rough and i hear a little pop sometimes when idling.. or maybe work on the cooling system???
 
Replace the bushings in your suspension/front LCAs. Look into traction balls to help you get that power down. It's the small things that make the build more complete. It's also these small areas where another 65hp from the motor gets lost before it hits the road.

I have not seen a 9th specific front LCA bushing kit but I bet the 8th gen SI kit from Energy would fit pretty well.

How low are you? Extended ball joints for a roll center adjustment would do a lot too I bet. That coupled with a proper corner balance.


Just other areas to look. If you're making power but wasting it in transition then chasing more HP doesn't make sense.


What size and type of tire are you running?

Side motor mounts? Address all your mounts. Full kit, yes do it.
 
If your running the stock spark plugs I would recommend getting a set that is a step colder. This is generally recommended with any form of forced induction. Won't net you any power, but may help with the smoothness your looking for.
 
A quick search on the limits of the k series tranny shows that there doesn't seem to be any real consensus on what the actual power limit on the tranny is. Some people claim how you drive it has more of an impact than how much power your making. I would be interested to see if any of the tuners could chime in since they would have plenty more experience in the field.
 
A quick search on the limits of the k series tranny shows that there doesn't seem to be any real consensus on what the actual power limit on the tranny is. Some people claim how you drive it has more of an impact than how much power your making. I would be interested to see if any of the tuners could chime in since they would have plenty more experience in the field.

Yeah I wonder what the threshold really is for our tans...seems to be the motor is stout, but the trans may be an "Akilles heel" in a way
 
seems to be the motor is stout

I remember reading an article in Honda Tuning Magazine about a year ago about a guy that made 700+ horsepower on his stock internals K20A2. I know its not exactly the same engine, but that's still impressive. The article didn't mention how long it lasted though, or any trans modifications that I can remember.
 
I remember reading an article in Honda Tuning Magazine about a year ago about a guy that made 700+ horsepower on his stock internals K20A2. I know its not exactly the same engine, but that's still impressive. The article didn't mention how long it lasted though, or any trans modifications that I can remember.

What all can you do to your trans to ensure it can handle it? I have never had to, so I know nothing about it really.
 
I haven't either, I know you can get carbon lined syncros for some added strength/ wear resistance. I think after a certain point its advisable to get custom made dog tooth gears and chemical treatments for the metal to strengthen/ protect it. I'm sure one of the guys on here with dedicated drag setups can chime in with a little more insight.
 
@webby Any idea if the 8th gen Si trans and 9th gen are the same or interchangeable?

I know there are a couple places, like syncrotech, that do core exchange rebuilds and custom work but I didn't see any 9th gen trannys listed on their site.
 
I'm honestly not sure what's changed on the trans from the 8 to 9.
 
I'm honestly not sure what's changed on the trans from the 8 to 9.

Looked up the part numbers on majestic Honda. The bell housings do not have the same part numbers so I would venture to say they may be similar but not swappable without modification or internal swapping.
 
op your best bet without blowing your motor is going with prl's fuel return system and run e85...also you should really get the full set of motor mounts...and swap to colder plugs like flight said..
 
Yeah at this point all he can do is try to minimize drivetrain loss, and then hope someone finally releases some camshafts that are compatible with the z7.

@Mikeorock what size exhaust are you running? If its less than 3" there may be a few extra HP you could free up.
 
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