FREE/CHEAP Mods.

[Bass Man]

Well, since my last performance thread got so much attention (2000+ views!!), I've thought up another worthy thread.

I need to get as much cheap performance out of this little A20 that the greatest 3g reps have...

Here is a review for everything I've done for a major feelable difference:

Complete vacuum removal + Manuel secondaries: After this, I found out how much my secondaries WEREN'T working... After this VERY CHEAP mod ($3 in vacuum plugs), I increase my 0-60 by at least 2 seconds, and gain a LOT of throttle control.

Adjusted the valves to; Intake: .006, Exhaust: .0010... Didn't feel a "power" increase, but idle has gotten smoother and I know my car is happier.

Exhaust: Got my Flowmaster 60 series on... Sounds increadable and gave me quite a noticable power gain from a turbo muffler.

Flipping the Filter Lid: I tried to fit mine, but I didn't see how it would fit, so what I did was put it upside-down on concrete and beat directly in the center with a carpenters hammer... The power gain wasn't noticable, but I'm sure I gained 1/2 MPG.

I only advanced the timing by 4-5 mm, and I noticed a HELLUVA difference! I also didn't like how it was burning my gas so I set it back a little bit, but for Test & Tune, I can just break out the 10mm and take a second off my time easily.


This is all I've done since I got it, and from the day I got it to today, I am at least 3 seconds faster (1/4 mile)....




But why I started this thread was to find out how to get MORE power for cheap/free.

I have heard you can Port Match your head for an RPM increase. FREE
Also heard you can put an LXi exhaust manifold on for flow increase. Under $30 at a JY.

I want to know about intake manifold mods... Like making the dual plain into single plain. Maybe a Carb spacer??

[gfrg88]

youre carbed right?? if so why dont you flip your lid, or around it.. thats pretty cheap(free) advance your timing...not sure about this one, but why not try and swap the whole head for a prelude (a18?) with the dual carbs :)

[gfrg88]

oh and correct me if im wrong, but arent the efi cams better also??

[forrest89sei]

Yes EFI Cam's are better

[Bass Man]

Thanks for reminding me!! I've done those but I didn't think about saying it...

Does anyone know how much different the EFI cam is to the Carbed cam?? I guess I can search, but I am hoping this thread will be "THE" thread to search in.


BTW!!! I got my exhaust tonight!! Put it in about an hour ago and DAMN! Turbo vs. Flowmaster, Turbo = OWNED!

[Bass Man]

why not try and swap the whole head for a prelude (a18?) with the dual carbs :)

This is the Carb Tech section, but yea, I have a carb.

I need more info on this^^ Very interested.

[forrest89sei]

A18 Head Swap Isn't worth it unless you go with aftermarket carbs, the Carbs they use on the 2g ludes are alot worse then ours!

if your gonna upgrade carbs, just get a nice webber for your A20 setup

[forrest89sei]

Well after Looking in my manuals I found this, maybe it's of help?:
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc261/forrest89accordsei/camlobeMedium.jpg


Thats Direct From a Honda Provided Shop Manual

[2oodoor]

advancing the timing should have given you better MPG. you need to readjust the idle afterwards and make sure the vaccum advance works. What advancing does is it lets the motor twist up faster with LESS throttle opening. you probably were "testing" it too much..lol

[MessyHonda]

nothing is cheap on carbs....but a vac removal would make the car a bit quicker...but then you lose a good idle and it might suck trying to start it up in the cold.

[Bass Man]

Mornings are a bitch, but it makes up for it in performance.

Does anyone have an A3 cam in their A1?

[Dr_Snooz]

Try a K&N filter and platinum plugs. Way cheap and they rock!

[forrest89sei]

^ Yeah I had a K&N and some NGK GP2 Plugs on my 1986 LX, Helped!

[cygnus x-1]

...not sure about this one, but why not try and swap the whole head for a prelude (a18?) with the dual carbs :)

NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT DO THAT!!!

Ok, sorry. I'm fine now. Those A18 carbs are the worst. Imagine having not one crappy carb to troubleshoot, but two! It's twice the suckage. The best thing you can do is to ditch that factory carb for a Weber 32/36 or a 38/38. With either the throttle response will be better and you'll gain a little power at the top end. Not a cheap mod, but a must of you have other mods like a better cam and header.

As for the head, you don't need to port match is so much as just do a good quality 3 angle valve job and clean up any casting flaws.

Weight reduction is always good, and free.

<OT>
I see you have a Zuk project there. I'm about to start my own. I bought one from a guy in Nebraska that's in really good shape but doesn't have an engine. So I'm going to do the VW diesel conversion and run it on waste veggie oil. I'm (hopefully) going to pick up the donor VW tomorrow; an '85 Golf. Then next weekend I'm going out to NE to pick up the Zuk. Will be really nice to not get raped by The Man for gas.
</OT>


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[Bass Man]

Nice addition^^
I spent a couple hours researching the A18 head swap and found the thread about how bad the carbs are on it... Too bad there wasn't an A18 FI that would easily swap over...



As for the Samurai, go to www.zukikrawlers.com for awesome Suzuki tech... If you can think it, someone has already done it, and they might go to your thread and go NNNNOOOOOO!!!!(lol) to a VW engine... But I heard of people putting them in sammies.

[Bass Man]

Here is my Samurai.
http://www.zukikrawlers.com/showpost.php?p=128145&postcount=33

[turabaka]

^^ I'm kinda curious about the A18 head on the a20 block. carbs aside what's the major differences in it that make it better than the a20 head? I'm just kinda thinking how cool it would be to have an a18 head with dual 40 webers or something similar.

[Bass Man]

It might be a cool side draft project...

There is a thread on here that said it raises Compression Ratio, and bolts right up to the A20 block.

[turabaka]

awesome. Doesn't it also have stiffer valve springs? so that would mean higher revs. Or am I thinking of a different engine? I tend to get so damned confused with all the frankesteining we have to do to get decent power out of these engines. lol

[gfrg88]

awesome. Doesn't it also have stiffer valve springs? so that would mean higher revs. Or am I thinking of a different engine? I tend to get so damned confused with all the frankesteining we have to do to get decent power out of these engines. lol


yes. this is why ive always wanted to do this swap but i dont know crap about carbs lol and it also raises cr :D

[Bass Man]

Here is all the info you will need.

http://www.3geez.com/forum/showpost.php?p=801371&postcount=12

[turabaka]

hmmm... it looks like the only benefit would be the stiffer valve springs. Otherwise you could just build a custom manifold for dcoe 40 or 45 webers. You'll have to do that anyway I guess. Oh well. Next idea. lol

[Bass Man]

Oh well. Next idea. lol

Direct injection FTW!!! haha.

[cygnus x-1]

The A18 head on an A20 block would give you a little higher compression ratio, but probably not enough to bother with. The crappy thing about the A18 head is that the intake ports are not centered with the cylinders. So the airflow path is not the same to each of the two valves to get into the cylinder. When I took the A18 head off and looked in the ports I could see that the valve that was further away didn't have as much air flow to it, because the port wall on that side was way more caked up with crud, and the other side was clean. Now I suppose this could be by design, maybe it creates more swirl as the cylinder is filling or something, but it still doesn't seem optimal. Here you can kinda see that the intake ports are centered with one of the valves, and the other valve is off to the side.

http://bluegreenlabs.com/Prelude/A18/A18Head.jpg


There is actually a version of the 1.8L head (ET1 engine I believe, EDM) that has the intake ports centered with the cylinders so the paths to the valves are equal length. This would be a cool head to work with because of the equal spacing and also the smaller ports. The smaller ports would have better velocity than an A20 head (the A18 would too except for the goofy spacing) which would be nice for low end torque. Rjudgey has (at least) one of these heads and I think he made some pretty good power with it.

Well anyway, as far as dual carb setups, you will have to have a custom manifold made up anyway so you might as well use the commonly available A20 head. And for any worthwhile bump in compression you'll have to resort to other means anyway, custom pistons, welded up combustion chambers, skimmed head, etc.


<Zuki stuff>
Cool site. Looks like you have a nice rig there. I'm not that hardcore (yet anyway :lol:). I just like to cruise the trails once in awhile. I'm also more interested in the fuel mileage and being able to run waste oil as fuel than I am with big power. If I want to drive fast I'll drive my Prelude, not that it's very fast either. At least it handles well on the road.
</Zuki stuff>

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[2oodoor]

zukiage ftw!
back on topic, you can use the double valve springs off the A18 head, about the only good thing about those IMO.
free, cheap mods.. go to the JY and look under the hoods of all pre FI imports. You may get lucky and find a weber conversion, I got both of mine off mazda pick ups, cleaning them up can be a bitch though if they have set a long time with gas in them. You can also get Holley 5200 (almost the same carb) of Vegas, monza, pintos, fairmonts, 4cyl...Then make it fit you manifold by fabrication or just order the adapter plate.. cheap.

You can also use chevy distributor advance springs, get the chevy curve kit set for lighter springs, quicker advance curve.

[Bass Man]

Nice tech once again!^^

I'm making a Junkyard list...
88-89 LXI Camshaft
2g Prelude intake valve springs(I think, I need to search)
88-89 Exhaust manifold/Dowpipe


Does anyone have info on the Holley 5200 and adapter plate?? I'm trying to make this a reference page.

[Bass Man]

<Zuki stuff>
Cool site. Looks like you have a nice rig there. I'm not that hardcore (yet anyway :lol:). I just like to cruise the trails once in awhile. I'm also more interested in the fuel mileage and being able to run waste oil as fuel than I am with big power. If I want to drive fast I'll drive my Prelude, not that it's very fast either. At least it handles well on the road.
</Zuki stuff>

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Thanks, I try. My dad has a nice rig with almost the same setup as me, only his is full-bodied.

I got a buddy who drives a B2200 diesel off veggie oil, AND he owns a samurai... lol. I wonder how much better used oil is to burn rather than diesel (as if I were a tree hugger)

[cygnus x-1]

Thanks, I try. My dad has a nice rig with almost the same setup as me, only his is full-bodied.

I got a buddy who drives a B2200 diesel off veggie oil, AND he owns a samurai... lol. I wonder how much better used oil is to burn rather than diesel (as if I were a tree hugger)

From what I've read it's better in nearly every way. First of all it's almost free, at least for now. It has better lubricating properties than the current diesel formulations so it's easier on the injection pump and engine internals. It's carbon neutral in that the exhaust doesn't contribute any more CO2 into the air than the source plants pulled from the air to begin with. The exhaust doesn't smell bad like a diesel. The down side is that it has to be filtered (easy) and that the fuel is more viscous than diesel and has to be heated before it goes into the engine, requiring pre-heaters or a system where the engine stops and starts on diesel to keep the lines from gelling up. Again, this can be dealt with so it's not a big deal.


On the 4-2-1 manifold, Don't waste your time with the factory downpipe. The tubes are really small and restrictive. The thing to do is to open up the outlets on the 4-2 manifold and then make your own 2-1 down pipe. It's no more than a flange, 2 90 degree bends, and a 2-1 collector. If you're good at scrounging and metal mangling it should be pretty cheap to do. In fact I have an extra 4-2 manifold I could send you if you can't find one locally. It would probably cost more to ship than what it would cost at a junkyard though.

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[Bass Man]

I think I can get a 4-2 89 LXI mani at my JY for about $20... Do you have info on the downpipe??

[cygnus x-1]

I think I can get a 4-2 89 LXI mani at my JY for about $20... Do you have info on the downpipe??

Info like measurements or something? I have one sitting around in the garage.

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[Bass Man]

Is it home made or something I can find somewhere??

[cygnus x-1]

It's just a factory down pipe, nothing special. If you were to build your own though you could cut the flange off of a factory one and weld your own tubing to it.

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[Bass Man]

Factory downpipe on what?