Honda Civic EK VTIR - Need more power?

[Jye]

*edit* Hi guys just baught a 1997 Honda Civic EK VTIR full stock. What upgrades should I do to get abit more power out of the thing?

[fromdeeeast]

2007 ek?

[DLO01]

Spam much?

Depends how far you wanna go and what you wanna do mate. But the usual I/H/E. Good brand intake, good headers good exhaust. They will open up a few ponies.

Do some searches on the forum. These topics have be covered before and there is heaps of info out there.

[Jye]

haha sorry. 1997! Not 2007!
I just sold my 2004 Yamaha R1 for something more practical to get to work and back. Spesh through winter/rain. Very happy with my buy. Got a nice clean stock Civic that has been taken care of. Just need alittle more punch.
If I was to put extractors, exhaust and pod filter would I notice much difference?

http://www.bikepics.com/members/jye/04r1/

[ekcoupe]

yeah you will definally notice a difference it can only benefit from it but dont cheap out on the parts;)

im guessing you have a ek4 b16a2 right? there very powerful engines stock but with the I/H/E will do it wonders the throttle will feel much smoother also service it often to keep it running its best

good luck champ:thumbsup:

[Jye]

Very happy to be dry on the way to work and not to have to get changed everyday. Also very relaxing listening to the radio ;)
Just need a little kick.
Very happy with the Civic. The folks drive a CRV and thats why I picked Honda.
Trust me this time of year... I had nice bike but you need to apreaciate the comforts you take for advantage daily.

[TheSaint]

the model of civic you have purchased has a very popular and powerful engine for its size

there is ALOT of support for modification on the engine and the car available, i would also get clued up on vtec if you arnt already

welcome to the world of B16 tuning =)

points i would address 1st...

a. Intake - get a CAI kit from Fujita, Injen, Ebay or build one
b. Headers - ebay if your on a budget ... or Toda/5zigen if you have cash to spend - make sure they are 4-2-1
c. Exhaust - either get a brand name one like Fujitsubo/Mugen/Spoon/5zigen etc or get a custom one made at an exhaust shop (2.25" - 2.5" is a good range)
d. Suspension - the EK VTIR responds really well to coilovers ... but a good shock spring combo will do, u will also want to get some strut braces in there and maybe a tie brace
e. Brakes - the VTIR already has 4 point discs ... so some nice slotted rotors and quality pads will do it
f. Wheels - the lighter the better ... small, light and strong is the way to go
g. Weight - try and keep the car nice and light
h. Service - make sure the car is serviced at regular intervals with Honda FEO oil, Hamp oil filter + all the regular checks ... remember vtec relies on oil pressure to engage

and finally dont be afraid to push the car to the limit ... read up about the B16a2 VTEC capabilities, than warm the car up for 15min, than find a nice open stretch of road and take it to red line in 1st and 2nd ... you will enjoy the results ... its even better with a good intake system

you can safely experience this on youtube as well lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpSOnadFTQU&feature=related

[yellows2k]

it depends what u mean by power. if ur thinking torque, then u wont get any love. the car is pretty soft in this area.
u can make it "powerful" for a 1.6l, but it wont have crushing power like a turbo'd car has, or ur bike for that matter.
my advice, keep it stock as ur daily. dont mess around with it, fruitless exercise that will just piss good money away, save it for a better car next

[Jye]

I pissed heaps of money on the bike too. Its all fun and games ;)

[drifter]

get full exhaust system + Header +intake. da should get u some power....... but if u want more power then might as well do a engine swap, B18C,H22A or K20A.

[GSi_PSi]

Best thing you could probly do is change the bottom end to a B20. You will actually feel vtec instead of just hearing it, down low torque will be great aswell.
From the moment you step on the peddle you will feel a noticeable strong kick then when vtec comes on it gets even better.
If your on a budget source everything your self and then get someone to slap it together for you, i know lots of people that will do the job if you need any help finding
mechanics in sydney

[snk99999]

B18C-R engine is the ultmate way

[Biz]

ive got the '00 EM1. Same engine as urs. and yeh as everyone says.. intake, headers and exhaust is the way to go combined with a good brake system and suspension/handling.

I'd recommend the Injen CAI, xforce 4-2-1 headers, xforce hi-flow cat with twinloop muffler. Im thinking of getting a DC2R swaybar combined with an ASR brace bar. Handling will be GG :D

but its all up to you buddy. Go with your own twist. Plenty of info on this forum :)
start a diary, nice way to get advice. Look at my diary :)

[Riviera]

Hey man great choice of car. I have a EK4 (VTIR) also. You can go either way theyre probly gunna cost the same

turbo or N/A. You can do a light turbo application on your standard motor up to 10psi safely for daily
or you can spend heaps of money like the rest of us on N/A upgrades and enjoy all the close races
you end up winning against most 6cyl cars very exciting lol.

I personally hav done.
Intake.
headers.
full mugen exhaust with twinloop. No computer as yet. And she pulls hard for the engine size. With just intake
you can expect 111.3hp atw thats what i pull with only intake during the midday heat.
Plus suspension upgrades but yoour askin about power...

If there is engine conversions in mind.... I'd look into kseries...

[I.M.I]

Hey man great choice of car. I have a EK4 (VTIR) also. You can go either way theyre probly gunna cost the same

turbo or N/A. You can do a light turbo application on your standard motor up to 10psi safely for daily
or you can spend heaps of money like the rest of us on N/A upgrades and enjoy all the close races
you end up winning against most 6cyl cars very exciting lol.

I personally hav done.
Intake.
headers.
full mugen exhaust with twinloop. No computer as yet. And she pulls hard for the engine size. With just intake
you can expect 111.3hp atw thats what i pull with only intake during the midday heat.
Plus suspension upgrades but yoour askin about power...

If there is engine conversions in mind.... I'd look into kseries...

111.3hp at atw? do you mean kw?

[SiR Vtec]

no he means hp, 111.3hp is roughly 83kw. Im hoping my em1 will be running at bout 90-100kw atw when im done. Ive got AEM V2 CAI, skunk2 pro throttlebody and skunk2 Intake manifold, guessing i should be able to pull out more with the headers and exhaust. The b16a2 isnt a bad motor, realy gud up top but realy lacks down below. Have you raced anythin in ur ek4?

[MM89]

Pretty sure he means HP. Intake only B16A2 will not pull 111.3kw atw.

[Limbo]

turbo it when u get bored, its lots of fun

[Jye]

turbo it when u get bored, its lots of fun

I've seen kits on ebay for around $800 U.S

Anyone know of any cheap installers/mechanics?

[hussLEr]

$800 kit doesn't sound like enough for a total turbo kit?!..ecu? injectors? manifold? oil/water lines? fuel pump? tuning?.

Power mods for the B16?..

* Lightened flywheel + HD clutch
* dc2r 4.7FD gearbox.
* headers, high-flow cat, 2.25" exhaust.
* CAI

[Alvis]

I know you've just bought it, and congrats on a good choice mate; also good to think about resale one day - if you tweak around with it too much, make sure you do it right (especially with engine swaps etc) or else the next person won't want to buy your troubles and it's money down the drain.

I/H/E, suspension, brakes, light weight rims (15 or 16 inch max) ECU tweak are all sensible enhancements to your car IMO :-)

Good Luck!

[VOLK]

Seems ECU has only been mentioned once in this thread, so I'll chime in.

The factory tune is fairly dumb/safe and there is definitely some power to be had by getting a decent ECU (Hondata or equivalent) after you've gone down the path of basic bolt ons (I/H/E). You might even pick up some economy while you're at it as stock Vtec tune overfuels like crazy at WOT on vtec. At WOT they completely ignore the narrowband 02 sensor and usually go to some stupid preset injector duty cycle, blowing fuel smoke in the process. Definitely not good for power production. I've even seen the S2000s doing the vtec overfuel so it must be a Honda thing. Have a search around on the forums for Hondata, seems to be pretty popular and cost effective.

[Alvis]

Seems ECU has only been mentioned once in this thread, so I'll chime in.

The factory tune is fairly dumb/safe and there is definitely some power to be had by getting a decent ECU (Hondata or equivalent) after you've gone down the path of basic bolt ons (I/H/E). You might even pick up some economy while you're at it as stock Vtec tune overfuels like crazy at WOT on vtec. At WOT they completely ignore the narrowband 02 sensor and usually go to some stupid preset injector duty cycle, blowing fuel smoke in the process. Definitely not good for power production. I've even seen the S2000s doing the vtec overfuel so it must be a Honda thing. Have a search around on the forums for Hondata, seems to be pretty popular and cost effective.

Yep, agreed. It's probably one of the most effective 'bang for your buck' mods you can do without going too much over the top and reaching too deep into your pockets

[TODA AU]

*edit* Hi guys just baught a 1997 Honda Civic EK VTIR full stock. What upgrades should I do to get abit more power out of the thing?
Flywheel + clutch + 98Spec ITR gearbox (or final drive if you can't find one)
Make better use of the power you have...
Once you get used to that then look at making it noisier.

[Mikecivic78]

it depends what u mean by power. if ur thinking torque, then u wont get any love. the car is pretty soft in this area.
u can make it "powerful" for a 1.6l, but it wont have crushing power like a turbo'd car has, or ur bike for that matter.
my advice, keep it stock as ur daily. dont mess around with it, fruitless exercise that will just piss good money away, save it for a better car next

I really agree with your line of thinking.

Get a 2 litre Honda, or keep it relatively stock. No replacement for displacement, unless ur after economy.

However, spend a few grand and get a turbo... torque and power problems will be solved. B16a turbo FTW.

[SiR Vtec]

Flywheel + clutch + 98Spec ITR gearbox (or final drive if you can't find one)
Make better use of the power you have...
Once you get used to that then look at making it noisier.

when you say make beter use of the power you have, in what way are we doing this with the itr gearbox? does it allow for longer rev limits or wat?

[Jye]

Hey guys bit of an update. Got a pod filter (Sounds uneblievable). Really notice the difference. You can really hear the Vtech tone. Also got new rims and installed alarm. Thanks for the advice and thanks to my mates Som and North for installing it all!


http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/yy271/jyeeatock/DSC03124.jpg
http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/yy271/jyeeatock/DSC03133.jpg
http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/yy271/jyeeatock/DSC03130.jpg
http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/yy271/jyeeatock/DSC03120.jpg

[ggb200]

Congrats on your purchase mate ....

All the stuff thats been posted are quite a valid list of mods some more substantial than others however i currently ride an R1 and drive an EK4 Vtir and understand your sore points.

In the same attempt at a little more punch from my car i installed a full exhaust including 4-2-1 headers and a short ram air intake and all those mods were great as well.

Something else that i might add that made a fair bit of difference for me as i ran 2 different air filters is the brand of POD that you use ... i initially installed a K&N based but i have ended up with an apexi power intake POD ... Very good. Further to the air intake the other minor mod i did was to the spark plug leads i installed the NGK ones that are slightly thicker than stock and a set of irraway 7 high performance spark plugs to compliment the leads. If your car has done over 140,000 Kms i strongly suggest that you check all the gaskets i.e rocker cover gasket Which replacements are available in kits ... these kits will include the spark plug seals etc

B16A2 is a bottomless pit dont waste too much money on it ... either do a K-Swap or make sure you buy good bits to go on it ... Or get your R1 back :P

Enjoy mate

[CB7_OWNER]

light weight flywheel + hd clutch made, a huge noticeable difference in drivablity for the better on my stock b16.. revs pick up incredibly faster then stock. And yes the pod + b16 vtec crossover = pretty epic

[Mikecivic78]

Hey guys bit of an update. Got a pod filter (Sounds uneblievable). Really notice the difference. You can really hear the Vtech tone. Also got new rims and installed alarm. Thanks for the advice and thanks to my mates Som and North for installing it all!


http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/yy271/jyeeatock/DSC03124.jpg
http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/yy271/jyeeatock/DSC03133.jpg
http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/yy271/jyeeatock/DSC03130.jpg
http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/yy271/jyeeatock/DSC03120.jpg

Nice lookin' EK4. How many Ks on the odo? White wheels are good, but go a smaller size, 15 inch or 16 inch. 17s are too heavy and ride quality suffers.

[EK1.6LCIV]

I wouldn't touch the engine, I'd be changing the suspension, bushes, sway bar at the rear, buying some nice 15s for it with average single direction tyres, better brake rotors and pads, some seats with bolsters and going from there. Just make it go into corners and leave them better :)