Intake Gaskets

[ekslut]

I've been seeing around some intake gaskets by a few people like Hondata & SRE, and I was wondering do these actualy work. From what I have read they claim to help reduce intake temp's, which apparently can give up to 5% increase in power.

Now are these a heap of crap, or do they actually work? Are they worth the almost $100 for them, or am I best to stick with the OEM ones?

[jimmeh]

they do work. whether it is worth it that is totally up to u.

[SPEEDCORE]

You have PM ekslut.

[Slow96GSR]

It will reduce heat transfer into the intake manifold. It will also warp and cause vacuum leaks over time. You don't want to reduce the heat in the manifold too much as it helps disperse the fuel and mix it, vaporization. A bad fuel mix can reduce power and lead to more problems down the road. If you want to get it and try it, it's only $60 USD. I wouldn't unless you have to replace the intake manifold gasket, then it's only about $45 USD difference since a new stock gasket is about $15 USD.

[Dxs]

i was curious on these things too..

just did a bit of reading and it seems the theory is that the OEM gaskets transfer the heat from the head/block to manifold. Where as having a thick plastic gasket works as a barrier between the head and the manifold to block heat transfer. Also the gasket comes with plastic washers for the bolts for the manifold to reduce heat transfer.

so basically the gasket is used as a heat barrier.

[HEAD]|gasket|[Manifold=
heat->|Barrier|

To me it sounds plausable in theory, if someone told me to touch the head of my car after a thrash and the options were to have either a thickish bit of plastic or a thin metal? gasket.. i would choose the plastic.

but yeah could be a load of wank.. but how much are genuine gaskets anyway.. if say the hondata thing is only 30 bucks more it may be worth a shot

[michael_antoi]

taken from http://www.hondatech.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=185



Hondata Intake Gasket

Hondata have developed a special high temperature insulating gasket which replaces the stock intake gasket. This and bypassing several heat sources significantly reduces the transfer of heat from the head to the intake and incoming air giving you up to 5% more power.

Turbocharged cars often use an aluminum intercooler to cool the air compressed by the turbo. The intake manifold is also made of aluminum but because it is heated by the head from combustion and coolant, works in reverse to an intercooler by heating the intake air by as much as 50° C.

Fact: For every 3.3 °C (5° F) rise in intake temperature, air density drops 1%. The hotter the air, the less fuel the computer injects to compensate for reduced oxygen. HondaLogger datalogging software has enabled us to measure intake air temperature under varied driving conditions.

Around town, testing has shown an average drop of around 10 degrees C which is good for around 3 percent power increase. Remember though that 3 percent power increase is difficult to feel. You'd feel a greater change in performance getting rid of that passenger. In certain conditions a 30° C drop has been measured.

The Honda manifold is heated in up to 5 places. From the head, the interior heating takeoff hose, the cold idle valve, the idle control valve and the throttle body heater. The Heatshield gasket kit contains an insulating gasket, and installation instructions.

http://www.hondata.com/images/tempgraph.gif

The graph above shows the results of installing the Heatshield gasket and bypassing the throttle body heating and idle control valve heating. If you examine a Type R intake manifold you will find that most sources of water heating are removed. Further temperature drops are possible when in addition the interior heating hose is blocked. What the graph shows, is that as you open the throttle, the intake temperature drops slowly as it cools the intake. When you descend a hill with the throttle closed or drive around town on a light throttle the temperature climbs quickly. It takes a good 15-20 seconds for the temperature to drop again when you open the throttle. So if you start your 1/4 mile drag with a hot intake manifold - you are only starting to develop maximum power near the end of the run when the intake has been cooled. The Heatshield gasket kit gives you 4-5% more power immediately by lowering the intake temperature.




Make up your own mind i guess.

[weezer]

I've got one of these gaskets and it does work. Power gain? probably not. It also makes the injectors sit slightly further back.

[ekslut]

Yeah, I am changing my IM anyways, so I have decided to order a Outlaw Engineering kit that Speedcore has suggested to me. Comes with everything you need + more. It is a bit more expencive though.

From the sounds of it, it does do what it claims to do. Which is reduce intake air temp, but a 5% increse in power seems unlikely.

Also if anyone else is looking at doing this, from what I have read you will need to replace you IM studs with some extended ones, as the plastic gasket is a lot thicker and there is not enough thread left to hold the nuts on properly.

[michael_antoi]

aren't the 'stud's a part of the block?

so ur saying to chop them off, drill them out and install some new threads all together?

hmmm

[Dxs]

studs are threaded all the way.. so u can unscrew them from where they are (block, head, flanges.. whatever).. just a bolt with no head really

[michael_antoi]

ah right right..

thanks mate.