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View Full Version : REVIEW: 5zigen 4-2-1 on EM1 B16A



Taxi-R
02-11-2007, 10:05 PM
hey there,

just got one of these brand spanking new installed for a few days now and thought i'd give y'all a bit of a review. i didn't get to see them off the car as the mechanic got them in for me.

Just so you know what mods i have so you can gauge how it may translate to your own engine performance:

Short ram intake with pod filter
sports b-pipe and muffler (it's prob a tad bit larger than stock i imagine)
17" Buddy club P1 racing rims
stock cat

Aesthetics: holy cow! popped open the bonnet and these sweet muther ** golden purple tubes loopin outta my engine block... total bling factor plus 5 man! they look fatter than the stockies. (unfortunately i can't b bothered signing up for those free pic hosting sites to post a pic...)

The sound: On startup, the first 5 seconds the engine noise would be a bit louder - whether it is the engine or the extra air going through the larger headers i can't really tell. then it subdues a little but u can deifinitely tell it's a bit different to before. the muffler noise is a bit deeper also on idle. in the cabin, the sound is not really different in low revs. when u give it about half throttle when driving, it is a bit different. when you say give 70% throttle and are at a bit of speed (say above 60kmph) you can start noticing a bit more of a "racey" note - it's a lil more "harsh" or "solid" and it's great! i haven't full throttle vtec yetand i probably won't =)

The feel: B4 the install, my car would seem to lose alot of power/speed once i lifted off the throttle (i'm someone who barely thrashes it - very normal driver). it would immeidately slow down alot during the gear change too. but now, that has completely disappeared! it's smooooooth baby!! no loss of power or speedat ANY time! someone said it's prob cos i have 17's.

when entering the freeway i would give it a bit of stick and you can feel that the car is more willing to push and the push it gives is more free. so when they say that 4-2-1 usually gives better mid-end performance, the legend is true! u can really feel the car can breathe alot better in the mid range as when you say are driving on the freeway even at say 70-80kph and overtake, and u drop it down a gear say to 3rd, the car felt noticeably more eager to pick up some speed and pulling power.

Overall: I like it! the sound is better. the car feels like it doesn't have a stuffy nose anymore. It's got a bit of oomph now. it looks s+xy!

Now for those who are thinking, do i spend $690 on some 5zigen or do i go the full monte and get the best (i.e. Toda) for $1200-1300? Here's my answer to you. if you're someone who is dragging ppl all the time, on a race track trying to shave off an extra 1-2sec off your lap time, looking at dyno numbers to better someone else or simply just want the LV of headers, then go get a Toda and Mugen and what not. otherwise, for those who are happy to get a little more driveability, a bit more mid-end pulling power for everyday driving, a slightly more racey zorst note, these are the ones to get! quality seems great. if u can snatch them up 2nd hand even for say $550, i'd still get them! IMHO, double the price for something giving you say 20% more, is totally not worth it.

another good thing about these is as long as you get the B16A version for your B16A, it's just direct bolt on with no other parts necessary! SWEET!!

hope u guys might find this useful...if u can understand it hahaha

ciao :thumbsup:

EG30
10-11-2007, 04:47 AM
Great review Taxi-R, thanks for sharing your experience.

do they hang much lower than your stock EM1 headers? I have a cusco lower bar between the control arms and I can't afford more than say 10-15mm lower than stock headers before they foul.

patto
10-11-2007, 07:02 AM
I also just installed these on my EM1 (I got the b18c ones) along with a spoon catback. Tell you what, I must agree with Taxi, these things look pimp! From the quality of the welds to the finish. They are gorgeous and totally worth $690. The car feels sooo much better with these on, its really opened the car up (obviously the catback helps too). And they are about half the weight of the stock headers. My advice to ppl on a budget....don't waste your time with xforce...spend a little bit more on the 5zigens, its totally worth it. Xforce tend to not sit flush against the block and leak air, which means they need to be machined and apparently that isn't cheap. 5zigen sit flush against the block from the get go...no dramas!

NightKids
10-11-2007, 01:41 PM
So where did you purchase this from?

vteccoupe
10-11-2007, 02:20 PM
just wondering wat is the collector size? 2.5inch?

vteccoupe
10-11-2007, 02:23 PM
I also just installed these on my EM1 (I got the b18c ones) along with a spoon catback. Tell you what, I must agree with Taxi, these things look pimp! From the quality of the welds to the finish. They are gorgeous and totally worth $690. The car feels sooo much better with these on, its really opened the car up (obviously the catback helps too). And they are about half the weight of the stock headers. My advice to ppl on a budget....don't waste your time with xforce...spend a little bit more on the 5zigens, its totally worth it. Xforce tend to not sit flush against the block and leak air, which means they need to be machined and apparently that isn't cheap. 5zigen sit flush against the block from the get go...no dramas!

care to explain wat is the diff between the b18c headers and the b16a one? :thumbsup: is it thicker in terms of individual pipe size for the b18c compared to the b16a?

SLOWEGG
10-11-2007, 03:04 PM
Its more do with sump clearances.

patto
10-11-2007, 05:21 PM
b16a has a 2" outlet. b18c has 2.5" outlet which is why i got em. Bought mine from max hondapower

94dc2tegz
10-11-2007, 07:27 PM
great write up man! I always wanted one of these now i'll have no doubt when I finally come around to getting one for myself. Being less and less of these topics lately and it's nice to see something new and fresh for once.

vteccoupe
11-11-2007, 03:02 AM
ahhh gd :thumbsup: i need something wif 2.5inch collector as well..cheers 4 that..:thumbsup:


b16a has a 2" outlet. b18c has 2.5" outlet which is why i got em. Bought mine from max hondapower

philBo
11-11-2007, 09:55 AM
so is it better to get the 2" collector version for the b16 or the 2.5" collector version for the b18?

reason i ask is that if you ran the 2" variant, and tried to run a 2.25" cat-back, doesnt that then create a restrictive setup?

JamB
11-11-2007, 02:07 PM
so will the b18 bolt up to stock dc2 cat?

iced
11-11-2007, 04:21 PM
pics pics man!!!!!
www.imageshack.us
dont need to sign up.
just upload and paste the link here.

LAGOOT
11-11-2007, 08:28 PM
so will the b18 bolt up to stock dc2 cat?
if you are refering to the AUS cat, it wont unfortunately..
different flanges.. JDM ITR cat should fix this problem.

vteccoupe
12-11-2007, 12:03 AM
if you are refering to the AUS cat, it wont unfortunately..
different flanges.. JDM ITR cat should fix this problem.

test pipe wld b easy fix :zip:

patto
12-11-2007, 06:45 AM
the b18c bolts straight up to a jdm dc2 cat, dunno about Aus version.