FD2 Performance Upgrade Options

[Mr Abzii]

Hey guys, I own a FD2 which is the civic sport featuring the k20z2 engine which performs at the following specs:

Displacement: 1,998 cc (121.9 cu in)
Compression: 9.6:1
Bore x Stroke: 86 mm x 86 mm
Power: 155 hp (114 kW) @ 6000 rpm (SAE net J1349 Rev 8/04)
Torque: 139 ft·lbf (188 N·m) @ 4500 rpm
Redline: 6800 rpm

My initial plan was to just install bolt ons such as
RBC Intake Manifold $ 395
Injen CAI $ 450
Headers $ 250
X Force Cat Back $ 800
PiggyBack Ecu + Tune $ 1000
Total : $ 2895

Although now i am considering super charging, turbo charging or a swap with a higher powered k series engine. So the question is what power gains and costs should i expect from either of the options.

1.) Bolt ons
2.) Turbo Charging
3.) Supercharging
4.) Engine Swap

Any suggestions on which option i should go with and things i should look out for would also be useful =] with either option i am looking for roughly type r performance and have a limit of $10,000 budget.

[CitizenErased]

what type of injen CAI did you get for your fd2? im planning to get one but not sure to which one would be right..

[DakDak]

Ask yourself this - What do you want to do with this car? Before you even buy a mod. Street warrior? Hill climb? Daily driver with some oompf? etc This way you can put things into perspective, and find a better solution to your needs.

[xenonkuraz]

Hey mate. The best bang for buck mod would be turbo charging your car. But to appreciate the power you should initially do those small mods to mentioned. But don't do them all at once...you'll learn to appreciate each part more this way.

I would mod in this order:

1. Intake
2. Catback exhaust
3. Headers (if you don't think you'll turbo charge down the track, also good if you decide to supercharge)
4. RBC intake manifold
5. Forced induction.

Atleast this way you will be more prepared for the power...but keep in mind you may also need to upgrade your brakes and clutch.

That covers the basic performance mods.

Don't forget you also need handling mods, ie suspension, sway bars, wheels and tyres.

[Mr Abzii]

what type of injen CAI did you get for your fd2? im planning to get one but not sure to which one would be right..

The one that is specified for the FD2 from JDM YARD although you need a RBC intake manifold aswell, EG5 on ozhonda sells both items im sure he can help you out. And then there is the other cheaper alternatives such as Simota Carbon Charger 2 intake, but it probably isnt as effective in enchaning performance as Injen.

Ask yourself this - What do you want to do with this car? Before you even buy a mod. Street warrior? Hill climb? Daily driver with some oompf? etc This way you can put things into perspective, and find a better solution to your needs.

Cross between daily and street warrior, i want power but not so much that it significantly affects the longevity and driveabilty of the car.

Hey mate. The best bang for buck mod would be turbo charging your car. But to appreciate the power you should initially do those small mods to mentioned. But don't do them all at once...you'll learn to appreciate each part more this way.

Yeah thats what i had in mind aswell, steadily get the bolt ons installed in the order you mentioned and then go for the forced induction at the end.

Can anyone give me a rough figure on the gains i should expect from all the bolt on i mentioned in my initial post with the piggyback ecu tune ?
Its 114 kw stock, i believe it would reach 130+ kw. Is that hoping to high, or is it reasonable ?

Btw thanks for the feedback guys.

[DakDak]

The one that is specified for the FD2 from JDM YARD although you need a RBC intake manifold aswell, EG5 on ozhonda sells both items im sure he can help you out. And then there is the other cheaper alternatives such as Simota Carbon Charger 2 intake, but it probably isnt as effective in enchaning performance as Injen.

Making gains NA is going to be very, very expensive. I used to have an Injen now Gruppem. I hate Injens cause it got my engine hydraulic lock one rainy night. The gruppem is good but its cost me like 1100. If I could do it again I would just make my own.

As mentioned above turbocharging is the cheapest way to get horsepower per dollar spent. If you go for sensible boost like 6-8 psi I dont see why the k20z wouldnt last. It really depends on your tuner and a good kit. If you have one and not the other its going to fail.

Yea you should be able to hit 130 with those mods. Again, its all about the tuner, all those items mentioned would give small gains until the tune.

[Mr Abzii]

Making gains NA is going to be very, very expensive. I used to have an Injen now Gruppem. I hate Injens cause it got my engine hydraulic lock one rainy night. The gruppem is good but its cost me like 1100. If I could do it again I would just make my own.

As mentioned above turbocharging is the cheapest way to get horsepower per dollar spent. If you go for sensible boost like 6-8 psi I dont see why the k20z wouldnt last. It really depends on your tuner and a good kit. If you have one and not the other its going to fail.

Yea you should be able to hit 130 with those mods. Again, its all about the tuner, all those items mentioned would give small gains until the tune.

Making my own CAI sounds like the most cost efficient way but im not very mechanical minded so i wouldnt trust my own DIY work in the engine bay yet. I considered groupem aswell but the cost turned me off, im going to pick up Injen Cai today. I hope i dont run into the same problem as you did, im suprised your engine got hydraulic locked from the intake. Dont you need water level as high as the filter, how did you experience that in sydney and what options are there to counteract that problem.

Yeah a good tune is necessary to make the most of all aftermarket engine mods, is there any tuner you could recommend me in sydney ?

[black8thgen]

if its a really rainy day, and theres huge puddles in the road (which there often is with the shit sydney roads), if you just so happen to be on full throttle (which you shouldnt in the rain with a CAI) the filter will suck up all the water and ur effed. but i believe it does need to be quite a big puddle lol.

in regards to the mods... i kinda gave up tryna find power for the k20z1 based on difficulty in finding quality parts with gains and also lack of tuners for the engine. Most tuners are more familiar with k20a and k24s or the k20z in the dc5s. But despite that, I'm sure you'll be able to get some guidelines from guys in the states who've done pretty decent mods to their civics and made good power both NA and after FI.

[xenonkuraz]

I made my own short ram intake. It worked a gem. Seriously don't drop off 500-1000 for an intake. Just not worth it.

Here's my car at the workshop today:



Will be picking it up in a few hours

[black8thgen]

exciting =D

[Mr Abzii]

if its a really rainy day, and theres huge puddles in the road (which there often is with the shit sydney roads), if you just so happen to be on full throttle (which you shouldnt in the rain with a CAI) the filter will suck up all the water and ur effed. but i believe it does need to be quite a big puddle lol.

in regards to the mods... i kinda gave up tryna find power for the k20z1 based on difficulty in finding quality parts with gains and also lack of tuners for the engine. Most tuners are more familiar with k20a and k24s or the k20z in the dc5s. But despite that, I'm sure you'll be able to get some guidelines from guys in the states who've done pretty decent mods to their civics and made good power both NA and after FI.

Thanks for the heads up, Ill make sure im really carefull with the throttle in the rain. Yeah i keep an eye on the threads from the 8th gen civic forum, they have nearly everything covered.

I made my own short ram intake. It worked a gem. Seriously don't drop off 500-1000 for an intake. Just not worth it.

Nice man, wish i could do something like that myself. but the sad truth is that i can't. If i could, i would
Have you got the final figures of the output atw of the FD2T ?

I just bought the RBC intake manifold and the Injen CAI. Im getting quotes for installation, whats a reasonable price for installation?

[xenonkuraz]

Again I'd be installing it myself...haha but since you're not keen expect to pay 2-3 hours labour.

The intake manifold without tuning may cause problems however...another forum member on here did it on his car and had to use flashpro with an american ecu to tune it to stop the car from frequently stalling