Acura NSX Gets New Engine & Transmission Parts - Project NSX - Wrenchin'

And then there's my Taitec GT Lightweight exhaust and Random Technology cats. The combo sounds awesome...once you put the silencers in it. It also fits great and is much lighter than stock.

I went to Mackin Industries to pick up a few ARC parts. There's the Super Induction airbox, the oil cap, the radiator overflow cap, the titanium shift knob, and the rainbow intake manifold cover that you'll either love or hate. Now all I've got to do is find the long-discontinued ARC rear shock tower bar. No luck on my last visit to Japan.

Samco Sport set me up with a pair of its silicone hoses--the ones that transfer coolant to and from the engine compartment. These two hoses are positioned beneath the coolant overflow tank underneath the engine hatch; they're not readily visible so the extra assurance that the Samco ones will last about as long as the car will is a plus.

Since the rear fenders were already off, now was a good time to install one of Downforce's FRP cold-air intakes. The tube fastens to the chassis behind the left-side rear fender and draws air from the left-side intake directly into the ARC intake box. Maybe with enough bolt-ons I'll be able to make as much power as Acura's new family car, the TL SH-AWD.

Since the rear fenders were already off, now was a good time to install one of Downforce's FRP cold-air intakes. The tube fastens to the chassis behind the left-side rear fender and draws air from the left-side intake directly into the ARC intake box. Maybe with enough bolt-ons I'll be able to make as much power as Acura's new family car, the TL SH-AWD.

There's really nothing wrong with the NSX's radiator. Of course, it isn't aluminum, which means it won't last as long nor put up with as much abuse as one from Mishimoto, but there's nothing wrong with it. The company just released its NSX radiator, applicable for all years.

The Mishimoto radiator fits like you'd expect it to. It slides right into place and works with the factory brackets, hoses and clamps, and lower bushing mounts. Oh, and it's much shinier than the OEM piece.

There is one thing though. You'll need to trim the OEM radiator fan shroud to clear the inlets and outlets once the radiator hoses are on. A half-moon-shaped cut with about a 3/8-inch radius will do it.

Don't cry; you'll never notice the cut you just made, especially the one down low.

Since I had this nice aluminum coolant overflow/oil breather tank I tapped both valve covers for AN fittings and routed -8 hose back and forth. The design eliminates the PCV system, which recirculates oil vapors and soot right back into the intake stream. I'd rather store my garbage in this nice ventilated canister.

Before Downforce and Innovative made me my two sets of mounts I added this engine torque dampener from DME. Despite the fact that the dampener is oriented laterally and the engine rocks back and forth longitudinally, it works. Imagine a triangle that's formed by the car's lateral and perpendicular axes and the torque dampener, sides A, B, and C, respectively. Since the engine's side-to-side motion (side A) and the dampener (side C) are fixed, excessive back-and-forth engine motion (side B) is next to impossible since the triangle's other two sides remain fixed.

The ARC intake box that I picked up from Mackin Industries was the final touch that I added to the freshly cleaned engine bay...for now. TL sedan-killing power here I come.