Your Questions Answered
F series motor on the hunt for more power
I'm trying to modify my `94 accord but I'm having trouble finding performance parts for my single cam f22b2. Everyone tells me to go with the h22 but I don't want to be like everyone else. Do y'all have some tips where I can find a stage 2 cam, valves, springs, etc? Or am I wasting my time? Thanks.
--Scott Kyzer, Columbia, SC
You know what they say Scott, when in Rome, do as the Romans do and drop in a fully built H22 swap. Actually, that's an outright lie. We've never even seen a Roman motor swap. Regardless, I've got some good news for you. Bisi of www.bisimoto.com is an F series guru, and he offers all types of performance goodies for your motor. Hit him up and tell him HT sent you!
Looking for the best of both worlds
First of all, thanks for reading my email. I've got a '97 Integra with a B20 swap. What I want help with from you guys is to point me in the right direction for a good daily driver that will perform when needed. The b20 and GSR tranny is nice but not quite enough. I was thinking if the head is still good then to do crower cams, cam gears and a header, butthen I thought why not just use a VTEC head. I don't know what to do. I've done research but its hard when you have to ride your bike downtown to the library to use the computer ha-ha.
--Shaun, via the internet
There's nothing wrong with riding your bike down to the library........as long as no girls see you. Listen Shaun, this is really a personal preference thing. On one hand, the B20 motor with a proper cam and fuel setup could be just what the Doctor ordered for you. On the other hand, a B20 VTEC motor can be tons of torque-filled fun. If you have the ability to do the VTEC head swap yourself (I have faith in you Shaun!), then I think you'd find a bit more potential in future upgrades. A VTEC head these days is very affordable and can be found online just about anywhere. There's more work involved with the Frankenstein setup, so keep that in mind.
More bounce to the ounce
I have an `01 Honda Civic with suspension problems.It seems to bounce like if I had a ball in one of the tires.I changed the two front struts and the problems still came back after a day or so. I also changed the two lower ball joints, the driver's side lower A-arm bushing, and still the bounce comes back. It also wears my tires a lot faster; I already changed the tires two times last year and got new rims and tires this year hoping the bounce would stop, but no luck.I have read that the `01 Honda Civic has a bad suspension and that there are no recalls on the car, so what can I do or how can I fix the problem?Please help; I like my HONDA and I don't want to buy a Toyota!
--David, via the internet
Whoa Dave, let's not get crazy! The only problems we've heard concerning the '01 Civic suspension is some major creaking after 35k miles. Now you didn't specify what suspension you're running in your letter, so this is tough to diagnose. Assuming your car is lowered, it could be the quality of your suspension choice, or a defective aftermarket part. If you can change out all of the stuff you listed in your letter, I'm confident you could swap in a set of stock shocks and springs for comparison. If you're stock now, you might try an aftermarket set as the stockers might be worn out. And finally, if you threw away your old suspension like so many others, check sites like Craigslist for some stock goodies. Most people are practically giving them away. If you do end up buying a Toyota, can you at least run a set of GSR wheels and an "I Love My Honda" sticker on it?
V6 looking to bulk up
Hello. I was wondering if anyone had done any articles or has written to you about modifications for an `03 Accord V-6 EX Coupe. I have changed my intake and exhaust but have not found any other modifications that can be fit to my year make and model Honda. I have done some research but have not been able to find much. If you know of any links or have any up coming articles in your magazine it would be a great help to me. I am a subscriber to your magazine and enjoy reading and trying to modify my automobile, but would, as everyone else, love to make mine go faster and perform better. Thank you for your time and any advice or suggestions you may have for me.
--Christopher, Westtown NY
Well Christopher, the good news is you've got a big V6 under the hood. Bad news is there isn't much in the way of aftermarket support. The fact that Civic owners, with the help of HASport, have managed to shoehorn a V6 into the little economy car means that there might just be some help on the way. If this trend really catches on, aftermarket support will undoubtedly grow. Until then, there's always the custom turbo kit, custom head work, custom......well, you get the idea. In the old days, Honda builders had to look toward customization in order to make any sort of progress. It seems like it might be the same way for the V6 army at this point.
Fit for a king
Yo, it's nice to see you working with the Fit. I sold my `05 STi and bought an `09 fit, if that tells you anything about my belief in the car as a great real-world ripper. Drive the STi aggressively and you're breaking all kinds of laws. But run the little Fit through a few gears and you're still doing the speed limit. It's maybe the perfect "slow" sports car. Anyway as far as suggestions; please, please, don't engine swap. All of us poor working stiffs with Fits can't really justify it and it'll make the whole project seem not as interesting. It's not that I won't spend my hard-earned cash for a little better performance, I just need to keep it realistic. The stock suspension is clearly the weakest part of the car's performance. Cheap ways to make the Fit corner more like the STi? The best ways to make the little engine a more efficient air pump? Best small and light wheel packages? Yes, small wheels rock. I just want stuff I can do in my driveway on the weekend. The Fit has already proven itself as a tuning platform in endurance racing and it would be nice to know what tuning tricks are actually effective. Thanks for asking.
--Eric, via the internet
I never really looked at the Fit as a slow sports car, but rather a peppy little chick magnet. An engine swap is not in the future for our sporty Fit. Wheel and minor suspension changes have already taken place, along with a slight increase in exhaust flow, but what our Fit really needs is a few pieces of flair to spice it up. Maybe a little touch of carbon Kevlar, a smidgen of OEM optional goodness, and we'll see what we come up with. The goal is to mildly modify the Fit in such a way that the average consumer would feel completely comfortable doing it themselves. Tell me this, when you leave your Fit parked while you're in the grocery store, do you find 6-8 scantily clad women fighting for shotgun upon your return? No? Maybe it's just ours.