- Mon Mar 28, 2016 3:03 pm
#358762
With a bunch of new work done and a fresh alignment I took the trip up to Atlanta for Import Alliance followed by a week in the mountains of NC/TN.
First impressions of everything:Warning on my reviews: I've done most of these modifications before and had a pretty good idea of what to expect before buying the parts. The car does vibrate more and is louder all around than it was previously. That said I'll break down what did/does what and my opinions on the parts.Removing the "balance shaft" oil pumpThis modification is a pain in the ass to do with the motor in the car. Also it will make little to no difference if it isn't combined with more extensive modifications. This allows for better throttle response, as a result some back to back dyno runs on boosted K24s have shown as much as a 15 horsepower increase (in the low/midrange area) and an earlier spool.
Started the car up to idle after installing and with the AC OFF at idle the vibration difference isn't noticeable (to me) with the AC ON vibration is a bit more than stock. Went into Flashpro and bumped idle from 750rpm up to 900rpm and MAGIC it idles even smoother than before. I didn't do a before and after dyno for anything. I won't claim this is some magic 10-15hp gain. If I can't claim some magical horsepower number you might ask why I would bother removing the balance shafts... simple it definitely increased throttle response. I can blip the throttle and rev match a down shift now, which if you have driven a TSX you know is not a simple task with the stock DBW setup. Now with the Flashpro, lightweight flywheel and the balance shafts gone it feels like a different car.
Hasport TSX Rear Motor mountWith my stock rear and side mounts collapsed and plans of going turbo I got a Hasport rear motor mount. The mount comes with a re-designed bracket to attach to the engine. I changed to an RSX Type-S aluminum pan, but if I had kept the TSX pan the transmission brace would need trimmed to fit the new bracket. Hasport includes detailed directions and torque specs for the install. As always Hasport provided a great quality part with excellent machine work, great packaging, great instructions. I chose the 70a bushing which DOES increase vibration at idle and throughout the RPM range. I personally love the new feel from this mount. I still have a stock exhaust so the vibration/noise from this mount gives the car some extra feel it didn't have before. I'm sure a 60a mount with the balance shafts still in place would probably not have the same feel.
45 degree VTC gearWith what I had done so far to this point this literally does nothing. It will offer more freedom in tuning and this will make a difference with my next modification.
RBC (06-11 Civic SI intake manifold) and ZDX throttle bodyI installed this with a Hondata thermal intake manifold gasket along with a Hyrbid-Racing ZDX throttle adapter and their thermal throttle body gaskets. I matched the intake manifold to the 70mm throttle and I removed and capped all of the coolant lines running to the throttle as well.
First impression (before updating flashpro, just running a reflash for a stock TSX 25 degree VTC and cold air)... what did I waste all this money on! Car felt like poo. Goodbye torque. The car still felt nice but it was just lacking until you got to 6000rpms then it pulled hard all the way up to redline at 7600. This is all a review by butt dyno which probably isn't the most accurate thing though.
After the first warm-up and test drive looking for leaks or issues everything was good
I pulled back in to the garage and broke out the laptop. New tune for the 45 degree VTC gear, RBC manifold, ZDX throttle....
Second impression:
With the fixed/upgraded motor mount the engine doesn't move anymore so power delivery from any condition comes in fast and smooth. VTEC comes in at 3000rpms and from a dead stop or rolling into the gas in 6th gear the car just wants to go. I can't say if there is any real gain or loss in the lower RPM range. The throttle response and the increased sound from the new throttle make that really hard to judge down low. The car accelerated very smooth and has no lack of power. Top end is a whole new animal though.
Summary:These modifications aren't for everyone but they all worked together very well for me. A week in the mountains testing everything out and having fun everything held up great and the car performed exactly how I hoped she would.
See next post for the bad news