EMS without Boost - Planning for FI
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Joined: Sep 2014
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If you're on a 2000 budget and want more performance than this is your order. I can vouch for this from my own 06 ap2 experience... If youre not tracking your car then don't worry about extreme tires for now but if you are then better rubber should be first on your list.
1. $300 Berk hfc or test pipe if your state doesn't give 2 shits about emissions. Both of these can be used with your stock exhaust or aftermarket.. I chose the hfc on my ap2 since they tend be CEL happy while the test pipe is major pain in the ass with environmentally friendly states like mine so didn't want to bother. I threw one cel code at first and it went away on its own within a few days and never saw it again. HFC from berk is about 300 while the test pipe is about half..
2. After you get your hfc/testpipe installed then get the Flashpro $650 plus professional tune $200-300 will be able to drop your vtec to under 4000 with quicker throttle response and maybe 5 to 15 hp over stock throughout the rpm band combined with the testpipe or hfc mentioned before.
3. Your choice!!! You will still have about $1000 leftover which leaves you with the choice of an affordable exhaust like the HKS single/dual which is said by many to be the best sounding s2k exhaust ever but to each their own lol or you can spend about the same on some extreme tires like starspecs,z2,r3,yokos,etc but its upto you. Ive heard the hks in person and it is fantastic for only about $600 but can be loud for some so that's upto you but I believe the tenabe medallion cost similar and is much quieter..
In my opinion and many others here the flashpro,tune and hfc/tp are a must the exhaust is upto you if you want something sportier or just stay with the oem exhaust which will be slightly louder with the hfc/tp anyways..
Keep us posted
That notorious guy
Rosario717
1. $300 Berk hfc or test pipe if your state doesn't give 2 shits about emissions. Both of these can be used with your stock exhaust or aftermarket.. I chose the hfc on my ap2 since they tend be CEL happy while the test pipe is major pain in the ass with environmentally friendly states like mine so didn't want to bother. I threw one cel code at first and it went away on its own within a few days and never saw it again. HFC from berk is about 300 while the test pipe is about half..
2. After you get your hfc/testpipe installed then get the Flashpro $650 plus professional tune $200-300 will be able to drop your vtec to under 4000 with quicker throttle response and maybe 5 to 15 hp over stock throughout the rpm band combined with the testpipe or hfc mentioned before.
3. Your choice!!! You will still have about $1000 leftover which leaves you with the choice of an affordable exhaust like the HKS single/dual which is said by many to be the best sounding s2k exhaust ever but to each their own lol or you can spend about the same on some extreme tires like starspecs,z2,r3,yokos,etc but its upto you. Ive heard the hks in person and it is fantastic for only about $600 but can be loud for some so that's upto you but I believe the tenabe medallion cost similar and is much quieter..
In my opinion and many others here the flashpro,tune and hfc/tp are a must the exhaust is upto you if you want something sportier or just stay with the oem exhaust which will be slightly louder with the hfc/tp anyways..
Keep us posted
That notorious guy
Rosario717
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 13,829
Likes: 1,550
From: Chesterfield VA
Getting the old exhaust off is simple in concept but can be difficult in practice if there's much rust on the bolts. Watch the Mighty Car Mods episode where the lads put the Invidia Q300 on their S2000. It's almost that simple.
Lift works better than jackstands. To remove the OEM exhaust the rear suspension cross bar has to come off. Soak all the bolts in PB Blaster for several days before attempting to remove them. Invest in a set of new spring bolts between the header and cat, we had to cut them off one car and severely buggered the bolt heads on another. Honda wants a new gasket between the header and cat too. You can get workable spring bolts at your favorite auto parts store as well as rubber hangers. The old rubber hangers are reuseable but cheap and cutting them off is sometimes easier than removing them. The OEM parts are easy to get on line.
There are studs on the OEM cat. Holes and bolts supplied on the Berk replacements. As I recall both the Invidia and Tanabe cat back exhausts came with nuts for the cat.
We went "header back." Berk high flow cat (63mm for our NA cars) + exhaust (of your choice).
-- Chuck
Lift works better than jackstands. To remove the OEM exhaust the rear suspension cross bar has to come off. Soak all the bolts in PB Blaster for several days before attempting to remove them. Invest in a set of new spring bolts between the header and cat, we had to cut them off one car and severely buggered the bolt heads on another. Honda wants a new gasket between the header and cat too. You can get workable spring bolts at your favorite auto parts store as well as rubber hangers. The old rubber hangers are reuseable but cheap and cutting them off is sometimes easier than removing them. The OEM parts are easy to get on line.
There are studs on the OEM cat. Holes and bolts supplied on the Berk replacements. As I recall both the Invidia and Tanabe cat back exhausts came with nuts for the cat.
We went "header back." Berk high flow cat (63mm for our NA cars) + exhaust (of your choice).
-- Chuck
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 78
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by bmore-s2k' timestamp='1444332377' post='23770047
No need for exhaust, stock exhaust will handle well above 450+whp.
For more info, just do a comparison of people who boost with stock exhaust versus aftermarket exhaust. You'll see the same numbers.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 90
Likes: 8
From: Belleville, The Mitten
Everything i have looked into shows that for my power numbers a cat back is not necessary. As mentioned before just for aural pleasures. Perhaps if i get impatient i'll pick one up.
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 4,894
Likes: 9
From: Tampa, FL
Handle meaning you'll have no problem making big numbers and keeping the car quiet. If you're looking where to focus your funds from a performance perspective AND set on going FI there there is no need to drop a couple hundred on a new exhaust. If you want an exhaust, more power to you .... just not necessarily more horsepower.
For more info, just do a comparison of people who boost with stock exhaust versus aftermarket exhaust. You'll see the same numbers.
For more info, just do a comparison of people who boost with stock exhaust versus aftermarket exhaust. You'll see the same numbers.
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,244
Likes: 4
From: Northern KY
Originally Posted by bmore-s2k' timestamp='1444393186' post='23770663
Handle meaning you'll have no problem making big numbers and keeping the car quiet. If you're looking where to focus your funds from a performance perspective AND set on going FI there there is no need to drop a couple hundred on a new exhaust. If you want an exhaust, more power to you .... just not necessarily more horsepower.
For more info, just do a comparison of people who boost with stock exhaust versus aftermarket exhaust. You'll see the same numbers.
For more info, just do a comparison of people who boost with stock exhaust versus aftermarket exhaust. You'll see the same numbers.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 78
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by spectacle' timestamp='1444480778' post='23771611
[quote name='bmore-s2k' timestamp='1444393186' post='23770663']
Handle meaning you'll have no problem making big numbers and keeping the car quiet. If you're looking where to focus your funds from a performance perspective AND set on going FI there there is no need to drop a couple hundred on a new exhaust. If you want an exhaust, more power to you .... just not necessarily more horsepower.
For more info, just do a comparison of people who boost with stock exhaust versus aftermarket exhaust. You'll see the same numbers.
Handle meaning you'll have no problem making big numbers and keeping the car quiet. If you're looking where to focus your funds from a performance perspective AND set on going FI there there is no need to drop a couple hundred on a new exhaust. If you want an exhaust, more power to you .... just not necessarily more horsepower.
For more info, just do a comparison of people who boost with stock exhaust versus aftermarket exhaust. You'll see the same numbers.
[/quote]
This.
Thanks for the clarification Habit.
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 4,894
Likes: 9
From: Tampa, FL
Originally Posted by spectacle' timestamp='1444480778' post='23771611
[quote name='bmore-s2k' timestamp='1444393186' post='23770663']
Handle meaning you'll have no problem making big numbers and keeping the car quiet. If you're looking where to focus your funds from a performance perspective AND set on going FI there there is no need to drop a couple hundred on a new exhaust. If you want an exhaust, more power to you .... just not necessarily more horsepower.
For more info, just do a comparison of people who boost with stock exhaust versus aftermarket exhaust. You'll see the same numbers.
Handle meaning you'll have no problem making big numbers and keeping the car quiet. If you're looking where to focus your funds from a performance perspective AND set on going FI there there is no need to drop a couple hundred on a new exhaust. If you want an exhaust, more power to you .... just not necessarily more horsepower.
For more info, just do a comparison of people who boost with stock exhaust versus aftermarket exhaust. You'll see the same numbers.
[/quote]
Why is a SC different?
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,244
Likes: 4
From: Northern KY
Originally Posted by Habitforming' timestamp='1444483151' post='23771626
[quote name='spectacle' timestamp='1444480778' post='23771611']
[quote name='bmore-s2k' timestamp='1444393186' post='23770663']
Handle meaning you'll have no problem making big numbers and keeping the car quiet. If you're looking where to focus your funds from a performance perspective AND set on going FI there there is no need to drop a couple hundred on a new exhaust. If you want an exhaust, more power to you .... just not necessarily more horsepower.
For more info, just do a comparison of people who boost with stock exhaust versus aftermarket exhaust. You'll see the same numbers.
[quote name='bmore-s2k' timestamp='1444393186' post='23770663']
Handle meaning you'll have no problem making big numbers and keeping the car quiet. If you're looking where to focus your funds from a performance perspective AND set on going FI there there is no need to drop a couple hundred on a new exhaust. If you want an exhaust, more power to you .... just not necessarily more horsepower.
For more info, just do a comparison of people who boost with stock exhaust versus aftermarket exhaust. You'll see the same numbers.
[/quote]
Why is a SC different?
[/quote]
Turbos need minimum back pressure to spin up quickly, superchargers don't. Plenty of examples of sc guys on here that had minimum or no gains going to a larger exhaust, myself included.