MY 'LUDE - Interior - Suspension - Brakes - Tyres - Engine & Maintenance - Lighting - Audio

ENGINE & MAINTENANCE

Performance - 1/4 Mile
With extractors, high flow muffler, 18deg BTDC ignition timing and performance air filter, my 15 year old Prelude managed a best of 16.126s for the 1/4 mile (400m). This time was done at Calder Park raceway, here is the TIMESLIP. The Prelude isn't designed as a drag car, but a low 16s 1/4 mile is still respectable today. Also consider the fact that the car was carrying 3/4 tank of fuel, a 12" sub, 2 amps, spare tire etc.

Ignition Timing
The ignition timing is set to 18deg BTDC to take advantage of the 98RON fuel I feed my car. There is better throttle response from this adjustment and more power over all as the car is now set to take advantage of 98RON fuel rather than 91RON. My fuel economy also improved as a result of this 'mod'.

Air Filter
I run the popular mod of swapping the stock air filter for a free flowing model. I am using the K & N performance air filter in the stock air box. The is only a slight difference in performance at the top end of the rev range and slightly improved fuel economy as well.

Lubrication
Only the best for my car (within reason). So my baby gets Shell Helix Ultra motor oil to lubricate her engine's moving parts. This is a fully synthetic motor oil with a multigrade index of 5w-40. This the the exact lubricant that come factory filled in all Ferraris. This is also the oil that I use in the manual gearbox & differential.

As for the oil filter, I make an effort to source the JDM Toyo Roki manufactured Genuine Honda oil filter. It is a widely held opinion that these are one of the best oil filter you can use on your car. The Japannese keep the best stuff to themselves and this is the filter that is sold in the Japannese Domestic Market (JDM). Click HERE for a great review into the different oil filters around.

Exhaust Headers (Extractors)
After looking around for a while for a new set of exhaust headers to replace my damaged ones (due to the low ride height) I came across Hurricane Headers. They were sourced from www.onautos.com.au (you'll have to email them). The cost was reasonable and it would later emerge that it was the best bang for buck in terms of kW per dollar spent.

There were some issues that poped up during the installation which was done at my mechanic's workshop. Firstly, some welding was required as the original downpipe and flex pipe was one piece. So the mechanic had to cut the downpipe off the flex pipe and weld a flange to the flex pipe which also required an extension. Then the header itself did not line up with the rest of the exhaust. The mechanic then used some of his metal working skills to heat up and re-bend the header downpipe. The results are fantastic.

The performance gain is felt throughout the rev range. Throttle response from off idle is smoother. The midrange is definetely punchier and there is a nice whack of power at the top end. When the secondary intake runners open up, there is a defientely surge in power. The improvement is so drastic that my butt dyno would have to say that there is conservatively an extra 8kW.

Here are some photos of the headers installed. Pic 1, Pic 2, Pic 3, Pic 4, Pic 5.


Rear Muffler
Tthe stock muffler had to be replaced due to rust. 14 years is a good innings for the OEM ones. The new muffler is of the high performance variety. Its a straight through design with large diameter pipes and a nicely finished stainless tip. The entire muffler is also made of stainless steel. This modification yielded only minor gains at the top end of the rev range, but the exhaust note is simply sexy. Pic 1, Pic 2, you can also download a Video (DivX).

Custom High Flow Cold Air Intake
The stock induction system is somewhat restrictive. The Honda engineers were obviously trying to keep induction noises to a minimum. But as an enthusiast, that is the sound I most want to hear. So I went about designing a building my own. I used PVC piping, and elbow joints. Assembled it and painted it with matt blake ceramic paint for heat protection. The results were encouraging. The engine felt like it reved to the rev limiter more easily and the greatest reward was the audible change in induction notes as the engine revs up. The character changes at around 4000 to a howl then when the secondary intake runners open up at 5000, the note develops a real sense of urgency and it whails its way to the rev limiter.