hi everybody,
im a newb to the aftermarket tuning but im looking to gain some knowledge. i have a 2002 civic ex coupe and would like to beef it up from its base 127hp. ive heard of chips to mod the ecu, new intakes, turbos, etc. i dont have too much money to work with (under 2k) so im looking for the cheapest and the easiest way to improve performance. if any one could give me some suggestions or push me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated.
thanks a lot, i look forward to any responses
-AJ

 

You won't get far on that engine with less than $2000 bucks. On the earlier D-series, 2k would be enough to piece together a turbo setup and get it tuned, but on your D17A2 it would most likely end up costing more than that once it's all said and done.

You can do intake/header/exhaust for under $2k (more like $1k), and that will give you a little more power. That's about the best you can do without going forced induction or building and/or swapping the engine.

For the header, i'd get a Megan Racing header. They're a bargain. Anything cheaper than Megan Racing is most likely junk (i.e. no-name eBay headers).

For the intake, i'd get a short ram intake. I'd go with AEM, but there's other brands you can choose, like K&N and Injen.

For exhaust, many people, including myself, prefer the tone of the A'pexi WS2. Other similar exhausts (and just as good) include the GReddy SP2 and Tanabe Hypermedallion.

Stay away from coffee-can shaped mufflers, they are loud and while you may like it at first, you'll get tired of it because they drone out the stereo while cruising and attract police. Personally, I think they look kind of stupid and played-out. Oval canister exhausts such as the ones I mentioned earlier will have clearer tone, lower volume, but still sound aggressive... but the key is that they sound aggressive when you want it to. Basically, they aren't loud unless you're in the higher RPM's or are at WOT (wide open throttle). Exhaust is really one of those things where you get what you pay for. No-name coffee-can catbacks on eBay are cheap, but they sound bad. Spend the cash on a good exhaust and you won't get tired of it in 6 months.

 

if your playing around with $2000 you may also wanna think about ding a b series sway, the b18b (142hp 127tq) or the b20b (127hp 131tq) for around 1000, plus the b series has more potential than the d series

 

Remember... he has a 2002 Civic. B swaps and the like will not fit without extensive modification. Also, if he puts a motor in which is older than the car, it may be illegal (varies per state I think).

The only swap I can think of would be a k swap.... but that a mucho amount of money. I agree with basically everything trustdestruction stated above regarding the I/H/E set-up.

 

why wouldnt a b series fit if he already has a d series arent they the same basic size?

 

The problem is the mounts and the wiring. The wiring will be a bitch, and I don't think any of the mounts line up.

The D17 is almost entirely different than the previous D-series engines.

 

sounds great intake, header, and exhaust. curiosity... about how much hp can i gain from that? im looking to increase to at least another 30 all in all 157-160 total anything more would be nice but not necessary. thanks for the advice though, im def going to research the price on all that. under 1k would be awsome.

 

In BHP, like the engine is rated at, maybe 20BHP. It'll be like 15WHP max.