try to get used parts in the b/s/t.

 

here is a pic of the engine stamp....if will be on the engine block, to the left of the exhaust manifold and about 1/2 way from the head to the oil pan.....


edit: ok for some reason i cannot upload the pic....but just look its on a flat piece of metal just right of the tranny. its about 2 inches by 2 inches.

 

I agree that the p28 is a good ecu as there are more editors for it, and the intake/header/exhaust is the first bolt ons to get. however the fuel system...no. The fuel pump doesn't need to be upgraded till about 200hp or forced induction of any sort. the fuel rail and pressure reg are good to about 400hp.


Also denso iridium plugs, 7.5mm plug wires, and upgrade the ground straps. leave the coil alone as honda coils are good to 400hp+. after that not much else until you get into the hard core stuff. the adjustable cam gears are ok, but not really neccessary, especially if you get a rom editor ( hondata for example has you set cams at 0 deg so adjustables do nothing), but they do look nice.

 

I'm sorry, and I feel really stupid to ask this but, by "header" what do you mean? And by "intake/header/exhaust" do you mean a cold air intake and a new intake manifold (the same deal with the exhaust)? Speaking of exhaust, should I get a cat-back or get a new exhaust manifold and then new everything else that follows?
I am just trying to learn cause working on cars is fun to me and making them fast is funner.

 

header = exhaust manifold.

i would stay away from cold air intakes because if you suck up water your fucked. unless you get one of those aem intake bypass things.

an aftermarket intake manifold is gonna be pricey so just get an intake and maybe have your throttle body ported. and you could have your head ported/shaved and port match the manifolds. pretty much anything to get air in and out faster/smoother.

exhaust: get a header, high-flow cat and a mandrel bent cat back.

upgrade the clutch. lightened flywheel. remove your a/c. get some underdrive pullys. i think you will be happy with that...until you drive a turbo car.

 

weight reduction 101

 

When we say intake it's the filter and pipe up to the throttle body, when someone is talking about the intake manifold it will be refered to most commonly as the intake mani. first lets clear up what you think a cold air intake (cai) is. what you probably see on most cars is a short ram intake. it's si8mply a tube with a filter and it sits at approx the same height as the stock air filter, the cai actually locates the filter lower in the engine bay or behind the bumper but it is considerably lower to the ground. given this is florida and rain is a bitch the cai will easily be submersed in puddles that you will come across every day ( in rainy season). so the car will suck up water and the engine gets fucked. the aem bypass is good in theory and actually does work....to a degree, also if the bypass doesn't full work, I.E. you still suck up a little water then your motor is still screwed and aem will only replace the malfunctioning part not you new motor shaped paper weight. so the best idea is to just get one that puts the filter at approx the same height as the oem filter or higher.

the whole exhaust system form the header all the way to tail pipe would need replacement. depending on what area your in and how strict they are with emmission control fuck the cat, pull it, put in a "resonator" ( a pipe with a slight bulge ) then run a 2.25" exhaust all the way to your performance muffler.

an intake mani can run a few hundred dollars and while it along with the throttle body upgrade and port matching are a good idea, you won't see alot of gain in hp until you run forced induction(fi) or naturally asperated (na) at high hp.

an upgraded clutch is a good idea, but if yours is still pretty new you can afford to wait. Until you get over 200hp on the d-series engine the stock clutch will hold, however if you are in need of a new clutch, or are replacing the flywheel ( a very good idea) then a simple stock upgrade like the exedy clutch I believe stage 1. the stage 1 gives a little more holding power over stock but doesn't break you wallet.

the flywheel, definately a must do on the under torqued honda motor, any lighter than 9lbs and it is too light and will actually hinder your performance. get one that is made that light and not a stock regrind.

unless this is a track only car, keep the a/c. I repeat keep the a/c, it's florida and the extra 1/4hp and .01 second off your 1/4 are not worth spending 5 days to and from work in the fl heat.

Underdrive pulleys are also a decent upgrade, just make sure you have a big socket, a really big pry bar and a couple friends. ( the main bolt can be a bitch.)

 

the oem filter would be the box on the stock intake right? I travel from Temple Terrace (Busch Gardens) to Plant City everyday, so I have no idea about the restrictions on exhaust; but that is the exact idea that I had for my exhaust. How much could it cost to do this and where could I go to get it done and get the parts for it? I have no idea about the clutch, I do know that I replaced a part for it, that controls the fluid. I will NOT get rid of my a/c, this is the only car that I have had that has a working a/c =P I dunno about the underdrive pulley, 1. I dunno what it is (i can find out though) 2. I dunno if it would be worth it...would it?