Auto Repair and Maintenance

Time To Step It Up
I always get different opinions on this matter, so I wanted to ask the Honda experts themselves... What is the most affordable way to get a noticeable horsepower gain on my '94 Civic EX after a solid clutch, intake, header, and exhaust?
Leroy Diaz
Philadelphia, PA

Nitrous. Put the car on the bottle, step on the gas, squeeze that button, and fly. I'm going to assume from the nature of your question and the pre-existing modifications that you're relatively new to the scene. It is for that reason that I am telling you to get a nitrous bottle. You've gone in the right direction so far. There is definitely an order by which parts should be purchased and installed on a new enthusiast's ride. Intake, header, and exhaust will almost always come first. Wheels, tires, and suspension should usually follow. Once these parts have been addressed, it is time for a power adder. You could boost your car, but a turbo kit (especially a home brewed setup) is a major commitment, both monetarily and in terms of time, and could be a bit too much for a part-time enthusiast.

There are a few huge selling points for nitrous. First, you'll make about as much power with a nitrous kit as you would with a turbo kit on a stock motor. In both cases, you're limited by the bottom end internals, not the power adder itself. Second, it costs less than half as much as even the cheapest turbo setup. Third, and most importantly, you don't have to use the power adder all the time, which saves money on fuel and will help your motor stay reliable.

Every new car enthusiast should buy a nitrous kit at some point. Even if, 5 years from now, you've got a 700 wheel hp K-unit in your ride, you'll still have a bottle laying around to drop in a rental car if you're bored (like we did, July '06). - Dr Barrios

Chicks Dig Long Rods
I've always wanted to do a big bore N/A B-series with a B16A crank-big, like an 87mm bore with compression around 12:1. It seems to me that an engine built like this could make max power at very high rpm, maybe near 10,000. With the 77.4mm stroke, and the high rod-to-stroke ratio that comes with it, the engine will survive revs like this. I'm sure it would not make gobs of torque, but I like revs. Am I crazy? What is wrong with this idea? Would low-end power suffer badly?

I have engaged in many arguments with gear heads about why Honda even bothered to make the B16A. "What's the point in making a 1.6L B-series?" they say. "They should have all been 1.8s or 2-liters..." Of course I defend Honda to the death, not only because I own a B16A but also because I have a good feeling why they made this specific engine configuration. I tell them, "You don't know what a rod/stroke ratio is, do you?" Most say no and get flustered, but a few say "yes" and know what I'm getting at: ring wear, or lack of it. I think Honda made the B16 because they knew people would want to rev the hell out of their 8200rpm redline motor. Period.
Bryan McDonough
Bowdoinham, ME