Here's something obvious: The goal of building up a car is to make it faster. There are manufacturers whose products have withstood the test of time. Three of them are AEM, A'pex, and Honda.
This month, we decided to put these manufacturers to the test. We put an AEM cold intake system, an A'pex exhaust, and a Japanese Direct Market-spec four-into-one factory Integra Type R stainless steel header into an American Type R. Then we dyno-tested the car to see if the parts put out. And, no, Super Street doesn't have an in-house chassis dyno. We actually went to Group 5 in San Diego, where the crew there mad the modifications you see on these pages.
Keep in mind that these numbers may differ from your vehicle's depending on how well your car was maintained (mileage, oil, compression, coolant, and spark plug and engine condition). Also note that these parts may or may not be smog legal depending on your state laws. Check with your local authorities on the legality of these parts. Now follow along, and let's see if we can make some power.
Results
After the initial baseline runs of the Integra Type R used for the dyno runs, it was determined that a few important points should be made to you, our readers, before any misconceptions arise after reading this review.
1. Results will vary from case to case because two identical vehicles will require different methods to make the same amount of horsepower.
2. Previous testing of performance products on vehicles equipped with the OBDII-based ECUs versus vehicles equipped with non-OBDII-based ECUs show that the cars equipped with the OBDII ECUs come with pre-programmed fuel and ignition trim systems that can strip away horsepower.
3. Honda uses a speed density system for fuel management. Speed density fuel management systems use pre-programmed fuel and ignition settings versus mass air/fuel injection systems that use a metering device for real-time corrections.
Now, to the nitty gritty. The overall outcome of adding the AEM cold air intake, JDM header, and A'pex N1 exhaust system were quite outstanding in their own rights. Baseline horsepower figures for the ITR was rated at 164.3 max horsepower. Nathan Tasukon, of A'pex, who conducted the testing procedures, states that this particular ITR produced a lot more power stock than the average factory ITR and was an exception compared to many ITRs that baselined at 158 hp.
After the first run with the A'pex N1 exhaust bolted on, a diagnostic check discovered that the car was running lean (the white color of the spark plugs meant pre-ignition or a lean air/fuel mixture). In order to prevent any internal engine damage that could be a result of running lean, A'pex decided to add a fuel-pressure regulator to keep a consistent dyno-testing procedure as opposed to leaving the car in a lean condition. The fuel-pressure regulator not only richens the air/fuel mixture, but can help to make increased power overall.
Dyno-Mite Performance
We were wondering if the JDM Integra Type R header could live up to the rumors of producing 7 hp more than other headers on the market. With the addition of AEM's cold air intake and a fuel pressure regulator (set at 57 psi) to richen the fuel mixture, the combination didn't disappoint. Starting at approximately 6,000 rpm, the combination produced a noticeable increase in horsepower. At approximately 6,400 rpm, we saw an increase of 8 hp.
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