tweaks

[Zer0_92EX]

anyone know any safe tweaks to the F22 to make it perform better?

[customchord]

Do a major tune up first. And if it is a LX or DX you could but a A6 cam A6 intake mani or H23a1 intake mani and a Intake Header Exhaust

[tmcauto77]

Advance your timing. That will help a little in the performance area. Also get an air intake, or if you are short on cash, cut the bottom of your air box to get your engine breathing in better. Switching to synthetic oil will free up aome ponies as well.

[tmcauto77]

I forgot to add that you can get an exaust header from a A4 and if you get really adventureous you can take your head down to a machine shop and have it milled about .040 to increase the compression, unless you want to go turbo.

[Zer0_92EX]

i got about half of the tune up done, and the timing is advanced. everything else is stock except for the short ram, cat, resinator, and muffler.

[tmcauto77]

then a header, port job and a cam from an A6, or buy an aftermarket cam. The guys on here speak very highly of the 272 cam grind. If you have not already, find a machine shop that you trust. You can also upgrade your intake manifold, fuel rail, injectors, and throttle body.

[deevergote]

then a header, port job and a cam from an A6, or buy an aftermarket cam. The guys on here speak very highly of the 272 cam grind. If you have not already, find a machine shop that you trust. You can also upgrade your intake manifold, fuel rail, injectors, and throttle body.

Upgrading the fuel rail and injectors will do nothing. You have to go pretty wild, especially with an NA build, to require that.

Milling the head is not recommended. If the head is somehow damaged afterward, it will be garbage. Milling is usually done to make a slightly warped head usable again.


As for advancing the timing... DO NOT DO THIS WITHOUT A TIMING LIGHT! I've been told that you can advance and retard the timing on an F22A to the extremes and it won't do any harm. Honestly, I wouldn't want to be the one to prove that wrong. You can safely advance or retard timing by 2 degrees (15 is stock). Too advanced, you'll have a soggy bottom end and crappy fuel economy. Too retarded, and you'll have no top end.

[tmcauto77]

[QUOTE=deevergote;1522219]Upgrading the fuel rail and injectors will do nothing. You have to go pretty wild, especially with an NA build, to require that.

Milling the head is not recommended. If the head is somehow damaged afterward, it will be garbage. Milling is usually done to make a slightly warped head usable again.




From experience, milling the head is safe as long as the shop doing the work knows what they are doing. I raced Toyotas with milled heads, and my Integra had a milled head. It is the easiest way to increase compression which is something these Hondas are lacking.

[lilviper97]

It is the easiest way to increase compression which is something these Hondas are lacking.

This is true, and besides, if something were to happen to the head, down the road, (no pun intended). F22a heads are a dime a dozen.

[tmcauto77]

Thanx for the backup lilviper

[deevergote]

From experience, milling the head is safe as long as the shop doing the work knows what they are doing. I raced Toyotas with milled heads, and my Integra had a milled head. It is the easiest way to increase compression which is something these Hondas are lacking.

Sure, it'll be fine... unless you do something to damage the head. Spend $50 on milling, that's fine. Spend $800 on a complete P&P and valve job, mill it, blow a head gasket, and discover that because you shaved off too much of the head that it's now worthless... yeah, that's a waste of money.

If all you're going to do is mill, fine. That's chump change, and a new head is $50 if you look in the right places (I've sold a few for that price). If you drop serious money on the head (which is a good choice, because the F22A flows fantastically, even with some minor exhaust port work) then cutting the head's potential lifespan in half is a bad idea. If you put any money into headwork, forgo the mill and drop the extra for some high-compression forged pistons.

The F22A does have fairly low compression, so it can see some benefit from an increase... but it's not the best option. Some quality headwork, a good camshaft, and a proper tune will yield some impressive gains.

For a reference on a fairly mild F22A build, check HondaFan81's "red" build. The performance mods on the engine were limited to headwork and bolt-ons. And he's making power about equal to an H22A (for roughly the same price). His "white" project is even crazier. I expect it to top 250whp with a naturally aspirated F22A.