I'm a noob at this- need advice

[zmanwit90accord]

i'm seriously thinking about turning my honda into a performance car (once i get the money together) but i need serious advice on how long things will take, and how exacty to install things. the first thing i want to do is install an intake-short ram is the way to go for me i think. i would like to know how much time goes into this project, what tools are needed, the level of difficulty on installing this, and finally-how to install it!

[benji]

i'm seriously thinking about turning my honda into a performance car (once i get the money together) but i need serious advice on how long things will take, and how exacty to install things. the first thing i want to do is install an intake-short ram is the way to go for me i think. i would like to know how much time goes into this project, what tools are needed, the level of difficulty on installing this, and finally-how to install it!

Time: 30 minutes, maybe more if you have never done this type of stuff.
Tools needed: Flathead + phillips screwdriver, basic metric socket set (I'd recommend the set if you are going to be doing a lot of this, otherwise just a 12mm) and a ratchet with an extension (just to make it easier). You might consider a metric nut driver set as well, the inside of th phillips head screws on the airbox can get rounded, but you can still get a small socket around them (i think its 8mm, but not completely sure).

1. Undo the screws holding the airbox together.
2. undo the clamp holding the stock air hose to the throttle body.
3. remove the upper half of the stock air box, the stock hose, and the filter.
4. Remove the lower part of the stock air box.
5. Install the short ram, make sure the clamps are tight and that you have the breather hose to the valve cover on tight. If your intake didn't come with a hose for this, you might need to get some from a parts store. I think 3/8s fuel hose will work, or you can just cap it off on both sides.

Easiest mod in the world.

[zmanwit90accord]

thanks so much ben, im looking forward to do much more modding so every little bit of info helps

[Potatoswatter]

This will probably not take a whole half hour, if you don't fool around anyway.

But you also won't get much if any performance gain.

Pros:
- Sounds nice
- Only $10 more than a regular air filter, assuming you needed to replace it
- Can be installed in the parking lot of the parts store, and the staff will probably help install if you get stuck

Cons:
- Need to keep it clean & dry because no protective cover
- Loud is also bad, covers other engine noise
- Little/no performance gain - we have massive low resistance intakes stock

[midnightsun]

zmanwit90accord one of the best investments you can but to start with is a haynes or chiltons manual for your car. this will help you understand stand and give you direction in removing and replacing various componets.

second purchase you a metric mechanics set, maybe just a basic/starter set to get started.

and use the search option on this site alot of great information on here for beginers wanting to maintain and upgrade thier cars.

good luck w/ your future projects. happy learning.

[lokuputha]

the best mod imo is proper maintenance: engine valve adjustment, brake pad replacement and rotor machining, proper oil changes, spark plugs checked, engine timing adjusted, suspension system in working order, alignment is good and so forth. You'd will be surprised how much the above actually makes the car feel that much better.

now you can go ahead and do the performance additions.

short ram is a good addition, ideally you should also check the valves, and timing. i would get a garage or the Honda Dealership to do this; believe me it will make a good difference.

[midnightsun]

lockuputha you said it right, proper maintenance and restoring factory horse power is so over looked by alot of beginers. that is probably the best advise for all noobs before doing any upgrades do the proper maintenance but alot of people fail to search or read stickies.

[zmanwit90accord]

thanks. do you know of any other mod that is simple yet relatively cheap to purchase to make a decent amount of horsepower? my budget is low and i found a good short ram intake online and a couple friends said it was the way to go (as long as i have the space)

[zmanwit90accord]

lockuputha- if i take this almost 20 year old honda to any dealership, you're telling me they can do all that for me? thats great and i'll be sure to do that before i install any type of mod

[zmanwit90accord]

mindnightsun- any idea on where to get these manuals and/or mechanics set?

[CB7@_@TrAnCe]

You can prolly get the haynes manual at Advance Auto. Thats where I got mine.

[Potatoswatter]

You might be making this too complicated. All these things can be found at your local auto parts chain: Advance, O'Reilly, Finish Line, etc. Including a name brand short ram, for under $30, and the tool set. You might get the set cheaper at Home Depot, though.

You can get OEM parts at the dealer but that's not good for the budget. There's also a dealer that works mail-order with less sleaze: http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/ .

[midnightsun]

like potato said autozone/advance etc should have instock if not they can order it. at the top of the beginer tech section they stickied link to helms manual you can download for free.

[benji]

One thing about the tools is if you are serious about working on your car then you might want to invest in some quality tools. Snap-on and Mac are top line, and for some tools it's worth the price (torque wrenches and other precision tools especially). Generally, though, they are way expensive for a shade tree mechanic.

Craftsmen is probably the next in line, offering a good blend of quality and price (also pretty much the only tools I buy, plus free lifetime warranty so if you break any tool Sears will replace it for free; Snap-on and other premium brands also do this, one more reason to buy them).

After that is parts store brands, which are very hit and miss as far as quality goes. Last is Harbor Freight. Stay away from them, their tools are the cheapest out there for a reason, and you are best to spend a little money on tools and avoid them like the plague.

If you really intend to get intoy our car, buy at least craftsmen.

[zmanwit90accord]

thanks again guys, but i dont think tools are gonna be a problem for me, my uncle customizes a lot of cars and i think he has plenty of tools that i could borrow. also thanks everyone for tellig me where to get the manuals, i'll be sure to drop by autozone to find it and also shop around for other parts