Jay's blog

1-23-2012 - RDX CP-E Cold Air Intake

For today's post I've installed the Custom Performance Engineering (CP-E) Cold air intake for my RDX.

I think it was the easiest intake install I've ever done. There's so much room in the RDX's engine bay, everything is easy to get to. That and the stock intake tubing is so minimal, it's cake to remove.

It has more sounds, eDyno showed minimal gains. All in all, both of these mods combined added about 20wtq @ 3800rpm, but the overall peaks were only moved about 10hp/12tq. Pretty damned weak. The manufacturers for these parts claimed more than that on each one of them individually. I'm sure they'd do well if I could just get more boost. I NEED FLASHPRO DAMNIT. Hondata where are you?????

Glad I have a tool to do my own testing instead of relying on the manipulations of dyno tuners. Thanks Vit. read more »

Submitted by Jay on Tue, 01/24/2012 - 1:31am

1-21-2012 - You didn't really think I'd given up on boost did you?

Got tired of only having one working car... decided to go out and lease a sensible family vehicle a few months ago since Renee is preggo. I didn't bother to post on here about it because it's just an Acura RDX.

Well the day has come that the RDX will no longer be just a typical run of the mill family hatch. Picked up some goodies for it and decided to install the first one today.

Today it's all about the replacement Top Mount Intercooler made by Extreme Turbo Systems: http://www.extremeturbosystems.com/RDX-Intercooler-Top-Mount.html

Since this is a brand new product and no one other than them has installed one of these on an RDX, I decided to go kinda crazy with the pix and do a DIY style post. Click through the photos for the install tips.

This is just a shot of the engine before I started work. Love the emblem.

Remove the IC cover, use a large flat head screw driver and rotate each of the 4 plastic screws 90 degrees counter clockwise.

Remove the brackets that hold the IC cover on by removing 4x 10mm bolts

Unbolt the 8mm bolt for the map sensor and gently wiggle the sensor loose to remove it

Completely loosen both of the clamps that hold the charge coupler onto the throttle body.

Remove the 2x 10mm bolts that hold on the flange for the BPV

Completely loosen the top clamp for the charge coupler that connects to the turbo

Remove the 10mm bolt that holds the IC to the Turbo inlet piping

Remove the two rear 10mm bolts that hold the IC down

Other 10mm bolt location for IC mounting

Remove the IC by pulling up on the back, it'll pop out, then just pull on the front coupler to remove it.

Wish I could see more of the turbo, it's so tiny.

Remove this coupler and install it on the new IC. Don't bother tightening the clamps yet.

While I was in here, I measured the inlet on the TB. 63mm is small, might have to do something about that later.

The two next to each other for comparison

To transfer the mounting hardware to the new IC, remove the sleeve from the bushing

Then squish the bushing out to remove it

Work the bushing into the hole on the new IC in a circular motion, it takes some persistence.

Then push the sleeve back into the bushing, make sure the flat washer edge faces down

How it should look installed, looking at the bottom of the IC. Repeat this for the other 2x

Install the map sensor with the 8mm bolt. I had to use a longer 8mm bolt due to the stock one stripping out.

Remove the couplers and install them on the IC.

Install the IC by putting the front coupler on first, then work the rear one on. Be patient, it is a bit of a PITA.

ETS doesn't include a gasket for the BPV flange and the OEM one won't work, I applied Ultra Grey for safety.

Rear mounting bolts re-installed - don't be afraid to bend the OEM brackets a bit to make these line up.

Turbo inlet feed bolt and rear mounting bolt installed

Front bolt installed and both couplers tightened down. Don't forget to tighten the clamps on the couplers!

Install the 4x 10mm bolts to hold down the IC cover brackets. I had to add some washers to the front 2 bolts.

Reinstall the cover and you're all done! I would let the Ultra Grey cure for a couple hours before driving.

Submitted by Jay on Sat, 01/21/2012 - 1:46am

12-2-2011 - 8th meet

Cold late night meet with a few guys from 8th to meet up with the new guy in town. Chris Wold, his car screams BECAUSE RACECAR so hard. . . . and justifiably so, because it is in fact a fully sponsored race car.

Submitted by Jay on Fri, 12/02/2011 - 3:01am

8thcivic

11-17-2011 - Trip to Vits

Austin and I once again made the trip down to Vit's. Met Manuel (K20Z3AllMotor) off 8th and just chilled, ate food, and took some random pix.

Submitted by Jay on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 1:57am

VitViper

11-10-2011 - 8thcivic o-chat BWW meet

Met up with the guys from 8th, snapped some pix. Tried to get creative with multiple exposures with different remote flash vantage points.

Submitted by Jay on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 12:23am

8thcivic

10-24-2011 - Vit's car is back

Drove down to see Vit's car today. He finally got it back from being built at GO Power Motorsports down in socal. He even let me drive it....

Submitted by Jay on Mon, 10/24/2011 - 11:51pm

VitViper

8-27-2011 - Beach run

Met up with some 8thers today for a beach run with the local Honda-tech crew. Buhhhh, what a bunch of crappy cars. Got stuck on the highway on the way out to the beach because one of the Honda-tech guys ran into two other cars while doing a burnout on the side of the highway. I took some pix of us all sitting on the highway in a dead stop for 15 minutes. Everyone was out of their cars and wandering around...lol.

We got fed up with their antics and broke off on our own journey. Ended up in Rockaway at Arlo's beach house.

The pic of the 3 cars that I thought was any good. Need more filters for my camera.

Submitted by Jay on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 1:22pm

6-22-2011 - Header / Exhaust

Installed my GO Power header and Full Race exhaust today. Definitely a LOT of work to do by yourself. I am very very sore...lol.

Decided to paint the muffler flat black. I never liked how the muffler looked shiny behind the bumper on the FG2, so I decided to fix that before installing it on the FA5. Now the only part that's shiny from outside the car is the tip, just as it should be.

Also changed the oil for the first time, capped off the AAV, and put in NGK BKR8EIX plugs in preparation for the next big mod to come... ;-)

Submitted by Jay on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 8:28pm

The FA5

6-17-2011 - Experiment

Adam and I decided to go to this spot he found in PDX and attempted to shoot The FA5 in the dusk light. It definitely proved challenging. I have a few decent shots but these are the only ones I'm really pleased with.

Submitted by Jay on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 1:01pm

The FA5

6-15-2011 - Sis joins the Honda crew

Went with my sis today to help her buy a new car. She picked out this awesome little white 2011 Fit Sport w/Nav. Sorry for the crappy photos, these are from my phone.

Submitted by Jay on Wed, 06/15/2011 - 4:22pm

KT's Fit