There are basically a few different ways to make more power out of your Honda engine. In this guide I will explain each method, describing the advantages and disadvantages of each, and also comparing them. This guide should help you choose the route to more power for your Honda. Enjoy!
First, you need to decide how much power you want, how reliable you want your car to be, and how much you are willing to spend. The budget aspect is the most important. To make big power, you need big bucks. Different engines respond to modifications differently, so that is another factor to research. We wont get into each specific engine type in this article. We will only describle the methods for getting more power on a universal level. Here are ways to make big power from your Honda:
1.) Forced Induction – This is one of the more popular routes to go. Adding a turbocharger/supercharger to a Honda engine is the cheapest way to create lots of power from most Honda engines. Companies like Greddy and Jackson Racing make turbocharger/supercharger kits that directly bolt on to your Honda. Forced induction systems are easy to expand. You can create more and more power by increasing your PSI. The downside of forced induction is the reliability. A Honda with a turbocharger/supercharger can be very reliable with good tuning and engine building, but some people get carried away with the amount of power they are putting on stock engine components. Aftermarket engine components are a good idea to consider when adding forced induction, although it is not always needed with a mild PSI setting. The amount of power an engine can handle depends on the engine.
2.) Motor Swap – A very popular way to obtain an increase in power is a motor swap. A motor swap is when an engine from a Honda is placed into the chassis of another Honda that the engine did not come in from the factory. Most Honda engines are interchangable with most Honda chassis. A very popular swap is putting a Civic SI or Type R motor into lower model (DX, LX, EX) Civics. There are also mini swaps, where the engine head of one engine is placed onto the block of a different engine, resulting in a more powerful combination that the original motor. The advantage of swapping motors is that reliablilty is not hurt since a stock motor from another Honda is being used instead of a modified motor with forced induction or another type of big power adder. The disadvantage is that motor swaps are hard to install and are sometimes very expensive.
3.) N/A Motor Build – Some people choose to take their stock motors and modify them with camshafts, nitrous, high compression pistons, intake manifolds, intakes, etc. Building your stock motor (or swapped motor) is a great way to go if you plan to slowly invest in your Honda. Since you don’t have to buy a whole motor or forced induction kit at one time, it allows people to spend less money at one time. The disadvantage is that after it is all said and done, going the N/A route will cost a lot more money than a forced induction kit or motor swap to reach the same HP goal.
Some people choose to combine all three methods to create an awsome engine. Hopefully this little article helped you choose which route is right for you. Thanks for reading.
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