Tag: NSI

The Next Big Thing: Honda J Series Motor Swap

A 3.2 liter Honda? Honda motor swaps have been done every which way, and now thanks to Hasport, there’s a new direction to go.

Hasport has just released their “j” series motor mounts for EGs and DCs (92-95 Civic/94-01 Integra/93-97 Del Sol). The J series motor is the same motor that powered most Acuras from 1998 and onwards. Hasport only recommends the J30A1, J32A1 and J32A2 as of right now. One thing to note, however, is the fact that you will need a 04-08 TL or 03-07 Accord 6-speed transmission. These powerplants are specifically as follows:

J30A1 from the 98-02 Accord V6 or 97-99 Acura CL3.0

The J30A1 displaces 3.0 liters and is a Single overhead cam with VTEC. The motor only weighs 250lbs and puts out 200hp and 195Ft/lbs. Due to a similar head design of the J32 motors used in the Acura CL and TL Type-S motors, these motors are a perfect candidate for a camshaft swap. Due to it being a lightweight V6, I’m sure if you threw this into a stripped EG hatch, it would fly.

J32A1 from the 99-03 Acura TL and 01-03 Acura CL

J32A2 from the 01-03 Acura CL Type S or 02-03 Acura TL Type S

The J32 displaces 3.2 Liters and is also a Single cam slammer with VTEC. Horsepower figures were bumped up to 225hp for the J32A1, and the J32A2 bumped up figures even more to 260hp and 232ft/lbs. This was achievable by having a more aggressive cam, freer flowing intake and exhaust, and an innovative intake manifold.

With the J-series motor mounts now being offered by Hasport, a whole new avenue of approach has been opened up for those looking to go in another direction than the everyday B16 and B18 swap. With the torque and horsepower being offered by these lightweight motors, I have a feeling you’ll see some nasty J series builds in the future. The popularity has not yet caught on strongly, so now’s the time to start looking for a motor.

November 11, 2008
Bang for Your Buck: Cheap and Effective Performance Parts

Cheap and Effective. Sound good to you? It sure does to me. It’s all about getting power for cheap nowadays. I think it’s time to go over some inexpensive but effective mods you can make to your vehicle for your budget build.

Intake
It’s pretty hard to drink something through a coffee stirrer, isn’t it? That’s what your factory air intake is like to your motor. An aftermarket intake has a larger diameter pipe with a less restrictive path than factory, and with a freer breathing filter. Not only will an aftermarket intake reflect gains in the seat of the pants, but it will add a nice growl to your factory motor!

Exhaust

Another popular and effective mod is exhaust. Take that same coffee stirrer, flip it around, and blow into it. That’s your factory exhaust. With more air being introduced into your intake system, now you need a proper way to remove it. Stock exhaust is very restrictive and doesn’t allow all the air entering the intake system to exit effectively, thus causing excessive backpressure. Excessive backpressure chokes up your engine, not giving you all the power your motor is creating. A good way of eliminating all this unnecessary backpressure is to get an aftermarket exhaust system.

If you want to remain legal, you can find a good quality catback exhaust for your vehicle for pretty cheap. This is arguably the biggest improvement to sound you can make. (Or detriment, depending on the listener.)

Headers
Headers are the central part in between your Intake and Exhaust. Without proper flow in between these two items, there would be a bottleneck, which in turn, would choke you of your potential power. Headers, or an exhaust manifold as some call it, relieve your intake manifold of backpressure caused by an ineffective design. One header relieves one bank of exhaust ports, so that’s 1 header for the 4 banger guys and 2 for everyone with a few more cylinders

Tune
Now that you have your car breathing healthily, you need to have your ECU compensate for all this new airflow. Getting a tune is one of the most important things you can do to your car. Not only will a tune let your ECU know that much more air is entering the system, but your fuel and spark maps will be adjusted more aggressively to unlock all the power that you now added.

When looking for the best bang for the buck, these mods are vital to your build. While generally the most common, the importance of these mods is often overlooked. Any of these items would be a great addition to a Christmas list for any car enthusiast.

November 6, 2008
The Forgotten Gem: Chrysler Conquest

Low. Black. Popping. Crackling. Whistling. Half mechanic and half bionic, the Chrysler Conquest was a vehicle some revered in an almost mythical sense. The name itself struck a tone of confidence in an owner. Created by Mitsubishi, but being imported and sold under the Chrysler name, the Conquest is also often overlooked as one of the great Japanese sports coupes. Reactions range from confusion, to pure fright as the loud blowoff valve vents off pressure into the atmosphere. Quizzical looks and turned heads are produced anywhere you go as if the Conquest name has been completely forgotten.

Performance

Touting a powerful 2.6 liter turbocharged motor, sending power through a 5 speed transmission to the rear wheels through a factory Limited Slip Differential, the Chrysler Conquest was an overlooked gem. In 1988 the Conquest truly became a driver’s car. An optional handling package became available with staggered wheels, 8 inches wide in the front and 9 inches wide in the rear. Not only did that allow for better road gripping prowess but the package also included gas adjustable shocks. Just remember this is 1987 we’re talking about folks. Boost builds and hits like a hammer, pinning you into the seat until the next gear, and you can very easily find yourself overwhelmed and sideways in an instant.

Personal Opinion

I had the pleasure of riding in a mildly modified example and the results are impressive to say the least. Fitted with a small 16g turbocharger yet essentially stock, the car put down over 315ft/lbs to the wheels — that’s V8 territory! To put this into perspective, the stock vehicle makes just over 180 to the wheels. Driving one is a purely visceral experience as so many noises and sensations penetrate your brain. Due to some simple mechanical problems, you can find many Conquests in very good shape as the owners have simply abandoned fixing them and listed them for sale instead. Simply put, the Chrysler Conquest is a very affordable diamond in the rough for someone looking for cheap rear wheel drive fun.

November 5, 2008