I hate cars

That's not a bad idea. I don't remember the exact numbers, they're on this board somewhere but I measured stopping distances on the sticky tires over a 5 stop average with and without ABS and I could significantly beat ABS every time. I want to say it was something like 15+ feet from 60mph. More importantly I think it would make your car more consistent. You know what it's going to do each and every time. I think it's especially neat in your case since you will have track times to show any improvements.

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

Wow, just spent a sec and made a list of everything I'd like to get done before the next track day I get to. I think I need a servant to help me get all this done. And maybe another sugar momma to fund this ridiculous "hobby" of mine!

Suspension:

New Coilovers with 14k/12k spring setup probably
Front Sway Bar - OEM Type S
Front and Rear camber kit

Engine:

New V3 PCD's
Braille Battery
Remount 2G TL coolant reservoir

Aero:

Fill oem exhaust outlets
Finish and mount my custom rear diffuser
Brake ducts for at least the front brakes

Misc:

Autometer Dpic gauge to finish off the gauge pod
NACA duct to provide more driver cooling
New VSA modulator now that I'm pretty sure mine's fubar'd


I guess I better get to work! lol

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

Or do I just ditch the headlights all together and make some carbon fiber covers to put in their place?

I hate cars

Have you considered the H&R front swaybar? It seems contradictory since adding front stiffness increases understeer but the stiff front bar makes turn-in super sharp. The car feels more responsive to steering inputs and I guess sharp is the only way of describing it.

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

Well I figure I'll give the Type S one a try first for a couple reasons - 1 is definitely the cost ($120 ish) vs. $300ish. 2. I agree that a stiffer front sway bar will sharpen turn in and maybe kill some of the un-needed oversteer but I wouldn't want to go TOO far and kill the little bit of oversteer that makes the car easy to rotate around corners. 3. If I try the Type S bar and I feel like more would be better, it'd be easy to sell the OEM to someone here and then go for the H&R. But I think that the Type S bar is probably the best fit for me cuz I know that I have too much oversteer now. With the rear end being so light now and with the Progress RSB making it really stiff (so to speak lol), it really has overpowered the front end components.

IDK, am I on the right track here or am I picking daisies in left field? lol

I hate cars

That sounds like a good plan to me. Small changes usually work best.

One other thing I forgot to mention and maybe you've done this already but power steering fluid and steering feel... I switched back over to a synthetic fluid again and it still amazes me at the difference in feel. The wheel is lighter but you don't lose any feedback. The big difference I felt, and it's barely noticeable until you fix the problem, when you first turn the wheel it can have an elastic feeling almost like it wants to kick back just a little. I'm talking about a very subtle difference but it's like the pressure is boosted to turn the wheels and then it drops off after the initial spike. You can feel it when sitting still also. This synthetic fluid has completely eliminated this spongy or elastic feeling and I feel that it's easier to hit the lines and overall more accurate. It's a small change but something to think about next time you change fluid.

Honda fluid is thicker than most PS fluids and I used Amsoil's universal fluid. Surprisingly the used Honda fluid was MUCH thinner than the Amsoil fluid. I can only guess that the Honda stuff thins out over time causing this feeling. I put both in the freezer and the Honda stuff significantly thickened over the Amsoil. You should notice more consistent steering from cold to hot.

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

good to know man! I should be able to find time to do that someday, sounds like Amsoil is the way to go though

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

Took the headlights out today to see what they weighed and both entire headlight assemblies were just about 16lbs. So I think I'll definitely try to make a "plug" to fill in the opening from them and ditch them all together. I figure someone would want another set to play with different diy mods so I'll just sell them. Plus I think the carbon fiber would look sexy as hell like that.

Just a quick google of what I'm gonna do.

http://roadracemotorsports.com/store...roducts_id=918

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

Started modifying my front bumper today. Plan is to cut out the stock plastic and reform it with fiberglass to incorporate brake ducts inlets for the front brake duct project. Still trying to decide if I need to direct some of the air back towards the radiator or if the grill opening and opening between the splitter and bottom of the bumper is enough for it. I've never had a problem with heat on the track before so I'm pretty sure I'll block both of them off so maximum air is going to the brakes and also the aero on the front of the car will be a bit better as well.

So here's a couple pics of what I'm working on. First is how it was stock and second is the result after cutting the black plastic out.

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

^^^ u stole my thoughts LOL

just recently i had a word with Inaccurate and told him about this....plus something else which will help putting more air in the intake

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

LOL go for it man! I'll be working on mine for a couple days this week and probably finish it up this weekend. I didn't think about the intake much but maybe I'll cut an extra hole for that and run a small duct up to the filter... We'll see. Need to custom fab some brackets to hold the duct up to the caliper area so stay tuned for that!

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

Finally got the front bumper masked off and ready for glass this weekend. It's been hot as balls here so I'll have like 4 secs of working time with the resin so we'll see how that turns out! lol So we'll make the fiberglass covers and then pull it and the tape off the bumpers and then go back and permenately fix them to the bumper with more resin. That's the easy part lol. Sanding and making the front side of the bumper look good again will be the long and boring part. But I snapped a few pics to let you see the process.

went from this on both sides


To this,

Inaccurate

Will you be making fiberglass covers for the removed headlights? Did you remove the ballast too (I don't know if the ballast is intregrated into the main assmebly)?

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

I'm not sure yet but if I can find a couple of lenses from OEM headlights that might be at least a start. Ballasts are mounted to the headlight unit with a bracket going to the frame rail so everything from the headlight system has been removed except for the switch on the steering column and the wiring harness.

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

Check out the new catch can/breather!

Inaccurate

Nooooo !!!! Don't add weight

You beat me on being able to remove your wipers (non street use). But, I beat you with my down-draft tube. I have no track rules to comply with

Catch Can looks sharp !

Where does the catch can hoses come from/go to?

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

LOL I at least I lost at least 10-12 lbs to every pound I've put back on! Yeah running the dump tube would be a no bueno on the track so catch can it is. It's running from the front valve cover thru the catch can to the PCV on the intake manifold. The rear valve cover has the breather filter on it.

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

just a update pic on the front bumper. Phase 1 done with getting the fiberglass initially formed up for the brake ducts. will update as it progresses.

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

literally just thinking out loud here. Was thinking about potential weight loss and came up with a little list so I figured I'd write it down here.

To be removed:

Passenger seat setup: 24 lbs (w/ everything)
Headlights: 16lbs
Braille Battery: 30lbs
Wheels/Tires: ~30lbs static

So 2700 (current weight) - 100 (future losses) = 2600lbs! Who woulda thought that it was possible to lose damn near 1000lbs from stock weight. Already got the seat out and headlights out and battery will be on order soon so it's not gonna take long to acheive that weight.

Inaccurate

Now your talking

What rims and tires are you thinking about getting?

Will you be mounting the small battery up front versus trunk? Are you getting the 11-Lb Braille?

Other members that tried to put the little Braille in the trunk had no success. The little Braille must be mounted in the oem location to minimize cable length (minimizing electrical resistance).

However, my little 11-Lb Braille has NEVER failed me. It is a daily driver too. My current one is now two years old and is scheduled to be replaced as part of preventative maintenance. But, it is still performing like new (even though it is two years old).

DisgustipatedAP1

Don't buy Braille, they're fail. They're just rebranded Deka's. I got the 11 lb one for $65 from Tri-State Battery. Braille just rebrands Deka and resells it for 3x the price. Putting the 11 lb'er in my car as soon as the SAE terminals arrive.

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

Good to know thanks.

Wheels and tires now are looking like 17x9.5 rpf1's with Hankook RS-3's. in that size I'm pretty sure they are about 16.5lbs per wheel but not exactly sure.

I remember hearing about the battery issues but mine now is all mounted up just in front of the rear wheel on the passenger side (pretty much perfect position IMO) so we'll see. Maybe I'll just run no battery! lol

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

Got a part number for that? We had an 11 pound Batcap by Xstatic in our STI that worked good for us so maybe I'll look into those as well.

DisgustipatedAP1

ETX14. ETX20 is about 15 lbs, and an ETX 30 is 18-20 lbs.

I'm waiting for the SAE terminal adapters so I can install my ETX14, I will update you with how it goes but it works well in the Cayman, Evo's, STI's, Elise's, Mustangs, Vettes etc so I figure it'll handle the TL just fine as long as I don't run the battery down by running stuff with the engine off. It weighs roughly 33 lbs less than my stock battery. Also ordering a set of 17x9+22 RPF1's + 255mm summer tires, should be a solid 50 lbs total weight reduction just on my wheels/tires alone.

Trying to get my TL down to 3200~ lbs with 3 gallons of gas in it. 3 gallons of gas vs full 18 is 90~ lbs less than stock curb weight for 6MT (3470? 3490?), my custom exhaust + ATLP j pipe + 3rd cat delete + high flow cats cut a good 30-40 lbs off (those stock precats and factory piping are pretty heavy!), spare tire/toolkit delete was 34 lbs according to Inaccurate...

I figure another 80-85 lbs off due to wheels/tires and new battery will get me pretty close to my goal. I just want to see what a weight reduced and bolt-on NA TL can accomplish in straightline and cornering before I sell this TL and buy a high mileage 6MT 3G to supercharge it.

I'm not willing to go as drastic as you are, but I figure stock has plenty of potential for weight reduction without losing luxury/fuctionality.

Inaccurate

Elegant Aggressor,

One year ago, I researched doing a Power Steering Delete and I decided that it was not feasible for me. But, I thought I would post this to let you decide if it is something that you would like to pursue.


Copy and paste these links into your browser. Remove the red X before submitting. Acurazine blocks these links. So, this is why I must disguise them with the red X.

http://www.civicXforums.com/forums/115-engine/223156-diy-removing-power-steering.html

http://www.tampaXracing.com/forums/honda-acura-tech/563627-power-steering-bypass.html

http://hondaXmarketplace.com/showthread.php?t=563116

phee

iTrader: (5)

I have no power steering and it feels great.

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

Sounds like an awesome plan man. The stock curb weight depends if you have Navi or not. Mine did so I was 3490 stock. Here's a good site for OEM stats and info - http://www.new-cars.com/2004/acura/acura-tl-specs.html

Check out Inaccurate's and My diet threads cuz there's more freebies than that - just for when you get the diet bug again you'll know there's always more to do! lol

It's certainly crossed my mind - I'll definitely check out the links!

So what'd you do with the serpentine belt situation? Post some pics if you have any.

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

Got about half way done with the brake duct project today. Still need the ducting and need to fab up a bracket to hold the duct up to the rotor somewhere.

but I am nearly done with the mods to the front bumper. Shot my air compressor nozzle at it at various angles/velocities and it will move some serious air at speed. Stay tuned for more info/pics.





Here is where the brake duct will run through the fender well and the frame/suspension. Before/after type thing.

I hate cars

Nice. What kind of rotors do you have? Just wondering if you need to duct the air to the center of the rotors (racing brake and others) or if you're just going to have air blowing on the rotor face.

I hope I'm not annoying you by not finding this info but I'm assuming you dropped the dust shields a long time ago, right?

I hate cars

One more thing, I like the idea of manual steering but..... I don't like that you normally have to use a slower ratio rack to get the leverage needed to turn the wheel especially with a smaller diameter wheel. This may not even be an issue in a track only car where you're usually moving and don't have to worry about parking lots. I like a quick ratio especially under track conditions where you have the rear of the car occasionally stepping out of line and you need a quick flick of the wheel to bring it back in. This of course is assumption, I don't know how neutral your car is.

Again, maybe this is apples to oranges but I've driven a normal G-body (Regal, GranPrix, Cutlass, Montecarlo) and the GN which uses a MUCH quicker steering ratio. The car is sooo much easier to control at the limit and the steering feels more precise with more feedback from the tires. I know a G-body is much different than a TL but some of the effects of the quicker ratio still apply.

I know low weight is the ultimate goal but it might not hurt just to try keeping the power steering and look for a quicker rack. Maybe Honda/Acura used a different ratio in one of their normal production cars somewhere.

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

Yeah all the dust shields went bye bye long ago. I think I'm going to run the duct to blow on the base of the rotor inbetween the caliper mounting bolts. I've seen this being sucessful in the past and know a lot of Brembo users do this.

Something sorta like this, but not the $130 they wanted for this setup! lol



PS - I'll be stepping up to the RB 2 piece soon so that setup would probably work that those too.

I hate cars

Luckily all you have to do is duct the air to the inside center hub of the Racing Brake rotors since they have directional vanes already that pull air from the center. All you have to do is get the cool air there and they will do the rest. I think these rotors are a substantial upgrade in both weight and cooling even at the stock 12.2" size. I can't wait to hear your review after installing them.

Is that ducting setup available as a bolt-on for the TL? I would buy that in a heartbeat if it were available.

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

Well it was designed for the Evo but I'm sure it'd work on the TL's brembos just fine. Probably not for any other caliper setup though. If my DIY for this is as good, then anyone could do it. I'll be tackling this over the weekend.

Inaccurate

Why have the entire opening closed off? Could the other areas of the lower grill be left open to allow an air draft to the radiator and engine bay?

Clean work on the fiberglass work (as usual ).

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

thanks!

I'm really focusing on the aero right now and closing that off will help to keep the air from building inside the openings in the bumper and engine bay and slowing the rest of the air down that is moving around the car and also prevents unwanted pressure from building and creating lift. Radiator has the main grill feeding it air and the nice slim opening between the top of the splitter and the bottom of the bumper. I might even put something on top of the splitter to direct air more towards the radiator. Stay tuned, I post a picture sometime that will explain it better.

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

Weekend project teaser...

Majofo

Inaccurate

Awesome. Especially with the "U.S. Air Force" text above it, the very first thing that went thru my mind when I seen the carbon fiber cover was

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

Haha nice pic! Update the helmet and it'd be my office view! Lol

Inaccurate

Are you saying that you are a pilot? Jet fighter pilot?