fanbanlo

My 05' TSX's warranty period is almost gone.

I'm tempted to start modding my car, which is still all-stock so far.

What should I start with? and what will I gain after I did it?

• hondata mod
• light rim
• pulley
• cold air intake
• exhaust
• brake (pad? rotors? both??)

I like mods that made the car looks mean but nice, and keep it as quiet as possible.

Thanks!

jellynuts

If you want quiet, I would recommend the Comptech Icebox for an intake rather than a CAI.

PrecyseStylez

start with the CAI and then header, cat, hondata reflash, exhaust, wheels and then suspension. You cant go wrong! good luck

lcrazyaznl

iTrader: (1)

Stick with apex ws2 or fujitsubo for quiet exhaust but stock is overall quite.

Light rims would be the best start in some better pick up speed.
Pulleys are a great mod but I put hondata as number 1.

fanbanlo

thanks, but if I can only do 1 or 2 things first, what should that be?

Best gain, most affordable, with minimum additional noise.

Thanks!

fanbanlo

i was thinking...

Hondata flash + lighter wheel.

What do you think?

ZildJonKim

I think you should start off with the Comptech Icebox and Hondata reflash.

After that, I would get a new catalytic converter as the 04-05 is very restrictive. Even going up to one of the 06-08 would be better. I would not recommend an exhaust wutsoever if you are trying to stay quiet. The Fujitsubo and Apexi are quiet relative to other exhausts, but still loud compared to stock.

Icebox, Hondata, Catalytic converter, Pulleys
you'll have yourself a new vehicle.

OoKrnBoi0331oO

Get Hondata/Pulleys for performance and get Coilovers for looks. Coilovers also help make the car feel more...sporty, I guess. So basically you'll get performance AND looks. haha

Then again, lightweight wheels are incredibly influential on driver feel...

fanbanlo

"The Hondata TSX reflash is designed for use with an intake and headers."

quoted on hondata site, What does that mean? Means i need Icebox intake? what about headers? what kind of headers are needed?

Itchytoe

You don't have to have an intake and header, but they provide a better platform for your reflash to use. Basically, you'll see better gains from the reflash if you have the intake and header than you would without them. You're not going to get an extra 50 hp, but you'll get a little. There are a few headers available, I think CT makes one, so if you're getting an icebox, you might as well get CT's header too. Might be able to get a nice deal on them if you get them together.

fanbanlo

How would a better header improve performance over OE header?

JterrorC

iTrader: (1)

what's a hondata? first time here...just got me a tl....lookin foward to all this...

fanbanlo

see: http://hondata.com/reflash.html

it is like.. flashing your cell phone and upgrade the 'software' of your phone, but hondata does that to your engine's cpu.

fanbanlo

forget about hondata, I don't think I push my car into high rpm that often.

- brake pad & rotor, any recommendation?
- suspension, I actually like OE suspension, but what do you guys picked? how are they?

pulley, set of lighter wheels and tires are the top 3 I want to mod after reading the whole tsx board...

DiaBando

iTrader: (3)

The whole board?

valeratj

All of them.

trebor8915

That's what I do while I'm sittin in class bored out of my mind!

04-6mt-atx

iTrader: (2)

I vote CAI/Ice box, header and HF cat/Testpipe. the better the engine breathes the more you will enjoy it.

PrecyseStylez

The reflash is for mid range power not Peak power.. so you dont have to rev it high in the rpms! With an intake and header you'll gain about 30hp and 29tq at 6k rpms.. You'll also feel power as low as 4500rpms.. You get the higher rev limit of 7600rpms but you dont have to rev that high.. but its there if you want to. Reconsider

mdkxtreme

When it's time for me to mod, I'm definitely going with less mass rotation (ie lightweight wheels, flywheel, and pulleys) because on my friends integra gsr, he got those three combo and holy shit, they feel so much different. The launch was so much quicker.

After that would definitely be the ct icebox.

Any ways, I would steer clear of upgrading exhaust as they can get pretty expensive with little gains since your stock exhaust has enough breathing room. The only reason for me to ever justify getting an exhaust upgrade is for the better noise.

fanbanlo

I'm still worried about the longevity of engine with the pulley set. My friends recommended me against it.

There're essentially no good header for TSX AT. They are make weird sound (DS Sport) or rattle at idle (CT/Comptech). Unless I go for JDM parts... $$$$$$$.

Dyno for CT icebox intake doesn't seem impressive... http://rapidshare.de/files/46973769/tsx_icebox.pdf.html

Hondata flash is so expensive here in Canada.. 'cause of the exchange rate.

Itchytoe

The pulley set won't have any negative impact on engine longevity. If anything, it'll last longer since it's not working as hard as it used to be to give you the same power at the wheels.

mdkxtreme

Dang how come there's always a ping pong effect on the pulleys though? Like people will say it's awesome, and then someone comes in to say longevity will hurt it, then someone says no it won't, yea it will my friend says so, no it won't my mechanic says so, yea it will my tuner says so, no it won't pepboys says so. So can you guys provide some source on how pulleys are bad/good? I'm leaning on the positive side since my friend's gsr has them for 3 years now and nothing seems wrong.

Itchytoe

An aftermarket pulley is lighter than the stock pulley. From a physics standpoint, they reduce the energy required for your engine to move your vehicle. It has exactly the same affect on your engine as getting a set of lightweight wheels. Ever hear of someone blowing an engine because the wheels were too light? You only lose a few pounds of weight, but it's rotational weight so it has a pretty big impact.
If you want online info, just search and you'll find sites that "prove" they're good and bad so as a general rule, I don't trust websites for info like that.

fanbanlo

I know.. it is frustrating..

UR rep and JTso said the pulley set is fine...

I'm still very tempted to install it....

lcrazyaznl

iTrader: (1)

I had my pulleys since around 40,000 miles and now 110,000 no problems.

CarbonGray Earl

It boils down to this:

Everyone with direct knowledge about pulleys on a TSX specifically have nothing but good things to say about longevity, NVH.

Everyone that has said pulleys are bad, cause damage by vibration, etc, do not have a TSX and do not have direct knowledge, but base it on what they heard from owners of other makes, or have read something bad about them on a completely different make, let alone an actual TSX.