I am looking into doing the 3.5L upgrade to my CL-S pretty soon here...Can someone please tell me what this consists of completely, and all the other questions I would need answered in order to accomplish this? Such as how much, where to get it, installation, etc....Please help me out! All help is greatly appreciated!

-Shane

 

What they do is take the heads and mill .0023 off the deck height along with a v-groove channel and replace it with a Apex-W22 .0034 grooved head gasket. Then they remove your connecting rods and extend them with crowler rod extentions giving you more stroke. To make up for this additional stroke they need to replace the piston with a ceramic tipped dome 2 chamber piston. Some just use basic MDX pistons, but that won't hold up over time. Next they have to take all the pushrods and replace them, along with a greddy opt1 fuel rail. Other than that it's pretty much functional. Head work would help out too. Good luck.

 

Is Rick Case the only way to get this upgrade?

 

ummm....

Vapor ware...

Save your money... if you are going all motor... have some speciality shop in LA since you are there rebuild your motor for you... Or just save you money and get the Comptech Supercharger.

The Rick Case 3.5L upgrade is 99.999% not something that they are selling. It was a one off.

-J

 

doesn't the 3.5l upgrade require a switch to synthetic blinker fluid and ceramic-coated muffler bearings as well?





(connecting rod extensions and pushrods? )

 

I got my car at Rick Case. They were converting 1 when I picked my car up. (December) It was a TL though. They also had another 3.5 CL car on display last month. Not sure if it was display, or for sale. They may not do it anymore, but as of last month they did. I think Rick Case is the only place that does this. You could do it yourself, but it wouldn't have a factory warranty. The Rick Case upgrade has a full factory warranty.

 

100.0000% inaccurate. I know of 4 that they built. All were sold to end-users (the last one was a WDP TL-S that just recently sold).

 

Are Crower rods neccessary ?? Couldn't you just use MDX rods ?
The forged pistons make sense.

 

Part of my reason for my first response is the following...

Example: Mystery Mod... the Res... well... Uhmmm where is it?
Other than in a pic where some guys was walking around the Las Vegas SEMA and happened to show it in a towel? Don't you think that's weird?

There was talk of Rick Case having a booth there at SEMA to display the product. Shit I was there the day before the show opened and looked around for the "vapor ware booth." But I could not even find them, even on opening day...

I just think the whole discussion around the 3.5L upgrade has a some myth behind it. There are couple of things that are said and sketchy thing go on from Florida on the TL and CL board which I think make things questionable.

Some examples below...

First... mchclsondubs -> mchboostedA4 originally had the 3.5L upgrade and then the car mysteriously ended up in a lake. I think he's on his third car now since he's been on the board... 3.5L CL in a lake, BMW 530i stripped, and now on an Audi A4 1.8T. Either he does not have the cars or his insurance people are really dumb (more likely)
http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/showt...t=3.5L+upgrade

Second, the myster mod which is still a mystery... Autocarparts was supposed to sell it but nothing.

Third, wayneg from Park Ave has talked with the service guys at Rick Case about the upgrade trying to resell it as well and then Rick Case Acura foolios were like no.

So I don't live in Florida so can't verify that there is one and I'm not about to fly down to the swamps to see it.

Believe what you want to believe... I am a skeptic so I do not believe until shown proof.

 

Give me the $6K to get it done, & i'll drive it up to you & show you personally!

 

mch's CL-S was stolen.. and apparently so was his 530. Has nothing to do with a 3.5L "myth". Nor does the [apparent demise of] the RES.

I've known Doug for a few years now... went to the track with him the night he took the black 3.5L CL-S to the strip. Posted timeslips for it, even.

I also posted dyno scans for the 3.5L engine.

I also drove the black 3.5L CL-S for about 45 minutes with my friend John who worked at Rick Case.

Believe what you like, but several members of this and the TL board have seen or ridden in the 3.5L cars. As previously mentioned, a CL member OWNED one.

No conspiracy here.

 

uhh okay...
6k for you or get the comptech supercharger for myself...
I'll spend it on the supercharger...



why don't you ask AcuraCR he's from beverly hills... hahah

 

I believe stroking the motor is possible....but the gains from the CT SC on the AV6 show that at 4-6psi....the SC will be far more cost efficient than stroking which...will not pass CARB...so, for Cali peeps...just my .02, you're better off going FI...

 

You Floridians are always right...

Fine... I'll back out of this thread....

But ACURACR unless you are going to send your car there for 3-6 months... I would recommend skipping the 3.5L mod for the time being and getting the supercharger.

 

It's not a question of being right... it's a question of having seen/driven/touched them. It's just a fact, that's all.

 

you need the 3.5 badge from the rl and that adds 40 hp.

 

Shane,

Just give me a call. We'll see what we need to do to get you into a 3.5liter upgrade , if that's really what you want. Just keep in mind that there will be downtime associated with this type of mod. Your block will have to be pulled and completely built. This isn't a small job, for all intensive purposes you will be getting a fully built motor.

 

So with the new pushrods, what are guys jetting the carburetor at?

 

80lph

 

What is the downtime for doing the 3.5L upgrade? And what are the HP gains from it, as well as the 1/4 mile and 0-60 times?

From what it looks like, I think it would be more beneficial all the way around as well as more cost efficient to get the super charger. As soon as I get word about the Super Charger, I will most likely get it. The only thing I am concerned with is the traction, and the tranny. The car already has trouble holding the road when you floor it, who knows what it will do when you have another 100 hp or so behind the wheel. Let me know. Thanks in advance.

-Shane

 

From the FAQ:
Roughly 315 hp and 254 ft lbs of torque
0-60 in 5.7 seconds, 1/4 mile in 14.0 sec.
Note runs done at Moroso Motorsports Park in 90 degree and 90% humidity.
Parts:
From MDX: Crank, bearing, pistons, rods, tranny housing 1->2, intake plenum spacer
Comptech Headers, springs, sways
AEM 2.5" CAI
Brushed aluminum interior
Apex VTEC Controller

Head work is done by the Propulsion Laboratory in conjunction with John Brown Racing of S. Florida.
Compression ratio is 10.85:1
Takes 8 work days to produce/convert one powertrain.
Cost: $4999 for 315 HP, and $6999 for a 335 HP Gen II set-up.
One acura-cl.com got the conversion, ran great with it, and had no transmission problems at all

 

What kind of 0-60 and 1/4 mile times do you guys think I would be running with both the 3.5L upgrade and the Comptech Supercharger? What would the horsepower be at as well? Let me know? Thanks in advance.

-Shane

 

soooo......

 

if someone actually went through all the truoble and $$$$ to give a CL-S a 3.5 upgrade AND the supercharger....the thing should run no more than high 11's and 0-60 in 5 flat....if all that work and money cant get a CL-S down to the 11's thats pretty sad...of course youd probably need friggin racing slicks on the front wheels, mickey tompsons or something....if i spent 6000 on the 3.5 upgrade and another 4000 + on the supercharger, id hang myself i the car couldnt run 11's...take any other car and throw 10,000 bucks at it for mods and yuo can easily be in the 11's or even lower!!

 

jsut for comparisons sake, there are people with 97-02 GTPs with no more than 3000 dollars in mods running LOW 12's!!!!! its sad that we would have to spend 3-4 times that money to compete with them.

 

I have to back RAdams on this one. I actually drove the Black 3.5 CL-S before it was sold. It was damn fast!!! All you haters don't have to believe (that's your right) but I can honestly tell you the 3.5 L Upgrade does exist. Now whether or not it's worth the $$, that's another thread.

 

w/ the 3.5L & sc you'd still be in the 12's. it would take nitrous on top of it all to get 11's. imhfo.

 

Would Supercharging on the 3.5 even be possible? Reason being, the 3.5 runs compression of 11.85, while it's usually necessary to lower compression when running boost, hmm.. I wonder how that would work. Any answers?
-jyang411

 

acctually the 3.5 gets a 10.8:1 compression up from our 10.5...if one were to stroke the motor 3.5 and planned on F.I. i would tell that person to do a straight MDX short blok swap as the 10.0:1 compression will be alittle more boost friendly

 

11s would still be tough on a blown 3.5, IMO...

High compression, non-cooled boost, I would think making that happen would steer the car away from streetability with the tuning, suspension and fuel you'd need to use.

 

who said non cooled?

there's TONS of room under the CLs bumper for an intercooler...

just wait till they hear the price of a godo intercooler LOL

 

I assumed we were talking about the Computech blower.

 

I think the hanging would be a real possibility.... and I really like the idea of a CLS sleeper.

Perhaps if some "real" drag slicks were installed with some "traction devices"... (Not a daily driver)

There is a lot of loss in an Auto (with no LSD) and the manual would still need to get the power down to the ground.

I would love to see one of these get into the low 13s, but the 3.5L (given the rather hot temps that hurt great run times) only managed 13.9 (or so) in rather hot temps.

The car needs to pick-up a lot at the high-speed end of the track due to the weight transfer issues. And, considering that the 3.5 with modded torque converter would melting Michelin Pilots, I would think it would need to start looking like 1) manual tranny or 2) auto tranny with lots of love, care, cooler, synthetic fluid, mods?, etc 3) traction assist devices (take your pick).

I don't think it would be a "daily driver", but it's just my opinion...

(Hey, gut the sucker, and add wheelie bars, slicks, etc and save some money on the HP end of things and make it a dedicated "lightened" CLS with some NOS)

 

why all of this internal engine work? why not just get a 3.5 from a salvage MDX or RL, clean it up and drop it in? i would think if you wanted higher compression, you could just mill the heads a smidge.

 

How would the 3.5L upgrade handle extra boost? Any insight?

 

Displacement from bigger stronger rods...usually equates to overall strength in the motor....hence why 5.0 mustangs squeeze 100-150 shot NOS stock without flinching...

 

all this talk of upgrading got me upset again.. i was getting ready to drive down to Rick Case and was speaking with Doug twice a week, until the day i called and they said he doesnt work there nemore

so the only cars that were done at Rick Case exist as 3.5l and no more will be made.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bobowah
[B]Part of my reason for my first response is the following...

Example: Mystery Mod... the Res... well... Uhmmm where is it?
Other than in a pic where some guys was walking around the Las Vegas SEMA and happened to show it in a towel? Don't you think that's weird?

There was talk of Rick Case having a booth there at SEMA to display the product. Shit I was there the day before the show opened and looked around for the "vapor ware booth." But I could not even find them, even on opening day...

I just think the whole discussion around the 3.5L upgrade has a some myth behind it. There are couple of things that are said and sketchy thing go on from Florida on the TL and CL board which I think make things questionable.

Some examples below...

First... mchclsondubs -> mchboostedA4 originally had the 3.5L upgrade and then the car mysteriously ended up in a lake. I think he's on his third car now since he's been on the board... 3.5L CL in a lake, BMW 530i stripped, and now on an Audi A4 1.8T. Either he does not have the cars or his insurance people are really dumb (more likely)
http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/showt...t=3.5L+upgrade

YOUR A HATER :pfawk:

 

yeah now he works at rick case honda........................i had the 3.5 upgrade it consisted of mdx crankshaft, rods , bearings, dommed top pistons , safc , comptech headers, aem inttake, ported and polish intake manifold.........and there was something else but i cant remember , i also had the level 10 tc ( big help) COMPRESSION RATIO WAS 10:8.5:1 if i remember correctly

 

thats what i did