Headers are just steel tubes, right? So how does replacing one set of steel tubes with another add 40HP at the flywheel? What makes aftermarket headers so different from the stock ones that they improve power so much? It seems too simple. Any downside? CA gets nervous any time you screw with anything remotely related to the exhaust/emission control system. Any problems there? It makes me wonder why Acura didn't just do it themselves. Surely they could do it for less than $1200.

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2001 Silver 3.2CL Type S with Spoiler and Navi

 

mdaniel,

Headers are just more than steel tubes
If you look at aftermarket headers like Comptech, DC Sports, Mugen, yadayada, each of those have individually tuned primaries dumping gradually into secondary downpipes. These primaries are longer and wider than the OEM exhaust manifold. These alone allow for better scavenging/evacuation of exhaust during the "ejection" phase of the cycle, thus making the engine breathe efficiently and making more potential power. Also, if you look at the OEM manifold, it dumps into a single secondary downpipe. This is a bottle neck compared to the double downpipe. Ever heard of the term 4-2-1 headers?

So you see, aftermarket headers are generally better than OEM due to these designs. As to why Acura does not make these types of headers...I believe it's the bottom line and ease of manufacturing.

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Frank
01-S White/Parchment
Comptech Sways & Springs

 

Yeah....what he said.

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Hollywood is back, and so is...

Miss "Jackie Black" Black on Black 2001 CLS
Tint | airbox gutted - waiting for AEM CAI| resonator replaced by straightpipe | 12" JL Audio sub
PIAA 19170s | spoiler


14.6185 at 96.09mph 1/4 mile - Take that Car&Driver!!

 

Catalytic coverter can still cause something of a bottleneck. However, adding the headers is still a siginificant improvement.

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True Hip-hop junkie

 

Engines are like big air pumps... Add a ram air or cai and headers to get the air in and out faster will increase power. Especially in high compression engines like ours...

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2001 Silver 3.2CLS
-Muds, Spoiler, Hardwire 8500, Prolarg M-6 lamps
Planning: Comptech Headers, Sways, CAI

 

I would say that emissions control has a lot more to do with it than cost. Honda is the emission king - everyone knows that. They simply put a higher priority on emissions than they do on performance... even with the Type S engine. You think 260hp is all they can get out of this thing??? No way They could have EASILY made this engine produce 325hp at the crank. But they're not about to compromise their emissions rankings among the eco-terrorists. Especially when their cars already produce more power than the majority, if not all of the competition.

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2001 Acura 3.2CL Type S
Comptech Springs
Comptech Sway Bars
Comptech Headers
PIAA 19169

[This message has been edited by GoldTypeS (edited 02-28-2001).]

 

Don't forget the FWD thing. I think the theoretical limit on FWD is (was?) 210hp. The S is already 50 above that. So Honda has to come up with a way to put the power to the ground more efficiently. Look at the Camaro Z28. Somebody in another thread said they can almost beat one because the Camaro gets a lousy start due to too much wheelspin. Maybe the (Camaro) driver was a dope and didn't know how to control that 370hp or whatever a Z28 has. What if the Z28 had traction control like the CLS?

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http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Album...698&a=11616550
Red 3.2 CL-S.
"Life is too short not to be Italian." -Paul Sorvino

 

theoretical limit of 210hp?? Never heard of that one. Sounds like the "earth is flat" theory!

Z28s DO have traction control. They call it ASR - Acceleration Slip Regulation. Not sure if its standard, but it's definitely available. I would imagine going WOT in a Z28 (auto or 6 spd), with ASR on, would be like racing with our VSA on - it would actually be detrimental as the car has enough power to break the wheels loose and engine power would be cut drastically.

 

From personal experience, I can attest that current LS1 F-bods (Camaros & FireChickens) will send the rear end up in smoke - seen it way too many times at the strip and done it once in a friends . ASR will tame most of it via brakes and retarding the hell out of the ignition, but you'll be slow as a turtle that way. Best launch for those guys is 1500 rpm and do your best John Force 'pedaling' imitation (part throttle untill hookup, then stomp it).

Oh, current F-bod LS1 is rated at 320 bhp. Which is bullsh!t, some folks are getting 300+ rwhp stock on the '01 models.

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when you're ready to succeed!

 

Think of it as blowing through a straw. Too small a straw and you can't blow anything too far with it. Too large a straw you also can't blow anything too far. Ahhh... but with a straw with the right diameter piping... you'll get a strong breeze. Sorry I'm just bein silly... Hope you understand what i'm tryin to say.

 

mdaniel,

Think of this analogy in response to your question. Imagine going for a walk but only being able to inhale and exhale through a drinking straw. Its not very difficult and can be done quite easily. However, imagine trying to run a marathon and still only being able to exhale through a drinking straw. It will be very taxing on you and seriously inhibit your performance in race Now if you tried the same marathon with an oxygen mask that was free flowing, giving you a cool oxygen mixture on inhale and a open airway to exhale your would do much better! This is similar in practice to a good intake and exhaust combination in your car. Very simplistic explanation but I think it illustrates the point

Chris

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2001 Nighthawk Black CLS Type S - Xephyr Performance Cold Air Intake, PIAA 19173(Yellow) Road Lamp Upgrades, Full Wood Trim, Spoiler, Best GTECH Sprint 6.05 Xephyr Performance Intakes

 

GoldTypeS,

If that were true, then how do we explain the S2000 and Integra Type R? These are highly tuned engines that are still eco friendly.

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Frank
01-S White/Parchment
Comptech Sways & Springs

 

Actually, the S2000 and ITR engine prove my point. Let's compare the S2000 engine to the CL-P engine.

2.0L................3.2L
240hp...............225hp
20/26 mpg...........19/29
LEVstatus.....ULEV status

So we have a more powerful 4 cyl that gets less gas mileage and is less clean than a V6. Honda did NOT worry so much about emissions with the S2000 and ITR engines. Look at all of Honda's other 4 cyl engines. They EASILY meet ULEV status, but the S2000 engine does not. I'm not saying the S2000/ITR engines aren't "clean", they are still relatively clean. But they are nowhere near as clean as they could be.

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2001 Acura 3.2CL Type S
Comptech Springs
Comptech Sway Bars
Comptech Headers
PIAA 19169

[This message has been edited by GoldTypeS (edited 03-01-2001).]

 

when i saw this topic, i thought this is one of those civic/crx/teg kids that figures they get 5 horsepower for each sticker they put on their car

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Black 2001 Type S
*Xephyr Cold Air Intake
*PIAA 19169 Road Lamps
*Acura Winter Mats
*Mudguards
*Mobile 1 Synthetic
---Still 2 rims not scratched---

 

GoldTypeS,

I see what you are trying to say; LEV vs ULEV. If Acura were trying to obtain the ULEV status for the CL, then I can see why they didn't design a "Header". Good point. Too bad it wasn't a LEV car instead.

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Frank
01-S White/Parchment
Comptech Sways & Springs

 

I tried breathing through a straw for 5 minutes and I couldn't do it sitting. The damn car must be dying. I gotta get some headers for my poor baby STAT!

 

LOL! I was thinkin the same thing

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2001 Acura 3.2 CL Type-S
San Marino Red (Navigation)
PIAA 19173 Ion Yellow Fog Lights
Aftermarket Black Wood Trim Kit

 

Please... you've been talking about getting headers since we moved to this site !!

Oh wait, that's how long I've been talking about upgrading to the new CL too.... Oh well


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1998 Iced Blue CL 3.0 ** Some mods, but who cares, I want a Type-S!!

Moderator - 1st Gen Forum

Email: juniorbean@acura-cl.com