Anything else I can do besides fi or supercharge?

Mod list:
Xs headers
Test pipe
Cai
Lightweight crank pulley (just purchased)

Not looking to waste my time on the p2r thermal spacer
Suggestions?

 

J37A4 intake manifold with prankparts.com adapter and 76mm throttle body. Couple this with a set of ported runners for a decent bump.

A full J35A3 swap using the J32A2 camshafts.

Weight reduction (even better than power mods because fuel economy, handling and braking performance improve, too!).

 

So if I just went with the first option thatd be easier than trying to do the j35a3 swap?

 

Are you asking me if replacing an intake manifold is easier than removing and replacing an engine?

 

o yea lol the intake is lighter and supposed to stay cooler bc of the magnesium not to mention more volume of air moving through

The J35a3 is a good option, eventually, unless breaking down an engine and re installing it is easy for you.. then go for it!

 

Well I know swapping the motor would be the harder of the two lol ig what I was asking was how long would it take to do the manifold swap. And how much of a bump and hp would that be about compared to the j35 swap

 

Doing the J35 will be like throwing a s/c on the car. The torque bump is huge. IMO it's worth saving a little more and doing the J35 rather than the little mods that you might not even feel. Plus you can get a J35A3 for $500 all day.

 

It all depends on how involved you wanted your install to be. If you only wanted to swap the intake manifold, then maybe 45 minutes to an hour. If you wanted to include an aftermarket throttle body that involved relocating the IACV, removing cruise control and replacing seals for the TPS and MAP, then probably 2 hours.

You could also have custom intake pipe made from 3.5" or 4" piping. This would greatly compliment a large 76mm throttle body that the J37A4 intake manifold is capable of fitting.

 

Ok I might sound like a noob lol but doesnt the j35a3 make less power than the j37? Or not when your interchanging parts? I was trying to do do some researching and seen that the j35a3 makes 248 hp and 242 torque and the j37a4 makes 305 hp and 273 torque. Ive only ever done bolt ons and matience and things along those lines

 

I don't know which J37 you are talking about as there are many J37s, but for the purposes of this argument, all of them make more power than the J35A3, or the J32A2 you'd be replacing.

None of the J37s offered will bolt up to your transmission. They also have different crankshaft sensors and injectors, so fitting your factory engine loom to them would be tricky. They also all have the awful merged single exhaust port. Assuming is was still a go, you're hard pressed to find a complete engine for under $2000. Not the end of the world, but also not as appealing as the J35A3.

The J35A3 is similar to the J32A2 in almost every way that matters. The block and heads are identical, with the only difference being the larger intake valve diameters in the J32A2. The rotating assembly is forged, like the J32A2, only with a longer stroke. The two downsides to this engine, apart from the smaller intake valve, are the lower compression and the milder camshafts. The camshafts are easily changed, and that's where a good bit of the power is recovered.

Ideally you'd swap the J32A2 pistons (or even J32A3 pistons for an even higher compression bump) over to the J35A3 rods, reinstall the complete J32A2 heads with camshafts and call it a day.

I haven't seen anyone do a direct dyno comparison, but the gain is with the low-end torque of the J35A3 for sure.

 

The J35A3 does make less hp/tq than a J37 & less hp with slightly more tq than the J32A2 but thats with the stock MDX ECU/Tune. Now run the J35A3 with the way more aggressive J32A2 ECU and you have yourself a beast, STOCK.

I'm one of the few that have done the full J35A3 swap and it was the most fun i've ever had in a car. Torque for days. I did have a 6spd, headers with full exhaust & the stock restrictive intake which i never for around to replacing but i could only imagine the damage i could of done with a fat intake and some port work..

 

How much hp were you at do you think? And so would the j32a2 ecu still need a tune after the swap? Like with aem ems or could you elaborate a little more on that?

 

not to jack thread, but would I run into issues with CA smog if I do the J37 manifold swap?

 

I'd say 280-300 hp (crank not wheel) and probably 260ish tq.

The J32 ecu will run the J35 perfectly fine (after converting the J35 to a 6 speed motor of course). If you want maximum performance then you'd have to look into running an AEM EMS to squeeze everything you can out of the motor.

For what I believe you want, power/reliability, the stock ECU is more than enough.