EEPOWER

I've heard that it's best to put a new exhaust on first before modding anything under the hood due to back pressure with additional gains. Is this true with the Type S? I want to get an intake first, because it is cheaper than exhaust and headers, and I figure the sound and hp gain would be great at mid to high rpms for the price. I also want to get the polished blue to go with the ABP color, and I'm not even sure if I want to spend the money to get headers. Here's what I think I've read through my search:

headers = 20-30 hp gain ($1300)
exhaust = 1-3 hp gain ($700)
CAI = 10-15 hp gain ($230)

Are these numbers close to the truth by themselves and no other mods? How much would exhaust help with the intake? Is the sound of the car pretty nice (throaty) with just the intake, and even better with the exhaust and intake on together? I figures the only good reason to buy an exhaust would be for looks and sound. The hp gain is minimal by itself. But with the intake, there should be no need for an exhaust to help with back pressure, right? Or would the exhaust help to provide the maximum gain from the intake and headers? Exhaust by itself is not giving much gain, but headers and intake need the exhaust to give max output? Maybe with headers since you are producing approximately 12% more gain.

What is the difference in intakes, not short-ram, but injen, aem and so on? Which ones does everybody recommend due to blending with ABP, sound, performance, and so on? Any feedback would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks.

ferizzo

I don't own any of the aforementioned mods but my understanding is that the TLS exhaust system is pretty efficient to begin with, which is why we get minimal gains from upgrading the exhaust. There are plenty of people who have the intake with no exhaust and no problems.

I plan on either getting the headers or intake first and no exhaust. I am leaning towards the CAI first due to price but the gains for the headers seem to be the best (unfortunately) for the money. I've heard 25-32 hp for the headers and 8-12 for the CAI. Also, I am not sure if the short ram will give you any hp gains seeing how close to the engine the cone will actually be. Seems like the short ram will suck in hot air from the engine compartment whereas the CAI (the longer of the two) is getting the air from the front bottom of the car.

EEPOWER

Are you getting AEM or INJEN? Any good reason or difference between the two?? How hard is the intake to self-install, besides taking off the bumper? Comptech is coming out with an intake???

accordv6

most exhaust systems sound really obnoxious...besides the comptech. i would go with the intake first, nice sound, and its only loud when you are stepping on it. Besides, there really isn't much power to be had (at least down low) with an exhaust, or even an intake for that matter. I say forget both of them, get the comptech headers and mod your oem intake.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

I went with the Injen and I did the install myself. This from a guy who had only changed oil on a car. It's not that bad... and I used the directions from the FAQ on this site. Took me about an hour and a half. Oh and BTW... I did not have to remove the bumper at all using those directions.

As for the Injen vs. AEM debate..... they are almost identical. The reason I went with the Injen is b/c everyone on here who had experience with both said that the Injen's fit was slightly better. Some people had to cut off about 1/2" of pipe on the AEM to avoid it hitting the fog lamp. Also.. and this may sound silly, but the Injen blue matched my car better then the AEM blue

As for the Comptech Icebox... I'm not impressed with it from what I've heard. It will probably be priced slightly higher then the AEM (which the Injen is less then) and I don't think the gains will be that much better then the AEM or Injen solution. The numbers that have been leaking out are impressive, but from what I've heard/read, those numbers are gains from a car with their supercharger......meaning the test car was already supercharged, then it was dynoed, then the Icebox was added and it was dynoed again. Obviously you'll have more gains on a supercharged car... so if what I read was true, then the reported gains are higher then what you'll see on a "regular" car. In addition, to kind of support that theory, the Icebox is shipping WITH the supercharger kits... so that should tell you how they work together. Again, the above may not be true... but those are the discussions that were had on here and on acl.com at one time.

Hopefully that helps you out. BTW, I currently have the Injen CAI and the Comptech exhaust. My next purchase will probably be the headers. Keep in mind that when adding mods, the numbers are not cumulative. So you can't add the 30whp from the headers with the 8hp from the CAI and the 3hp from the exhaust. With all 3 added you may only dyno with 38 extra HP over the 41hp you get if you add them together. Just something to keep in mind.

Indyjenks

Very good gains with the header.....mostly at high RPM's (which is where you want them anyway). More modest gains with the CAI.....but more noise (not a condescending remark). The exhaust gives you nil.....generally with more noise too. I have the header and just a replacement K&N drop in filter. I have more intake noise now but not of the level a CAI will give. Im probably pushing close to 300 ponies with just that setup. Of course, that was just my setup....some folks like different things....

xyzpl

Intake, more bang for your buck. Not much bang, but hey not much buck either...

paxus

You said it best, man. For around $250-$300 for a CAI one cannot expect a huge gain in HP for that much money. My planned mods: CAI first, headers next year.

Ray_Khan

EEPOWER....to be honest with you, save your $$$ for the headers. You aren't going to feel any difference from an intake. Let's jsut assume you actually get the 8-12 advertised hp...that is less than a 5% increse in power in a TLS. Do you really think you are going to feel 5% more power? Do you want to pay hundreds of $$$ for that little power. If the sound is something you really like too then maybe it is worth it to you, but I'd rather have the go and not the show. But then again, I dount those hp numbers are too accurate. Most of the intake setups I've seen on TLS's have been poorly designed with too many sharp bends in the piping, cone filter placement too close to the hot air from the hot engine, and if the cone is down low behind the fog lights away from the engine, there is no way for any cold air to get to it. You need to have a system to promote cold air flow to the cone. That means opeing up a source in front (in the lower part of the bumper) and in the wheel well. That is the right way to do it. Unfortunetly, there isn't always a pretty way to do this. There was one car that had a great CAI setup at the meet at that dealer in NJ a few weeks back. Tt's wheel well liner was completely reomoved and the front bumper had some air vents by the cone as well. Also, the guy had one bend in his tubing from the cont to the engine. Anyway, my point is, most CAI setups aren't optimial, so don't believe their claims. Even then, you won't feel the power. Save for headers, they are the real deal man!

just my $.02, take it for what it's worth

paultl

hey eepower,

your prices are kinda high!

it more like..

headers :1k shipped!
exhaust: 475 shipped!
intake : 225

do a search for prices.....you can do better then that. i cant mention anything buy you can email for details where i got my stuff....

good luck!

TopGum

exhaust-intake-headers. only because it is how the money came in

Mufflers sound good.

Intake sounds awesome in vtec

Headers are killer in vtec range

it's all good :smokin: