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Same!! I have a PRL Stage 1 Silicone Hose Kit, Extra OEM MAF Housing case, K&N Filter, Ktuner Stage v2, RV6 Downpipe, PRL Intercooler, and MHI Stage 2 Turbo en route and could, in theory get that one, but I wouldn't until the turbo is installed and I can verify all is well with the current OEM MAF, since at that point I will have to get it tuned. But not sure if it will be worth it.
Alright, I have an interesting... the saga continues...
I reinstalled the intake yesterday morning, but I did it right before the engine performed a cold start. After it was installed, I started the engine, it did it's thing, and I went for a drive. The transmission does shift a little harder than with the stock airbox even with normal driving around town, like I can feel shiftshock at city speeds with gentle throttle application. So I let the engine warm up and accelerated on the highway. The car immediately downshifted and and started to accelerate. It felt really good actually! I tried it again and again and the car was running and shifting just fine.
I didn't change anything to my custom intake, I just wanted to put it back on because I was noticing that even with my stock airbox, once things got warmer, the engine and transmission started to behave in a more sluggish performance manner. So I'm starting to believe that this engine is just really prone to heat-soak, it really can't constantly deliver high output unless, and I'm just assuming, it had better cooling maybe in the form of an aftermarket intercooler or oil cooler.
What do y'all think? Do these cars even come with an oil cooler or transmission cooler stock?
Are you running and sort of tuning like Ktuner or Phearable?
Same!! I have a PRL Stage 1 Silicone Hose Kit, Extra OEM MAF Housing case, K&N Filter, Ktuner Stage v2, RV6 Downpipe, PRL Intercooler, and MHI Stage 2 Turbo en route and could, in theory get that one, but I wouldn't until the turbo is installed and I can verify all is well with the current OEM MAF, since at that point I will have to get it tuned. But not sure if it will be worth it.
You're going to enjoy the MHI stage 2. I've been running it with water/meth injection for close to 2 years now. If you haven't already, I'd suggest contacting Derek Robinson (Drob) with IMW to have it calibrated. He's the best in the business for Honda currently and has plenty of experience with upgraded RDX's.
Alright, I have an interesting... the saga continues...
I reinstalled the intake yesterday morning, but I did it right before the engine performed a cold start. After it was installed, I started the engine, it did it's thing, and I went for a drive. The transmission does shift a little harder than with the stock airbox even with normal driving around town, like I can feel shiftshock at city speeds with gentle throttle application. So I let the engine warm up and accelerated on the highway. The car immediately downshifted and and started to accelerate. It felt really good actually! I tried it again and again and the car was running and shifting just fine.
I didn't change anything to my custom intake, I just wanted to put it back on because I was noticing that even with my stock airbox, once things got warmer, the engine and transmission started to behave in a more sluggish performance manner. So I'm starting to believe that this engine is just really prone to heat-soak, it really can't constantly deliver high output unless, and I'm just assuming, it had better cooling maybe in the form of an aftermarket intercooler or oil cooler.
What do y'all think? Do these cars even come with an oil cooler or transmission cooler stock?
Yes i mean the consenus is they really do heat soak alot. For it being winter time here in PA the IAT's are obviously super low so the car runs great. What i can tell you after talking with a friend who was recently at the dealer a good friend of his works at is that the honda/acura mafs are very sensitive and very well dialed in were his words. So that person who i talked to was running this setup with a rather smaller air filter and he was getting issues throwing codes and such. he switched to a larger air filter and for some reason has had no more issues. Could it be that since he isnt tuned he is getting errors every so often or that a larger air filter worked better idk. But for myself i have the DIY intake and an rv6 downpipe and phearable stage 3 tune and the only issue i get is a random p0138 o2 sensor code even tho i have it disabled. There are alot of variables but trial an error is the only thign that can figure it out. Only other thing i can point out is when the car is cold they will slightly shift a bit harder until up to operating temperatures.
Same!! I have a PRL Stage 1 Silicone Hose Kit, Extra OEM MAF Housing case, K&N Filter, Ktuner Stage v2, RV6 Downpipe, PRL Intercooler, and MHI Stage 2 Turbo en route and could, in theory get that one, but I wouldn't until the turbo is installed and I can verify all is well with the current OEM MAF, since at that point I will have to get it tuned. But not sure if it will be worth it.
it will definitely be worth it. it alot larger than the oem intake tubeing and less restrictive so definitely more flow. Like i said if you have an rdx you will need the vacuum line / coolant line kit to make it work. if your doing everything else why not finish it off and get the most potential power you can , just my .02 lol
You're going to enjoy the MHI stage 2. I've been running it with water/meth injection for close to 2 years now. If you haven't already, I'd suggest contacting Derek Robinson (Drob) with IMW to have it calibrated. He's the best in the business for Honda currently and has plenty of experience with upgraded RDX's.
Much appreciated, the Ktuner V2 came today and flashed the ECU but haven't been able to drive it around yet. Intercooler is slotted to come this week and I'll plan on dropping that in this weekend.
The Turbo and downpiper are ETA'd around Monday - Tuesday of next week. So wont be able to drop those in until the following weekend but may have to wait for a week / weekend my wife is traveling to have the second car free in case I cant drive it until I have Drob tune it.
A couple questions:
1- I know an ECU calibration is required, while waiting for Drob, can I still drive the car or is it recommended to not drive it at all? (I drive the kids to and from school for a total of 4 miles round trip a day)
2- Is there any more info you can give on where I can learn more about the water/meth injection setup you have or any similar?
it will definitely be worth it. it alot larger than the oem intake tubeing and less restrictive so definitely more flow. Like i said if you have an rdx you will need the vacuum line / coolant line kit to make it work. if your doing everything else why not finish it off and get the most potential power you can , just my .02 lol
Thanks Eastcoast, I did pick this kit up, because the coolant lines are a different size Honda / Acura 2.0T Turbocharger Inlet Pipe Installation Kit which I wanted to confirm is what you're referencing?
The main concern for me would be:
- f I would be able to keep the OEM MAF housing or if i had to convert to an Accord MAF housing or
- if would be able to still use the 3rd Gen RDX Stage 1 Intake System or If I had to use the Accord intake system
You definitely got me thinking since I did just splurge on everything else.
So I whipped this together last weekend and have been testing it and all In all there is no power gain- But the whine of the turbo is almost obnoxious- so whiteonred you would really like this setup !
I got the MHI Stage 2, RV6 Downpipe, and 2018+ Honda Accord 2.0T Turbocharger Inlet Pipe Conversion Install Kit (for the coolant lines) and now wanting to get the titanium type R inlet pipe kit, https://prlmotorsports.com/products/...t&_ss=e&_v=1.0
and was curious for your feedback, the coupler that it comes with, is this the same coupler you used in this photo which allowed you to keep to keep your OEM MAF in place?
and was curious if I actually needed the Accord Coupler?
Thanks Eastcoast, I did pick this kit up, because the coolant lines are a different size Honda / Acura 2.0T Turbocharger Inlet Pipe Installation Kit which I wanted to confirm is what you're referencing?
The main concern for me would be:
- f I would be able to keep the OEM MAF housing or if i had to convert to an Accord MAF housing or
- if would be able to still use the 3rd Gen RDX Stage 1 Intake System or If I had to use the Accord intake system
You definitely got me thinking since I did just splurge on everything else.
for tuning Derek may ask you datalog for him so he can send you a temporary tune to drive the car. Car will drive after your turbo setup but if you try and get into boost chaos can ensue lol. Talk to Derek he’s the man.
the intake yes you will still use your stock maf since it will be calibrated with that. The only issue people have is if you use the stock airbox sometimes the couple that goes from titanium pipe to maf is a tad short. No airbox no problem
for tuning Derek may ask you datalog for him so he can send you a temporary tune to drive the car. Car will drive after your turbo setup but if you try and get into boost chaos can ensue lol. Talk to Derek he’s the man.
the intake yes you will still use your stock maf since it will be calibrated with that. The only issue people have is if you use the stock airbox sometimes the couple that goes from titanium pipe to maf is a tad short. No airbox no problem
Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.
So my understanding is, If I get the PRL Type R Inlet Kit, I can run it with the coupler it comes with, Dremmel out the OEM MAF, connect it to the type R PRL coupler ,3.25" to 3" coupler , to a 45 degree down pip and KN Air Filter?
Is my understanding correct?
Much appreciated, the Ktuner V2 came today and flashed the ECU but haven't been able to drive it around yet. Intercooler is slotted to come this week and I'll plan on dropping that in this weekend.
The Turbo and downpiper are ETA'd around Monday - Tuesday of next week. So wont be able to drop those in until the following weekend but may have to wait for a week / weekend my wife is traveling to have the second car free in case I cant drive it until I have Drob tune it.
A couple questions:
1- I know an ECU calibration is required, while waiting for Drob, can I still drive the car or is it recommended to not drive it at all? (I drive the kids to and from school for a total of 4 miles round trip a day)
2- Is there any more info you can give on where I can learn more about the water/meth injection setup you have or any similar?
I appreciate it, I am stoked!
I would try to get a calibration from Derek before driving, but if you had to then I would strongly suggest staying out of boost. I'm using an AEM kit (Part # 30-3300) but have swapped the tank for a Burger Motorsports 3 gallon tank (Burger Tank) since it basically fits in the large under-floor storage in the trunk. I say basically because it is just tall enough to keep the floor from sitting completely flush and latching. After some time, I noticed the AEM nozzles have a seal that continues to leak externally when in use (swapped the seal once and the entire nozzle so 3 total) so swapped that nozzle out for a Snow performance 8GPH (504cc) unit and haven't had any issues since. Had to be pieced together since they don't sell a nozzle with an integrated check valve. Part #'s from Nitrousexpress.com are SNO-N0800, SNO-810-QC, SNO-8CV-QC, and 16123 to build the nozzle. You will also need a bung welded into the intake and it should be less than 10-12" from the throttle body. I used their aluminum bung, part # SNO-40120. Basically, you can go with the AEM kit and see how you like it or piece it together using their controller (AEM Standard W/M Controller) and the tank/nozzle of your choice. Derek made the recommendation for the 500cc size and also suggested using VP Speed Sauce Plus for the mix which is 80% ethanol and 20% water. Attached a pic of the new nozzle and nozzle placement on my vehicle. The bung is installed in an HPS hot side charge pipe (HPS Hot Side).
Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.
So my understanding is, If I get the PRL Type R Inlet Kit, I can run it with the coupler it comes with, Dremmel out the OEM MAF, connect it to the type R PRL coupler ,3.25" to 3" coupler , to a 45 degree down pip and KN Air Filter?
Is my understanding correct?
Yes you should be good then. Other than that the only other thing is the bolts on the turbo you may want to upgrade to studs because the oem bolts i believe are to short. Also the vacuum line bracket by the inlet of the turbo will not work unless you buy the oem type r bracket (you can simply zip tie to something in the meantime) but it will an oem clean look. and lastly like i said it the vacuum coolant line kit that prl sells. oh and your stock heatshield will need to be drilled out to move the o2 sensor unless your not using one.
I would try to get a calibration from Derek before driving, but if you had to then I would strongly suggest staying out of boost. I'm using an AEM kit (Part # 30-3300) but have swapped the tank for a Burger Motorsports 3 gallon tank (Burger Tank) since it basically fits in the large under-floor storage in the trunk. I say basically because it is just tall enough to keep the floor from sitting completely flush and latching. After some time, I noticed the AEM nozzles have a seal that continues to leak externally when in use (swapped the seal once and the entire nozzle so 3 total) so swapped that nozzle out for a Snow performance 8GPH (504cc) unit and haven't had any issues since. Had to be pieced together since they don't sell a nozzle with an integrated check valve. Part #'s from Nitrousexpress.com are SNO-N0800, SNO-810-QC, SNO-8CV-QC, and 16123 to build the nozzle. You will also need a bung welded into the intake and it should be less than 10-12" from the throttle body. I used their aluminum bung, part # SNO-40120. Basically, you can go with the AEM kit and see how you like it or piece it together using their controller (AEM Standard W/M Controller) and the tank/nozzle of your choice. Derek made the recommendation for the 500cc size and also suggested using VP Speed Sauce Plus for the mix which is 80% ethanol and 20% water. Attached a pic of the new nozzle and nozzle placement on my vehicle. The bung is installed in an HPS hot side charge pipe (HPS Hot Side).
I can’t thank you enough for the detailed info here. I have my work cut out for me with researching this lol.
For the sake of my sanity, would dropping the turbo, inlet, down pipe, and a Drob E30 tune suffice? Or would I need to do this all at the same time?
Yes you should be good then. Other than that the only other thing is the bolts on the turbo you may want to upgrade to studs because the oem bolts i believe are to short. Also the vacuum line bracket by the inlet of the turbo will not work unless you buy the oem type r bracket (you can simply zip tie to something in the meantime) but it will an oem clean look. and lastly like i said it the vacuum coolant line kit that prl sells. oh and your stock heatshield will need to be drilled out to move the o2 sensor unless your not using one.
Thanks for this info. On your advice I went to the Honda dealership today and got the type R bracket. Waiting for the inlet to be shipped and hopefully get that by this weekend / early next week and expect to be ready to drop it all in the following weekend or two.
Zip ties and a clamp saved me on my intercooler install this past weekend when I snapped one of the two bolts on the intercooler pipe - I picked up a torque wrench that was defective and learned a valuable lesson. Test it before wrenching with it. So I’ll be picking up a digital torque right before the install.
Yes i mean the consenus is they really do heat soak alot. For it being winter time here in PA the IAT's are obviously super low so the car runs great. What i can tell you after talking with a friend who was recently at the dealer a good friend of his works at is that the honda/acura mafs are very sensitive and very well dialed in were his words. So that person who i talked to was running this setup with a rather smaller air filter and he was getting issues throwing codes and such. he switched to a larger air filter and for some reason has had no more issues. Could it be that since he isnt tuned he is getting errors every so often or that a larger air filter worked better idk. But for myself i have the DIY intake and an rv6 downpipe and phearable stage 3 tune and the only issue i get is a random p0138 o2 sensor code even tho i have it disabled. There are alot of variables but trial an error is the only thign that can figure it out. Only other thing i can point out is when the car is cold they will slightly shift a bit harder until up to operating temperatures.
Just wanted to add to this thread, i went along the same route as some here and did the PRL intake tube , ordered a spare maf/airbox assembly and cut out the oem maf , coupler to a 45 degree elbow to a K&N air filter. Did the elbow since some others said it helped with IAT's althougth owning an Evo for a few years having a similar intake setup and having really no issues with that. The sound it 10x better and feels that it spools up alot quicker. You can hear the purge assembly alot better now to. Def adds some fun to the driving experience.
PRL Intake Tube
OEM MAF
Vibrant Coupler 3.25" to 3"
Autozone 45 Degree Elbow
K&N RE0930 Air Filter
I'm curious, since it looks like you removed the entire factory air box, what are you using to support the filter and tube with that 45° bend? Did you make a custom bracket, is it sitting on anything, or is it just hanging there?
I'm curious, since it looks like you removed the entire factory air box, what are you using to support the filter and tube with that 45° bend? Did you make a custom bracket, is it sitting on anything, or is it just hanging there?
I’m still working on making a type of bracket that can support it better , right now it is indeed hanging although with everything hooked up it doesn’t move much. But with the airbox fully remove that is two angle pieces that the box used to bolt to and the filter sits on those at an angle and I wrapped those in thick double sided foam for protection of the filter .
I am not running any tune, but I am very interested in one. Which do you recommend, Ktuner, Phearable, or Hondada?
I personally have Stage 2 Ktuner and would have went with Phearable Stage 3. I opted not to because I am upgrading the turbo and a few other items that will require a tune for Drob at IMW so better save the money towards the tune. The stage 2 makes the car feel absolutely different and I would highly recommend. If you buy the ktuner from Phearable, you can save $100 by buying the Ktuner and the Stage 3 as a package, versus buying as a add-on later - this will cost you $200 vs the $100 when you buy it from them.
I’m still working on making a type of bracket that can support it better , right now it is indeed hanging although with everything hooked up it doesn’t move much. But with the airbox fully remove that is two angle pieces that the box used to bolt to and the filter sits on those at an angle and I wrapped those in thick double sided foam for protection of the filter .
I think this today with the 45 bend it was touching those brackets and didnt even think of the foam tape. I am still using the stock air pipe so it pushes it out ever so slightly and decided to zip tie both ends to create a constant wedge until I install the inlet pipe in the next couple of weeks.
Sounds very nice now. One noticeable change is how responsive the throttle is and if I tap pedal the car tends to jerk so I may adjust my throttle padding / responsiveness setting on the Ktuner Stage 2 to something less aggressive to help stop those sudden jerks. But I have to say, when pushes the pedal down it sounds great.
I think this today with the 45 bend it was touching those brackets and didnt even think of the foam tape. I am still using the stock air pipe so it pushes it out ever so slightly and decided to zip tie both ends to create a constant wedge until I install the inlet pipe in the next couple of weeks.
Sounds very nice now. One noticeable change is how responsive the throttle is and if I tap pedal the car tends to jerk so I may adjust my throttle padding / responsiveness setting on the Ktuner Stage 2 to something less aggressive to help stop those sudden jerks. But I have to say, when pushes the pedal down it sounds great.
Thats great to hear from you. Removing the airbox will easily let you hear the spool of the turbo and the purge which everyone loves. Now being that it’s winter that cold air going in helps a lot with responsiveness and such, summer the vehicles will run differently with hotter temps. Although with my my tune it still runs awesome!
I can’t thank you enough for the detailed info here. I have my work cut out for me with researching this lol.
For the sake of my sanity, would dropping the turbo, inlet, down pipe, and a Drob E30 tune suffice? Or would I need to do this all at the same time?
I'd say you will be good with the turbo plus accessories and a tune. The water/meth setup is for the extra mile and I would suspect most people wouldn't want to deal with the install or filling of the auxiliary tank under the floorboard. Unfortunately the RDX doesn't have an option for an ethanol sensor in the fuel that the ECU can use so I'm curious how that will work out unless you have a separate E sensor attached so that you can monitor what you've got in the tank. Despite being essentially the same hardware as the 2.0T Accords we are more limited on tuning options and power levels.
I'd say you will be good with the turbo plus accessories and a tune. The water/meth setup is for the extra mile and I would suspect most people wouldn't want to deal with the install or filling of the auxiliary tank under the floorboard. Unfortunately the RDX doesn't have an option for an ethanol sensor in the fuel that the ECU can use so I'm curious how that will work out unless you have a separate E sensor attached so that you can monitor what you've got in the tank. Despite being essentially the same hardware as the 2.0T Accords we are more limited on tuning options and power levels.
thanks for all of this info… after doing some research I had a question on the hot side HPS pipes, what mods did you have to do in order to get those to fit being they are from an accord?
thanks for all of this info… after doing some research I had a question on the hot side HPS pipes, what mods did you have to do in order to get those to fit being they are from an accord?
Fortunately the upper pipe will fit on the RDX as it is. The side U shaped piece and the other that goes from the turbo to the inter-cooler will not fit for us.
Fortunately the upper pipe will fit on the RDX as it is. The side U shaped piece and the other that goes from the turbo to the inter-cooler will not fit for us.
you can use the lower pipe if you cut it and add an inch of pipe. It welds like shit so you will have to take your time. I will be working on the hot side fitment soon so I will keep you updated.
you can use the lower pipe if you cut it and add an inch of pipe. It welds like shit so you will have to take your time. I will be working on the hot side fitment soon so I will keep you updated.
If you are able to get the piece from the turbo to the intercooler working as well I'd be interested in paying you for your services to have some done for me if you were up for it. Doesn't seem like any companies are willing to make the parts for us at this point.
If you are able to get the piece from the turbo to the intercooler working as well I'd be interested in paying you for your services to have some done for me if you were up for it. Doesn't seem like any companies are willing to make the parts for us at this point.
agreed, I don’t think we will see anything new and/or much Dead/ Old stock items being replaced, sadly :-(
I am not a mechanic and in between working, it took about 3 days to get everything installed (I started on a Monday and dedicated 4-5 hours per day on it. ) Please find some useful resources that helped me tremendously with the install at the bottom of this post. And shoutout to everyone for their help, knowingly and unknowingly. It's not to see Forums are still as helpful as they were when I was in my 20's tuning my B16.
A few notes on the install:
- Order the Type R Bracket
- see my notes on the PRL EVAP Adaptor Flange
- see my notes on the inlet pipe to turbo bolts
- I was lucky to have the P2R thermal gasket on hand, but I would have preferred the OEM gasket as I heard terrible things about them, but you work with what you got and I'll assess here and there
And I didn't snap any bolts like I did with my PRL Intercooler Install!
A couple questions:
- I notice a little vibration in the actuator arm area, is it safe to chalk that up to it having play to begin with?
- Is there any way to check if there is a gasket leak at the inlet pipe / turbo side connection? I'm probably being paranoid but want to be safe.
Tool List
10mm socket (6 point), 12mm socket (6 point), and 14mm socket (6 point)
O2 sensor removal tool (slotted ⅞” or 21-22mm socket)
Wobble and straight 3/8" Extensions
Magnet (if you drop anything)
1/2” ratchet (&Torque)
3/8" ratchet (&Torque)
Wrench Set
Channellock pliers
Penetrating Lubricant (Liquid Wrench, PB Blaster, or Seafoam)
Anti Seize
Phillips and flathead screwdrivers
Plastic Panel Separators
If you are able to get the piece from the turbo to the intercooler working as well I'd be interested in paying you for your services to have some done for me if you were up for it. Doesn't seem like any companies are willing to make the parts for us at this point.
Awesome! I have the silicone coupler that came with the titanium inlet feeding into a Modified stock RDX MAF housing I cut out of the stock air filter box to an open K&N filter.
Im thinking of swapping from the modified MAF to a different one, was curious to know what MAF housing you are using and if you are using the silicone coupler that came with the titanium inlet?
Got some good info today for the RDX platform. HPS will be dropping an intake very soon. Thanks to shelly_types and Todd Phillips , looks like the have a similar build as the MDX turbo intake with a solid tube from the evap valve to what I believe is a aluminum or metal airbox that integrates and utilizes the stock air scoop. Said there was a great mid range power bump and awesome sound! Here’s the leaked picture Mr. Phillips dropped on the Facebook group!
If you are able to get the piece from the turbo to the intercooler working as well I'd be interested in paying you for your services to have some done for me if you were up for it. Doesn't seem like any companies are willing to make the parts for us at this point.
I swapped my turbo outlet with the fk8 outlet our rdx outlet is a small snout. We just need to find the correct hose length and orientation
01-30-2024, 05:30 PM
