ok, i jsut bought some dc headers yet im still apprehensive about putting them on.
I've been doing a lot of searching on this site and i've seen many horror stories about peoples engines gettign screwed up and what not by adding various mods. More power is always a plus but i also worry about reliability. I heard staying N/a is pretty damn safe....so im asking is it? Im not very mechanically inclined so if my car breakes down all the time im gonna be screwed or i'll be spending a ton of money(which i dont want). N/a people speak up! Thanks

 

The stock ECU is very effective in finding a safe air/fuel ratio as well as retarding timing if it detects knock.

Adding headers will not make your engine blow up.

With a tuning solution such as UTEC or other, you will be able to ensure safe air/fuel and timing and also maximize power output.

 

headers shouldnt be a problem

 

If you want assurance that..

the headers will be installed properly
the bolts will never work loose
the headers will never leak
tossing the OEM exhaust manifold heat shield in the trash will never cause a heat related problem
the headers will never rattle against the motor or car body

...them leave the car stock.

There are instances where bolt-on performance can be a costly headache.

Its the price that I pay for this time slip.

 

Good point

 

Davidf makes a great point, if not a little strongly.

Things to remember:
1. If you're not mechanically inclined, then let a pro do your installs. If you cannot afford the labor to get it done right, then don't do it at all.

2. "You gotta pay to play." This goes beyond money, but also refers to your willingness to make compromises between power, comfort, reliability, and day-to-day liveability. Most mods you can install and enjoy without major impact, such as induction, headers, exhaust, light suspensions mods, seats, etc and even some dyno tuning (eg. with a UTEC). But there is a line you cross with other mods such as cams, injectors, differentials, heads, forced induction, etc that put you into the realm of compromised reliability for higher output.

3. Do all your research, and never buy on impulse. In fact, for moderate to more extreme mods (eg. cams or FI) you MUST require yourself to find someone else who already owns the part to give you a demo, or even a test drive. Otherwise you will never know what you're getting into until it's way too late.

The most important thing, above all else, when doing mods is to create a plan and stick to it. Understand now what you want from your car later. A daily driver with some spunk? A weekend racer? A dedicated track car? Or something in-between? Nail it down, then form your mods around that intention.


Good luck, and above all have fun! That's what it's about. If you're not having fun then change your course of action. Modding can be stressful, but it should be a good kind of stress!

Cheers
-Smoky

 

i would say, get the headers installed professionally, if they are installed correctly then you will have no issues with them. i wouldnt even think twice about it...

 

if you are not very good with cars do not attempt a header install...it is not a very easy install in our cars...I did mine with a friend and it was a 10 hour job...labor isnt cheap but better than mess'n up your car

 

why did it take soooo long, 10 hours damn.

well what do you guys think about my car knowledge. right now I'm doing my own swap on my civic hatch. its basically a straight foward swap. from my donor hatch, (was re-ended and totalled out, but motor ran like a champ) to my daily driver hatch(motor just gave out. and i've been having problem even before that happened.)

I have most of the goody in my tool box, big compressor, air tools, breaker bars, I need a torque wrench. with this basic knowledge of cars, even thou it is a civic, do you think i would be able to do the header swap myself. (when I get a torque wrench.)

I want to get headers, i already have my stillen intake, I'm getting my HKS exhaust this weekend, and I am getting Crawford HFC's soon as well. I was thinking about the UTEC to go along with these mods, cuz i don't want to run into a/f problems.

I read somewhere else that the APex S-AFC isn't really that good cuz our cars have "learning" ecu, where they will change a/f based on certain conditions. and it basically change out of the a/f set by the apex s-afc.

anyways I want to get the most out of my mods, and stay N/A so I was leaning toward the UTEC, but will the stock ecu be enough to keep the car reliable with these mods. header, hfc, intake, exhaust and spacer or mrev2 eventually.

oh and will these mods get me near 13secs in the 1/4 mile. I've been racing honda's for about 5-6 years, good driver. I just want a quick car for the quarter mile and something that will be reliable for going out on the weekend.