The Car: 1994 Integra LSOwner: Maggie Andres
The EngineIn our last installment of Integra LS Power Pages (Nov. '02, Issue #44), we got our Integra back in the ring, so to speak, and in the contention for the lightweight championship belt. With the new pistons, header and upgraded ignition in place, the non-VTEC B-Series brawler turned a respectable 126.9 peak hp, with peak torque coming in at 116.9 lb-ft. Power curves were clean and the car pulled much better in the lower rpm regions. Now we're on to the last step in our Power Pages transformation.
Performance ComponentsAs far as brute-force methods of power extraction go, the swapping of our factory bumpsticks for a pair of Crane camshafts sums up the equation. These camshafts are designed by a computer with the utmost precision to exactly open and close your valves for optimum power. Cast from chilled-iron billet cores, you can be sure these cams won't wear away or, worse yet, eat away at your rocker arms and other valvetrain components. The cams are designed for use with factory valve springs, although you can use a set of Crane's titanium valve springs for higher-rpm levels without worrying about valve spring bind or float. With midrange- and upper-rpm horsepower in mind, these cams are ground with an advertised duration of 232/250, which adds power without adding that annoying non-streetable idle.
Fine tuning the camshafts even further is the job of TODA's adjustable cam gears. In the hands of a competent tuner, these cam gears can be adjusted to maximize the power potential of the camshafts for the most reliable and consistent power. The gears are also constructed from billet material to optimize strength and durability, and come with the appropriate installation instructions and hard parts, including a precision degreeing key and super-industrial strength fasteners. TODA has been building a name for itself by producing high-quality products and actually supporting them in competition use. Many of today's top drag and track competitors rely on TODA, so we knew that we could, too.
Letting more air into the engine without supplying it with extra fuel to burn is foolhardy and a complete waste of time. On that note, we included AEM's high-flow fuel rail and adjustable fuel pressure regulator to ensure the appropriate levels of fuel would be consumed by the free-breathing motor. Both the fuel rail and the fuel pressure regulator are made from a billet material and then coated or anodized for show-quality looks and race-quality performance. The fuel-rail path is sized up to 1/2 in. in diameter to ensure an adequate supply of fuel at all times. The rail also includes an additional port for quick and clean nitrous oxide installations, or it can alternatively be used for a fuel pressure gauge. The fuel pressure regulator can be mounted on both the stock and AEM fuel rails and can support up to 1,000 hp. In addition, the range of adjustment starts at 20 psi and is infinitely adjustable up to the pressure of the supported fuel pump. The ability to fine-tune these parts is just what the doctor ordered, considering the additional intake air we've added (and will add) with the intake and the camshafts.
Dyno TestingSince some time had passed since we last had the Integra on the dyno and as the temperatures in Southern California had drastically changed, we opted for a new baseline dyno as opposed to using our last known reading. A few averaging pulls on the XS Engineering Dynojet later and we had a new graph sporting 126.1 peak hp and 116.7 lb-ft peak torque. The numbers were a little off, but reflected the duration of time that had passed (with high-revs and hard shifts, to boot) between our last installment and the current one.