Acura Integra - Power Pages

During the first two parts our Power Pages GS-R we went from a baseline of 148.1 hp to 169.6 hp and 115.3 lb-ft to 120.0 lb-ft of torque. This is an increase of 21.5 hp and 4.7 lb-ft to the wheels. Next, we help the engine by adding more oxygen to the combustion process.

EngineIn part two of Power Page GS-R we were able to generate 170 ponies with the camshaft package. It was obvious the factory rev-limiter was holding us back from making additional power because the graph was skyrocketing before bouncing off the rev-limiter. Our estimate is an additional 8 to 10 hp without a rev-limiter, allowing the engine to redline at 9300 rpm. The Skunk2 valve springs allow this to be possible.

While the engine seems to be holding up fine so far, we discovered that a few passes on the streets had worn out the O.E. clutch. After a weak pull on the dyno and a "something's-burning" smell, we realized that the O.E. unit wouldn't survive the beating of the Venom upgrades we had lined up. A quick call to Advanced Clutch Technology got us set up with the company's newest street clutch.

Performance ComponentsWhen we said we are going to add more oxygen to the engine we meant a lot more oxygen to the B18C powerplant. We first started out with a larger throttle body, then moved on to a high volume intake manifold, and to the biggest oxygen adder at the flip of a switch-nitrous oxide.

Our first piece was the ACT clutch. We knew the clutch was going out when we smelled clutch disc and saw smoke coming from the engine bay. We found this very strange, considering the failure happened on the dyno and not the street. The new unit utilizes a stiffer diaphragm and a redesigned pressure-plate cover. Unlike the O.E. plate cover, the ACT unit allows for stronger band straps to keep the pressure plate from walking. This new setup is also SFI approved for drag-race purposes.

On to the performance power adders:. First on the list was Venom's throttle body. Obtaining this unit requires sending out your O.E. throttle body to Venom so it is able to work on the bore and add a larger throttle plate. Since this is the O.E. unit, there is no problem bolting up to the intake manifold. It is recommended you port match the intake to get the most power from the throttle body. Our next installation was the Venom intake manifold and larger injectors. Since air induction was already increased we went ahead and increased the fuel injectors by 5 percent. This meant a retune on the SFC computer was needed. The intake manifold is a race piece, but it can be modified for street use. All that is required is making the necessary holes in the unit to compensate for the addition of an air temp sensor and idle air controller.

One of the biggest power adders of all was the Venom computer-controlled nitrous system. The unit runs as a dry kit, which means no fuel goes through the manifold. Jet sizes are built into the nozzle so the kit comes with a few different sizes. The nitrous tank holds 10 lb of laughing gas. A valve protector is incorporated into the bottle that ensures the valve will not break off or crack in case the bottle falls over while out of the car. The system uses a piggyback computer that tags into the O.E. injectors, TPS and O2 sensor for additional fuel compensation.

Dyno TestingOn our very first run with the smoking clutch the car only generated 162 hp, and after the clutch job and a little bit of a break in period we were back up to 165 hp. Still shy from our last session we decided to continue with our testing.

Once the throttle body was machined it was bolted back on the car and ready for a whirl on the dyno. An increase throughout the power band was realized, generating a peak output of 167.1 hp and 116.8 lb-ft of torque. Most of this power was throughout the powerband, and in the 6600 rpm area we found an additional three ponies.

With the manifold modified and ready to go we were back spinning the dyno rollers. Once the injectors were retuned with the SFC computer the power figures totaled 172.0 hp at 8000 rpm. The most horsepower was found in the midrange, a total of 10 hp.

Now it was time for the big power. With the nitrous jetted to a small 30 shot we decided to program injection at moment of full throttle. Since the nitrous is computer controlled, a smooth increase of power makes the car feel as if it was normally aspirated power, with no hard shock to the engine. The end result totaled 194.6 ponies and 155.0 lb-ft of torque.

ConclusionNow that it's bottle-fed and ready to tackle the streets, we have seen our Integra go from 148 to 194 hp, not to mention 115 lb-ft to 155 lb-ft of torque. With the nitrous kicking in so smooth, traction should be the least of our worries.