Where to find lost horses
10-17-2019, 01:04 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Where to find lost horses
After viewing a Wheeler Dealers episode where they found a bunch of "lost horsepower" in a car several years old (they got it to within 1HP of original rating), I'm wondering what kinds of things I can do to find mine. In my '06, I currently have a K&N intake, a Toda "Torquie-Kun" header and a high flow cat. Among a myriad of non-engine related mods. But with a professional Hondata Flashpro tune, I'm getting 204 HP at the wheels. Using a 15% driveline loss, that seems to put me at about 235HP at the flywheel. Seems that with my mods, I should be quite a bit higher.
I'm wondering what I can do to freshen the engine up to get the lost HP. Injectors, plugs, coils, fuel filter, other parts? What can I do to get my HP back?
I'm wondering what I can do to freshen the engine up to get the lost HP. Injectors, plugs, coils, fuel filter, other parts? What can I do to get my HP back?
10-17-2019, 01:47 PM
#2
You obviously meant 235 hp.
I don't think you've lost any hp. Dynos read differently. Its not valid to compare numbers from one to another. Your mods aren't likely to really increase hp much, even with a tune. A healthy midrange boost certainly. But not do much for peak hp. Not on this car.
Had you done a dyno run before mods, on this dyno, in similar atmospheric conditions, then you'd know how much you gained.
If you do have any lost ponies, corralling them back into the barn would more likely be related to lost compression due to worn rings and valve seats. But if there was something you could do, it would probably be plugs and maybe upstream O2 sensor.
That, and valve adjustment. If you haven't had a VA, you need to prioritize that asap. On your dbw car, which runs lean from factory, the exhaust valves get tight very quickly, and this can burn seat. If that already happened, there is your lost hp. Fix would require pulling head and lapping valves at minimum, or possibly new seats (and guides since you're in there, and of course calve seals) maximum.
Do the VA asap, and use the billman recommended clearances for dbw, NOT what Honda spec suggests.
How many miles on your car?
I don't think you've lost any hp. Dynos read differently. Its not valid to compare numbers from one to another. Your mods aren't likely to really increase hp much, even with a tune. A healthy midrange boost certainly. But not do much for peak hp. Not on this car.
Had you done a dyno run before mods, on this dyno, in similar atmospheric conditions, then you'd know how much you gained.
If you do have any lost ponies, corralling them back into the barn would more likely be related to lost compression due to worn rings and valve seats. But if there was something you could do, it would probably be plugs and maybe upstream O2 sensor.
That, and valve adjustment. If you haven't had a VA, you need to prioritize that asap. On your dbw car, which runs lean from factory, the exhaust valves get tight very quickly, and this can burn seat. If that already happened, there is your lost hp. Fix would require pulling head and lapping valves at minimum, or possibly new seats (and guides since you're in there, and of course calve seals) maximum.
Do the VA asap, and use the billman recommended clearances for dbw, NOT what Honda spec suggests.
How many miles on your car?
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Edbun (10-17-2019)
10-17-2019, 01:53 PM
#3
The horses may be lost in the math. I know I am.
204hp @ wheel translates to roughly 240hp at the crank if considering 15% losses so sounds like you are roughly where you should be.
204hp @ wheel translates to roughly 240hp at the crank if considering 15% losses so sounds like you are roughly where you should be.
10-17-2019, 01:59 PM
#4
Most dynos I ahve seen stock fall in the 195 HP range. As mentioned, dyno results vary from model to model and setup to setup. Your HP seems fine to me. I am guessing that your mods may have yielded you 5 hp tops. Bolt ons like these on a modernish car, especially one already designed to squeeze out performance, are not going to do all that much.
10-17-2019, 05:42 PM
#5
Thread Starter
Awesome stuff. It's got 130k miles. Not driven daily anymore. I'll get that work done asap. I was thinking the head soon anyway, and get a look at the cylinders too.
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10-18-2019, 03:06 AM
#9
We dynoed two S2000s 4 years ago on the same conservative Mustang dyno within minutes of each other. My buddy's pure stock 2002 peaked at about 205 wheel HP and my Gernby FlashPro tuned 2006 peaked at 221 whp. Have no idea how that translates to engine HP. The power curves were significantly different with much more power under the curve on the 2006. Both cars were running K&N FIPK intakes, Berk high flow cats, and Tanabe Medalion Turing exhausts. Dyno numbers aside he described my car as "a beast" in comparison to his.
What's your FlashPro VTEC? Who did the tune? A 3600rpm VTEC dramatically improves acceleration, so much that I added an audible red-line alarm to stop bumping the rev limiter. No pre-tune dyno data but you have yours.
-- Chuck
What's your FlashPro VTEC? Who did the tune? A 3600rpm VTEC dramatically improves acceleration, so much that I added an audible red-line alarm to stop bumping the rev limiter. No pre-tune dyno data but you have yours.
-- Chuck
Last edited by Chuck S; 10-18-2019 at 03:08 AM.
10-18-2019, 09:18 AM
#10
Thread Starter
I've had two tunes by two different shops here in town. One before the cat and one after. Cat gained me 5hp, btw. The vtec point is set at 4400 right now. The car is pretty quick cause I have a puddymod 4.44 diff. But still looking for the HP. So the valve adjustment is on the schedule. And I do have an endoscope, so I'll look at the cylinders when I change plugs to look for issues. But it's been 3k mile synthetic oil changes and occasional injector cleaners and a magnetic oil plug, so I hope it's pretty good.