Performance Increase vs Fuel Consumption

[Jccck]

Basically i cannot find a good comparison for performance increase per added fuel use for the next step of modifications for my Accord.
It will go faster, and fuel use won't limit how i spend my money.. But i'd really like to know where the best gains are that won't chew the juice.

My engine is modified as follows:
BOMZ short-ram intake w/ Pod
Chipped intake air-temp sensor
4-2-1 stainless header/downpipe
High flow cat
2.5" cat-back exhaust
NGK Iridium plugs
Bosch performance leads

It's the usual, 2.2L F22A9 engine (148-152HP)
And i run it on 95-98 Octane always

From research, my options seem to be as follows..
1. Tune the ECU
2. Machine the cam
3. Injectors/Fuel pressure regulator/Fuel pump

I know all three will increase my fuel consumption, aswell as increasing performance.. Any advice which order to proceed? Or an alternative.. Thanks

[visualpoet]

Chipped intake air-temp sensor? From what I understand, those are useless. They simply fool the ecu into thinking the air temp is lower (and therefore denser) so it dumps more fuel. More fuel is only useful with more air, which it's not getting. Take that thing off, you won't run as rich, asnd actually might pick up a tiny bit of wasted power, since a car running rich is actually not making all the power it should be.

Tuning the ecu will yield more performance, but you'll probably want to do something else first, for example the cam regrind (or replacement). You're probably not going to see noticeable results from replacing the injectors and fuel pump. The stock should be able to feed you for at least another 100-150 hp, IIRC.

Someone is going to say it, so I'll toss it out there. Bisimoto Engineering has a header for the f series that has shown a gain of 29 hp on a stock f. It's being sold in a group buy here on the site, a quick search should find the thread fairly easily.

You didn't mention going turbo or maybe on the bottle. Those are both good places to look for more power. Both have their pros and cons. You might want to research them.

You're going to find that the power/consumption ration is going to stay fairly close no matter what mods you do for performance. It takes roughly the same amount of fuel to produce the same amount of performance increase. There isn't some magical low fuel/high hp trick.

[Jccck]

Actually the chip gave me better economy, didn't seem to improve performance.. So i left it in regardless.

I know about the Bisimoto header, but $629 turns into ~$AUD 750, not to mention another $AUD 100 roughly to have it shipped here.
It doesn't seem worth it honestly for that price.

I'm only 19, due to my license (Provisional2.. Green P's) i can't drive a Turbo'd vehicle.. And my full (Black) license is a good 8 months away.
So i've ruled that out.

So basically, Cam then ECU?

[alb_accord]

yeah camp is the better bet that you have, then tune the ecu

[visualpoet]

I'm interetsed in the license restrictions. Since you're a new driver, you can't drive a boosted vehicle? Can you drive a high HP NA vehicle?

[Jon]

Yeah aren't the Aussies silly for restricting their young drivers from driving powerful and/or heavy vehicles. Not only that, but at lower speed limits AND a zero alcohol policy...
I read this a few months back, take a read.

But to the OP, yeah a cam would be the way to go then get a ECU that you can tune and/or chip.

[visualpoet]

Thanks, frootloops! Interesting strategy there, but I think I could manage to fuck up just as badly in a car with 150 hp as I could in a car with 250. I suppose if it works for them though. Hell, my first car was a 11.5 second 70 LeMans and I managed to not wreck it once.


Okay, enough thread-jacking.

[qbodsyt]

You should really look at the F22 build thread in the NA section of this subforum.

One guy with very little headwork, just upgraded to Bisi stage 2 cam, springs, so on, is making 171whp/159tq running on (our) 87 octane fuel. If you're comfortable doing some fairly heavy internal work on your own, you can make some pretty good power out of the F22 while still retaining decent fuel economy. Hondafan made 152whp on his Red project and still got 30MPG+/- (US gallons, so like nearly 36MPG for us imperial gallon people)

[Jccck]

Thanks, frootloops! Interesting strategy there, but I think I could manage to fuck up just as badly in a car with 150 hp as I could in a car with 250. I suppose if it works for them though.

Totally agree, my Accord pulls 210km/h out of 4th.. And i havn't maxxed 5th yet but it's been to 235+ (speedo ends at 220kmph lol, so idk) and still had rpm to spare!

Back ON topic, i will check out those NA builds.. Also going to pull the cam out of my second engine and decide what to do with it