CyborgGT : 1993 Accord EX wagon

[CyborgGT]

I am so fucking pumped right now! My friend helped deliver the wagon today, the guys doing the work said the new cat will be on today and, depending on dyno openings at some of the local shops, it could possibly be tuned as early as tomorrow. They'll let me know so I can be there for it, I'll try to get some video. So many years working toward this point, I am beyond excited to be back in a CB.

[UnicornHondaSE]

Alright I will search that. I find this crack down amusing and ridiculous, of all the things to crack down on the EPA want to bust the balls of the guys who are adjusting values of VE tables. Lol.

Yeah pay no attention to shark fin fisherman destroying the ocean ecosystem balance, or chemical dumping, let's get those computer geeks tuning people's engine.

[CyborgGT]

So is Hondata behind some of the aggression because maybe they are pissed that PFI is selling software that Hondata feels is theirs?

No, PFI's a Hondata dealer (I don't know enough to say whether they're "licensed") like a lot of performance shops that deal in Hondas, or any other performance parts seller that sells tuning software for the respective companies. Hondata, HP Tuners, Haltech, Fueltech, Link, etc. They're not illegally copying the software, they're buying it from the source manufacturer and selling it for them. Makes me wonder if the EPA went after Hondata themselves, though; I haven't heard anything there yet.

Just do a YouTube search for "EPA tuning crackdown" and you'll find all sorts of shops who were targeted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsX5c1A9_ls

[UnicornHondaSE]

The EPA don't want us modifying our engines AT ALL. Doesn't matter if the car still passes emissions or even ends up with better fuel economy with a tune, it's modified from factory and that's all they're looking at. PFI made the mistake of getting famous on YouTube, which got the EPA's attention, who then went after PFI for selling Hondata, physically visiting their shop and requesting customer contact information for everyone they sold the software to. I'm not sure if they also looked at customers who just went in for a tune, but Brent (shop owner) later brought it up again on his channel that the EPA continues to get back to them for customer contact information so they could make sure the cars aren't being used on the street. PFI got slapped with a massive fine, which I think they're still fighting. Other shops around the country reported similar raids. I think this whole 'illegalize car modification' thing is just political games and fake-pandering to the climate change people because we're easy targets. And unless that bullshit stops, our days of being able to modify our cars are numbered. SEMA's "RPM Act" is a bill proposed to keep it legal to modify cars for the track, but still only if you're using them for the track and no longer on public roads.

Damn I have been out of the aftermarket loop for a while so I had no idea this was happening. I know CA is super strict, I read a lot of comments from CA residents and how they get around certain measures.

So is Hondata behind some of the aggression because maybe they are pissed that PFI is selling software that Hondata feels is theirs?

Kind of like copying a Microsoft or whatever else software disc and then using it on multiple computers at home or work so you don't have to buy a software package for each computer? Lol. I swear I've never done that. lol

Yeah it is definitely part of the "climate change" agenda and having control over people, no doubt about that.

EPA, reminds me of the FDA. lol

[CyborgGT]

EPA is watching tuner shops now? lol. If anything they would want a tuner shop to be knowledgeable and to get a good tune on all customer cars.

The EPA don't want us modifying our engines AT ALL. Doesn't matter if the car still passes emissions or even ends up with better fuel economy with a tune, it's modified from factory and that's all they're looking at. PFI made the mistake of getting famous on YouTube, which got the EPA's attention, who then went after PFI for selling Hondata, physically visiting their shop and requesting customer contact information for everyone they sold the software to. I'm not sure if they also looked at customers who just went in for a tune, but Brent (shop owner) later brought it up again on his channel that the EPA continues to get back to them for customer contact information so they could make sure the cars aren't being used on the street. PFI got slapped with a massive fine, which I think they're still fighting. Other shops around the country reported similar raids. I think this whole 'illegalize car modification' thing is just political games and fake-pandering to the climate change people because we're easy targets. And unless that bullshit stops, our days of being able to modify our cars are numbered. SEMA's "RPM Act" is a bill proposed to keep it legal to modify cars for the track, but still only if you're using them for the track and no longer on public roads.

[UnicornHondaSE]

EPA is watching tuner shops now? lol. If anything they would want a tuner shop to be knowledgeable and to get a good tune on all customer cars.

Many years ago when I was active in the hobby I had a guy who tuned one of my cars as we drove around. This way he saw off throttle, on throttle, throttle according to normal every day driving with some runs in there in between traffic.

[Grumpys93]

That does seem odd requiring to use your own laptop. Most tuners that I know prefer their own laptop because they have Hondata setup to their liking and if they are pushing you to another tuning source, maybe because they get a cut off it or aren’t familiar with Hondata as much. I believe I paid $500 for my tuning, however I did remote tuning.

[CyborgGT]

Nice grab on the molding! Curious how long it takes to receive the parts.

as for the wrap I also hate doing it and agree I hate the look but it does a great job keeping temps down for sure. Any word back from the tuner?

Shipping time from that particular JDM part seller is 2 days from when they send it out from Malaysia to my doorstep in Colorado, through DHL. It was the same case for both these and my fog lights. They package their stuff really well, too.

One tuner got back to me, but at least for now their response is shying me away. The price they quoted me isn't horrible ($230/hr, with most tunes taking 2-3 hours), but they're already trying to sell me Haltech without even seeing the car. That has me nervous about what else they might try to push on me once I do get there. As this is my first tune, I don't know if this is typical, but they also said I'd have to bring my own laptop to work with Hondata. Problem is, I have a Macbook and I'm reading that even with Parallels or similar work-arounds, it can be tricky to reliably run Hondata on a Mac. I do have a cheapo refurb Dell laptop on the way just to dedicate to Hondata, but I DM'd another local shop on IG that I was recommended, so I'm waiting to hear back from them. I might still go to that first tuner, they seem like a high quality shop, but we'll see what #2 has to say. #2 does specialize in Hondas, but at the same time they focus on drag racing and I'm after a more balanced tune that I think #1 (who from their internet presence don't look to take on many Hondas) would be better suited for.

*ED. - That second shop just got back to me, and funnily enough, they're using PFI's dyno while they move their own to a new shop. PFI was the original plan, but they themselves aren't touching street cars anymore with the EPA watching them. And I'm also going be changing my catalytic converter already. I didn't realize Colorado changed our laws to require California-rated cats.

[Grumpys93]

Nice grab on the molding! Curious how long it takes to receive the parts.

as for the wrap I also hate doing it and agree I hate the look but it does a great job keeping temps down for sure. Any word back from the tuner?

[UnicornHondaSE]

Yeah, #3. Normally people run an EGT probe in every cylinder for individual cylinder tuning, but this build isn't that serious. 3's the hottest in these engines, so I'm hoping some data is better than none for the tuner's sake.

For the gold foil, I used some that's in a long roll and somewhere around 2 or 3 inches wide. I was super careful to lay it down flat. I might also wrap the downpipe in that typical header wrap stuff, but we'll see how oil temps fare as-is; I do have a gauge for that teed into the oil cooler on the back of the block. I'm actually tempted to wrap the whole header even though I don't like the way it looks; the proximity of the A/C lines and alternator, etc on the front of the block does make me nervous.

And no, no nitrous here. I've never been interested in that.

Ah yes, I am most familiar with a few turbo Japanese engines and those serious racers usually have an egt probe for each cylinder for data logging and tuning afr. (VE tables). I am new to this particular platform, so thank you for the information.

The heat wrap is a PITA also, worse than the gold foil IMO, in that tiny glass fibers are a skin irritant. My method was to use those long rubber dish washing gloves. That helped reduce the amount of glass fibers contacting my skin. And the trick is to wrap from the back of the car forward, so that the final result your wrap is overlapping with the ridges facing towards the rear. In theory this is more aerodynamically correct. Who knows for sure though if it really makes a difference, short of wind tunnel type testing.

I'm sure whichever you decide to do will turn out tastefully and beneficial to your performance goals.

[CyborgGT]

Looks like you have an egt probe on the exhaust manifold / header two or three cylinder.

Yeah, #3. Normally people run an EGT probe in every cylinder for individual cylinder tuning, but this build isn't that serious. 3's the hottest in these engines, so I'm hoping some data is better than none for the tuner's sake.

For the gold foil, I used some that's in a long roll and somewhere around 2 or 3 inches wide. I was super careful to lay it down flat. I might also wrap the downpipe in that typical header wrap stuff, but we'll see how oil temps fare as-is; I do have a gauge for that teed into the oil cooler on the back of the block. I'm actually tempted to wrap the whole header even though I don't like the way it looks; the proximity of the A/C lines and alternator, etc on the front of the block does make me nervous.

And no, no nitrous here. I've never been interested in that.

[UnicornHondaSE]

That gold foil is a PITA to work with, in larger sheets anyway, you did a great job, it looks nice even though you can't see it.

The exhaust near the oil pan, I noticed you used gold foil on the oil pan to keep temps down, have you considered using some exhaust heat wrap in that area? In terms of thermodynamics, I have read that the exhaust wrap helps keep the heat in which aids in "scavenging".

Or maybe ceramic coating that down pipe...

[UnicornHondaSE]

Ah ok. I have not heard of that forum but I will check it out.

I skimmed your thread but did not see it, are you running nitrous? (NAWS lol).

Looks like you have an egt probe on the exhaust manifold / header two or three cylinder.

[CyborgGT]

Nice work, the engine looks great. Are you on any other forums? I could swear that I have see the CyborgGT name on a Mazda MX6 forum.

I'm on a few other forums, but I've never owned an MX-6. Maybe GTPlanet? They have a 'general car' forum I'm on every now and then.

[UnicornHondaSE]

Nice work, the engine looks great. Are you on any other forums? I could swear that I have see the CyborgGT name on a Mazda MX6 forum.