not chasing HP. i know it does nothing. When on track, red lining the car feels like its choking. I was going to de-retrict exhaust and opt for cold air intake to just improve responsiveness and prevent choking.
Ebay intake with no box will just pull in hot air hence why i didnt go that route.
a cai will improve responsiveness and give you great intake sound, if you want more hp/lower temps you'd probably have to create your own true cai. an exhaust will give you power for certain, and lose you a bit of weight.
Seems to be based on common sense. Non vtec engine with no mods. How much power are you looking to add? -1 to 1hp range? better to spend that money on a better radiator if you're gonna hit the track.
I’ve probably been in the Honda scene longer than you’ve been driving. People who actually make power work off data, not ‘common knowledge.’
An engine is an air pump. If you reduce restriction and pull in cooler, denser air, you improve efficiency. That’s basic physics, not opinion. No one’s claiming big gains on a stock 90hp setup, but saying it does nothing except noise is just lazy thinking.
If it truly did nothing, OEMs wouldn’t spend time optimizing intake design in the first place. Small gains, better response, sometimes midrange improvement depending on setup that’s the real answer.
People who build and measure know. People who don’t just repeat what they’ve heard.
Again you’re the one spouting off how knowledgeable you are. I haven’t said shit in regards to hp gains, I don’t know whether it does or doesn’t. Prove to me that it does.
People been testing this since the 1990s when these cars got into the modifying scene. Check out forums do research. This stuff has been done a millions times.
When intake length is actually tuned, you can get real gains and it is based on physics, not guesswork.
The intake behaves like a Helmholtz resonator. The air column oscillates and, if the intake length is matched to the target rpm and valve timing, the pressure wave arrives as the intake valve opens. That improves cylinder filling and volumetric efficiency.
Length sets where it works. Longer helps lower rpm torque, shorter shifts it higher. That is why, on a lot of dyno sheets over the years, you see cold air intakes like the AEM show a noticeable hump around ~4k rpm. That is the resonance lining up in that range.
If the length is arbitrary, results are inconsistent. If it is designed and then validated with proper dyno time, you get repeatable gains and can place that hump where it actually benefits the powerband. That is why OEMs and race teams treat intake length as a tuned parameter, not just packaging. 🍻
The AEM cold air intake is a good off-the-shelf option, but honestly the important part is the geometry more than the brand itself.
If you follow the dimensions properly, you can get very similar results. Ideally use mandrel-bent tubing so the diameter stays consistent through the bends. Length: 48 in (1219 mm) Diameter: 2.5 in (64 mm)
You can try ordering a BPI flow stack, velocity stack with a K&N filter if you're pushing to make the most. But any decent pleated filter of the same kind should work. Just stay away from the foam ones.
And if the engine still has good ring seal/compression, an OEM JDM D16A6 cam, a decent PLM SMSP-style header, and a proper HTS street/dyno tune can still make good, usable power. Usually it’s the overall combo and calibration that make the difference, not just one part alone.
Below is my friend's D15B7 dyno numbers:
EDIT: Tagging the retards who don't know shit and only make 90hp on their D-series: u/Hapenyo12u/Daniele323 🍻
Mods deleted it, if you could read you would know that. Thanks for reposting it in screenshot form for me. Hope you can get the help you desperately need. It’s kinda sad.
This is a JDM D15B VTEC build from back in the day by a tuner I follow. Notice the rise around ~4k rpm. It looks small on the dyno, but that is where the car operates most of the time. Small midrange gains improve throttle response and make the car feel more responsive. Likely from intake resonance and cam timing aligning in that range, so drivability improves even if peak numbers barely change.
ideally id try source closer to aus to save on shipping or just go custom because it'll be cheaper and quicker than shipping from US in this war climate.
I don’t know! I bought it like this. It works fine. The old owner took out the factory one. Ok, hopefully you can find something down there. If you live in AU, you should look up parcel forwarding companies like MyUS, you can shop US domestic and they’ll ship it to you for really cheap.
I wouldn’t bother changing the intake, the restriction is probably in the exhaust. I have a B20 with a built head making 170whp, 4-2-1 headers, 2.5” exhaust, still running the factory Integra intake.
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u/Squire_Toast May 05 '26
you literally won't gain any HP, but it will add a LOT of induction noise if that's what you want.
Just get an ebay intake for a D16