Honda Car Forum

I have a 2005 Acura TL 6 speed. I want to make a few mods to the engine to get some more HP....I was thinking a cold air intake or something...any suggestions ? I'm pretty handy and used to be a motor head (back when you could see the ground when you opened the hood!) , so I can install myself, but just want to know what's out there.Thx

cold air intake, headers, cat back exhaust < better breathing equals more hpa custom exhaust will not give you 50-60 hp like the guy bj said, more like 15-20hp

Buy a custom exhaust should boost it it b 50-60hp, and will make it scream!.

consider u have a car with great potential (once used by skunk2) i believe your car responds to mods better than any other acura. some basic mods will be: a cold air intake, header, cat-back exhaust but if they work harmoniously the most they should give you would be between 15 and 20 whp.

k&n cold air intake is rated at 6.8hp @ 5500rpm hope this helps you a little bit

Unlike what the others said, you can't put headers on. It's cast as part of the head, unless you swap in an 2003 engine. Heads aren't interchangeable.Cold air intake, J-pipe, (the y pipe that connects the manifold to the cat). High flow cat, cat-back. They'll all give you more HP but it'll be louder.Light weight crank pulley, and thermo spacers will free up some HP.If you need more, supercharge it. http://www.autocarparts.com/part/1649/0/ or nitrous.There isn't much you can do. The J series doesn't have a lot of aftermarket support. Anything else, as far as the engine, has to be custom made (cams, pistons, etc) or the stock parts modified (ported manifold and head, bigger throttle body etc.) If you need custom stuff check P2R. http://www.powerrevracing.com/engine.html

I agree with the the post just before mine...I have an '06 TL AT, and sorry to say (call it a 'mid life crisis'), I know w-a-y too much about modding the TL...I've done some mods already & have read a bit about it. er, I mean LOL Here's what's available, and the dyno-verified improvements one might expect:The 'Mother of Mods' available for this engine, the Honda J32A3:CT-Engineering (formerly COMPTECH) supercharger: ~ 40-60 whp (as part of a kit that includes a CAI, and Denso Iridium cooler range plugs)Also...AEM, CAI, dynoed by mfgr to 17 whp gain...data from other sources ranges from 12 - 17 whp.CAT back...several available. The GREDDY EVO2 will give greatest gains. ~ 12 whp. This mod reflects a 'Stage 3' Exhaust comprised of upsizing main piping from 2.25 to 2.5" dia., eliminating both the resonator & the mid-muffler, and utilizing flow-through cans...basically a street drivable, full race configuration.J-Pipe...available from ATLP, a small, online, TL aftermarket firm (search around ACURAZINE.COM for user info/comments): ~ 7 whp gains.Thermoblock spacers...best ones from OUTLAW ENGINEERING.COM. They replace metal, stock spacers below the intake, and between intake & throttle body. Mfgr claims dyno gains of ~ 7 whp for the Gen 2 TL. Gains will deminish once engine becomes 'heat soaked'.Underdrive pulley...from UR Racing. This is a controversial mod, where it's utility and gains are disuputed. Upside is that logically, it reduces parasitic losses due to underdriving the accessories. However, some claim the gains are inconsequential, and that it can adversely affect power output of alternator, affecting the sound system performance. Gains might not be more than ~ 2-3 whp.Hyper-ground wire kits...e.g., SUN AUTOMOTIVE. This too is a controversial mod, though an inexpensive one. The logic is that adding a myriad of heavy gauge, ground wires stabilizes voltage to the ECU, which in turn results in smoother engine performance, and higher output. Not sure if this works, so guessing gains might not be more than a mere handful of hp, if any at all for the TL, which already is well grounded. Thermal shields to CAI & the CAI's filter...HEAT SHIELDS.COM sells a pre-fab product. Theory is that the CAI's main tube will run cooler, increasing density w. resultant hp gains. Race teams use them. However, AEM claims little, if any benefit due to high velocity of intake flow that picks up little heat to begin with. One physics grad student white paper claims less than 1/2 whp gains. Denso Iridium spark plugs...Iridium NGK's come stock with TL, but the Denso's are more $$ because they have smaller electrodes which are more efficient. Therefore, the DENSO's might provide slight hp gains, but not likely significant...guessing not more than 1-2 whp.Throttlebody bridge narrowing & thoat widenning...KMS-ENGINEERING will perform this mod for $250 to a stock throttle body. Gains have not been dynoed...guessing they would be small, perhaps 1-2 whp.Test Pipe (elimiates the 3rd CAT)...This one will provide several hp gains, but is illegal to anything but track use.Pro CATs....aftermarket, pricey, hi-flow, catalytic converters. Claims run close to 20whp gains (doubtful), but these too would be illegal for street use in certain states.Custom ground cams...depending on profile, these could provide substantial gains of several whp, but would require improved springs, and tuning. KMS-ENGINEERING has a line of aftermarket, race-level engine 'internals', including forged pistons, and high-performance valves, guides, etc. All of this stuff will void a factory warranty, and may affect ability to get the engine to pass an emissions smog test.Also, but rarely talked about...just make the car lighter! Acceleration is much about power-to-weight ratios. Remove non-essentials and your TL will spring to life quicker. PS - I have AEM CAI, OUTLAW Thermal spacers, GREDDY EVO2 Exhaust, Denso Iridium plugs, and SUN AUTOMOTIVE grounding kit. I'm guessing I get gains of from 20 - 25 or so whp, or about parity with the Type S drive train. One cannot simply add the output of mods to arrive at an actual number since some add peak power at differing rpm levels. Anywa, the car sure launchers quicker, pulls harder, and sounds a lot nicer too. My wife hates it! Hope this helps!