Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

It is completely functional now. I will do a review later tonight, but I have to get heading off to work.

Does anyone have any ideas on the isolated RPM switch problem I wrote about it my other thread? I emailed harlan and he gave me some ideas as well.

XXXL Cracker

iTrader: (3)

Thanks for posting your questions. My MEVI has been in my garage since June.

I am recovering from knee surgery and will be installing before the end of the month.

Make sure you let us know what you feel different when you drive!

Thanks again!!

DL

Keven97SE

Congrats! The thing pulls like mad, doesn't it?

I'll officially join the club this weekend when I wire it all up.

Maximaz kick azz!

Dave B

Excellent, Neal arty: Go romp on it after work and let up know. Let us know the difference in pull and sound.

I can't wait to get mine installed.


Dave

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

time to hit the strip again

CitrusSpeed

tight work neal I wish you luck on your quest for 13's N/A I just wanna know how does the VI sound when open? Anyway u could post a vid so we can all hear?

hokiemax

iTrader: (2)

Congrats man !

We'll be waiting for the review!! Make sure your butt dyno is calibrated.

Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

I dunno, I've only driven a few miles with it, but I'm not feeling it like I expected to. Maybe I built it up too much in my head, or maybe my ECU needs to adjust to it (though I've never believed that theory.) I dont think the ECU "adjusting" to mods has any bearing at WOT, but who knows.

I really wish my GTECH was working, that could help me verify the gains some.

I'm heading to the track friday, so I'll see then just how much the VI helped. I still want to go do some more back to back runs with it activated and deactivated too. I'm going to go disconnect my battery for a while in order to reset my ECU, Hype suggested that.

Dave B

Have you verified that the VI is working right now? I think the ECU does relearn to a degree. When I came back from vaction, I had accidently left my trunk open and my battery was completely dead. After charging the battery and going on a drive after 10 days of driving my wife's 17 second Subaru GT wagon, my Maxima felt a bit "doggish". Two days later the car was noticably quicker and smoother. Did you disconnect the battery while working on the VI?

Dave

BSwithTF

iTrader: (8)

It won't be until your at the track and your RPM switch resets for some reason and it doesn't kick open. I couldn't believe the difference in the car when this happened to me. It wasn't until then that I got a full taste of just how much thing kicks ***!!! When I ran that thing up to 7k without it open, it felt like I was letting off the gas bit by bit the higher the RPM's went. It was incredible. You won't appreciate it fully until you go without it.

Dave B

Neal-

Also remember that this mod doesn't give that more peak power, it just allows you to sustain the power longer. You really won't feel a "kick" like on a VTEC motor or something. The power should just be linear all the way to redline.


Dave

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

The interesting thing about the VI is that it will make itself more and more apparent the faster you go. You'll probably appreciate it at the top of 3rd gear, even more so at the top of 4th, and then especially so in 5th. But then were talkin way past the 1/4 mile at speeds way above 100 mph.


DW

Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

Actually I have not driven WITHOUT the runners open in the last 3 days. The first 2 days I had them tied open, and now they are opening up on their own. Maybe tomorrow when I drive without the VI functioning I will notice a big difference. They say you notice a mod even more once you get rid of it.

But yes Dave, unless something very strange is happening when I go WOT, the runners are opening up. Whatever RPM I set the switch at and then tug on the throttle cable under the hood, they open up as they are supposed to. So unless there are strange happenings at WOT (like loss of vacuum or something like that) they are opening. I'll post more tomorrow when I do back to back runs with it open then closed.

Soon2BMaxed

im counting on you and Daves reaction to this mod on whether or not to get it so i hope it does what everyone says! good luck!

Trevor

BSwithTF

iTrader: (8)

When they kick open you should be able to hear a slight change in the way your intake sounds. It's not real noticeable, but you should be able to hear.

Ants97SE

I put mine on last night but now am cursed with looking for a vacuum leak. It's making a nice loud whistle. I spent about 2 hours so far looking for it to no avail. When I start it up, after a while it'll eventually die unless I rev the engine. It's drivable I just have to keep an eye on it at stop. I'm gonna rip apart everything and see if I can find the culprit. Any suggestions where to look? On a side note, I zip tied the Intake open and took it for a highway run. It pulls so hard up top it's crazy and I have a stupid vaccum leak. I can't wait till all the bugs are ironed out.

iregula

how long did it take to install?

Mishmosh

iTrader: (3)

Before you rip everything up, check the front upper to lower intake manifold gasket. Make sure it is still aligned properly and that the bolts holding the manifold down in front are tight. I had a leak here which developed after 3 days. You could hear the high pitched swush that you're probably hearing now. Somehow, the bolts loosened themselves. The car was stalling when coming to a stop or dropping RPM's badly... it was also sputtering at idle.

Ants97SE

Yeah thats what mines doing exactly, I'll give that a try, hopefully that's all what it is. Once I get all that resolved, I'll start on the vacuum system and get that taken care of.

JustMaxin96

iTrader: (3)

I have been waiting for this post for weeks now!!... very glad to see that everything went well.. The wait for mine is just killing me. Just curious Neal, in 3rd gear what mph are you at when you hit redline? Thanks

Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

Its close to 100mph.. probably 97 or so? I haven't looked at it exactly. It will be the same for every car though (at least the indicated MPH, not necessarily true MPH, depending on tire size.)

To whoever asked... I spent about 10-11 hours over 3 days to do the full install. This includes time to cut my hands, drop my tools, curse, bang my head on my hood, curse again, come inside, sign online, type another post to Kev or Ian or Hype or Mishmosh asking for help, go outside, and try it again.

If I started again from scratch I could probably duplicate my work in 3-4 hours. The learning curve was steep for me, I'd never messed with any sort of wiring, manifold swap, or vacuum system work before.

meccanoble

iTrader: (22)

you hit 97 at redline on 3rd?! dam, i hit like 70 tops!

JustMaxin96

iTrader: (3)

Woah 70? are you auto? I usually hit about 94-96 in 3rd. So how does the butt dyno feel now? any stronger? Sorry if you at work I am just very excited for you!! So has anyone ever done a full step by step write up w/ pictures? Keven emailed me something (Thanks) that should be VERY helpful but pics would be great too. Congradulations again.

Dave B

To the guys that are having RPM switch problems:
Are you mounting the RPM switch under the hood? I'd think the RPM couldn't handle the immense heat under the hood therefore it goes a little nutty. I'm mounting mine in the cabin.


Travis, Neal, Mishmosh:
Where exactly did you wire in for you 12V battery source? EXACTLY

It sounds like I'll need to pay special attention to vacumm leaks. BTW, did any of you guys follow the FSM on how to tighten down the manifold? It requires you to go in a particular tightening sequence plus you torque the manifold down to ~10 ft/lbs and then go back through the sequence and tighten it to 20-some-odd ft/lbs (if I remember right). Very little torque is used to tighten the manifold. You guys may have over tightened. When I get home, I'll post the torque specs and sequence.


Dave

Craig Mack

Doesn't this intake manifold choke off some of the torque in the lower power band? I heard it cut 7-9lb-ft. of torque before the intake opened up. I know you have to revv the VTEC's like mad to get them to go, and this intake design is along the same lines with it's variable timing and all. Good for the track, bad for around town passing power.

I am sure the ECU has to adjust to the difference, so you will probubly be buzzing about your new high end in a few days.

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

Ah Craigy?

vtec technology is nothing like MEVI technology

Craig Mack

Getting your info wrong causes the cocky car junkies to give you ****. :::awaiting the wrath of computer boy darren:::

Prodeje79

Neal:
will this MEVI push us into the D street prepared or what in Solo2 autoX?

I have enough trouble in STS =P

peace

BriGuyMax

iTrader: (1)

UPDATE:

Neal called me today and told me that he finally did some runs without the valves opening up and he can't believe the difference. He said he didn't realize the power of the VI until he didn't have it anymore

He'll probably put his own thoughts up tonight also.

(I'm glad my VI order is already being filled )

Mishmosh

iTrader: (3)

Because I mounted my Harlan in the gear box area, I just pulled the 12V from the lighter. Some people hook into the fuse box, like they would for a hardwired radar detector install, but I'm not too familiar with that.

As for effect, if you know your car, you know that above a little over 5k rpm, it seems to just rev without pulling much, with the sound becoming thin and somewhat higher in pitch. With the VI, there is no big surge at 5k like some people may have imagined, but the power band just starts from 3k and continues to pull all the way to redline. The sound above 5k is fuller, more robust, just like it is below 5k. By feel, I used to be able to know when to shift because of the sound and drop off in power. Now, I really need the shift light--at least in 1st and 2nd, because it just keeps pulling and the sound remains robust--makes you want to keep the foot to the pedal! If you do get the VI, I highly recommend a second harlan for use as a shiftlight... the car just seems to rev to redline so much faster -- in 1st and 2nd gear especially.

Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

I wired my 3 12V source wires to the 7.5A turn signal fuse in my interior fuse box.

I did some runs with the VI working and not working back to back today. There is a definate difference. It's just smooth linear power all the way from 5000 to redline. It reminds me of Brians GS430. I cant wait to head to the track tomorrow.

Dave B

VTEC is simply a two stage cam. One cam lobe is for idle to ~5000 which makes decent torque and good emissions while the "big" cam lobe is for sheer topend HP. Hondas lack low rpm driveability because they are small displacement motors and lack torque.

The VI manifold primary runners look exactly like the US-spec manifold runners except for the VI has the upper "power chamber". As far as I know, no one has done a dyno before the VI and after. The VI manifold might slightly less power below 4000rpms than the stocker because of a more turbulent air chamber (area below the butterflies), but once the air starts cramming in, the VI takes over. I doubt you would be able to feel the difference.

Neal, did you feel a difference in part throttle acceleration with the VI vs the stock manifold?

I'll be dynoing shortly after I've verified the system is working correctly and as been track tested. I use the same dyno shop, so my numbers will be pretty accurate.


Dave

Ants97SE

Well, I fixed the leak with my variable intake. Let me give this advice. Replace your gaskets. The culprit in my case was the EGR tube that plugs into the back of the manifold. I was stupid and reused the gasket and somehow that's what was causing a major leak. After I bought a new gasket and re-torqued everything down, it idles perfect. I will be installing the rest of the system next week when I get back from Houston. If you are doing it yourself, go get new gaskets and use a torque wrench.

Dave B

FYI UPDATE

The manifold bolts are only to be tightened to 13-16 ft/lbs

The sequence for the intake manifold is (looking down on manifold from front of car):

1-middle left nut (sound a bit kinky)
2-middle right nut
3-outside right nut
4-outside left nut


Throttle body sequence (looking from drivers side towards TB):

1-top right bolt
2-lower left bolt
3-top left bolt
4-lower right bolt

Torque to 6.5 ft/lbs (who's torque wrench does that?) in sequence and then torque to 13-16 ft/lbs


IACC (Idle Air Control Valve):

The book doesn't detail the procedure. It appears that the torque should be close to 13-16 ft/lbs since the bolts look to be similar is size to the TB.


EGR sequence:
First torque both bolts to 8 ft/lbs and then torque to 20 ft/lbs.

ALL GASKETS SHOULD BE REPLACED

EGR gasket part # 14722-38u01 $3.56
IACC gasket part # 23785-AD100 $1.63
Throttle Body gasket part # ?????? $ ????? (haven't found one yet)


Dave

Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

EGR valve gasket? There was no gasket on mine....

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

Wasn't xHypex 2 dynos before and after the VI, meaning he dyoned before with the stock US spec manifold, and after with the MEVI?

If this is true, then no low end loss was seen because I plotted both of them out using kalaidagraph and the pre 5000 rpm and tq were almost mirror images of each other comparing manifold to manifold.

BriGuyMax

iTrader: (1)

it's a metallic gasket and it was probably stuck to the old manifold....make sure it isn't leaking buddy. :P

Ants97SE

You missed one Dave.

EGR Guide Tube (Replace gasket!)

First torque both bolts to 8 ft/lbs and then torque to 20 ft/lbs. It's important, if one sides tighter than the other, a leak is possible.

I followed the specs of the TB for the IACV Valve as well. I wonder why they just skipped over that one in the FSM.

Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

If I had a leak of some sort I'd think I would be exhibiting problems right? Like a shaky idle, or no vacuum to run the VI? Right?

I am going to go back thru and re-torque the bolts to spec though.

Dave B

I think it depends on the size of the leak. A major leak will cause a shakey idle, stumble, and stalling and a minor leak will cause reduced performance (at least I've experienced it this way). One night I was toying around with my HKS midpipe on my hybrid intake and I relocated the IAC sensor from the midpipe to the lower airbox. I thought I had sealed the IAC hole in the midpipe, but apparently I left a small gap. After reinstalling things, I noticed my intake was a bit quieter and my car seemed a little sluggish, but I figured it was the heat outside. At the track I was only able to run 14.9s@95mph. A few weeks later I bought the WSP midpipe and I noticed the daylight shining through the inside of my old HKS midpipe. Upon install of the WSP, my intake was much louder and my car was much more powerful, especially from 4500-6000rpms.


Dave