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PRL Motorsports 1.5T Civic Product Line Development

23K views 44 replies 8 participants last post by  SonicTMAN 
#1 ·
Greetings 10th Gen Forum!

We purchased an EX-T Civic a few months back to develop our 10th Gen Civic product line on, but put the project on the back-burner to grow our other product lines until the MT 1.5Ts and Si were within grasp (our Si will arrive soon!). Now that the MT cars have become more readily available and the Si is near, it's time to get the ball rolling! Last week we began tearing into our EX-T. Here are some teasers! ;)


Out with the old!



In with the new!

Due to the great success and support of our divided end tank 8th and 9th Gen intercoolers, we've decided to implement the divider(s) into a similar 10th Gen intercooler setup. We understand that the 1.5L motor and turbocharger is much smaller than the 2.0L and 2.4L K-Series engines that are using turbos capable of 50+ lbs/min, so we will be utilizing smaller diamter intercooler piping with a few other tricks to reduce turbo lag for quick spool. However, our intercooler will still be capable of big numbers for future power goals. Stay tuned for more!

Up next the 10th Gen community can expect an intake system w/ airbox, downpipe, intermediate pipe, cat-back exhaust system and much much more!
 
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#5 ·
This car is a CVT EX-T, so yes our FMIC kit will fit the CVT and MT Coupe, Sedan and Hatchback.

We tore into the factory exhaust today in an effort to start moving forward with the intermediate pipe and downpipe. Here is what we got done today on our 3" intermediate piece which will utilize a flex section and factory exhaust mounting/hanger points.






The factory intermediate pipe's ID measures right below 2".
 
#6 ·
Patiently waiting til you say on sale now^^^^Welcome to the forum guys.I remember y'all from the 9th.
 
#13 ·
Intake(s) w/ air box, downpipe, etc are all in the works!

Deathklok, we will keep that in mind!


Pictured here is a 3D rendering of our Civic X 1.5T downpipe. This piece will be constructed of 16 gauge 304 stainless tubing and optional cat. We are currently working on testing a 300 Cell (CPSI) cat with a unique high-load coating. As of now, Hondata has no plans on allowing users and tuners to turn off the CEL for deleting their cat. Because if this we wanted to give the public a way to pick up performance without throwing a CEL. However, there will be a catless version offered in case K-Tuner plans on filling in this void or somebody else has another trick up their sleeve. ;)


Pictured here is our 3" intermediate pipe/midpipe. The factor piece is only ~2" ID!


This is what our raw materials will look like before being cut up for assembly!

Stay tuned for updates on pricing, performance gains, datalogs/tech info and an ETA! We will also be doing a group buy once information is finalized!
 
#14 · (Edited)
Ahh a catted downpipe.
 
#15 ·
I can't wait to see the new downpipe on my
car.
 
#16 ·
You on the preorder list? Trying to decide, definitely interested, gotta convince the wifey thats it ok to spend that kind of money on the car, then she gets to match my spend on whatever she wants lol!
 
#18 · (Edited)
So, we finally got around to testing the catted version on our CVT shop car. The results were rather impressive!

Listed below is a dyno graph depicting a bone stock 1.5T CVT dyno without a flash (blue line), the same car with our catted downpipe and front pipe (red line), and the same car with our catted downpipe, front pipe and Hondata's +6 PSI reflash (green line). Peak torque came in about 400 RPM sooner than with the factory cat and the car picked up massive amounts of bottom end power, over 40 whp and 50 ft/lbs of tq to be exact, at about 4300 RPM. Peak gains were 10 whp and 14 ft/lbs tq while these gains held true throughout the entire power-band, with over 20 ft/lbs tq gains up top.

We initially expected similar gains from the catless version, but these catted results blew us out of the water. We can't wait to see what sort of gains we will see from the catless version once Vit tests both versions on his 6MT car.




Catted Downpipe + Front Pipe Gains WITHOUT Tuning:
400 RPM increase in peak torque
40+ hp and 50+ ft/lbs tq down low
10 hp and 14 ft/lbs tq at peak
10 hp and 14-20+ ft/lbs tq throughout mid-range/top
 
#20 ·
Most definitely! Results will be posted shortly!

Also, for anyone hoping that an angled defouler or o2 spacer will clear any CELS, this does not look to be the case in the past week of street testing.

As much as we would like to see this assembly purchased together for maximum performance and optimal price point, we have listed the down pipe and front pipe for sale separately after popular request. To follow typical PRL suit, the downpipe and front pipe are available for 10% off intro pricing, but will not be affected by the pre-order, meaning that the names of purchasers will not be added to the combo pre-order and pricing on individual downpipes/front pipes will not see over 10% discount. Pre-order customers are still eligible for 15%-20% discount.
 
#21 ·
What's the catted DP only?
 
#24 ·
I wouldn't hold your breath. From what we have been told, what has been said to the 10th Gen community, etc, there are no plans for this. Just yesterday on CivicX Hondata explained how the government has been cracking down on companies, tuners and products that disable or tamper with emissions codes.
 
#26 ·
An inside look at the developing stage of our 10th Gen Civic intake air box. We are using FARO Technologies 3D scanning arm to give us the factory box's dimensions so that it can be manipulated to ensure optimal fitment and performance. We have quite a few tricks up our sleeves to make sure our intake system stands out from the competition. Let's just say that Honda's factory intake system is more than a random tube design and a box. Good things come to those who wait!



Also, we are about to begin testing our CVT transmission cooler kit. Honda designed these cars with a heater from the factory which is intended to get the CVT up to operating temp quickly. However, once the transmission reaches operating temp there is no way to properly keep the transmission cool. This becomes a big problem, especially once these cars become modified or subject to stress from racing, spirited driving, etc. Keeping your transmission at proper operating temps is essential for longevity and performance.

We are currently designing a piece(s) to allow the use of an inline thermostat which remains closed until the transmission reaches its operating temp. Once the transmission is up to temp, the thermostat will open up and allow the transmission fluid to circulate through our transmission cooler to keep temps from becoming detrimental.

Our team is working on finalizing our FMIC design so we know how much room we have to work with and which mounting point we would like to use. The ultimate goal here is to utilize the upper grill area as an air passage, which should be no problem with either of these cores. This would make use of the factory radiator cooling fan to help move air as well. Stay tuned!

 
#27 · (Edited)
You guys Rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Im open to anything that will keep my turbo EXT running at peak performance.Im currently working with VitViper and ktuner on a high octane tune so id like to try any new product that will aid my CVT 1.5 running at as much HP/TQ without damaging any components.Here in the Midwest we have HOT summers so a trans cooler sounds like a great idea.
 
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#28 ·
You guys Rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Im open to anything that will keep my turbo EXT running at peak performance.Im currently working with VitViper and ktuner on a high octane tune so id like to try any new product that will aid my CVT 1.5 running at as much HP/TQ without damaging any components.Here in the Midwest we have HOT summers so please get with me when anything new is developed as Im very interested.Thanks in advance.DK
Thank you, sir! I bet, it get's bad enough here in PA. We're trying to get things out as fast as we can without cutting corners!
 
#29 ·
Great thing to come I'm sure.
 
#31 ·
And where would the trans cooler hook into the system?
 
#32 ·
It would just be an inline cooler that runs to the front. We will post details shortly, but in the meantime, Vit has posted some 87 octane numbers with our catless Race downpipe / front pipe combo on his 6MT car!



Vit Tuned Results

"...When I tuned the car stock on 87 octane bone stock, I targetted 18.4psi and the boost level stayed very close to target boost. To try and give us 1:1 results at the same boost level, I actually had to target 17.5psi to get the same boost level I had before installing the downpipe. You can see this in the side by side comparison in the image to the left. I forgot to get this dyno comparison off the dyno computer before I left the shop, but keeping boost the same we saw 8-9whp on the top end and 10-20wtq gained. Keep in mind this is over our “stock tuned” 87 octane test — so we’d already worked on the timing map and fueling a bit as well. You’ll also note as we put load on the car before starting the pull — the turbo was already making almost 2psi more than before the downpipe — this will come into play later.

What does this mean to YOU? If you’re running the same tune with a freer flowing downpipe you will artificially increase the boost level a bit...

The PRL items, as always, are quality pieces. Very well done items and fitment on our car was like a glove. No rattles, no rubbing. If you don’t have a lift the install will be a bit more entertaining. On my lift it took about 2 hours to get the stock items off and this one installed. The studs in the turbo can be interesting — PRL broke theirs. I managed to get mine off without any breakage or stripping with the use of some magic lube.

So What About The Toon?
Note: blue is HP, yellow is TORQUE, orange is BOOST.



So let’s try to give it a bit more boost and see what happens? Increased the boost level about 1psi (don’t want to go crazy with 87 octane) after adjusting the timing map and such — and the results were nice. 20whp and 30-32wtq gained.

Torque came in sooner too, right? Of course — if we didn’t have the “ramp” based boost control it would of come in even sooner, but we got maybe a 200-300 rpm improvement because the turbo just wants to GOOOO with the free flowing downpipe, even if the ecu doesn’t want to let it! Peak torque however — was still the same spot. This should never really change as long as the load & ramp rate of the pull is consistent (not all dynos can control this — and certainly load will vary on the street).


But hey, let’s try to give it a little bit more. In the dashed line we increased boost a bit more (with a few other changes), and as you can see the gains were marginal — a bit more torque, but top end HP actually suffered a bit. We’re now at the limits of the fuel and I was starting to see the knock limit approaching very rapidly — don’t want to run here long term at all for reliability’s sake. But hey, overall we still saw 5-8wtq more which amounted to 35-40wtq through the mid range and we still picked up 20wtq up top.

...Expect to see diminishing returns in how much HP you can make with better fuel — on 93 expect maybe 8-10whp more with this downpipe. Of course more torque as well...

Vs Bone Stone?

Don’t really need an explanation I think?

87 octane fuel." - Vit


Gains:
35-40wtq and 20whp over our car tuned bone stock on 87 octane with a 6MT Civic


Also, we've been working on finishing up our intake system for the 1.5T platform, more details to come soon when we have our finalized design. In the meantime, we'll post updates on our other intake system pieces...




Honda's corrugated factory intake piece contains flow-obstructing ridges and transitions that sacrifice power. Our stock replacement intake hose removes these obstructions and replaces them with a smooth, tapered transition. We still plan on releasing a full intake system, but designed this hose for customers not looking to get too carried away with mods, looking to add a big of bling to their engine bay or just as a stock replacement in the future if the factory unit were to need replaced.

We are finishing up development with our prototype drop-in filter replacement as well, stay tuned for more pictures and data to come. This filter will flow much better than the OEM Honda filter and will work perfectly with our intake hose!
 
#33 ·
Excited
 
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#36 ·
We are in the final stages of developing our 1.5T intake system before we begin production of our prototype piece. Once testing is done and the intake is finalized, production will take about 2 months to ship.



Essentially this will be a full cold air intake, with the filter placement being down in the fender well. The intake starts at 4" and maintains a 4" volume throughout to the MAF sensor for a much larger volume of flow and to reduce pumping loss. The initial design has an approximately 50% larger MAF housing than stock, which will be desired for big power and/or turbo upgrades. Also in the works is a stock-equivalent MAF housing so that little to possibly no tuning will be required. The ultimate goal of here is to offer a proper intake system that draws in cold air and maintains a proper, steady MAF curve for ultimate driveability and performance.

This intake system will be constructed of muti-ply high-quality silicone hose, utilize our standard PRL Motorsports oiled air filters and stainless steel hardware. The thermal properties of the silicone are more desirable for this application, especially considering how the intake system is routed.
 
#37 ·
So we've been playing around with our new 3D printer and decided to print up a prototype intake system to check for fitment before we have a mold designed for a production piece. Fitment was spot on, stay tuned with us for better pics and info. Please keep in mind that this is just a rough prototype made out of printed plastic and isn't meant to be pretty.
















The ID of the larger gray silicone piece is 4", including the odd "square" sections. Installation was a breeze, simply removing the bumper and moving the fender liner for a moment. The blue MAF housing will most likely be a machined aluminum piece designed to behave much like the stock MAF housing, but allow a much larger volume of air through it. This intake system will also utilize our standard oiled PRL cone filter.
 
#38 ·
We've been hard at work over the past few weeks designing and running numbers for our new 1.5T front mount intercooler kit. A lot of time and thought was put into developing what we feel will be the most-efficient, best-fitting intercooler kit on the market.

One of the key selling points of the 1.5T, Civic X platform is its lightweight, highly efficient engine and chassis. So efficient, in fact, that Honda engineers have continuously prided themselves for how well the factory intercooler flows and cools for such a lightweight unit. Because of this, our intercooler core of choice for this application is a dense 24"x6.3"x3.5" 500hp bar-and-plate core. We have used this core in our BRZ/FR-S/FT86 turbo kit with great success, proving itself still efficient at well over 500hp. The size of this intercooler also allows it to be a rather lightweight assembly (about 10lbs heavier than stock for the whole kit), meaning we are able to offer a similarly low-weight intercooler that performs much better than stock.

Our goal was to offer an intercooler setup that didn't notably affect or create turbo lag, but still offers headroom for guys looking to make big power in the future. In the past we have been a fan of our larger 600hp cores (that have been proven to over 900whp) for big(ger) turbo and larger displacement applications, but it is important to keep in mind that these cars are only a 1.5L with a very small turbocharger. After running some numbers we felt that this 500hp core would be the most ideal size for customers with stock turbos, future stock-replacement turbo upgrades and a possible future PRL Motorsports turbo kit!*

This intercooler will utilize factory mounting spots with our embossed end tanks as well as all factory air ducts/shrouds. Kits will come standard with upgraded hot and cold side intercooler piping that utilize smooth radii and hose/tubing diameters designed with small and larger turbochargers in mind. Like most of our PRL product line, no cutting, fitting or trimming will be required. Kits will come with all hardware needed for a seemless install. Stay tuned for more pictures and info as we finish our design and begin testing!*








 
#40 ·
I'm very happy with my PRL intake tube,Next I'd like to install the CVT cooler when it's released.
 
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