Scotty Kilmer – Hybrid cars explained and why not to buy a used car. Why not to buy a used hybrid car, car review with Scotty Kilmer. The best hybrid car to buy. Toyota Prius versus Honda Insight. To decide whether VTEC is for you or not, here are the pros and cons. The main benefit of VTEC is that the resulting engine is very versatile. So you get the smoothness and fuel efficiency of a small economical engine when you drive a low RPMs, and the power output of a much larger engine at high RPMs. However, have you paused to think about the pros and cons of mass media? Well, one cannot blame a particular medium because of outside influences. To keep unauthorized people from accessing the APIs, we have to authenticate the users using a checkpoint.
Prosand Cons of 4A-GE
There are serious debates as to which 4A-GE to use on yourcar. Some say late 16V from a 89-90 AE92, others say the 4A-GZE, the 20V,etc... The truth is that all 4A-GE has characteristics that are of meritand there are many things to look at. The bottom line is that you shouldchoose an engine that best fits your needs and budget. I've seen too manyprojects that ended up as too expensive, incomplete, or just not what were theoriginal intent. So I've put together a small list of things pertaining towhat one might want in the 4A-GE and some of the merits and demerits to thechoice of the 4A-GE.
Before I do go on, you must note thefollowing... the ultimate power output of the engine actually has little to dowith which version 4A-GE you choose. With enough modification and tuning,any of the 4A-GE can be tuned well past the 200 horsepower mark. This alljust depends on how much you can modify for your specific use and who actuallydoes the tuning. I have seen 4A-GZE modified with about $5000 that postedunder 120hp on the bench and I have seen lightly tuned and well cleaned up 4A-GE16V NA that posted over 150hp on the bench. Your selection of the intakeperipherals, exhaust, computer unit, state of tune, internal customization allcomes into play here... The following is only a guide to point out thebest suited 'base' engine, or starting point for your future directionof modification. In choosing any engine, be especially careful of thecondition as most buyers of 4A-GE will get the engine 'used' andinternal condition can have a big difference on how much you will spend torecondition it or rebuild it later...
The first edition 4A-GE, the ones that came in AW11 NA, AE86,AE92 (1988-89) can be distinguished primarily by the head design. It wasthe only version that utilized the TVIS system which opened and closed thesecondary runners depending on driving conditions. Some refer to them as'blue hat' due to the blue lettering that were used on the valvecovers. However, this designation isn't entirely accurate as early AE92 withTVIS had red letters as well as some other models that used this engine. These are frequently mistaken for the later generation engines which also usedthe 'red hat' valve covers. These covers are alsointerchangeable so it's hardly a way to distinguish these motors that are workedon so much... The early 8-port TVIS engines are still in demand today forlow budget tuning for those who enjoy reaching high rpms with the use ofcarburetors. Though the connecting rods journals and pins are smaller thanthe later models, the components are lighter than the latter motors and in stockform, tends to feel better at the top. The TVIS when operated properly(factory ECU or via external controllers) can add great deal of drivability inlow and mid ranges of the rpm and is effective for using high profile cams andkeeping it still streetable. It still is the heart and soul for many AE86and AW11 owners, and is by no means a bad engine if engine feel is yourpleasure. A nicely balanced and ported TVIS head can be had for cheaperthan any other head with very good results for use on normally aspirated use.
The second generation 4A-GE was introduced in the AE92 in 1989to 1990 models. It featured a stronger internals via larger diameter pinsat piston as rod as well as more re-enforced block assembly. The pistonsfeatured higher compression rating giving slightly more torque and peak poweroutput. This is the main reason most users swap this engine in place ofthe first generation 4A-GE. This engine also featured larger injectorsizing with spray patterns differing with the first edition. TVIS wasremoved as compression rating was upped to give almost as much torque below asthe TVIS model with lower compression. Still, many drivers will noticesome decrease in response with this second model 4A-GE as internals were heavierand the absence of TVIS made low end performance sluggish to the feel especiallywhen the peak power seemed to improve enough.
The newly worked internals of the 2nd generation engines alsoserved as the basis for a new type of 4A-GE, the 4A-GZE. The superchargedcousin of the 2nd generation 4A-GE produced a whopping 21kg/cm of torque atrelatively low 4500rpm. This engine was said to be designed to give theAW11 MR2 unprecedented power of 145ps JIS. And eventually, a slightlymodified one was fitted to the AE92 also. In 1990, the 4A-GZE was reworkedto 170hp rating due mainly to higher compression pistons (still much lower thanan NA) from 8.0 to 8.9, and higher boost, via smaller supercharger pulley andnewly designed electromagnetic clutch. This is another popular swap fornormally aspirated cars wanting flexible street performance.
The biggest change in 4A-GE was made with the introduction ofthe AE101 Corolla. The new 4A-GE engine was designed to be normallyaspirated only from the outset and as such featured exciting new parts asindividual throttle and variable cam timing, the VVT. The maindistinguishing feature of this new 4A-GE is the 5 valves per cylinderdesign. The use of a completely new head provided 4A-GE with power toalmost compete with Honda's popular VTEC B16 engines. Aside from theobvious external peripherals, this 20 valve engine was delivered with slightlyimproved internals with semi-coated pistons and balanced rods. The AE111in 1995 was equipped with yet another improved 4A-GE, the same 20V was tweakedfor more power delivery and response. Internally, the the compression wasagain raised to 11.0 from 10.5 and rods, pistons were better balanced and muchlighter. The throttle body was bored slightly and cam profiles and timingaltered slightly. The first 20V engines had silver spark-plugcovers and thus was coined 'the silver-head' and latter'black-head' but again, the covers do interchange so it's not areliable identification method. A good way is to take a look at thethrottle body as later model engines sported a larger intake vanturi and morerounded intake tract.
So that's roughly the different 4A-GE's in a series...moredetailed information can be had in specification chart posted elsewhere in thissite.
Now here's a list of merits and demerits of each 4A-GE.
First Generation 4A-GE (16VAE86/AE82/AE92 88-89/MR2 NA)
Pros
Inexpensive as used engines
TVIS
Parts availability in aftermarket and cost of upgrading is nominal
Equipped in most number of cars
Best fun per dollar
Spins better than later 16V models
Takes regular gas (low octane)
Good race track engine base
Durable
Cons
least powerful (unmodified) 9.4:1 compression
Not entirely suited for high output applications
Second Generation 4A-GE (16VAE92 90-91)
Pros
Higher compression of 10.4:1
Stronger internals for heavy modifications
Easily swapped with early model 16V
Most aftermarket parts shared from first generation 16V
Simpler non TVIS design
Good autocross/ street / normal aspiration drag engine base
Durable
Cons
Lacking in supply, currently somewhat costly
Not a great deal of improvement from original 16V technically
4A-GZE (AW11 SC/AE92SC/AE101SC)
Pros
Highest OEM overall torque output by far.
Ready for other forced induction / NOS modifications
Good street / drag engine
Tire smoking effect dramatic.
Based on the 16V
Durable for many modifications
Cons
Expensive to transplant
Erratic under heavy stress and heat
Excessive driveline and tire wear
Needs many peripherals specific to this engine
Tricky install and diagnose
Tricky to handle in autocross and small track
4A-GE's peaky singing character somewhat lost
4A-GE 20 Valve (AE101/AE111)
Pros
Great sounding from individual throttle
Advanced ECU
VVT makes individual throttle and high-cams drivable
Quad Throttle gives serious response
Peak rpm response unequalled
OEM form an excellent upgrade for older car application.
Best balance with AE86, though tricky and costly to install
AE101 version core engine inexpensive and abundant
Excellent race track /street /autocross engine
Best balanced internal components
Cons
Complex to modify
Expensive to modify
Not suited for drag racing as parts are expensive
Currently limited modification parts available for heavy tune.
Civic Si FlashPro reviews
Mo Choudhury Swift Racing Technologies
Just wanted to share some of my experiences with the New Hondata FlashPro for the 8th Gen Civic Sis. First let me start by saying that we were honored to be one of the beta testers chosen for the units and during the beta testing phase I personally have never dealt with any company that was so prompt to fix any issues (whether small or big) with a new product in development as was the case with Hondata.
Next I would like to express my sentiments tuning with the FlashPro. Coming from an extensive background with tuning standalones it was slightly different in the sense that you have to make changes to the calibration and then upload the calibration file to the factory ecu, it takes a couple of times of doing so to get used to, but then it becomes second nature.
Tuning with the FlashPro was a snap, in my honest opinion I felt that tuning with it (when following the proper procedure) is very through and complete, I especially enjoyed tuning the different cam phasing angles and then overlaying the graph to optimize the power band, it worked flawlessly!
Real world driving experience: what more can I say other than the car drives like it is bone stock (BTW the car has our SRT bolt-on turbo kit and 2.5' exhaust). Idles perfect, super smooth transition from closed loop to open loop, cold start is just like stock, I can go on and on but all I have to say is that this is how the car should have come from the factory :) PS we got an improvement of +85% on peak power/torque with an astounding improvement of over +100% in power/torque in the midrange (around 5.9K rpms) AND that is power seen at the wheels!
