I went from performance to pure hell.

[Johns95EX]

Hi - I'm a newbie with a question.

I have a 95 Civic EX that I bought 2 months ago. Modified it to the best of my ability. (Had a completely restored Trans Am that was totalled when a drunk hit me.)

Anywho, last week it was decided to install a Meanstreak exhaust system (replacing the flowmaster I originally installed) out of boredom. To my disgust, after installing the Meanstreak, I had lost complete acceleration. Top speed I could get on the highway was 50-55 mph (when before I could get to 120 no problem.) Figuring it was an issue with back-pressure, I had a resonator installed and took it back out on the road and replaced the Meanstreak with the Flowmaster. I noticed improvement (got to about 85 on the highway) but still no luck with the acceleration I once had.

Thinking it might be the clutch, I got on a nice stretch of road and got up to around 35mph in 3rd at 3000 rpm's and shifted easilly into forth, no godawful high whining sounds when I shifted so I don't think it's the clutch.

(the upside to this is the vehicle now shifts like butter)

I welcome any suggestions you may have.

Thanks,
John

[VieT916]

Unless that piping was like 5", it should have NOTHING to do with the fact you can only reach 55 mph on the freeway. There might be a little something to do with it, but the exhaust isn't at fault.

A cat-back exhaust on a lightly modified Honda Civic has nothing to do with performance and everything to do with noise. Assuming the piping is 2.5", it won't affect your acceleration at all. The size of the resonator, likewise, is as equally unimportant. Its job is to surpress sound. The size may increase or decrease backpressure slightly, but again it's not enough to notice.

Your problem is definitely tranny related. Why you could get to 85 with a Flowmaster and only 55 with a Meanstreak is beyond me, but presuming both were just cat-backs that are simple to install, your "top speed" problem is related to something else.

Is your clutch slipping? Put it in 5th at 30 mph, and floor it. If the RPMs shoot up while the MPH doesn't change, it's slipping. If the car accelerates slowly and bogs a little, it's fine.

[Johns95EX]

Originally posted by VieT916
Is your clutch slipping? Put it in 5th at 30 mph, and floor it. If the RPMs shoot up while the MPH doesn't change, it's slipping. If the car accelerates slowly and bogs a little, it's fine.

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VieT916,

This is exactly what happens. After driving most of the day I tested a little bit. I was driving nicely at 55MPH, and upshifted from 4th to 2nd. The MPH didn't change, but the RPM's went from 3500 to about 8000, with no change in the MPH at all.

That would then indicate that it's time to replace the clutch?

[VieT916]

yep, sounds like the clutch is shot. That's a tell-tale sign of slippage. the clutch basically isn't creating enough friction to grab hold of the flywheel, so the engine revs (flywheel spins) but it's not being transferred to the tranny and halfshafts (clutch can't create enough friction).

Originally posted by Johns95EX


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VieT916,

This is exactly what happens. After driving most of the day I tested a little bit. I was driving nicely at 55MPH, and upshifted from 4th to 2nd. The MPH didn't change, but the RPM's went from 3500 to about 8000, with no change in the MPH at all.

That would then indicate that it's time to replace the clutch?

[Johns95EX]

Well thanks very much for your help! That'll give me something to do first thing in the morning.

-John

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Originally posted by Johns95EX


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VieT916,

This is exactly what happens. After driving most of the day I tested a little bit. I was driving nicely at 55MPH, and upshifted from 4th to 2nd. The MPH didn't change, but the RPM's went from 3500 to about 8000, with no change in the MPH at all.

That would then indicate that it's time to replace the clutch?

Yup, the 5th gear method is a good indicator. If the RPMs jump quickly in 5th, you know your clutch is shot.

[pdiggitydogg]

Damn I need to try that method, I think I might need a new clutch because of that too... Look at everything one can learn here.

[Johns95EX]

Hey. I found my problem.

I have a two piece AEM Cyclone Cold Air Intake. When I took the car in for a body kit the day before the muffler incident, they removed the bumper and replaced it. During that time they had to take the intake off. (any Honda mechanic knows where a two piece cold air intake goes) Well they did the body kit, and when they put the cone filter back on, they shoved it WAY too far up on the intake pipe, so the intake wasn't serving its purpose. I was sucking in more fuel than air. I loosened the cone, tightened the clamp and I was back in business.

However, I do notice that the clutch is slipping a bit. I might just wear the hell outta it and get a racing clutch next week.

Later.