Mike Kojima's approach to writing the book is to educate the enthusiast with some theory so that they can make informed judgments and decisions on upgrading their engines, regardless of who claims to have the latest and hottest modification. As expected, he starts out with a short chapter on basic engine theory, discussing the standard components of an internal combustion engine and their significance in building power. While the "theory" chapter is only 8 pages long, Mike continues to share useful rules of thumb on engine operation and construction throughout the book. And this approach is what makes this book useful, especially for the beginner.

Once Kojima gets us through the basics, he proceeds to step us through bolt-on modifications, cylinder heads, and bottom-end modifications. These chapters are probably the least interesting in the book. If you've read any of the other Honda engine books out there, you've probably already learned much of what is said in these chapters There are a few areas I found a bit wanting as well.

In particular, Kojima's discussion of cam characteristics seemed inconsistent. For example, he talks about how Honda engines need less overlap and duration than an old school V8, and in fact will not tolerate as much (but doesn't really tell us just how much less). He next talks about how VTEC gets rid of many of the compromises of big cams, and mentions how an Integra Type-R cam runs a huge amount of duration on the VTEC lobe. However, he finishes off with a cam recommendation list that seems tailored to non-VTEC engines - recommending that a 290 degree, 11.5mm lift cam as a really wild street cam or mild race cam with poor emissions and lopy idle....which is true for a non-VTEC engine. These cam specs just happen to match those of Toda's A-spec cams for the B-series, which still idle at 800 rpm and pass emissions with no issues - thanks to VTEC. For the beginner, I feel this section might be a little confusing.

Thankfully, things get better from there. The next chapter covers hybrid engine swaps and does an excellent job of providing a quick reference chart for every possible hybrid swap. Key considerations such as which parts are needed are covered in some detail and in some cases a wiring guide is provided. It's a good starting point for anyone considering an engine swap.

Going further, the book segues into a discussion of hot street combos utilizing OEM Honda parts to maximize your engine. Covering "Frankenstein" B-series conversions, rods, pistons, cams and more, Kojima tells you exactly what parts will work in your engine. In fact, he even goes so far as to provide part numbers in some cases! That's useful information and its all in one handy reference source. And the best is yet to come.

Chapters 7 through 9 are where Kojima really hits his mark. They cover, in order of appearance, nitrous oxide, supercharging, and turbocharging. These three power adders are often the source of confusion, misinformation and frequently misapplication (with disastrous results) in the Honda/Acura community.

The nitrous oxide chapter covers a useful range of information, from general theory, to specific applications. In particular, Kojima gives a short, but insightful, layman's terms lecture on why a nitrous only car is difficult to make competitive vs. a forced induction car. He also provides good tips on timing and fuel considerations for nitrous and provides what I feel to be a proper attitude towards the use of the juice - cautious, but not scare mongering.

The chapter on supercharging, while short, is more fair than what you'll see from most turbo proponents, which I think Mike would admit that he is if you asked him :-). Once again, theory and general applications are discussed and then Kojima gets specific. Efficiency numbers, advantages and disadvantages, even specific application notes are provided. I strongly recommend this chapter, and the following treatise on turbocharging as recommended reading for those asking "which is better" or "which one is for me".

And speaking of turbocharging, Kojima's coverage of the topic is priceless. He combines concise, easily understandable explanations with useful calculations and rules of thumb. A book covering purely turbos might have more information in it, but I am hard pressed to think of anyone who has covered this subject with Kojima's blend of thoroughness and clarity of explanation. If you are at all interested in turbos, this chapter makes a great primer, and may be worth the price of admission by itself.

The last chapter in the book is entitled "All-Out All Motor". The chapter essentially covers the approaches of R&D Racing and AEBS in building all motor race engines for drag racing. This is interesting info, as R&D held the record for the world's quickest all-motor Honda (FWD) for a while. However, the engines covered don't resemble much of what you'll find under the typical enthusiast's (or racer's) hood. While turbo cars have always had the power to run fast (just not traction), the all-motor guys need every last hp to win. I would have liked to see more theory of all-motor performance in this chapter and less coverage of specific engines - but it doesn't diminish the value of the rest of the book by any means.

Title: Honda/Acura Engine Performance
Category: Books
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Added: April 29th 2003
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