2000 Civic DX Mods

What gain would I get installing an AEM cold air induction and a set of
headers on this car?

Thanks
Charles

 

You would gain an excuse not to go anywhere when it rains.

 

you may get something from the header, but the air intake is iffy. most
aftermarket intakes take their air from inside the engine compartment,
not outside, so they're sucking hot air, not cold. also, they're made
of metal which retains heat nicely. honda thoughtfully provide a
plastic intake which doesn't retain heat, that sucks cold air from
outside when moving, warm air from inside when not to prevent icing, and
is designed to minimize risk of water ingestion. it also incorporates a
highly efficient air filter that works down to a much smaller particle
size than the type of filter you'll be looking at. more particle
ingestion means shorter engine life.

and even if you do this "upgrade" you'll still not get that much out of
this motor - the cam is pretty restricted - no top end. you'll get much
better results from a "mini-me" upgrade, or better yet, a b-series motor.

oh, last thing, check your local emissions laws. here in california,
it's supposed to be illegal to touch the catalyst while it's still under
warranty mileage - you can't replace the header on the dx without
removing the stock catalyst.

 

a lot more noise.
the possibility of water ingestion destroying your motor.
Maybe 10 HP.

a lot less cash in your wallet.

 

A greatly increased probability of sucking water into your engine. I have
seen engines destroyed by these "cold air intakes".