Necessity really is the mother of invention. While searching for additional performance from the authorâs very own USTCC-championship winning Del Sol, we came across a way to both increase power and remove weight (the enemy of performance and the second critical element in power-to-weight ratio). Knowing that underdrive pulleys work well to reduce parasitic losses in the accessories (see the test on the Unorthodox Racing crank pulley), we decided to go that step one better by completely eliminating the entire power steering system. By removing the power steering pump, we eliminate a considerable chunk of weight off the nose-heavy Del Sol and increased the power output of the B16A race motor all in one fell swoop.
The B16A âraceâ motor was actually nothing more than a used B16A from one of the local wrecking yards that specialize in the used motors from Japan. The B16A was equipped with a header from APEXi, an AEM air intake, and an open exhaust. Some tuning with the static ignition timing, an adjustable fuel pressure regulator, and the Mugen ECU resulted in a power output of 154 hp to the wheels. The removal of the power steering pump dropped a few precious pounds off the nose while increasing power across the board. The power gains were most pronounced as engine speed increasedâtypical of an underdrive-pulley type modification. The loss of power steering was not missed, as the Honda Civic steering seems to be over-boosted for my taste. The new manual steering resulted in more power, less weight, and improved road feel. What more could you ask for from a performance modification?
