MLM's 5th Gen Progress Thread
621 - 625 of 625 Posts
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7,272 Posts
I switched back to the factory intake because it just made sense in my application. The 3" intake and K&N filter were fun for angry VTEC noises, but the non-stop whistling and horrible heatsoak it suffered from made it counterproductive; not to mention the piss-poor filtering that the K&N filter offered. Every single thread I could dig up comparing intakes (both short ram and cold air intakes) were actually worse or only very slightly better (1-2hp) than stock.
Just from switching back to the factory intake tube & filter box that draws from the fender liner, the IAT's have dropped 10+ degrees at full temp, and I know an OE Honda filter does a better job of keeping the garbage out. Plus, it's quieter, and I don't worry about the filter falling off in the bay.
I drove the car around for an hour this past Friday after work, and I love that it's quieter and breathing better. Updates will probably be slow moving forward, but I have a few odds and ends I could edit into the last 2+ years of missing info.
Joined
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7,272 Posts
Well it's been just shy of three years, time flies when you're not on forums much anymore. 
I've been trying to pound the miles on this poor pooch for the last couple of years, although the spotlight does get stolen once in a while with other projects...
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Did Watkins Glen opening weekend "drive the track" in 2019 with some friends, beat the snot out of it chasing much, much faster cars on back roads, and did a trip or two to the drag strip (spoiler alert, it still only runs in the 15's). To be honest, other than routine oil changes and regular consumables, it has just taken beatings without an ounce of protest.
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Swapped in an AP1 steering wheel and a newer head unit that matches the warm orange glow of the 90's.
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Did a bunch of hoodrat stuff with my friends.
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And then, towards the end of the season, things started to go a little sideways. Driving home from work, heard an audible TWANG when exiting a parking lot, followed by knocking noises the whole way home. Turns out the stock sway bar brackets don't hold up to a Progress rear bar forever.
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Triangulated it, welded it back together for a quick fix.
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Then ripped the bolts out of the subframe.
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Drilled the crusty holes out and re-tapped them to a larger bolt, that solved that issue. The curse struck back.
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The tires are 11-year-old BFG's, so this was probably a long time coming anyway. Tossed a plug in the tire to finish up the year and planned on new tires for 2021.
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Designed some caps that work as hub centering rings as well as center caps from the back of the wheel, 3D printed one as a "proof of concept" and it worked beautifully.
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Car felt down on power, so I pulled the plugs, and, well... they were done. Used the opportunity to do a "piston soak" with some carbon remover, just in case there was a sticky ring or similar. After a few head scratching minutes, got the car to light off again. Drained the oil an filled it with Rotella Multi-Vehicle 5w-30. Took the opportunity to clean up the distributor rotor and cap, since they were also wiped out.
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Threw the short ram intake back on it because the stock intake was too quiet. Built a quick "box" out of some corrugated plastic that flips open and closed for easy servicing, and it ducts air from the front of the radiator directly into the intake. Kinda ricey, but at least it's not a full-blown "hot air intake" anymore.
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Finally, the car started to run like a top again. Plugs, cap, and rotor cleared up the occasional hesitation, intake like the angry noises, and the tires held air. And then the curse smacked me a third time.
![]()
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The passenger's side caliper locked tighter than a frog's ass in water on the way into work at 5am. That was "the last straw" for the season. Worked the caliper piston in and out, got it to work well enough to drive to storage, and then parked it. That brings us to this year.
I've been trying to pound the miles on this poor pooch for the last couple of years, although the spotlight does get stolen once in a while with other projects...
Did Watkins Glen opening weekend "drive the track" in 2019 with some friends, beat the snot out of it chasing much, much faster cars on back roads, and did a trip or two to the drag strip (spoiler alert, it still only runs in the 15's). To be honest, other than routine oil changes and regular consumables, it has just taken beatings without an ounce of protest.
Swapped in an AP1 steering wheel and a newer head unit that matches the warm orange glow of the 90's.
Did a bunch of hoodrat stuff with my friends.
And then, towards the end of the season, things started to go a little sideways. Driving home from work, heard an audible TWANG when exiting a parking lot, followed by knocking noises the whole way home. Turns out the stock sway bar brackets don't hold up to a Progress rear bar forever.
Triangulated it, welded it back together for a quick fix.
Then ripped the bolts out of the subframe.
Drilled the crusty holes out and re-tapped them to a larger bolt, that solved that issue. The curse struck back.
The tires are 11-year-old BFG's, so this was probably a long time coming anyway. Tossed a plug in the tire to finish up the year and planned on new tires for 2021.
Designed some caps that work as hub centering rings as well as center caps from the back of the wheel, 3D printed one as a "proof of concept" and it worked beautifully.
Car felt down on power, so I pulled the plugs, and, well... they were done. Used the opportunity to do a "piston soak" with some carbon remover, just in case there was a sticky ring or similar. After a few head scratching minutes, got the car to light off again. Drained the oil an filled it with Rotella Multi-Vehicle 5w-30. Took the opportunity to clean up the distributor rotor and cap, since they were also wiped out.
Threw the short ram intake back on it because the stock intake was too quiet. Built a quick "box" out of some corrugated plastic that flips open and closed for easy servicing, and it ducts air from the front of the radiator directly into the intake. Kinda ricey, but at least it's not a full-blown "hot air intake" anymore.
Finally, the car started to run like a top again. Plugs, cap, and rotor cleared up the occasional hesitation, intake like the angry noises, and the tires held air. And then the curse smacked me a third time.
The passenger's side caliper locked tighter than a frog's ass in water on the way into work at 5am. That was "the last straw" for the season. Worked the caliper piston in and out, got it to work well enough to drive to storage, and then parked it. That brings us to this year.
621 - 625 of 625 Posts
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