The Temple of VTEC - Honda and Acura Enthusiasts Online - Articles - Project TSX Product Test: DC Sports 4-2-1 Headers: Dyno Test Results and Conclusions

Dyno Results

As usual, we strapped to car to the Dynojet belonging to Dynolab, Inc. of Marietta, GA and set forth with our battery of tests. To measure the gains of the header, we took another baseline test a few days prior. The car hadn't changed under the hood since the last time we dyno tested it (AEM Short Ram), but since nearly a year had elapsed since those tests, we decided to take another baseline. We were a little surprised (as some of our readers who remember last year's results may be) to see that the car was down about 4 horsepower from the figures we saw last year, but there are a number of variables that could be involved. When we returned to Dynolab with the header installed (and all else the same) we were pleased to see a peak figure of over 189hp to the wheels, a gain of around 8.5 hp. For these tests we reset the ECU after strapping the car to the rollers. For every dyno test we perform, to eliminate variables introduced by heat soak, an OBD-II scan tool is used to monitor and stabilize the coolant temps to 180F before each run. Additionally, a fan is aimed towards the radiator to ensure proper cooling during the runs.

Conclusions

I have to say I'm quite impressed with the gains obtained from this relatively inexpensive modification. Coupled with the AEM Short Ram Intake System, the car is noticeably quicker than stock. And it gets even better if you upgrade to a Hondata ECU Reflash. Add in the relative ease with which it is installed, and you have an all around winner. The only question that remains is regarding the durability of the header itself. A quick Google search reveals that some people have reported cracked welds or other flaws with their DC Sports TSX headers. But we also noted that other people have mentioned that DC Sports has implemented some manufacturing changes which address this problem. We have asked them directly about this issue and are waiting to hear back from them on it. In any case the header we received saw nearly 1000 fairly hard miles on the project car and when we removed it there were no signs of any stress, which was a good sign.

DC Sports Ceramic-Coated 4-2-1 Header for Acura TSX

	Test Date:		March-April, 2005
	Miles Tested:		~1000 miles
	MSRP		$435.24
	Measured Gain		+8.5hp, +4.1lb-ft
	Weight		12.94 lbs
	Weight Savings (vs. Stock)		8.4 lbs

Pros
	Affordable
	Noticeable improvment in performance on the dyno and on the road*
	Little noticeable change in sound level*
Cons
	Not offered in stainless steel
	MIG welded joints not as pretty as TIG welded joints of (pricier) competitors

* Note: tested in combination with AEM Short Ram Intake system.

Video Clips

4th gear dyno run featuring DC Sports Header, AEM Intake, and Hondata ECU Reflash, and again with the stock ECU:

DivX 5.2.1 - 3.17MB
Windows Media V9 - 3.17MB

0-140+MPH on the dyno through the gears:

DivX 5.2.1 - 2.44MB
Windows Media V9 - 2.65MB

More Information

Please be sure to visit DC Sports' website to learn more about their TSX headers.
Hondata.com

Special Thanks

Thanks once again to Dynolab of Marietta, GA for providing us with the services of their dynojet. We would also like to thank DC Sports for providing the header used in this test.