8th Gen Honda Accord Tuning Mods

"All you need to know about performance parts and tuning the Honda Accord 8th Gen engine!"

You can tune the 9th gen Accord for better power and response. Choosing the best Accord Mods will make or break your tuning project. So let's have a look at the world of Accord mods and pick out the best upgrades and modifications to allow you to build the ultimate modified Accord.

We will have a video about this car on our YouTube channel soon, so please keep an eye out and subscribe if you haven't already done so.

When it comes to 8th Gen Accord Mods, we've created this guide to go over what we feel are the primary areas and what we find are the greatest modifications you can do to this engine.

There are quite a few options, some more effective than others.

Honda debuted the eighth-generation coupe and sedan accords in 2007 as 2008 models. Two engine options were available: a 2.4 L 4-cylinder engine providing 177hp and a 3.5 L V6 engine generating 270 hp. An upgraded 5-speed automatic transmission in both engines improved fuel economy. A diesel model is also available with a 2.2 L N22A2 turbo I4 engine.

The Honda Accord 8th Gen are popular cars and with the right uprated modifications like a remap, turbo kits and camshafts you will really enhance your driving experience. But which Accord mods should you go for?

This pages aim is look into Accord 8th Gen tuning and point out the best mods that work.

Check out our video introduction to Honda Tuning, all you need to know about mods and upgrades on your Honda.

Best Accord 8th Gen upgrades

Despite the fact that performance upgrades are popular with Accord 8th Gen owners, it doesn't mean its worth having, instead we'll focus on the optimum upgrades that will give your Accord 8th Gen the best power gain for you money.

Check out our video introduction to Honda Accord Tuning, all you need to know and full guide.

Best mods for your Accord 8th Gen

• Upgraded cams are one of the most significant mechanical changes, but should always be installed in your engine by someone who knows what they are doing and tracking one down can be a challenge but you might find a local firm to regrind a stock cam for you.
• Accord 8th Gen Suspension Kits - Replacing worn bushings and shocks radically improves your Accord 8th Gen handling Coilovers and Bushings are the usual go to mods
• ECU Tunes - A Remapped Accord 8th Gen ECU gives the biggest gains in terms of cost, replacement ECUs, and piggyback ECUs are all alternatives.
• Brake Upgrades - Stopping your Accord 8th Gen needs to be near the top of your Mods list.
• Air Induction Mods and high flowing exhausts - Note that on their own these mods won't ADD HP in most cases, but they will enable you to release power after other modifications by lessening the restrictive flow.
• Forced induction upgrades - forced induction is the most significant way to raise the intake air supply, this means you are able to use more fuel and make better power figures. Usually one of the most costly upgrades but provides the best gains.
• Flowing and porting the Head - Head work will get air flowing into the engine while removing turbulence or restrictions.
• Flywheel lightening - a lower mass flywheel will significantly improve the engines free revving nature. Not always recommended for all Accord 8th Gen engines.

Accord 8th Gen Tuning Stages

Typical stage 1 mods often include: New Bushes, Drilled & smoothed airbox, Performance Brake Pads, Fast road camshaft, Sports exhaust manifold, Remaps/piggy back ECU.

Typical stage 2 mods often include: Brake Discs (drilled/slotted or grooved, Suspension (Sports), Fast road cam, fuel pump upgrades, induction kit, Sports catalyst & performance exhaust.

Typical stage 3 mods often include: Adding or Upgrading forced induction (turbo/supercharger), Engine balancing & blueprinting, Twin charging conversions, Crank and Piston upgrades to alter compression, Competition cam, Internal engine upgrades (head flowing porting/bigger valves).

(We have Tuning guides for other Accord Generations, see the links below.)

4th Gen Accord Mods 5th Gen Accord Mods 6th Gen Accord Mods 7th Gen Accord Mods 8th Gen Accord Mods 9th Gen Accord Mods

History of the Accord 8th Gen Engine

The EX-L V6 coupe has the most powerful engine along with a rear lip spoiler, 18-inch alloy rims, and an optional transmission. The mid-size Accord sedan got a roomy cabin as if it was considered a nearly executive car. Different trim options are available but the top-of-the-line EX-L offers a built-in navigation system, leather seats, and Bluetooth connectivity.

The eighth generation European Accord hit the market in 2008 and produced till 2015. The compact executive car models have two petrol engine options available: 2.0 L R20A3 I4, and 2.4 L K24A/Z I4, and one diesel engine option: 2.2 L N22B i-CTDi I4.

The vehicle got a facelift in 2011 featuring a new front fascia, new taillights, a rear-view camera coupled with a navigation system, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, memory seats, and some more panel control modifications.

Tuning the Honda Accord 8th Gen and best Accord 8th Gen performance parts.

Accord 8th Gen Handling/Suspension Upgrades

Adjusting the handling is often the first step in using the Accord 8th Gen.Adjusting the Accord 8th Gen's handling is often the first step in modifying it.

When it comes to tweaking your Accord 8th Gen, one of the most often stated reasons is to better its handling. However, we repeatedly witness the same mistakes.

Look out for adjustable coilovers which allow you to set a ride hight and this allows you to tweak your cornering performance.

Now that you know about the various engine-related upgrades for your Honda Accord 8^th generation car, here are some of the options that you have regarding suspension upgrades.

Lowering Springs

Lowering springs are effective because they reduce the height of the car. This brings down the centre of gravity of the vehicle which makes it easier to corner at higher speeds.

Some of the best options in this regard include:

• TEIN S-Tech Lowering Springs;
• TruHart Lowering Springs;
• H&R Lowering Springs.

Shocks/Struts

If you are looking to upgrade the shocks/ struts of your Honda Accord 8^th generation car, choose from the following options:

• TEIN Endura Pro Plus Adjustable Shocks/ Struts.
• KYB Excel-G Shocks/ Struts;
• KONI Sport Adjustable Shocks/ Struts;

Coilovers

Coilovers are the best upgrade that can be performed on a car’s suspension system. You have the following options in this regard:

• BC Racing BR Type Coilovers;
• F2 Function and Form Type 3 Coilovers Kit.
• D2 Racing R Spec Series Coilover Kit;
• Buddy Club Sport Spec Damper Coilovers Kit;

Is there anything I should bear in mind while deciding on suspension settings for my Accord 8th Gen?

Improvements to the bushings

Bushing improvements are needed so what's involved?

It is possible to connect the Accord 8th Gen's suspension components to the chassis of the Accord 8th Gen using poly bushes, which are drop in replacements for the oem rubber mounts. The rubber ones usually deteriorate with time and need replacing anyway so why not upgrade.

Installing new OEM rubber bushes may dramatically improve the performance of your car.

Because the polyurethane bushes are firmer, the ride may be a bit firmer, but they will last longer and maintain the handling.

Worn bushes may also quicken the demise of other suspension components due to the increased vibration and play.

A new set of poly bushes may be able to mitigate the excessive play that comes with rubber bushes.

Some poly bushings are hard to locate, but most will find the primary mounts readily available in their local stores Custom polyeyurothane bushings are often made to your requirements.

A common misconception is that a non-adjustable suspension system that lowers the vehicle by60mm from a franchised component shop is the best option. But suspension design and setup is quite complex.

Claims are often made that all Accord 8th Gen models and years may be able to utilise the same suspension kits sold by vendors.

For a vast variety of vehicles, a 'generic one set for all models' approach is obviously incorrect.

How low should you go on the Accord 8th Gen?

When it comes to road vehicles, the maximum suspension drop is 27 - 36 mm, but when it comes to versions that come with lowered suspension already, the maximum suspension drop is 20 mm, according to TorqueCars.

These tolerances may be drastically lowered if the wheel size is changed. Even with 16 or 17-inch wheels and conventional suspension, lowering the vehicle may create a a slew of issues.

Accord 8th Gen Camshaft Upgrades

Sporty camshaft profiles raise the upper RPM range power and we generally recommend this as a primary mod on petrol engines, and secondary on Diesels to a remap. In most cases you will see top end power gains through performance camshafts on most engines. So altering your Accord 8th Gen camshaft will make a difference to the engine torque. Choosing a higher performance camshaft profile raises the torque curve accordingly.

Fast road cams usually raise the power throughout the rpm band, you might lose a little low down torque but high end rpm power will be higher.

Motorsport cams, raise the high end rpm power band but as a result the car will not idle smoothly and low end power nearly always suffers.

For a car used daily you should ideally to optimize your torque band to your usage of the car.

I'd be shocked if you'd find a Accord 8th Gen Race camshaft is much fun when on the daily commute. This is because the lumpy idle will make the car more likely to stall and smooth driving at low rpm becomes impossible. If you are developing a track car this doesn't matter as you are in the high end of your RPM range anyway and that is where you want the power to be.

Each engine responds differently depending on how well made they are, when cams are fitted depending on the cam being less aggressive cam durations so view each engine and camshaft as unique due to manufacturing tolerances and quality variations so set your engine up on a rolling road.

The ecu map and fuel delivery and fuel pump also will say much on the bhp gains you'll get.

Extending exhaust or intake durations can adjust the bhp range, and on most engines there are some advantages to extending the intake or exhaust durations and valve lift.

ECU Mapping Improvements for the Accord 8th Gen

ECU mapping helps to establish the full potential of all the modifications you've done to your Accord 8th Gen.

(Sometimes flashing the ECU is not an option, so an aftermarket ECU is the route to take, and many of these will outperform factory ECU's but ensure it has knock protection and that you get it setup properly.) It will usually give around 30% more power on turbocharged vehicles and you can expect to see around 15% on NA (naturally aspirated) engines, but figures achieved usually depend much on the modifications you've done and the condition of your engine.

Tuning the Honda Accord 8^th generation cars is a great way to considerably increase their power and torque.

One of the most impressive services in this regard is offered by Celtic Tuning. The company tunes the diesel variant of this generation and offers different stages for the process which are:

• Economy in which power is increased by 44 hp and torque by 24 lb-ft;
• Stage 1 raises power by 74 hp and torque by 41 lb-ft;

Air Flow improvements with 8th Gen Accord Mods

Alloy wheels are lighter than steel ones and aid in brake cooling. When picking out tyres for your automobile, keep in mind that the rubber you select will have a major impact on its grip and handling.

When slick performance tyres that are suitable for use on the track are available, there is no need to skimp on tyres.

Remember that huge alloys may look good on the Accord, but they will actually lower your performance.

Due to the shift in effective final drive ratio, acceleration decreases as vehicle size increases.

Alloy wheels are lighter than steel ones and aid in brake cooling. When picking out tyres for your automobile, keep in mind that the rubber you select will have a major impact on its grip and handling.

When slick performance tyres that are suitable for use on the track are available, there is no need to skimp on tyres.

Remember that huge alloys may look good on the Accord, but they will actually lower your performance.

Due to the shift in effective final drive ratio, acceleration decreases as vehicle size increases.

Alloy wheels are lighter than steel ones and aid in brake cooling. When picking out tyres for your automobile, keep in mind that the rubber you select will have a major impact on its grip and handling.

When slick performance tyres that are suitable for use on the track are available, there is no need to skimp on tyres.

Remember that huge alloys may look good on the Accord, but they will actually lower your performance.

Due to the shift in effective final drive ratio, acceleration decreases as vehicle size increases.

It is the goal to any performance tuning project to pull more air and fuel into each cylinder. So let's look at mods that improve your Accord's ability to suck in air!

Air Intake System

An air intake system is a great modification option as it increases the flow of air to the engine. This enhanced quantity of air when mixed with more fuel, leads to a higher combustion rate which in turn produces more power and torque.

Please note that induction kits WILL NOT INCREASE POWER, they merely exist to remove a restriction in the intake and the stock system flows well enough, until you start adding quite a bit more power.

K&N offers a wide array of air intake systems for the Honda Accord 8^th generation vehicles. 

However, if you are looking for engine-specific air intake systems, the various options that work best for different variants:

For the 2.0-litre engine cars, the Weapon-R Stealth Secret Weapon Aluminium Short Ram Air Intake System is a good choice;

If you have a 2.2-litre engine vehicle, you should go for the Flowmaster® Delta Force™ Cross-linked Polyethylene Cold Air Intake System.

The Takeda® - Retain Stage 2 Aluminum Short Ram Air Intake System is one of the best options for the 2.2-litre Honda Accord 8^th generation cars. This part promises around 14 hp and 16 Nm improvements.

For getting the most out of your 3.5-litre engine, use the K&N® - 69 Series Typhoon® Aluminum Cold Air Intake System.

Your intake manifold will channel the air from the filter and allow it to be pulled into the engine cylinders.

The shape and flow characteristics of the Intake manifolds can make a substantial improvement to fuel atomisation on the Accord 8th Gen.

We often see plenum chambers are in dire need of performance upgrades, although some makers provide reasonably good plenum chambers.

Increasing valve sizes on Accord 8th Gen, getting port work and head flowing will also raise power, this will afford you an improved power increase on other parts.

Accord 8th Gen Turbo upgrades

NA (naturally aspirated) engines need quite a lot of work when you add a turbo, so we have a separate guide to help you take into account the pros and cons of going this route on your Accord 8th Gen

Turbochargers are highly adored in the world of performance enthusiasts mainly because they deliver exceptional results. However, these are some of the most expensive performance modifications you’ll perform on your car.

This is why you need to be extra cautious while selecting the turbocharger for your car.

Not all parts fit every vehicle and thus you must carry out extensive research before buying a turbocharger.

A good option for installing a turbocharger on the Honda Accord 8^th generation vehicles is the one from Precision Turbo & Engine. This part is for the 6-speed manual vehicles only. The price is quite high but so is the performance.

Another option is to go for the BorgWarner® - Airwerks™ S400SX Super Core Cartridge. This is a universal part and thus you can fit it on all models of the Honda Accord 8^th generation cars.

There are many guys spending lots of money on turbo charger upgrades on the Accord 8th Gen only to see the whole thing go up in smoke just after it's been finished.

Large upgraded turbos tend to experience no power at low rpm, and small turbos spool up really quickly but won't have the high rpm bhp gains.

Thanks to new tech the choice of turbos is always increasing and we commonly find variable vane turbos, permitting the vane profile is altered according to speed to lower lag and increase top end power.

Twin scroll turbos divert the exhaust flow into two channels and push these at differently angled vanes in the turbo charger. They also increase the scavenging effect of the engine.

You'll commonly see there is a restriction in the air flow sensor MAF/MAP on the Accord 8th Gen when loads more air is being fed into the engine.

You'll see that 4 bar air sensors coping with quite large power gains, whereas the OEM air sensor was restricting bhp and torque at a much lower level.

Supercharger

Adding a supercharger or additional turbo will make large bhp and torque gains, although more complex to configure. We have this guide to twinchargers if you want to read more.

If you don’t want to turbocharge your vehicle, you also have the option of choosing a supercharger for your car.

For this purpose, we recommend using the Kraftwerks® - Rotrex™K-Series C30-94 Supercharger Race Kit.

This is also an expensive kit which only fits specific 2.4-litre Honda Accord engines. Make sure your vehicle has one of these engines if you decide to buy this part:

• K24Z2
• K24Z3

Intercooler

Intercoolers are important for modified cars because their purpose is to provide dense cold air to the engine.

This air increases the car’s performance so it won't be wrong to say that the performance of a modified car is highly dependent on an intercooler.

You can choose from a large number of universal intercoolers available in the market for this purpose. Some of the brands that offer universal intercoolers that can be fit to Honda Accord 8^th generation cars include:

• Mishimoto;
• Frostbite;
• CTS.

Radiator Upgrades on the Accord

A vehicle’s cooling system plays a pivotal role in its operations. That’s because a car having an ineffective cooling system often overheats which causes a lot of problems during operations.

Car radiators keep dissipating the engine’s heat and thus having a properly functioning radiator is a must in all cars.

However, it is to be mentioned that the stock radiators are not designed to handle the immense amount of heat produced by modified engines. Thus, they are not effective for such cars.

The need for upgraded performance radiators like the Mishimoto Race Ready radiator comes into play in such cases and thus we suggest that you get this part installed on priority to keep your vehicle from overheating.

Accord 8th Gen Fuelling Upgrades

Don't miss you'll need to pay attention to the fuel delivery when you are increasing the power - it makes the car more thirsty. Performance fuel pressure regulators can provide a more snappy throttle response.

As combustion generates all the power and torque in our cars, thus providing an ample amount of fuel to the engine plays a key role in getting the best results out of the cars.

We strongly recommend you to over specify your injector capacity.

The rule of thumb is to add another 20% when fitting an injector, helps cope with injector deterioration and gives some spare capacity should the engine need more fuel.

The fuel delivery system consists of several parts so here are a few of the upgrades that we consider a must for getting the best results from your Honda Accord 8^th generation car:

• Walbro In-Tank High Flow Fuel Pump;
• AEM Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator;
• Delphi Fuel Injection Pressure Regulator;
• DeatschWerks In-Tank High Flow Fuel Pump;
• BLOX Fuel Pressure Regulator;
• Hondata Injector Driver.

Fuel Injectors

Here are some of the best options when it comes to fuel injectors for the 8^th generation Honda Accord vehicles:

• SiriMoto EV14 Fuel Injectors Kit;
• Blox Racing 1000cc Eco-fi Fuel Injector;

By choosing fuel injectors that allow more fuel flow to the engine, you can considerably increase the output of your vehicle.

We think this one is common sense, but you'll need to match your fuel injector to the type of fuel your car uses as well.

Accord 8th Gen Performance Exhausts

You should look to uprate your exhaust if the existing exhaust is actually creating a flow problem.

On most factory exhausts you'll see your flow rate is ok even on modest power gains, but when you start pushing up the power levels you will need to get a better flowing exhaust.

Do not go with the biggest exhaust you can source this will reduce the exhaust flow rate - the best exhausts for power gains are usually between 1.5 to 2.5 inches. It is the shape and material more than the bore size.

For road going cars mods such as a sports catalyst pretty much remove this restriction, thanks to it's larger size and surface area, and will effectively raise the performance to levels you would expect without having a catalyst installed, but keeps the car road legal. And will better flow due to it's higher internal surface area and design. The alternative catless mod or catalyst removal should be considered an off road only mod, as removing a catalyst is illegal in most territories and regions for road registered cars (and in some you can't even replace a working catalyst).

Accord Alloy wheel upgrades.

Alloy wheels are lighter than steel ones and aid in brake cooling. When picking out tyres for your automobile, keep in mind that the rubber you select will have a major impact on its grip and handling.

When slick performance tyres that are suitable for use on the track are available, there is no need to skimp on tyres.

Remember that huge alloys may look good on the Accord, but they will actually lower your performance.

Due to the shift in effective final drive ratio, acceleration decreases as vehicle size increases. Stick to the 17's and 18's for optimum handling in everyday use, the 19's are more suited to dry track work.

The wheels sizes on different models fit by the company were as follows:

2.0 litre

• 205/60R16;
• 225/50R17;
• 205/55R17;
• 215/45R18;
• 225/45ZR18;
• 225/40ZR19.

2.4 litre

• 215/60R16;
• 225/50R17;
• 235/45R18;
• 245/40ZR19.

3.5 litre

• 225/50R17;
• 235/45R18;
• 245/40ZR19.

Weak spots, Issues & problem areas on the Accord 8th Gen

The Accord 8th Gen engines are generally reliable and solid as long as they are well maintained.

Carbon build up in the head, particularly around the valves which will cause flat spots and loss of power, this is a larger issue on direct injection engines but should be looked out for on all engines. We have tips on removing carbon By avoiding short journeys where the engine doesn't warm up and using good quality fuel you can reduce this risk.

Service time oil changes are essential on the Accord 8th Gen, especially when tuned and will help ensure reliability of the engine.

To find out more about mods and upgrades, or just get some friendly advice on Tuning your Accord 8th Gen engine please join us in our friendly forum where you can discuss Accord 8th Gen tuning options in more detail with our Accord 8th Gen owners. It would also be worth reading our unbiased Honda tuning articles to get insights into each modification and how effective they will be.

Please help us improve these tips by sending us your feedback in the comments box below.

We love to know what our members have got up to and which upgrades work best for them on each model of car. We use your comments and feedback to improve the accuracy of these Accord 8th Gen tuning guides which get regular updates and revisions.

This article is flagged for an update, so please pass on specific tips below that I can include. All articles, and content was written by me, Waynne Smith TorqueCars founder. Some outlines are just too general so I appreciate your feedback and suggestions. This entry was filed under Honda. You can leave a response below or join our forum to discuss this article and car modification in detail with our members.

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