Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - 91 civic LX sedan

elhigh · 09-20-2016, 09:31 AM

That's the last year of the square-edge style. I really like those.

As I recall that's a very lightweight car. You could do some experimentation with disconnecting your power steering. To start, you would disconnect hoses from the pump to the rack, and loop the rack hoses from its input to its output. It will feel heavier than normal but it's such a lightweight car it's not a big deal. If it's okay with you, you can remove the belt from the power steering and not have made any changes that can't be changed back in an afternoon. If you're committed, you can remove the pump and get a few pounds out of the car - never a bad thing.

Being a manual opens up all manner of EOC opportunities. All the aero work you do will simply make your engine-off glides that much longer. The biggest bang for the buck is with a deeper air dam at the front and grille blocking. How much grille you block is up to you. Monitor your running temps so you don't go too far - some guys have been able to pretty much close off the entire rad.

Being a sedan, your aero at the back isn't great and difficult to change without limiting access to the trunk. You may want to spend most of your time making the rest of the car as slippery as possible before you get into a partial or full kammback that will work with your trunk lid.

Instrumentation is your friend, except it may not be your friend. A 91 Civic will have an OBD 1 port, and all the aftermarket instrumentation devices use OBDII, which has been the standard since '96 in the US. There are adapters available to convert an OBD1 port to use an OBDII scanner, but I don't know whether that will permit the instrumentation devices to talk to your system. If it does, I strongly recommend you go for it - more information makes you a better driver.

I'm seeing adapters on Amazon for $20 and less, and the OBDII-to-phone transmitter I got was about $25 or less. Torque Pro is about $5 and opens up a RAFT of instant readings, average readings etc. Again, I don't know how well Torque Pro, which is geared toward OBDII, will function with OBD1. As they say, your mileage may vary.

09-20-2016, 09:31 AM	#4 (permalink)
elhigh Master Novice Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: SE USA - East Tennessee Posts: 2,314 Josie - '87 Toyota Pickup 90 day: 29.5 mpg (US) Felicia - '09 Toyota Prius Base 90 day: 52.44 mpg (US) Thanks: 427 Thanked 616 Times in 450 Posts	That's the last year of the square-edge style. I really like those. As I recall that's a very lightweight car. You could do some experimentation with disconnecting your power steering. To start, you would disconnect hoses from the pump to the rack, and loop the rack hoses from its input to its output. It will feel heavier than normal but it's such a lightweight car it's not a big deal. If it's okay with you, you can remove the belt from the power steering and not have made any changes that can't be changed back in an afternoon. If you're committed, you can remove the pump and get a few pounds out of the car - never a bad thing. Being a manual opens up all manner of EOC opportunities. All the aero work you do will simply make your engine-off glides that much longer. The biggest bang for the buck is with a deeper air dam at the front and grille blocking. How much grille you block is up to you. Monitor your running temps so you don't go too far - some guys have been able to pretty much close off the entire rad. Being a sedan, your aero at the back isn't great and difficult to change without limiting access to the trunk. You may want to spend most of your time making the rest of the car as slippery as possible before you get into a partial or full kammback that will work with your trunk lid. Instrumentation is your friend, except it may not be your friend. A 91 Civic will have an OBD 1 port, and all the aftermarket instrumentation devices use OBDII, which has been the standard since '96 in the US. There are adapters available to convert an OBD1 port to use an OBDII scanner, but I don't know whether that will permit the instrumentation devices to talk to your system. If it does, I strongly recommend you go for it - more information makes you a better driver. I'm seeing adapters on Amazon for $20 and less, and the OBDII-to-phone transmitter I got was about $25 or less. Torque Pro is about $5 and opens up a RAFT of instant readings, average readings etc. Again, I don't know how well Torque Pro, which is geared toward OBDII, will function with OBD1. As they say, your mileage may vary. __________________ Lead or follow. Either is fine.