What did you do to your FL5 today?

[HondaHoon]

I hope you plan to build the engine first brother. I know people run more power on stock engines, but I really don't think they really exploit the power often. More just for the clout that they hit that power level on A occasion. Do you plan to roll race? Curious what the end goal for power is, in your eyes. I can tell you that if you plan to track the car for time attack or the like, driving this car with a large turbo is frustrating to say the least.

I’m currently running the PRL P700, 538whp on e45

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[SpoolinFK8]

I hope you plan to build the engine first brother. I know people run more power on stock engines, but I really don't think they really exploit the power often. More just for the clout that they hit that power level on A occasion. Do you plan to roll race? Curious what the end goal for power is, in your eyes. I the can tell you that if you plan to track the car for time attack or the like, driving this car with a large turbo is frustrating to say the least.

Thanks for your reply brother. The PRL P700 is the biggest drop in turbo so far in the market, but no one has been able to successfully tune it properly because of some flaws in the internal design. It definitely has a noticeable Lag when boosting, the P700 comes alive around 3500-4000rpm at 30psi. When my tuner Pepo from RedstarMotoring was tuning it, the turbo kept over boosting past his set PSI command. Reason why we left it at 535whp, the highest run she made was 640whp on E45 but he wasn’t comfortable with how the turbo kept responding. He told me eventually it’s not going to last so just enjoy it for now. Which is what i’m doing. The Precision 5662 Next Gen Turbo that i’m going with next, spools much sooner than the P700 and carries power all the way to 8k, with a max output hp of 800. Making it a great mid power-band setup which is what I want. I’m fully modded except the bottom block is still stock. Race Ported IM, 74mm Skunk 2 TB, JE Pro Seal head gasket, ARP 625 Head Studs, Skunk2 stage 2 cams, Ferrea valve spring kit, and Pocket ported the head for smoother air flow. At the moment I don’t have any specific motive for drag or circuit races, just chasing HP at the moment. Occasional sprints here and there.

 

[HondaHoon]

Very well said Sir. Thank you for your detailed response.

Thanks for your reply brother. The PRL P700 is the biggest drop in turbo so far in the market, but no one has been able to successfully tune it properly because of some flaws in the internal design. It definitely has a noticeable Lag when boosting, the P700 comes alive around 3500-4000rpm at 30psi. When my tuner Pepo from RedstarMotoring was tuning it, the turbo kept over boosting past his set PSI command. Reason why we left it at 535whp, the highest run she made was 640whp on E45 but he wasn’t comfortable with how the turbo kept responding. He told me eventually it’s not going to last so just enjoy it for now. Which is what i’m doing. The Precision 5662 Next Gen Turbo that i’m going with next, spools much sooner than the P700 and carries power all the way to 8k, with a max output hp of 800. Making it a great mid power-band setup which is what I want. I’m fully modded except the bottom block is still stock. Race Ported IM, 74mm Skunk 2 TB, JE Pro Seal head gasket, ARP 625 Head Studs, Skunk2 stage 2 cams, Ferrea valve spring kit, and Pocket ported the head for smoother air flow. At the moment I don’t have any specific motive for drag or circuit races, just chasing HP at the moment. Occasional sprints here and there.

 

[SpoolinFK8]

More parts from Japan. When you order parts and forget about them until they arrive. Lol.

 

[Chilly613]

More parts from Japan. When you order parts and forget about them until they arrive. Lol.

Did not know Blitz made one that installs on the rear subframe. That's a lot better and easier than having to remove the rear bumper. Can't wait to hear your feedback on it.

 

[I♥️LCY]

Came home to a finished print. The deeper console came out really good. It also helped me realize a way to maximize the design. I'll attempt one more revision, but its so functional, it's enough for me.

 

[SpoolinFK8]

Did not know Blitz made one that installs on the rear subframe. That's a lot better and easier than having to remove the rear bumper. Can't wait to hear your feedback on it.

They also make one for the middle of the car by the merge section of the front pipe and exhaust. And they make 2 for the rear, one has stiffer tolerance for FL5 running coilovers, and the second for oem and drop spring setups.

front section

stiffer rear bar

Softer rear bar

 

[SpoolinFK8]

Did not know Blitz made one that installs on the rear subframe. That's a lot better and easier than having to remove the rear bumper. Can't wait to hear your feedback on it.

I’m curious to see how all 4 bars are going to feel when i install the 2 Blitz one. Lol. I’m already running the Mugen ones.

 

[I♥️LCY]

Please give us some feedback on that once you get it on. Those seem to be more reasonably priced.

 

[Chilly613]

Please give us some feedback on that once you get it on. Those seem to be more reasonably priced.

I don't know about reasonably priced, others usually come in sets of 2 for the front and rear, this is priced for just a single control beam.

 

[I♥️LCY]

I see. I was looking at spoons CB's.

 

[Cueyo]

These torsional rigidity dampers use the same tech. Spoon, blitz, autoexe use aisens damper tech with some modification, and mugen and J's racing use a Yamaha design.

The real difference would happen from where the bars are placed methinks. Itd be nice if the best setup was just 2-3 of these under the car. Kinda don't wanna remove my rear bumper.

 

[Chilly613]

I see. I was looking at spoons CB's.

Spoon is probably the most expensive one, then there's Mugen, J's and I believe Cusco may be coming out with one too.

TSP has one too and its probably the cheapest, I have it, but I only have the front installed right now. The difference it makes is honestly negligible. I'll probably get the Mugen one down the line.

 

[zumbooruk]

Thanks, I also had no idea Blitz made these.

A while ago I looked at the two different technology/mechanism for control beams / dampers:

apparently different technology used, and different effect

Spoon Motion Control Beams
Aisin friction plates + high-rebound springs
controls front/rear body-end twist during cornering
better turn-in and progressive rigidity with street comfort
primary wear mechanism: Seal aging + possible slow nitrogen loss
expected life: 10 years or 100K km

If the priority is progressive body control during aggressive canyon driving with minimal added harshness, the Spoon unit targets that torsion-control role more directly.

Mugen Performance Damper
Yamaha hydraulic damping for sub-1 mm movements
absorbs high-frequency chassis resonance and buzz
smoother, quieter cabin and more solid high-speed stability
primary wear mechanism: Friction-plate surface wear + spring fatigue
was not able to find expected life, but expect progressive loss of friction force

If the priority is refined daily comfort, reduced cabin buzz, and high-speed composure while retaining the stock adaptive damping character, the Mugen unit results in noticeable refinement.


below is a long and verbose GenAI comparison of the two (don't trust and verify):

The two products address a shared engineering problem that conventional suspension components leave partially unresolved. Modern unibody chassis such as the FL5 experience continuous low-amplitude elastic deformation under load transfer, road undulations, and aerodynamic forces. These movements, often less than one millimeter, excite high-frequency resonances that transmit as cabin vibration, steering-column feedback, and minor geometry changes at the contact patch. Rigid strut braces suppress the motion but introduce secondary harshness and increased noise. Both Spoon and Mugen solutions insert a controlled damping element into the load path so that large inputs are resisted while small inputs are absorbed.

Yamaha’s Performance Damper technology, which Mugen licenses and tunes for specific Honda platforms, relies on a sealed hydraulic unit optimized for micrometer-scale stroke. The damping force is generated by restricted oil flow under nitrogen pressure and is calibrated model-by-model. Owner reports on the FL5 consistently describe a reduction in the “buzzy” character of the chassis, improved audio clarity, and a more planted feel during high-speed lane changes and uneven surfaces. Installation is typically two to three hours and requires no permanent modification beyond the mounting points specified by Mugen.

Spoon’s Motion Control Beam employs a mechanical friction-plate and disc-spring arrangement originally developed by Aisin. The spring element generates a reactive force proportional to large torsional inputs at the body extremities, while the friction plates dissipate smaller oscillatory energy. The design therefore provides progressive resistance rather than constant hydraulic damping. Spoon’s FL5 version (50500-FLA-000) uses a more compact damper body than earlier Civic applications to preserve ground clearance and reduce mass. The intended result is sharper turn-in response and cleaner line-tracing without the secondary vibrations that pure structural braces can introduce.

Neither product replaces the primary suspension. Both act as secondary chassis elements that complement the FL5’s multi-link rear geometry and adaptive dampers. Compatibility with existing modifications such as the DSC controller is confirmed by dealer and owner installations. In high ambient temperatures the hydraulic Mugen unit benefits from the same thermal management practices already applied to the rest of the FL5 powertrain, while the purely mechanical Spoon unit has no fluid degradation concern.

Long-term durability data remain limited because both products are relatively recent on the 11th-generation platform. Yamaha has produced more than three million Performance Dampers across automotive and motorcycle applications, providing a substantial reliability base. Aisin’s Motion Control Beam has been supplied to multiple Japanese aftermarket brands and has received domestic engineering awards for its dual-function (stiffness plus damping) design. For an owner focused on multi-decade retention of an FL5, either device represents a low-risk refinement rather than a high-stress performance modification.

Selection therefore reduces to the dominant driving envelope. Highway and mixed-street use with emphasis on cabin refinement favors the Yamaha-derived Mugen damper. Spirited road driving that prioritizes progressive chassis response favors the Aisin-derived Spoon beam. Both preserve the fundamental character of the FL5 while addressing residual body motion that stock components leave partially uncontrolled.

 

[I♥️LCY]

Spoon is probably the most expensive one, then there's Mugen, J's and I believe Cusco may be coming out with one too.

TSP has one too and its probably the cheapest, I have it, but I only have the front installed right now. The difference it makes is honestly negligible. I'll probably get the Mugen one down the line.

Had no idea there were so many options. Thanks.

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