Shared Heartburn - Direct Fit Catch Can R&D, Part 1 - Concept and Design
It's not out of the ordinary for auto manufacturers to share parts across their lineup. The practice of repurposing a component rather than producing something completely new and unique is a huge money saver. This is why we see the Chevy LS engine everywhere, and why the Accord is also sporting a turbo-flavored setup similar to the Civic. We already spent some time rerouting blow-by in the K20 powered Accord, very much aware that the 1.5T would share some of the drawbacks.
With the K20C4 replacing Honda's V6 Accord option, they still needed something to fill the gap between that and the mild Hybrid. Enter the L15B7. The 1.5T variant is powered by almost the same engine found in the Civic. Granted, there were a few adjustments needed. For instance, this 1.5T has less aggressive tuning and uses a different intake system. This means that there's enough power to contend with the extra weight, but not more than the Si. Since most of this engine is the same, that means there will be the same issue with blow-by.
Given our familiarity with Honda's turbocharged lineup, our engineer, Ye, knew exactly where to dive in with one of our compact catch cans. Much like how Honda was able to repurpose the 1.5T, Ye sought to mount this kit's catch can using the bracket designed for the 2.0T.
Even though the L15B7 was the recipient of minor updates, that doesn't mean there weren't differences between the two Accords. We found that reusing the bracket design puts the can too close for comfort to one of the OEM lines. Given that we're looking to protect your engine, Ye went back to the drawing board to make sure we wouldn't cause any fuel leaks.
Luckily, with the smaller engine and the front-mounted turbo setup, there was still plenty of room to position the catch can against the firewall. Using the same mounting point, Ye worked up a new bracket clear from any OEM lines while still being plenty accessible for servicing.
While we might not have been able to share a bracket design between the Accords, we plan on sharing the same level of protection between the two variants. With our can installed, we sent our 1.5T powered Accord out for the standard 1000-mile road test to gauge the amount of collection and ensure the system works safely on the vehicle. Stay tuned for the results of just how much blow-by you can expect to see from your Accord.
Thanks for Reading!
-Nick
