mac_24_seven

iTrader: (1)

Update time guys!!!! I'm back at work and at my puter, so it's time to get some work done on my project thread!

Here's the last 2 shots of an un-molested, un-boosted Aeris



By by ITR header!


Problem.... Some of the blockw ebbing was in t3h way of boost... so it had to go.


ta daa!


Next problem.... My intercooler piping was just a tad big, so we had to cut it down a tad.



All done!


Here's a pic of some of the parts I snagged to finish up.


A pic of the clearance between the downpipe and AC comprssor:


Shots of the passenger side charge pipe:




Time for oil line stuff!
A pic of the fitting that went into the back of the block.


Had to pull the oil pan off to drill/weld the coupling in.


The fittings gonna go here:


See what happens when I point at oil pans? Holes get drilled and paint gets grinded off: Yep, magic fingers


Notice how unsafe this is....
No glasses...

No gloves...


But whatever. He didnt hurt himself but I did


Anyway, here's a pic of Andrew welding the coupling in the oil pan:

And here it is all installed and whatnot!


Here's a shot of the T fitting we made for my oil gauge and oil feed.


Not exactly what I wanted, but it works and doesnt look too bad so I'm happy with it!

This was a major problem.. The oil fitting coming out of the turbo was 3an and my line was 4 an, so I had to get a 3an to 4an fitting, 45 degrees at that. It looked like I wasnt gonna be able to get one, but thankfully a shop had a 9" nitrous line that was just what I needed


I had to modify my ac line brackets and also my radiator bracket. Had to move it over a lil bit.



Now we ran into a pretty big problem.. My BOV dump tube was gonna blow RIGHT ON my oil line. We couldnt have that happen so we had to extend the tube and weld it into the downpipe.
We went out and snagged some 1.5" scrap pipe from an exhaust shop for free and came back and got to work. All the credit goes to Andrew on this!





The welds werent pretty, by Andrews own admission, but they probably looked better than what I could do so I didnt mind. I appreciated t3h helP!

Something about working on cars that I've always chuckled about is the simple things that are aggrivating or take a long time to do.

Take for example, bolting the turbo to the manifold. OMG, what a freaking pain. Had to customize a wrench just to tighten down one of the bolts!

The bolt I'm pointing too.... Pain. It still isn't 100% tight but it's all we could do.


Once we got the turbo and downpipe bolted in the car and I started installing the driverside charge pipe, I saw my fender liner was in the way, so I had to modify that.


Next on the list was replacing my busted motor mount.. which was a pain also.


The bolt came OUT of the actual mount thats on the block and I couldnt get the nut off for anything. vice, impact, nothing. Thankfully, I went to pick N pull and there was a Teg that the engine had been pulled out of and that mount was there and I managed to snag that nut/bolt. Got my not new, but in 1000% better shape mount installed


I did alot more but I didnt get pics. It's really very hard to be working on somethin and snag a buttload of pics because your hands are greasy, gotta stop what ure doin, blah blah. I dont think I did too bad of a job though

Here's some final pics of the install





Some video's of the process will be up soon!


So, what do I think? I think it's awesome. I've got a decent amount of time behind the wheel since the install and all I can say is I can't wait till it's tuned. I cannto BELIEVE how much more driveable it is. I mean, I figure'd it would be kidna blehh out of boost.

No. Very, very wrong. I can be crusing around under 10 lbs of vacuum and just mash it, 1/4 throttle and it's starting to pick up. When it gets to 0 and the turbo is beginning to spool up.. oh boy.

I still havnt and won't go past 2 lbs of boost, nor will I stomp it, but man... I'm freaking giddy at the thought of how it's gonna be because just easing on it at 1/4 throttle is awesome. It feels so good.. It's SOOOO much more peppier than it was. I can't wait!!!!

Vids up later!

Enj0y!

***Edit***

Here's a little writeup so you guys can see a lil better the steps and work involved.


Assuming you have already installed a half size radiator and upgraded the fuel pump....

Step 1: Put car on jackstands.

Step 2: Disconnect battery.

Step 3: Remove exhaust/header and remove the o2 sensor from the header.

Step 4: Notch webbing on block. Temp bolt the turbo to the engine (without downpipe and wastegate) to see what needs to be cut.

Step 5: After notch is cut, reinstall the turbo, this time add the downpipe (still no wastegate) make measurements and find out where you want the drain to be on the oil pan.

**Note** If using a stock radiator, you may notice at this point it probably won't work. Hopefully you have already installed a half size civic radiator. If not, do it now. Be sure to replace the coolant and if you have animals, keep the anitfreeze out of their reach: It tastes sweet, dogs love it. it also kills them. Keep Fido away.

Step 6: While the downpipe is on, go ahead and extend the wires for the o2 sensor and figure out how you will run it. Do not install the o2 yet, as you have to remove the downpipe again later on.

Step 7: Remove downpipe/turbo so you can remove oil pan, drill the hole for the coupling then weld it in.

Step 8: Clean inside of oil pan, remove old gasket, clean any remnant of gasket there may be on the engine where the oil pan was, re-install the oil pan.

Step 9: At this time you can now permanently install the turbo and downpipe, assuming you have addressed the issue of welding the wastegate tube or not welding the wastegate tube. Stand back and adjust your pants because it's a damn sexy sight to see a turbo mounted to your engine!
The downpipe has to be installed after the turbo is bolted up. Be sure to install the o2 sensor at this point and plug it in.

Step 10: You can now run all oil lines, feed and drain (this step included assembling the oil tee's and drain fittings, cutting the drain tube to the correct length, ect). Be sure to route the oil feed so it's not against anything hot or anything that it can rub.

Step 11: Mount the intercooler. Removal of the front bumper may be required. In my case, I did it previous to the turbo install when I had to remove my bumper anyway. Depending on the size, more than likely you can drill the holes in the bumper support without removing the bumper. Obviously, you need to measure the holes on the intercooler and center them in the bumper. If you have kept the AC, you may have to bend and zip tie one of the hard lines going to the condenser to keep it form hitting the intercooler.

Step 12: Run charge pipes. You will need to loosen the front of the fenderliners, where the attatch to the bumper and front of the fenders. Complete removal in not necessary. I had to notch the fenderliner on the drivers side to make clearance for the charge pipes. If you bought a kit for your specific car, installation/fitment woon't be bad, but extending/cutting pipes still may be required. Be sure to tighten all clamps down very tight, T-Bolt clamps are ideal, but hose clamps can be used.

Step 13: Run vacuum lines. I had deleted the PCV line going to the intake manifold and on the blox manifold I had one extra vacuum line. The extra line I used for my boost gauge and I used the old PCV port (largest one on the manifold, assuming it's aftermarket like mine) I used for the BOV. I tee'd into the fuel pressure regulator for my wastegate. This is debateable as if this is a good idea or not. Running the vacuum this way can lead to boost spikes. The other way is running to the port on the turbo or intercooler piping. This can lead to lower HP #'s as the wastegate will open early.
Use zip ties on all vacuum lines to make sure they don't come off.

Step 14: DOUBLE CHECK EVERYTHING!! All hose clamps, vacuum lines. Nuts, bolts, clearances, everything. make sure nothing made its way into the turbo, ect. Use your head.

Step 15: Add oil, att coolant if you have note already (if you replaced the radiator)hook up the battery again. Make any last minute checks, stick the key in the ignition, say a prayer and crank it up. If all goes well, she'll fire right up and idle liek stock!

Step 16: Let her warm up. Check for leaks on all fittings, your bound to have one or 2. Tighten accordingly. Bleed coolant system if you replaced the radiator. Listen for any strange sounds, knocks, anything out of the ordinary. If you still have the stock injectors, adding the turbo will effect the idle ZERO. If it's not running right and all you did was add the turbo, you may have a vacuum leak, you may have dropped a wrench inside the engine, who knows. Shut it off immediately and figure out what you did wrong!

Step 17: Most important: DON'T DRIVE UNDER BOOST!!! You can drive it around out of boost all you want, but don't go boosting around until your tuned. In my case, I had to drive without being tuned for a lil while. I upped the fuel pressure so I'm on the safe side.
you will need at least 1 step colder plugs, gapped anywhere from .28-.34. Tight, yes, but thats what you need for forced induction. Timing also will need to be retarded, but if your getting tuned, let the pro do all that for you.

Step 18: After your tuned and your car is running all sexy and whatnot, it's obligatory you smoke something that has no less than 2 cylinders more than you, preferrably 4 or more. Also preferred to have either a Bowtie or a Running Pony on the grill Maybe even a Z somewhere on the car too.

Enj0y!


Side projects that are integral to the turbo installation, but can be done themselves so the actual installation of the turbo components can go smoother.

Welding the wastegate tube to the downpipe.
This is optional, as some prefer open wastegate. If you do leave it open, make sure it's not going to blow on your oil drain.If you DO weld it, dont do liek me and weld it close. It's recommended to weld the wastegate tube no closer than 18" to the turbo. If yOU DO weld the tube, please be sure to have permanently bolted the wastegate INCLUDING THE GASKET to the manifold so you have the correct length of pipe. Or else you have to recut the tube once it's welded. Not fun.
Purchase of a new gasket is recommended.

Assembling the Oil Tee for the turbo oil feed/oil pressure gauge.
You will need a T block and fittings along with a line going from the engine block to the Tee block. Also will need a oil feed line going from the block to the turbo. Details on the exact fittings needed to do this later.
Assuming you have them, be sure to use teflon tape so as to avoid any leaks. Also, be sure to NOT connect the Tee directly to the back of the block. harmonics from the engine will crack the block. Thats bad.

Install the Blow Off Valve onto the charge pipe.
Easy to do with the pipe installed in the car or not. I did it prior to the turbo installation. Purchase of a new gasket (if you bought a used kit or a used BOV) is recommended.

Installation of the injectors.
IMO, this needs to be done AFTER the initial cranking and warming up of the car with the turbo installed. No way to tell if you screwed up something with it running like crap fromthe bigger injectors and not being tuned. This needs to be done before tuning obviously.

Bolting the turbo to the manifold. Bolting the downpipe to the turbo.
I sprayed the gasket used when bolting the turbo to the manifold with copper gasket stuff. That way it had a good seal. I also spraye the downpipe flange with copper gasket stuff, since it doesn't get a gasket. be sure to tighten em down as best as you can!

Timing belt, water pump, oil pump.
If you have never changed your timing belt or it has been many thousands of miles, now might be a good time to do so. Same with the water and oil pump. I replaced my timing belt and tensioned it a lil tighter than what the spring normally does.

Gauges
Obviously you want to have a boost gauge: It's a perk of having a turbo car! Who doesn't think boost gauges are cool?! But don't get too gooey, you need to keep an eye on other engine vitals as well. Oil pressure is critical as well as water temp. A very good investment to get those 2. Also, a wideband o2 setup is ideal, as you can keep an eye on yoru air/fuel. A pyrometer (exhaust gas temp gauge) is another helpful took in keeping an eye on your engine vitals.
Also, you will need to have a fuel pressure gauge along with an adjustable fuel pressure regulator so you can regulate the fuel pressure.
In addition to that, you need to install a larger fuel pump too! Walbro 255 is t3h standard and gets the job done. Inexpensive and easy to install too!


So, as you see, a turbo install isn't very hard, per se', but it's very involved and there's ALOT more to it than just the turbo. A welder and a bandsaw or a sawzall is vital. Air tools are also great. You don't need ALOT of tools, but it always helps to have a shop at your disposal.

A buddy or 2, if anything, is critical. 2 heads are almost always better than one, and it helps in checking things and troubleshooting. The turbe/manifold is rather heavy when it's put together and you'll be under the car a good bit of time, so it's helpful for somebody to be able to hand you tools (or you hand them). You can also each be on a project and finish quicker.

The above info isn't everything, I'm sure I left out some stuff, but that gives you a really good idea of whats involved. I may add pictures later, I dunno. What I do know is that it's a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when it all actually works the way it should.

sho_tyme_psi

Looks good,you got any pics of the turbo to ic setup? This the same setup I am going with to put ac on the car. I do think you may want to work a lil on the t mounting on your oil feed. Looks good.

mac_24_seven

iTrader: (1)

I'll snag ya some man. I've got to modify it a lil though.> The intercooler piping hangs a tad low for my liking, and my cars lowered also so it makes it that much worse. I'm going to make alittle skid plate for it so if I run over something, it won't hit my intercooler piping

And yeah, I need to make a lil bracket for my oil fed Tee.. I'll work on that this week.

precisionsc54

looks a little hacked for my liking

mac_24_seven

iTrader: (1)

Well, it kinda is Though, honestly, the worst thing is the intake pipe. But man, I'm the only person in the world who can apprecaite it because it took me nearly 2 hours to get that. I had a box of pipe and couplers, knife and a sawzall.

It's ugly, but it functions: It'll keep a rock out of my turbo. So I'll deal with it for now

Actually, what I should do is get me some 3" flex pipe, run it exactly as I have now and wrap it with header wrap. Nobody would ever know what it was and it would look MUCH cleaner.

Hmmnnn... Ya know, thats not a bad idea at all! Hmmn!

My downpipe and wastegate will be replaced eventually, more than likely along with a better manifold. I'm going to weld a couple of the charge pipes together, so as to eliminate at least 2 couplings.

My oil lines will also eventually be replaced with SS braided ones and I'll move my oil T fitting when I do that.

As of right now, it's function over form. I'll worry about making it prettier later

DC_Legacy

Props for retaining your AC on this DIY kit. I wanna learn how to weld...

mac_24_seven

iTrader: (1)

It would be SOO much better without AC. Much more room for stuff AND I could have had my turbo facing the drivers side... but I live in Fl and my AC blows coooooooold so no reason to delete it!

Jintegragsr97

Very sessy man.

DC_Legacy

Yeah I prefer the look of the Ramhorn or Top-mount with the compressor facing the driver side of the motor too, but sensibility tells me to utilize a kit that retains AC over style when I finally find it in my budget to boost. FL heat sucks in August without AC in your ride.

Rickdrizzle

I think you meant your wastegate... since it dumps out the hot air. Btw, is this an ebay turbokit?

precisionsc54

also by the looks of the welds on your oil pan you better keep on the lookout for it leaking. Those look like booger welds and are full of porosity, a sure sign there are going to leak

1SicLS

dam nobody can appreciate the build on a budget. Of course some things look a little ruff but those are the things you upgrade and redo, he didn't say it was final he was done. this is for right now.

I think it looks good for a diy build. nice work

mac_24_seven

iTrader: (1)

Nope. It's a Prescision SC34, it's actually kinda pricey. I did get it at a better than ebay price though I got a good deal.. It's a real SC34 turbo, real Tial wastegate and a real Vortech BOV.

Good stuff

Jimmy

iTrader: (5)

awesome.. this is motivation for me to get off my butt and get my kit installed

racebum

if you can do a better job, by all means share. this guy did the whole job himself and it didn't turn out too bad. trying to cut on a guy who put his own time and effort into a functional product is lame. i think this is a great budget turbo build. it's functional and didn't cost the price of a used GSR to setup. this guy would really have fun with that spare bottom end i have in my garage.

mac_24_seven

iTrader: (1)

If I had a spare GSR bottom end ( I actually have a complete engine, but thats beside the point) I would pull it apart, throw freshen it up with near bearings/rings and boost the **** out of my current engine. 400+ hp. Have lotsa fun!

Though, I do have a spare engine if this one grenades so I'm not TOOO worried.

Thanks for t3h props though. I really don't care what people say because I DID do this and it's something the majority of people dont have the ***** OR the know how to do.

And I'm ok with that

JRSC01GS-R

looks like a fun little setup, is that a stock bottom end? whats your hp goal?

mrdeadman

I wish I had money for a turbo...

Rickdrizzle

ok, I'm glad you didn't cheap out on that. I personally like the sc34, but opted with the garrett t3/t4 .57 trim with .63 hotside due to it being 300 dollars cheaper.

what kind of manifold are you using?

honda1982

Good DIY man. Get it tune and pump up the boost. Have fun.

precisionsc54

Here you go Bro. All done by Me, Myself and I.
GE Sleeved block
84.5mm Wiseco Endyn Pistons
Eagle Rods
ACL Bearings
Crank Knife edged
3 angle valve job
Ferrea .5mm oversize Valves
Ferrea Springs and retainers
ARP Head Studs
OEM Honda Headgasket
Precisionsc54 Turbo
Tial 35mm HP wastegate
JG Intake Manifold
780cc Injectors
GE fuel rail
GE Vacuum Manifold
Aeromotive FPR
Hondata S200
Venom Cam gears
HKS SSQV BOV
Z10 6 quart oil pan
Full 2.5 inch mandrel bent intercooler piping
PWR Intercooler
Act 8.8 chromoly flywheel
ACTION Clutch
JDM Type-R LSD
Autometer gauges
FAL Slimline Fans
Other Items I cant remember or am to tired to list

DC_Legacy

IMO DIY fabs are what really makes a build rewarding if you can do them, and do them half decent like yours.

precisionsc54

Waiting on a reply

mac_24_seven

iTrader: (1)

<chuckles>

Interw3b call outs are funny

you have to understand man, the majority of pple talk smack and don't have jack to back it up. Just so happened he called you out and hey, you CAN back it up.

Tats a very nice setup there man.

How do you have your PCV setup?

What are your cam gears set at?
Whats yrou fuel pressure at?
What type of spark plug?
What gap, heat range?
How much boost?
What Hp?

precisionsc54

just a filter on the valve cover, but I have a Z10 oil catch can that needs to be installed
I use NGK 7 plugs set 2 steps colder and gap is at .30
Cam gears are still at stock setting
fuel pressure is set around 40psi
Im still set at 1.2bar till I get everything fine tuned
pulled a little bit over 360 on the dyno but was running really ritch.
Injector control was messed up and there were nearly running wide open.
Looked like a steam train burning coal. So much black smoke lol