Basically my car/turbo setup and I are in a never ending fight. If i logged all my problems, it would be a very long list. Lets start:

1)Manifold Doesnt fit with stock fans
2) manifold didnt fit with turbo, had to shave down my block
3) While trying to cram the turbo in w/ my manifold i put a hole in my radiator
4) I cant get 2 bolts losened so i can rotate my turbo center section.
5) When bolting my manifold up i have a very nicely sized gap between the block.
6) Im waiting on a slim fan from Texas or Florida or some ****.
7) Basically my car looks like my car minus the header and air intake system. I cant get anywhere. Every time i go out to do something, i cant. Right now im draining my radiator over night so i can take that off to patch it up.

Basically my car hates me and wishes i would just leave it in stock form.

Bah, i will never feel boost....

 

how the hell did you bust a hole in the radiator i mean ****..but anywayz man its never as easy as it looks just be patient...

 

how did i put a hole in my radiator......It was either because my WG grabbed the and dug into the radiator or while i was trying to dremel out some of the plastic on my fan so i could get my turbo and manifold actually in the engine bay.....At this point i dont remember....basically there is a leak, nothing some jbweld wont patch up though ...

 

Just take it slow. I know how it is trying to hop up your only car and your daily driver...when **** ***** up, you get real frustrated. I'm in the process of boosting my car, but I'm taking it extra slow and making 100% sure I'll have everything I could possibly need before installing it. Imagine how hard it is for me...my bedroom looks like the NOPI warehouse...I've got catbacks and turbos and charge pipe and you name it all around me. I just want to run down to the garrage right now and start bolting stuff up!

 

thats the frustrating thing. I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED!

No doubt about it putting the hole in my radiator is my fault and getting the bolts off on my turbo is half my fault half the fact its probably from the 1980's, but my car has been down for like 2 weeks and i cant at this point even bolt the manifold and turbo up....its just ridiculous

 

lol not to disappoint you, but you better come to love the "challenge" (if you can call it that, maybe the "battle") of working on your car. Even after you get the kit on, thats only like 30% of it. Then you have to work out the bugs, maybe blow something up or break something really expensive. Then you'll deal with tuning a ghetto *** fuel system . Then you'll get fed up with that and load up your credit cards with a new engine management and fuel system (injectors, fuel pump, etc). Then you'll remember you still have to get it tuned, doh, another $200-$400 chore only if you DONT blow it up on the dyno.
I was going for a quick street tune and of all things my f@#kin e-cutout motor broke off and was dragging on the road. Man was i pissed off when i pulled over to figure out what the hell that noise was. I didn't even jack the car back up to see if i could fix it. I pulled it into the garage, promptly closed the garage and called it a night.

Not trying to discourage you here, just want to let you know what you're getting into lol.

 

Thats how it is with cars. Everything seems to take twice as long as you planned. But when you finally finished you have the satisfaction of knowing that you learned something.

 

Tip #1: Put cardboard over the inside of your radiator. Everyone will **** it up when working with large objects near the radiator. I bashed the hell out of mine before I got smart.


Tip #2: Pusher fans 0wn. Even with slim fans in the stock location sometimes there wont be enough space or it will still be too close to the turbo and melt.


Tip #3: Nearly everyone has to shave their block, at least a little. Its no big deal. You can make it look nice.

 

join the club dude.

heres my rundown when i first boosted:
1. blew turbo gasket
2. oil feed popped off starting a nice fire under my hood
3. steel braided oil feed line had leak
4. driving around without a vent tube for my wastegate= melted oil feed line I just so happened to route somewhat in front of it.

took at least a week worth of fixing minor dumb things, then it took at lest 2 weeks to get the damn thing running.

 

I'm in the process right now and some parts really do suck ***. I had to cut a big chunk out of my crossmember today to get my downpipe to fit. I finally got that done then I realize I have shity ground clearence, then I cut a 2.5" hole out my frame rail to run the IC piping only to realize the hole is smack in the middle of a large bolt that comes up, then I realize I have to blow $50 on a ******* 90 degree coupler (plus $30 in ******* duty fees) so i end up paying like $80 for a stupid hose. Then I have to take off the crossmember to get plates welded over the cut section only to break my ratchet using a large "breaker" bar trying to get the engine stablizer bolts off. But everyhting worked out in the end kinda, its been a long day.

ok im rambling

 

feel free to rant about what you are going through. Its tech related

 

hang in there man, the fruits in the end are much worth it

p.s. im glad i got a beater first

 

As long as you do everything slow, and the right way...hopefully you wont have the 70% of problems after the install just make sure u do it all the right way and not half *** just my 2 cents

 

With a D16Y8, would a Precision SC50 .48 A/R and Lovefab SST mani be too close to the stock radiator and A/C fan? This is in 2000 Civic coupe.

 

On the lovefab website it states the SST is not AC compatible. So, I'd think you'd have a clearance problem with the fan.

 

what size fans and CFM are those...any cooling issues??

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Muckman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Tip #2: Pusher fans 0wn. Even with slim fans in the stock location sometimes there wont be enough space or it will still be too close to the turbo and melt.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

welcome to the club... I've had my turbo on for 6 months now... Know how many days I've driven it? TWO!

#1. OBD1 Crossover harness was being flaky due to being miswired.
#2. Chips wouldn't burn correctly
#3. I was making the maps incorrectly
#4. Oil return line got kinked and blew the exhaust seal
#5. I/C piping not lining up correctly.
#6. Bad AEM FPR Diaphragm caused 80+psi of fuel at idle.
#7. OEM Fogs won't fit back on with current intercooler setup.

Know what my solutions were? More money!
#1. Boomslang harness $75
#2 & #3 I bought new chips & stopped being a retard
#4. Ordering a steel braided return and rebuilt turbo with kit from relentlessracing.com
#5. Messed with it ALOT, and i have bought a new i/c.
#6. Put Stock FPR back on.
#7. Hoping new intercooler setup will allow OEM fogs to fit.

So welcome to the club...

I can tell you this though... the 15 miles of boost that I did drive at 5.5 psi b/c my wastegate was leaking due to not being bolted down correctly, OMG Hi2U it was fun!

 

I didn't have to shave my block and I have a 60-1 turbo. I also didn't put holes in my radiator or have problems with turbo bolts.

My two things of advice I've learned:

1) Go slow enough to use your own common sense when working on cars. If you find out you did something stupid later on you didn't think it through.

2) It isn't enough to have all the parts you think you need. You have to have all of the parts you need to work with your setup. There is a big, big difference.

IE: Rather than shaving my block, having space issues, etc, I just turned the turbo around, put on a 4" inlet filter rather than a ghetto chain fence, and had ample space for a 3" downpipe. All without shaving a thing, using odd spacers, etc.

 

damn thats alot of stuff gone wrong..

i had misfortune on my first setup as well..

Oil line busted, huge boost leak from crappy welding... blah blah

welcome to the club... everyone goes through it.. ya learn ya learn

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by diputs &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">On the lovefab website it states the SST is not AC compatible. So, I'd think you'd have a clearance problem with the fan.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I talked to Cody though and he said he can make the SST A/C compatible for the D series, the only thing that is in the way for that is the compressor and you need a 2.5" downpipe then flare it to 3" after the compressor. I'm more worried about if the turbo itself is big enough where it will be too close to the fan.

 

My fans are 12" x 2.5" thick at the highest point. They flow 1500 CFM each. I got them for $55 each from Viren.

Ive only had the car running once since I installed them. I let it idle for 45 mins and it never overheated. I can monitor the coolant temperature with my AEM EMS and it never rose past 212* as thats when the fans kick on (which is normal).

 

I tore the front end of my car installed from inside out and had no problems....took a lil longer but i knew i wouldnt **** anything up

 

yep, nobody is perfect, my vtec won't kik in, i must have pulled a wire somewhere, plus my check engine light goes on with v-afc!!, unbeleivable.

 

put the turbo kit... driving down the road.. timing belt jumped u got it easy

goodluck

 

i feel you....same stuff happened to me....ferget it...or come up with some money to do some custom work...