racerdud17

im wanting to build my ls. its the dd for now. but id like to be able to take it to do some road course racing. numbers wise im looking between 300-400whp.

so clearly im looking to boost it. the question is wat does it take to build a turbo car for road course racing use?? brake and suspension aside. the engine is want i want the help with.

Calif_Kid

The first thing you'll probably hear, is to make sure to use the Search function to check for existing info. The next thing you'll hear, is that if you don't have experience on a road racing course, is to drive the car basically stock (but with fresh brake fluid and new/good track pads etc.), and later on, you can always increase the power. For the engine, you'll probably want a full size radiator and a good oil cooler, plus probably best to keep the boost fairly conservative for a while to prevent engine issues on course. With that much hp, I hope that you brakes are very good (and maybe have cooling ducts/hoses). Anyway, I did a quick search for Turbo in the road race and autocross forum, plus searched for powerneedy's posts, as he has a very nice turbo integra, and the posts are below. - Jim

Powerneedy has a nice turbo car and writeup at
https://honda-tech.com/forums/road-racing-autocross-time-attack-19/powerneedys-time-attack-build-2762721/

plus there are a few other posts with general info:
https://honda-tech.com/forums/showth...ighlight=turbo
https://honda-tech.com/forums/showth...ighlight=turbo

lwnslw

I don't think a 400 hp civic is the right way to start your track experience, but then again it's your money.
So if I had a monster like that, nothing but the best will do, safety full roll cage done right, none of that bolt on crap , 8 to 10 point with everything on it.
Brakes with that hp you probably need the best you can get , same for suspension. In other words you are building a full super unlimited front wheel drive car. Think about 40 to 50 thou if you are not doing the work yourself.

racerdud17

Now that I have a car that's not a pile of a dsm this year I plan on getting track experience.. as for suspension I don't plan on touching the track without having full body coilovers and all my bushings replaced. Now for brakes wilwood has some nice setups under a grand. And well I can't go fast and stop fast with out tires. So in that department. I'm thinking 16x7 wheel between 30 to 35 offset and a nitto tire or an equivilant nt05 or nt01.

The engine drivetrain and tune are really the only things I'm worried about. Throwing the car around backroad twisties is fun but I'm tired f watching for cops so I want to go to the road course.
I have been searching and found a lot of nothing. So that's why I posted.

914Racer

I can take a stock CRX and run circles around you in turbo car, plus it will be cheaper to run. On a road coarse its not necessarily about the car, but the driver. I guarantee that you will learn more with a 180hp than you will sorting out a new fangled complex turbo project car. Trust me. BTDT. I have a turbo track car.

racerdud17

yea i know i need to get seat time. this year i should be getting alot. between auto-x at school and back home at tire rack. as well as mabey some runs at mid Ohio is possible. i don't plan on finishing the build this year. that is the plan for next winter.
as far as power. the limit will be about 350-375whp because of all the extra demands of power and cooling and brakes suspension and chassis is much more above those levels.
i know i need rods pistons and that normal ****. but as far as what turbo and manifolds, cooling, oil system, breather and that side of it all.
i had thought about supercharged but that dont make mush power for the price and they get heat soaked fast.

AcuraIntegraLS-T

Based on the questions your asking it looks to me like your going to need to do a lot more research and your going to need more experience to pull something like this off. I tune, and provide track support for powerneedy's integra, and with the car just on low boost we have spent countless hours working out kinks and overcoming issues that at lower power levels, others just dont have to struggle with. Without a good knack for problem solving, and a good amount of experience, your going to either end up unsuccessful, or end up spending a ton of money to have a capable person do those things for you. Sometimes you need to walk before you run, and I'm not just talking about the driving side of things. I wish you the best of luck if you do try to pursue this, its not impossible it just ends up being expensive, tricky, and frustrating at times.

Lo-Buck EF

just make sure its safe to take on track and drive it the way it is.

racerdud17

thanks. yea i just finished reading his whole thread. im liking some of his setup. im seeing things on his car that can work better on my car. im going to school for all of this and i havent finished all my engine classes. im sure that will help alot. ive been doing alot of research so i can figure out how to do my setup.. i know i need to think saftey and handling and track time before i do power.. im still researching each day. i just want some tips for engine setup aspect.

AcuraIntegraLS-T

Your motor build is going to depend on what your end goals are. You can run 300whp on a set of stock rods and some aftermarket cast pistons without too much worry. Fuel choice is also going to play its part when deciding what to do with the motor. There is plenty of info out there when it comes to building honda motors.

racerdud17

until there are more pumps near me that can carry e85.. im wanting to run a 93 water meth setup. and as far as the bottom end if i have it apart and am getting pistons im getting rods. its not that much more for the added relability and peice of mind.
it will be a 9.5 to 1 setup + the boost. eagle rods, weisco pistons most likely. already have head studs. getting a block with a gsr water pump and b16 oil pump. i need to figure out if i should run a girdle. ill baffle a stock pan.

im not looking to kill the competition or anything like that. its just to have fun and be somewhat competitive in a field.

lwnslw

I really don't think that building an engine and making lots of power is the question here although 350-400 hp ls engine for the track sounds like 200 hp overkill now try that on a parking lot . Don't even know if he really knows what he's talking about.
What I'm talking about is that hp on a track with no safety or at least for what I hear no tought about it yet. Safety first hp later

racerdud17

i just said i know i need to take care of safety before power. which i will work on through-out this season and power for next.

Lo-Buck EF

stone stock ls+sc61@8ish psi=200hp.
FOR A NOOB, THAT IS ALREADY TOO MUCH!!
you are going to learn nothing more than how to pass people down the straights because u make more power. Trust what people are telling you here. Learn to drive on track BEFORE adding tons of power. No need to build i car thats too fast for you that you'll blow up or wreck. And its your DD.

racerdud17

thats why this year im going to get as much track time as i can.

will46r

Get all your safety gear in the car with a stock engine, get track time on this setup while you build the turbo engine.

It's easy to get hung up on horsepower because it's easy to do and to point at but you can't overvalue experience coupled with ability. I see a guy at Barber's in a 90HP Karmann Ghia tearing E30s up.

Good luck to you, spend lots of money on safety gear and spare parts.

racerdud17

thanks. hopefully i wont have to spend tons. hoping me and my buddies can fab up a cagebut i will see how that works out.

this will be the build car.

lwnslw

Key words "hope and can" , I'm by any means not trying to put you down but honestly every word you have type so far tells me you don't know much of anything at all.
400 hp ls engine and hoping you can build a cage. Seek help.

racerdud17

the only reason i hesitate on me and my buddies doing the cage is well first.. a good welder and pipe bender isnt cheap or a notcher. and the welds. id rather have a professional do it. ive taken welding at school but i dont trust my abilites yet. if its suppose to protect me if i flip i want to know it wont brake. and yea i will admit 400 is high for that use. i may look to my teacher for their opinions and help on wat to do..

then again they will laugh because i drive a honda and they hate almost all honda kids because some screw everything up for us that can and do do things the correct way.

i do know that 400 out of an ls is not an unreasonable though if it was just a screw around steet build.

lwnslw

Don't worry about driving a Honda , here we are a bunch of 40+ guys still playing with Hondas nothing wrong with it. Go to the track , ask your questions , talk to people that races , I'm sure they will be happy to share with you. I race with NASA Honda challenge so I'm partial to them but I'm sure you can find events everywhere.

racerdud17

ohh the last thing i am is worried about is that im driving a honda. im just saying getting help from my teachers is hard because of their dislike for the honda douchebags at my college. alot of ppl that have muscle cars ar ignorant. and oh its a four cylinder ill rape you. but they never under stand power to weight ratio. and who knows their car better. sub 10 second all motor even sub 9 second. as well as some 8 second cars that are boosted. to each disadvantage there can be an advantage...

yea i cant wait to get these couple bugs fixed and for the season to start. im ready to get to the track. the back roads aren't doing it for me anymore.

racerdud17

by the way... im studying automotive high performance at UNOH. Then after that i plan to get my automotive business degree.

lwnslw

Good for you , but remember , safety always first.

racerdud17

what style of cage is better? i was thinking if i ever go with a full cage that i would want to do the nascar style bars because that would give me more room. im a big dude and i think id have issues clearing just a normal angle style

will46r

My advice is for your cage builder to use the rules of the highest level of racing you intend to participate in then build a cage for it. No sense in paying for the building and installation of 2 cages.

Not too familiar with up there but have you looked at SCCA PDX or other DE events? It doesn't require much safety equipment beyond helmets at the lower levels. You also won't have the expenses of outfitting your car.

You know you it may be cheaper to buy an ITA or ITB car then building an engine for it.