Got a friend with a Civic SI that wants to put a low budget turbo system on the car. The thing has way too many miles to turbo the stock engine and we can pick up ZC or SOHC VTEC engine for next to nothing. So which one is better with turbo. They both start with about the same amount of power but what happens after boost.

 

SOHC VTEC...

 

It's personal preference. with vtec, you have vtec, and the option of getting vtec cams. with ZC, you have 2 cams. power wise they are around the same. boosted, they are somewhat equal. it's all up to you and how sophisticated you want to make the engine.

 

boosted zc = one torquey motor


[Modified by orangeEF, 1:51 PM 6/17/2002]

 

yes 189ftlb at 12psi of boost.

 

well think about it from an ease of aftermarket support--i would say SOHC vtec all the way. ZC's are very old engines, and 95% of the time i'd tend to argue that they've got just as much mileage as the stockers people yank them out for. and with a ZC when something goes kaboom you have to try to track down the USDM equivalent part and what not...it seems like a useless waste to me. i know there are a lot of support here for the ZC, but i honestly, truely, don't get why. i've never seen a ZC put on the dyno put down what it 'should' be putting down.

 

SOHC VTEC has a nice 9:2:1 compression wich its veryyyyyy good for boost!