Hey everyone,



Im pretty new to the car community in general but im planning to turbo my honda civic coupe 1997 with a d16y7 engine. It makes 106 hp and im looking for around 170-180 hp. I dont really want any life span decrease, since it my daily



So i got some questions, please dont hate on a newbie.



1: what turbo size/ what turbo in general?

2: do i need any upgraded engine parts?

3: do I need a tune?



Ps sorry for my english and I hope

 

1: A T3/T04b would be good, maybe a little big but it would give you room to grow later if you choose to.
If you can afford it, the GT2860RS is a good ball bearing turbo, which would give room for improvement later on.
https://www.garrettmotion.com/racing...urbo/gt2860rs/

2: Not if your engine is in decent condition, usually determined by a compression test.

3: You’ll definitely need something to add fuel for the extra boost you’ll be using. You can do a full tune by changing over to OBD1 and using engine management software. Or for that low of a power goal you’d probably be safe with a fuel piggy back such as the Vortec FMU (fuel management unit) which increases fuel pressure per the amount of boost you currently have. I used one for two years on 8psi of boost. You probably won’t need 8psi of boost to meet your goal of 170HP.

What turbo system do you have in mind? A custom pieced together one or an off the shelf pre fabricated one? You’ll also want a good mandrel bent exhaust at least 2.5” in diameter.

 

I am not planning to get over 200HP, I think the 2 turbo's you mentioned would be a bit overkill??
and im plannin to buy a pre fabricated turbo system.

Im looking for a Quick spooling turbo. So I guess I need something smaller then you mentioned.
What do you think of the garrett gt28r or gt28rs

 

First, welcome, and I fully understand the desire to turbocharge your Civic. But...I would HIGHLY discourage you from turbocharging your Civic if it is your daily driver / only vehicle.

What country are you located in? What is your total budget for the turbocharging project?

I would choose the smallest turbo that can meet your power requirements.

180 hp is within what the stock bottom end can handle if it's in good shape. If you stay with the stock bottom end, I would at a minimum disassemble it completely, check clearances, maybe open up the ring gaps slightly, and add head studs. Bore/hone/deck and replace bearings/gaskets/seals as necessary. But if you're taking it that far apart, why not just do some forged pistons and rods (or even the Vitara-spec pistons and rods)?

You absolutely will need to have the car tuned.

 

You’ll be good with the gt28r.
Which prefab turbo system are you looking at getting?

 

Thanks for ur reply. Im living in the Netherlands.
my budget is 3000, maybe more. My car has run 82.000 miles. Im not gonna strip the whole engine myself, i dont feel like i got the skills to do so.

 

GO-AUTOWORKS Turbo Kits Honda Civic Acura Integra H22 F20B D16 B16 B18

 

That's a good quality kit. You should easily be able to reach your goal of 170-180HP. The race kit has the better manifold but isn't air conditioning compatible. If you want a kit that you can keep the air conditioning with, you'll want to go with Go-Autowork's street kit:GO-AUTOWORKS Street Turbo Kit Honda Civic Acura Integra Del Sol CRX D16 B16 B18

You probably don't have to strip/rebuild the engine if your goal is only 170-180 and it has 82,000 miles. It should handle it. You can get a compression test done by a competent mechanic. It's simple, it just requires a compression tool to be hooked up to a spark plug hole, then the engine to be turned over, and it gives a compression reading for that cylinder.

You can probably do about 5-6 psi of boost on the turbo you are planning on to reach 170-180 HP, which is why I suggest getting a Walbro 255 liter per hour high pressure fuel pump, and doing the Vortec FMU to add fuel (https://www.jegs.com/p/Vortech/Vorte...57886/10002/-1). I used the 10:1 ratio, but they have different ones available. It's kind of a guess and check thing, but you can estimate what you need. I'd also suggest 10:1 or 8:1 if you have a smaller turbo. Make sure it's the high pressure fuel pump (Walbro GSS342 255LPH HP fuel pump) (might want to get the fuel pump kit, not just the pump itself, which will cost $99). That's the most simple and cheapest route. Although if you want more precise tuning with more control, then an OBD1 computer with an OBD1 jumper harness and something such as Hondata will be better than just the Vortec FMU. (https://www.hondata.com/obdi/s300)

 

What do you guys think of ebay turbo kits??

 

They often use low quality components that are prone to problems or failure, and have fitment issues. If they do work out, then they produce less horsepower per pound of boost. For example, the exhaust manifolds can crack or leak. The turbo can have oil issues. The downpipe might not fit with the exhaust. The wastegate might have trouble with boost creep or not holding a steady boost pressure. The intercooler piping might not fit. The blow of valve might not work or leak. The oil supply lines might leak or be the wrong size/supply too much oil.
All in all you're better off going with a quality kit that holds it's value, works right the first time. and has a good resale value.

 

Thanks dude! You are a great help
i would say i need a 50 trim and 0.63 AR

 

Go-Autoworks puts together fantastic kits. If you're on a budget, save yourself $600 and go with the Street Kit that uses the cast manifold and stick with the Precision 4831B. I know the cast manifold is not as pretty as a welded tubular manifold, but I'm making 400 whp with it on my single cam, so it works.

You don't have to rebuild your bottom end if you stay under 200 whp...but for max reliability, I would look at doing it. If you don't break the bottom end down, make sure your tuner knows to keep things conservative. Head studs are a good idea...but not required.

With the stock MAP sensor, you'll only be able to run about 10 psi max.

Ebay turbo kits to me are not worth the money. The wastegate and blow off valve often die pretty quickly. If it is a tubular manifold, they crack quickly. The piping usually will not fit without doing some cutting / re-welding. Once you have the parts in your hands, you can feel the poor quality. You'll usually end up replacing most of the kit components within a year or so if you keep the car that long.

I think you'll need to open up your budget a little bit - trying to think of doing things as cheap as possible while using a good kit:

Go-Autoworks Street Kit - $2,300
Bigger injectors and fuel pump - $300
Misc. fab work - $200
ECU chipping - $50?
Dyno tuning session - $400
Misc items that are bound to come up - $500

Be thinking about a clutch in the near future...

Again - this whole thing is a BAD idea for a daily driver / only car.

 

why is it a bad idea? You cant get a reliable turbo setup???

 

I've owned two different turbo Hondas at two different times in my life nearly 20 years apart. Based on my personal experience, I would say that having a Honda modified with a turbo that is reliable enough to the point where I would feel comfortable with it being my only car is not realistic. I would consider my current turbo Honda close to a "spare no expense" D-series build. And it's still had down periods over the last 3 years of ownership.

I'm not trying to discourage you from the project - I would just ENCOURAGE you to find a reliable daily driver before you decide to turbocharge your Civic.

 

What for kind of problems would run into when getting a small hp increase with a turbo? I though at low boost it would only make your car more efficient

 

If your car is a 1997 it’s already 24 years old so you’ll have the issues associated with a car that age already, plus small maintenance things with the turbo system such as bolts losening, overheating (maybe), or headlift (if you increase power), oil out of the tail pipe or oil in the intercooler piping, etc. Those are things you should anticipate and avoid if possible.
It is possible to have a reliable aftermarket turbo charged Honda if everything is planned and implemented correctly the first time, but adding a turbo to a Honda usually includes pushing the limit of some parts or systems such as the clutch or cooling system.

Right off you’ll need a new clutch as was mentioned above. If your car is automatic, it might hold the 170-180HP you plan to make. You’ll want to consider guages too, such as a boost guage, oil pressure guage, exhaust gas temperature guage, and maybe a wide band (senses oxygen in the exhaust). You might have other small hardware problems that can be sorted through if you are persistent and don’t give up right away. Consider it a long term investment/build up of the car.

 

buy quality parts ONCE and be done with. I've been running a Turbonetics turbo for well over 3yrs and no issues whatsoever.

 

Right, I think it’s better to have something that retains its value, that way, if I decide to sell it used I get a fair amount back. With an Ebay kit no one will want to pay much for it, but a quality kit, people will pay good money for it…

 

a lot of People tell me not to turbo a daily... i dont reallly know why tho, if I just do it the right way it wouldnt sacrifice the car right?

 

That's very true. But what is really meant by that statement is that you inherit a lot of risk if this car is your only mode of transportation. Usually you want SOME sort of backup transportation to get around, go to work , etc. But it can be done, if done properly, especially with a shop's help.

 

Get a Holset HX25W. That turbo was made for the 1.6 D series. It uses a t-28 flange and it is the best bang for your buck.
I have been using that turbo since 2009 and daily driving it with zero problems. I do use an external waste gate set at 8 psi.

Spools fast, steady boost al the way to redline and it's a small package so it fits in the engine bay just fine.
A friend went the big bucks way on his D series with a Garrett ball bearing turbo and my car pulls on his even though he is making more power.
It's all about WHERE you are making power and the Holset HX25W will get you going faster than a bigger turbo.

 

^^^ What kind of power are you making with that Holset?

 

Cant find any Holset HX25W on the internet at least not for the 1.6 D series

 

Or do you mean this one: https://www.ebay.nl/itm/253456669769...wAAOSwmY1alfJ4

 

things happen. whether you do it the correct way or not.
the motor was not meant to be boosted so when you do, you put extra stress on it.
with a 3k budget, i highly doubt you are planing to build the motor to strengthen.

you got to understand that quality parts fail also.

rubber seals, diaphragms, hoses.
things are not meant to last forever.

oil leaks from feed or return
coolant leaks to turbo (if applicable)
overheating (half size rad)
boost spike
headlift
bending those pencil thick rods

having another car to use as a daily is always recommended
always plan for possible catastrophic failure.