I have a 2002 honda accord 2.3l ex with a 5 speed and vtec.
I am trying to get it turbo ready but im trying to decide if i need all forged parts or not.
can i get away with just forged rods and new pistons or forged pistons and new rods??
also the engine has 200k miles and consumes a bit of oil

 

If you're going to build the engine you must do both at the same time.

 

Im with aradin, you need both.

Also if it consumes oil you need to redo all your seals and gaskets including valve seals etc

 

yea I have a full gasket kit and I just changed the valve cover gasket. But my real question is do I have to build the engine or just replace everything if I’m gonna push like no more than 8 psi of boost

 

You done a compression test? What values do you have?

 

inspect the engine throughly and repair any oil leaks. It would be best to go ahead and do pistons and rods to handle the boost while having head studs to match. Always better save than sorry.

 

okay i found 2 leaks when I changed my valve cover gasket both originating from it and I have new arp head bolts that I ordered when I got my gasket kit. Also do I need to send the block to a machine shop or can I just use std size forged pistons?

 

When I bought the car a year ago I had it inspected by a mechanic he said it was a little low at 8:6 but he said the engine was still healthy. Also do mean valves?? If so it’s the stock ones because I was told they were in good condition

 

you could hone and inspect the block yourself if you are on a tight schedule or budget. If not then having a machine shop do your block would be a better option.

 

Boost pressure is irrelevant as the output varies by turbo and other factors. Power/torque output is what actually matters. Completely stock F23 engines shouldn't be pushed past 300whp and should be tuned gently in the mid/low range.

You have a high mileage block. Using standard sized forged pistons on a even a super low mileage engine will result in an oil burner. All of the factory Honda engines are sent out the door with some amount of bore taper. If you want a straight and true cylinder that seals correctly and doesn't burn oil, you must go oversized and have it bored/honed.


Compression test your engine and if it's healthy, and your power goals are under 300whp, you should be fine to turbo it without building it assuming you use quality parts and get a professional tune. Otherwise you are looking at a full shortblock build at minimum which will run a few thousand dollars easily.

 

okay good to know. This turbo kit I found from Tsi has a Garett turbo and says it will put me around 250hp so as long as I don’t go past like 270 I can use new stock parts also, does anyone know the power rating for the 5 speed transmission?? But if I want to push like 350 I have to go for full everything correct? Sorry I’m new to the whole turbocharged part of the car world I’m used to na cars

 

These cars have been around for over 20 years now, and the engine platform has been around for over 30. There is a plethora of information available as people have been modifying them since they first became available.

The stock manual transmission will be fine until you get into the 400tq range. At that point you will start stripping gears if your setup can get traction. You will however most definitely need to upgrade your clutch, brakes, tires, suspension, replace any worn suspension parts, etc. These cars are getting on in years and miles so it's important that they're gone through before doubling or tripling the horsepower output.

And yes for reliability you would need to build the engine to reliably handle 350whp. The F23 in particular has tiny rods and a very long stroke. They make a lot of torque effortlessly when turbocharged and the stock rods do not like that.

 

Do you know where I can get new rods? I can find tons of pistons but I can only find forged pistons for 350-400.

 

KStuned, Molnar and CAT sell rods for the F23. KStuned stuff is available on their website. CAT sells on eBay but you need to specify what bolts you want, get ARP 8740 at a minimum.

 

Okay so I just took it drag racing and I found out I have a oil/carbon issue in cylinder 1&4 and it burns oil. I have a gasket kit and I’m just trying to figure out if I can just replace the piston rings to take care of the oil issue or if I need to redo the block

Also: For anyone wondering I ran a 18.9 at 80mph in the quarter and about a 2.4 in the 60’