Alright, I've fallen into a little summer spending money, and I need to figure out how I can properly spend it on my turbo setup. Here's what it is right now:

-97 civic EX, D16Y8 5-spd, 125k miles (bone stock)

-ACT HDSS clutch kit, ~600 miles on it, stock flywheels (grabs HARD)

-Greddy 92-95 turbo kit, ~30k miles, running 7-8 psi

-stock greddy downpipe -> 2.5" test pipe -> 2.5" cat-back

-greddy blue box

-NGK 6-series plugs

-stock ignition

-stock timing

-stock fuel pump

-no boost controller

-stock headgasket and headstuds (have to spend $250 installed to replace)

-stock water pump (there's another $150 installed to spend)


What goodies should I buy?

-turbo timer?

-boost controller? I don't need an EBC, I've been looking at the Hallman unit, but it's 175 shipped for the cockpit one

-fuel management? This is a toughy. I can get a VAFC for 100 dollars. And some DSM 450's for 50 bucks. The reason I'm leaning towards that is I am OBD-II, so I'd have to convert and buy a new ECU. But I don't want any problems, and the blue box doesn't give me problems so I may stick with it for now.

-upgraded downpipe? Should be able to get a custom one for ~$200.

-EGT gauge? I only have boost and I was about to buy A/F, but I think that would be more accurate.

Anything else I'm missing? I want to get the car on the dyno so I can see the power I'm making. I'm looking for a set-it-and-forget-it setup, I only want to tune once then drive her till she blows.

 

If I was your shoes, I would get some Arp headstuds, for fuel managment I would go with uberdata, get an walbro intank fuel pump. A plx wideband is alo a good investment.

 

Walbro in tank and hondata.

 

Better fuel management is a must!!!

 

The first thing I would get would be an intercooler and some piping!!..you should be able to do that for around 400 installed..

Then...get a MBC, an AFC and some injectors...

Crank up the boost!!!

I think you should be able to do all this for less that $1000...

If you have to choose, first get an intercooler...that's a must!

 

i woudl keep the blue box over the "hack"

 

new oem hg, arp headstuds, boost controller, vafc, resistor box and 450's than turn up the boost. you gotta spend $250 to replace the HG? i can get you a deal on the HG. Buy the arp's from lightningmotorsports.com think there 89 shipped. do the install yourself i'll even help. should save 100 than.

 

heres what you need to do man. Get some arp headstuds with a new oem gasket(do the work yourself...if you've can pull the tranny and all that then this shouldn't be too hard), get some dsm 450cc's with a resistor box, get an obd2-1 conversion harness with a socketed p28 running uberdata, and an intake walbro high volume pump. Also an intercooler like Wilcox said if you don't already have one.

 

hell...whatever you plan on getting...give me a call and Charlie Moua and myself will be glad to help ya out.

just my .02 cents. i would spend that money on either rods/pistons/arp....or a swap.

 

EMS...get something that controls fuel and ignition. If you don't know anyone local to you that tunes uberdata and you don't feel confident doing it yourself, I'd honestly get the Hondata S200B and get it tuned [That would be about $750 of your money though].

 

car's already intercooled, fellas. See sig.

So it looks like Uberdata, DSM 450's w/resistor box, HG, headstuds (I was planning to do it anyways since the head's lifting under boost already) and that should do it?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wisjdmhonda &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">new oem hg, arp headstuds, boost controller, vafc, resistor box and 450's than turn up the boost. you gotta spend $250 to replace the HG? i can get you a deal on the HG. Buy the arp's from lightningmotorsports.com think there 89 shipped. do the install yourself i'll even help. should save 100 than.</TD></TR></TABLE>

ARP's - 85 shipped from lightning
OEM HG - 35 or so from Honda (buddy works there)
install labor - 100 from some friends

Where should I go to get my head resurfaced?

 

i never got mine resurfaced. so i dont know

 

i get all of my motor work done at IMPORT ENGINES in Minneapolis if i can't do it myself...or if i'm too lazy to do it. they'll charge you about $30 to resurface your head.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by shermanyang &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i get all of my motor work done at IMPORT ENGINES in Minneapolis if i can't do it myself...or if i'm too lazy to do it. they'll charge you about $30 to resurface your head.</TD></TR></TABLE>

cool... you never told me about that place. LOL

Phan, IMHO.... upgrade your FMS y0!
uberdata or hondata, nuff said.

Getting a custome downpipe will not do *****. 6-7psi... man thats still within the flow ablities of the stock 2.5 downpipe. A custome downpipe would be the last thing i do in your setup simply because a) stock motor b) running low boost c) small turbo......

if anything and you wanna make more power or boost more get some cheap low compression pistons/rod combo, cheap acf hack, hallaman mbc, 15psi would be fun!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Charlie Moua &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

cool... you never told me about that place. LOL

Phan, IMHO.... upgrade your FMS y0!
uberdata or hondata, nuff said.

Getting a custome downpipe will not do *****. 6-7psi... man thats still within the flow ablities of the stock 2.5 downpipe. A custome downpipe would be the last thing i do in your setup simply because a) stock motor b) running low boost c) small turbo......

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

problem is his greddy dp is 2"

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by KTeller8 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

problem is his greddy dp is 2" </TD></TR></TABLE>


woops..
apexi kits is 2.5..

 

Sounds like the best set up. 450cc's, uberdata, walbro, 440s, headgasket and studs. Should about cash you out but you'll have the ability to safely run 10 psi. I would assume that Shane would tune Uberdata, right?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Drag_On &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">440s</TD></TR></TABLE>

as in cams? I'd skip the money you spend on cams and upgrade something else...there are plenty of people making plenty of power on boost with stock cams.

*edit*

I read that wrong...I read it as 404's [like crowers]. But now I'm confused...you said "450cc's" then some "440's"...did you mean to say that, or was it a mistype?


Modified by DaX at 11:28 AM 7/30/2004

 

instead of getting a new downpipe you should have yours modified with a cutout,

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DaX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

as in cams? I'd skip the money you spend on cams and upgrade something else...there are plenty of people making plenty of power on boost with stock cams.</TD></TR></TABLE>

if he is gonna spring for a cam I would suggest the zex stage 2 cam. I have that in my setup and I love it . A bunch of people have dynoed over 20whp with it.

 

Get ecu socketed and run uberdata, some 450's, ditch the cat if you can, plx m300 wideband, and 50 dollar chip burner, so you can run car properly and learn to tune yourself...then throw the rest into suspension or engine work.....

 

Fuel management is the big one like everyone has been saying. If you think you can do it yourself:

uberdata
dsm 450's 50
chip burner 80
wideband 300
conversion harness 100
ecu 125

if not hondata
???? no idea on price but probably most of your budget after tuning

the rest I would spend on new head studs and a head gasket

next imo would be an mbc and a larger downpipe, don't forget about the boost creep problems with the greddy kit, i think porting the internal wastegate is the fix

That should easily spend that 1k or more.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hoggy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Fuel management is the big one like everyone has been saying. If you think you can do it yourself:

uberdata
dsm 450's 50
chip burner 80
wideband 300
conversion harness 100
ecu 125

if not hondata
???? no idea on price but probably most of your budget after tuning

the rest I would spend on new head studs and a head gasket

next imo would be an mbc and a larger downpipe, don't forget about the boost creep problems with the greddy kit, i think porting the internal wastegate is the fix

That should easily spend that 1k or more.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Totally agree.

I paid $435 shipped for my Hondata, and it came with a basemap. Tuning will run you $300 probably.

 

uberdata is free, why pay for hondata when u can get the same out of uberdata.


Im not trying to turn this into a debate, but may people have had good results from using uberdata.

Take the money you save from the hondata and get a wideband with display and do some data logging.

To the guy who said he should get a engine management system that would also let you tune ignition, uberdata, and hondata allow you to tune ignition.