Turbo kit???

Ok, after I finish fixing my GSR I want to turbo charge it. I've been wanting to boost it for some time now. Originally I wanted to go with a Greddy kit but then heard from several people that that isn't neccessarily the most efficient way to go. According to some people I can get something for around a G. But then I started looking on ebay and adding things up. By the time I added everything that the Greddy kit comes with (turbo, bov, waste gate, pipping, engine management, fuel injectors, etc.) it comes out to be quite a bit more than $1400. There is a power seller on ebay with 100% feedback that sells a greddy kit without an intercooler for aproximately $2150 which isn't THAT much more and probable more reliable that the no-name brand that costs less. Any comments or suggestions would be well taken.

Don't buy ebay garbage no-name kits. They're often sold by xs power or ssautochrome, and they are complete junk. If you're not willing to spend a whole lot for a kit, then the Greddy kit is pretty good, other than not coming with an intercooler. Otherwise, building your own kit is the cheapest way to go, and also you'll get the parts you actually want. But you would need to do quite a bit of research before buying parts (really you should doing that anyways, regardless).

Otherwise, building your own kit is the cheapest way to go, and also you'll get the parts you actually want. But you would need to do quite a bit of research before buying parts (really you should doing that anyways, regardless).

I have heard that from so many people over the past couple of years and I still haven't figured out how to cost effectively piece together my own turbo setup. I just figured in an economical sense, the reason that the total price from buying everything separately was higher than buying a kit was due to the simple fact that when you buy in bulk you generally get a better deal. I'm not disagreeing with you or everyone else who told me to piece together my own kit, I'm merely asking for more specific details, as I could not complete the process on my own. Thanks in advance.

For the best deals, and reputable sellers, you should join a site like Hoda-tech.com. They have tons of forum sponsors (they sponsor the forums not cars), and they give forum members discounts on products. But you have to be a member there past your trial membership (a couple weeks or a certain amount of posts, I forget). You can get turbo kits there, and quality turbo parts.

As for parts to build your own, that's a very tough thing to explain. There are just so many different parts to go with and so many different companies. First you should start with a specific turbo that will suit your needs. What most people do is check out different setups, see what kind of turbo (and parts) they are using and copy it. This is not the right way to pick a turbo, but it will give you something that should be close to optimal. To correctly pick a turbo, you'll need to learn how to read and understand compressor maps. Personally I've read a couple books and a couple explainations online, and I still don't quite understand them. Here's a good site for dyno charts & setups, so you can get an idea of what would be good: http://forums.evans-tuning.com/viewforum.php?f=27&sid=f63bcd835eb53ca24310b9afb1ca479a

For a reasonably inexpensive setup, don't expect to see quite those numbers, but it will be a rough estimate. Anything with a GT## turbo isn't going to be an option, they got for around $1,000+. Sticking with a DSM (mitsubishi eclipse, eagle talon, plymouth laser) turbo, or some other kind of T3 or T3/T4 turbo. You could go with a turbo from a local junkyard, a rebuilt one, or a new one, just depends on how inexpensive you want to go. An internal wastegate setup will also be cheaper, so you won't need to buy an external wastegate, as well as possibly getting a cheaper manifold that doesn't require the external wastegate. For a manifold, look into a "log" style, because it will be the least expensive option. A downpipe may be one of the more difficult things to buy. You'll likely need someone who can weld, to custom weld you one, because every turbo and manifold combination is different. In this case, turbo flanges are a pretty easy thing to find, and a couple 90 degree bends or a 180 degree bend and some straight pipe are probably the easiest way to go about it. Then find a place that sells a "universal" charge pipe/intercooler pipe kit, for $150-200. An oil feed line for the turbo, like here (http://www.stealthmodeperformance.com/oil-kit.shtml). Then there's the blow-off valve, fuel pump, injectors, rest of the exhaust, boost gauge, manual boost controller (could do a basic DIY), oil return line, and intercooler. For all those things, places like honda-tech are gold mines for parts. General classified ads are great as well for most of that stuff. But, the most important thing to buy is a real engine management system. Other than the turbo, and possibly the manifold, the engine management and a professional tune are going to be one of the most expensive (and most important) things you buy. Even if you buy a pre-made turbo kit, like Greddy, they still don't include a real engine management. Well...technically Greddy comes with the emanage, but it's not set up specifically for your car, so you're not going to get the most power out of it and it will likely run rich for as much reliability as possible. There are free programs out there, but you still need to buy a chipped ECU or get your ECU chipped, as well as find someone who will tune it properly. I'll leave the EMS and tune stuff where it is to give you some time to let some of this info set in.

Here are 2 links that will give you a list and a very basic understanding of what you'd be getting yourself into as well as what stuff you would need to piece a kit together:
http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1263795
http://www.beesandgoats.com/boostfaq/g2icturbo.html
http://www.homemadeturbo.com - A site dedicated to DIY turbo kits.

If you have any more questions, or specific questions feel free to ask and I, or someone else will try to help as best as possible.

Thank you so much for all that info. Not to sound cheesy or anything but it makes me feel honored to be a part of a forum such as this where people such as yourself honest and truly care to help others.

My advice: Come to honda-tech and check out the Forced Induction section. You'll get a lot more answers there. I'm the forum moderator...if you have any trouble or anything, let me know and i'll do what i can to help you out.

www.honda-tech.com