Turbo Manifold questions... what's best?

So the plan is to turbocharge my 98 Integra LS. I snagged the turbo off of an older saab 900 which is a garrett/AiResearch turbo ( Model TB0399 ) and plan to rebuild it. I was planning on making my own manifold which I still might do if i can find some extra time, but I have a more general question. The differences between unequall and equall length manifolds... are equal length manifolds worth it? Do the longer tubes have any extra lag compared to the much shorter unequal length ones? Or do they make extra power by eliminating pressure differences between the exhaust ports? Also, what's the general concensus on a safe level of boost to run on stock internals... is 7 psi the accepted rule of thumb?

If you are going to stay stock i would sugest to make the manifold simple. Find the best spot to sit the turbo and have your flanges in place and work from there. The best way is to buy a heap of 90 and 45 degree steam pipe bends, put in a new grinding blade and start chopping.
At such low boost the manifold runner lengths wont matter.
All the best

:flash:

Originally posted by eag36
So the plan is to turbocharge my 98 Integra LS. I snagged the turbo off of an older saab 900 which is a garrett/AiResearch turbo ( Model TB0399 ) and plan to rebuild it. I was planning on making my own manifold which I still might do if i can find some extra time, but I have a more general question. The differences between unequall and equall length manifolds... are equal length manifolds worth it? Do the longer tubes have any extra lag compared to the much shorter unequal length ones? Or do they make extra power by eliminating pressure differences between the exhaust ports? Also, what's the general concensus on a safe level of boost to run on stock internals... is 7 psi the accepted rule of thumb?

You can run 12 PSI of intercooled boost on stock internals. 8 PSI non-intercooled. Manifold only matters for racing purposes.
B18B1 is the best Honda engine to turbo - good luck.

Originally posted by PWMAN


You can run 12 PSI of intercooled boost on stock internals. 8 PSI non-intercooled. Manifold only matters for racing purposes.
B18B1 is the best Honda engine to turbo - good luck.

personally i say that even 12 intercooled is dangerous. even if you don't get detonation the force on the rods will be pretty high.

also i though the ls had the B18A1 engine

I think you're right actually

Originally posted by Neutrino


personally i say that even 12 intercooled is dangerous. even if you don't get detonation the force on the rods will be pretty high.

also i though the ls had the B18A1 engine

You're telling me that 12 PSI is too much and you don't even know what engine is in the car?:mad:
90-93 Integra is the B18A1
94-up is B18B1
The fact that it has an intercooler actually hurts the airflow, so by the time it actually enters the engine it's only at like 10 PSI. You can run 8 PSI non-intercooled on pump gas without detonation. You can run more than 12 intercooled with pump gas but more than 12 and then the rods start bending. You have to have good fuel management to run 12 PSI on stock internals or else you will have detonation.

Originally posted by PWMAN


You're telling me that 12 PSI is too much and you don't even know what engine is in the car?:mad:
90-93 Integra is the B18A1
94-up is B18B1
The fact that it has an intercooler actually hurts the airflow, so by the time it actually enters the engine it's only at like 10 PSI. You can run 8 PSI non-intercooled on pump gas without detonation. You can run more than 12 intercooled with pump gas but more than 12 and then the rods start bending. You have to have good fuel management to run 12 PSI on stock internals or else you will have detonation.

regardless of what engine it is the car the fact is that that engine is used and I personally advocate to run on the side of caution since of anything goes bad it will most likelly destroy the engine for good.

and yes i know that the ls engine is one of the best engines to turbo

Now ask can he afford a new engine?

Originally posted by Neutrino


regardless of what engine it is the car the fact is that that engine is used and I personally advocate to run on the side of caution since of anything goes bad it will most likelly destroy the engine for good.

and yes i know that the ls engine is one of the best engines to turbo

Now ask can he afford a new engine?

It's a 98! Not like it's ten years old with 150,000 miles + on it, and I know people that have slapped on a turbo running 9 PSI on a engine with more than 200K - it's been running 2 years on that and now has about 230K. If it has less than 100K on it then it's fine. Sure it's going to shorten the engines lifespan, but even if you turbo an engine thats just been rebuilt it's going to do the same thing.

still its a question of risk. and the more boost you have the danger grows exponetially. also a 98 car is now 5 years old that is some tear and wear. IMO 12 psi is pushing it. yeah he might run just fine but i say the risk is not worth it.

Originally posted by Neutrino
still its a question of risk. and the more boost you have the danger grows exponetially. also a 98 car is now 5 years old that is some tear and wear. IMO 12 psi is pushing it. yeah he might run just fine but i say the risk is not worth it.

I guess it's better "safer than sorry". 10 Should be no problem whatsoever though.

it also has less than 30k on it, so it hasn't had that much use

I'm not sure but I think equal lengths should decrease turbo lag. I think the whole Idea behind that is that the exhaust meets at the turbo one after another and actually creates a vacuum that sucks the air along and improves flow.

I'm not sure if equal lengths do that but I know a true engineered manifold should do that which will eliminate that power robbing back pressure too.

Originally posted by Rob80
I'm not sure but I think equal lengths should decrease turbo lag.
absolutely right.
best manifold for the money - spark racing equallength
best two manifolds PERIOD - revhard hypo(hard to put on a street car)
FullRace (best street manifold. crazy manifold)

Originally posted by PWMAN

You're telling me that 12 PSI is too much and you don't even know what engine is in the car?:mad:

haha owned
Originally posted by PWMAN

You can run more than 12 intercooled with pump gas but more than 12 and then the rods start bending. You have to have good fuel management to run 12 PSI on stock internals or else you will have detonation

with hondata /aem managment ive seen with my eyes 3 ls's with stock internals get tuned from 18-21 psi. (reliabilty at these pressures....ha yeh right, but they CAN be tuned that high without messing up the motor right away. 15 psi tuned right on a good b18B is a great high-boost setting for a street car.

Originally posted by ssshhhh (_burn_)

with hondata /aem managment ive seen with my eyes 3 ls's with stock internals get tuned from 18-21 psi. (reliabilty at these pressures....ha yeh right, but they CAN be tuned that high without messing up the motor right away. 15 psi tuned right on a good b18B is a great high-boost setting for a street car.


you sir are a moron....please do not come here and advise him to get 15 psi on stock internals. yeah it can be done but how long till the engine blows.

and yeah you are so funny i've got onwed...why because i do not know everything about honda engines... read my post i admit that i'm not a honda expert. what i do I give general turbo advice to the best of knowledge and try to keep people from blowing up their engines that is why i'm so conservative.


maybe you should notice how civilised me and pwman we kept the discussion.

Originally posted by Neutrino

please do not come here and advise him to get 15 psi on stock internals.

*cough cough* you dont know about honda motors so dont tell me what an ls (which i have) can handle. 15 psi can be set as a highboost setting if he knows how to tune his car right.
Originally posted by Neutrino

yeah it can be done but how long till the engine blows.

no shit....thats why i said a HI boost setting. (you use hi boost when your racing. the few seconds. minutes that the ls is boosting 15 (tuned right) isnt going to hurt the motor)
Originally posted by Neutrino

what i do I give general turbo advice to the best of knowledge and try to keep people from blowing up their engines that is why i'm so conservative.
maybe you should notice how civilised me and pwman we kept the discussion.
im not nore ever was flaming you in anyway about your turbo advice. i corrected you at the most, because i DO know about these motors. your advice for the most part was good advice. but mine was better.

Originally posted by ssshhhh (_burn_)

im not nore ever was flaming you in anyway about your turbo advice. i corrected you at the most, because i DO know about these motors. your advice for the most part was good advice. but mine was better.


ok like i did not know what good fuel/air iginion etc management is for FI. do read my other posts. and the mistake was that i did not know that a 98 ls has a b18b1 and i thought it was a b18a1....yeah insane mistake especially since i admit to not being a honda expert.

i presume you know everything about all the cars out there. if i asked you about my cougar you would know all the details.

even knowing some of the honda engine codes - when it does not interest me directly - shows that i try to learn so i can give the best advice i can

and yeah let him run 15 psi even in short distances and see a rod snap or the crank - which is unbalanced on stock for snap and goobye engine.


sorry to be so hard on you but you just came here and tell people to run 15 psi on stock internals(and yeah even for short distances it can prove disatrous)

Yeah really. 14 PSI is ABSOLUTE max. 12-13 is safe PSI for a stock LS.

Originally posted by Neutrino

i presume you know everything about all the cars out there. if i asked you about my cougar you would know all the details.

even knowing some of the honda engine codes - when it does not interest me directly - shows that i try to learn so i can give the best advice i can

sorry to be so hard on you but you just came here and tell people to run 15 psi on stock internals(and yeah even for short distances it can prove disatrous)

welp....firstly...i dont know everything about all cars. just like you, i know about MY car and general info about other cars. i dont ever give advice about other cars i dont know about unless its like when to change the oil or somthing. i dont mind at all that you disagree with me and i commend(sp?) you because you did give pretty good advice on running his motor on the safe side. im just stating that it can be done in short sprints (with tuned hondata and a good turbo setup...not some shit greddy turbo kit)
ps....i dont care if your "hard" on me lol this is just internet. i dont take it too seriously. im not gonna get mad if you call me an assclown

to pwr(?) i do actually agree with you now. 13-14 would probably be max on a run of the mill setup. by the time it hits the motor it would prolly be somewhere around 11-12 psi which is safe on a stock ls with a decent setup. the actual rods....wont start to break until its either ran on 15 psi(into the motor) for an extended time or its boosting more 16 or 17 into the motor.

Originally posted by ssshhhh (_burn_)
to pwr(?) i do actually agree with you now. 13-14 would probably be max on a run of the mill setup. by the time it hits the motor it would prolly be somewhere around 11-12 psi which is safe on a stock ls with a decent setup. the actual rods....wont start to break until its either ran on 15 psi(into the motor) for an extended time or its boosting more 16 or 17 into the motor.

Yeah, now I agree with you:)