how do u make the engine last?

I know running under boost can be really hard on engines. My question is, what can be done to the engine to allow it to last say 50K miles or so under boost without any major problems?

Just do everything the same as you would if it werent boosted. Still of course change the oil!! :D :D

keep it stock;)

please do not pay any attention to this guy (above), he should not have even commented, he had nothing to say, and what he did say was wrong!! build up your bottom end if you're going to boost and want to keep your engine, rods, pistons, retainers, valve springs. this is no guarantee that your engine will be as reliable as it would be stock, acutally it will never be as reliable as stock if you're boosting hard, but you can do things to minimize damage. good luck

What are some of the problems that can arise w/ running under boost over time? Blown rings, seals etc...?

Originally posted by shaodome
What are some of the problems that can arise w/ running under boost over time? Blown rings, seals etc...?

blown rings, cracked ring lands, blown head gaskets, cracked sleeves, valve stem seals blowing....the list goes on

You state to last 50k miles, is this from the start of the engines life or after the engine has done 100k miles?
If she is still under 60k you wont have a problem as long as you test the compression etc before hand.
A car will run with 6-8 PSI being shoved down its throat with ease (especially a Honda). just make sure you keep it well serviced and run it on decent fuel, say 95ron and even better if you afford it.
Its when you put little by little more in (PSI) without changing internals, you will come unstuck.
You sound as though you are worried about the conversion so if you are simply dont do it.
But its not as scary as its sounds.

Go for it. :flash:

I was only kidding bro. :rolleyes:

i don't see what's wrong about forced induction... just buy a boost timer to control the PSI. If you want normal driving, reduce the pressure to something very low like 4-8psi

when on the 1/4 raise it to 10+

make sure your car has an aftermarket intake/exhaust so the engine can breathe better and get rid of the exhausts. Also, modify the engine parts with some aftermarket parts such as fuel injectors, fuel pump, etc...

Just about any engine will take 6psi of boost, and as mentioned above, particularly a honda engine. If you want to guarantee more life, you just have to take the proper precautions beforehand. Don't be misled, however, in a lot of cases, you really can just bolt on a turbo at 6psi and let it be at that, but there are other things that might be worth doing if you're really worried. With an 89 Accord, I assume you've got pretty high mileage, and your concern is probably warranted. I've known 8psi Civics regularly red-lined to go 200k, but that doesn't mean everyone's will. If your car burns oil or has a knock or anything like that right now, forget about forced induction, because if you're engine is in disorder, adding boost will only cripple it further. That said, my personal (and non-professional) recommendation:

The first thing to do is simply a compression test. Make sure it's solid and equal, that way you know you're not already creeping up on a problem that running boost is going to bring out.

Next, get an AFC/Boost Controller, so you'll have some control over what's going on. A poor A:F or high boost without testing could easily break your motor. This is probably the most important upgrade you could perform. You won't feel it, but your engine will thank you by lasting much longer.

If you have a little extra money, upgrading your injectors/air intake or other parts of the air/fuel delivery system can be considered some pro-active maintenance, though on low levels of boost, this is sometimes like putting a high-flow exhaust on a stock honda engine. (Many try to pretend it's a "performance increase," but +5hp at the cost of torque is not a positive increase for an un-torquey honda motor)

Speaking of exhaust, while it's another thing you MIGHT consider upgrading, but I'd hardly call it necessary at 6psi.

If your budget is bigger than that, you can go all the way and replace your rods, pistons, rings, or any other number of engine internals.

With your car, I'd say the AFC/Boost Controller are key, so that you can slowly and gently step the boost up to where you want it, and monitor status along the way. Other than that, it just depends on the level of boost you want to run, and how big you want the project to be.

Since you're not looking for an absolute, all-out power machine, F-Max makes what I've heard are some very nice, very effective kits that have a more advanced air/fuel/pressure map, so you might want to take a look there.

:grey: C

With properly tuned ignition timing and air/fuel ratio, you'll see a long life out of your motor. Anyone that tells you otherwise does not know what they're talking about. A stock block can easily run 6-7 psi of boost reliably. Educate yourself, that's the best way...

Superchargers vs. Turbo (7 large pages)
http://www.geocities.com/eyores1/page1.html

Superchargers (3 large pages)
http://www.geocities.com/eyores1/sc01.html

Turbochargers (9 large pages)
http://www.geocities.com/neouser916/index.html

Turbochargers (1 webpage)
http://matt3t4.20m.com/photo5.html

Recommended Reading:

"Maximum Boost", Corky Bell, Bentley Publishing

"Street Supercharging", Pat Gandahl, Cartech

"Turbochargers", Hugh McInnes, HP Books

"High Performance Honda Builder's Handbook", Joe Pettit, Cartech

You have an 89 Accord. What motor is in it? Stock one? How many miles. I would not recommend turbocharging an 89 Accord at all, much less expecting it to last another 50,000 miles. I'm not knocking you, I am only being realistic and don't want you to waste your money because you were misled into thinking it would last.

Anyway, in order to make a motor last, there is one thing that is more important than any other: TUNING.

You can build your motor all you want. If you don't tune it, lemme borrow it for 10 minutes, and I'll bring it back blown the fuck up.

Fuel, spark, and a tuning tool are the first three most important parts. Built internals ALWAYS comes afterwards.

Originally posted by MatT3T4
...You have an 89 Accord...

I missed that. Where did you get that from?

Addendum: Nevermind. I was looking for a list in his signature. I just noticed that this place lists your car and location right under your name...