The Turbo Project...

Ok, after tons of thinking and changing my mind i finally decided.... im going turbo.

I went to my local performance shop and asked him for some prices on installing some stage 2 toda cams for my GSR, and after a few calculations...springs, retainers, cams, installation and tuning (plus the new header i wanted) would come out to right around 1700-2000 bucks. i talked to the owner for a few minutes and he agreed with me that i would be lucky if i got 20hp after it was all said and done.

Then I asked him if he could piece togeather a homemade turbo for me with intercooler and asked the price... 2700 installed.

$2700 - @ least 60hp
$1700 - 20hp

So i did the math and thats what i decided on. i think i'll probably just stick with 7-8psi on my stock internals. anybody have real data (1/4mi time, dyno, etc.) of a GSR with 7-8 pounds of boost?

I'm going to use HONDATA for my fuel management... is there any other necessities i might need?

Ideas and suggestions on my upcoming project are very welcome!

(est. time of boost... MAY)

2700 for a home made kit, damn, you could probably buy a new kit for that much. and install it yourself, more satisfaction that way

Going on the Pic in your sig you have a 98+ correct?
If so then you will need a OBDI ECU and a OBDII to OBDI harness. Hondata does not work in OBDII ECUs.

2700 for a home made kit, damn, you could probably buy a new kit for that much. and install it yourself, more satisfaction that way

For $2700, i believe some prefab kits out there should of at least been made at least a little better for the price paid.

Greddy - stupid blue box and turbo.
Drag - at least make a manifold with a good position for the wastegate port.
Revhard - a tad more costly than the above, but, at least wastegate position isnt as bad as Drag's. still could of made improvements with the money paid.

I just like the fact that the piping is just easier to work with, but fabing your own piping will be funner. plus, if your new to boost, its the greatest way to learn, because, it makes you ask questions about what you need and why you need it? A good decent kit can be made with $2700, that puts what you want and need. but dont let me convince you guys. if you want just want boost, a fab kit will save you the trouble of looking and asking.

So i did the math and thats what i decided on. i think i'll probably just stick with 7-8psi on my stock internals. anybody have real data (1/4mi time, dyno, etc.) of a GSR with 7-8 pounds of boost?

$2700 - @ least 60hp

Data is different with different setups@ any boost levels. (ex, what turbo, manifold, wastegate, fuel management, piping, cooling techniques, tuning, etc,etc,etc)

I'm going to use HONDATA for my fuel management... is there any other necessities i might need?

your $2700 is not going to cover the cost of the hondata, supporting hardware, and tune. Unless you can purchase it right away, you will be on a fuel management system instead of an engine management system. nothing bad with an temporary fmu :smile: just drive nice :smile:

its late and im blabbering.

good night.

ok no more hondata i guess (for now), i didn't know it wouldn't work with OBDII... i guess i just use a fmu, until i have more money.

eventually the plan is to run 7psi until more money comes my way and then sleeve the engine, new rods, pistons, etc. and up the boost to 15psi. (if i lower the comp. ratio i'll probably run around 20psi)

i know a good amount about N/A engines, but boost is a realitively new concept for me, so i'm learning as i go. i can't afford a prefab. kit + installation. I want a pro to install it so if something goes wrong i have someone to blame other than me, plus i don't trust myself doing major work on my car. i'll put on bolt on's, but that's about the extent of it.

any other suggestions will be great, i'm basing the whole project on you guy's advice. :smile:

if something does go wrong, you wouldnt really know what went wrong. you'd be blaming some else for something your not even sure if it was their fault. if you did it yourself, you would learn what you need to do and how to do it. when something goes wrong, you will be able to take care of it yourself. ive never heard of anyone ever boosting and never ran into problems. you will run into problems one day (ex. a leaking oil line, leaking gasket, cracked manifold, etc.etc.etc) and if you took the time to research a bit and bought and installed all the parts yourself through searching the internet, getting tips from experienced boosters, and any other info you find, you will be able to tackle the problems easily yourself. people who boost without any knowledge are the ones who really dont enjoy it and run into the most problems.

+ a turbo is basicly a bolt on part. if you take the time to think about what needs to be done and what goes where/why/how, you could make it into a fun, educational weekend project.. asuming nothing goes wrong. and nothing shoould if you learn enough

they are right about the prob, you will run into them more then you like. my 98 mitsu i have had nothing but probs, and i know it's a mitsu and they suck but they come with a turbo and honda has never came with one (jetski don't count) i don't think they ever wanted it to. but like you said
2700=60hp
1700=20hp.....witch i think is way off.
you could be saying 2700= blowen motor
i have rebuilt my 98 with a 1990 motor 1stgen mitsu, but i still have probs all the time
think about it realy hard before you do it. turbos are no fun if you blow the motor. i know you will only run 7to8 psi's but it's still a gsr v-tec, the best acura to turbo would be the ls becuse the stroger bottom ends. and turbos are not hard to put in. it's kinda fun learning how they work. and if you don't know, one day you will be driving down the road and a pipe will blow off and you will think you lost your motor becuse thats what it feels like. not trying to scare you about doing one but i would build the motor first then maybe just maybe put on the turbo and get a kit that is for the car like gready. then you will have all the fitting and lines you need and it's for that car so you don't have parts from mitsu, dodge, ply in you carand when they brake you can't find the part to fix it. well good luck on whet ever you do.

damn, yall are making me reconsider again... alright, i'll ask you guys this question and answer honestly

If you guys were in my situation, 2001 GSR with 70,000 miles, daily driver, and i need it to last me at least 4 more years, would you stay N/A and put on some toda stage 2 cams, cam gears, springs, retainers, and some civic type-r pistons? OR would you spend around 3000 dollars on a turbo w/ a FMU running around 7psi?

just FYI... the LS is better for boost because the compression ratio is lower than the GSR's (10:1)

EDIT: and lets not forget that i want to go as fast as possible...:screwy:

well you made that realy easy stay n/a :screwy:

yeah, keywork "reliable" ps, dont listion to cburke, mitus are not "that" bad.

if you turbo it, you know it, i know it, everyone knows it; you'll run the car hard.

no mitsu are not that bad...................let's see i have a 1998 gst, umm crankwalk!!! spent over 3 to 4,000 to fix up the 1st gen motor to put in, well damn theres a sound coming from the tranny now. when i had it siock i would always have brobs with it. my buddies shop he only works on mitsu gst and gsx and well lets say he is very busy. i don't think all mitsu suckjust the one i own. i love the evo. but for an integ i was just saying go n/a it's a vtec and it don't take well to turbos on stock int

lol. its not if their going to break, its WHEN that goes with every car/truc/van in the world. it has alot to do with how you maintain your vehical. lets not even go on the subject of crankwalk, thats an isolated 95-98 problem, one that any serious dsm'er would comensate for. ps. i built a 6bolt block for my 96 gsx for less then a grand. so, i hope the 3-4 grand you spend was for a 2.3 stroker, and some awsome internals. ohh, and the stock tranny hates power in 3rd and 4th gear. anything over 20% stock power will kill 3rd and 4th gear. common.

agreed stock internalls dont hold up well to boost.

well let's start with the head work( port & polish, over size vav, crower springs and ret, hks cam 275 272 hks cam sprocket. bottom is eagel rods ross pistons, stock nif edge crank clevvet barings rod and crank, all arp head rod crank studs. fedanza fly wheel, act clutch 16g turbo and tunabe down pipe 3' all the way back to my turbo n1. and all the gaskets and stuff like that. that is y i spent 3 to 4,000. but i do think it pulls best in 3rd gear.

Ok that is enough! Take your DSM topic somewhere else, the topic of this thread concerns a Honda motor not a DSM motor. Let's keep it on topic please.

wow, that does sucks.

damn, yall are making me reconsider again... alright, i'll ask you guys this question and answer honestly

If you guys were in my situation, 2001 GSR with 70,000 miles, daily driver, and i need it to last me at least 4 more years, would you stay N/A and put on some toda stage 2 cams, cam gears, springs, retainers, and some civic type-r pistons? OR would you spend around 3000 dollars on a turbo w/ a FMU running around 7psi?

just FYI... the LS is better for boost because the compression ratio is lower than the GSR's (10:1)

EDIT: and lets not forget that i want to go as fast as possible...:screwy:

N/A will not get you going as fast as possible. turbo with a safe (NON-FMU!!) tune such as hondata/uberdata can be very reliable and will get you going a lot faster :2cents:


EDIT: supercharge could also be an even more reliable means for power