Turbo setup help!!!!!!!!!

[tunglnguyen]

Hey guys I have a couple questions for you. First of all I have a 97 honda civic with a gsr swap. i want to bolt on a turbo kit. My goal is to hit 220 WHP, but anything over 200 will make me happy. The most important thing is that i dont blow my motor up and that it is as reliable as i can make it. So far i have a turbo, i beleive its a T3 but i havent received the turbo yet and the guy didnt know. i know its a garrett turbo, with internal wastegate. He also didnt know what psi the spring is set at. I picked up a nice drag cast iron manifold and i have a front mount intercooler. I plan on getting: FMU, BOV, Dual turbo timer w/ boost gauge. And of course ill pick up all the oil lines and piping. My question is how much boost can a stock gsr engine take? What is regarded as a safe amount of boost? Also i was wondering what the typical spring is for a stock internal wastegate, one from a eclipse, probe, or saab, i think mines from a saab. Is there any way i can change the spring to a different psi in an internal wastegate? Also am i missing anything? Do i need a better method of fuel manage? Again safety comes first, id rather be slow and keep my engine than have no engine at all. Any help is apreciated.

[-Jayson-]

if you want to not have to worry about blowing up your engine dont mod it. Especially dont add boost to it. You can get slow reliability or speed. You only get one.

[Igovert500]

Not all that sure about the gsr engine's capabilities, so your best bet would be to ask in the integra section of the forum. However, if I'm not mistaken, they have pretty high compression...like 10:1 or something up there, so you wont be able to run that much, perhaps only a few psi, but like I said, ask in there. Plus with their compression ratio, I think they already require 91+ octane, but if not, use it when you get the turbo working.

Also just for safety sake, get a decent aftermarket boost gauge that you can have in plain sight...one on a turbo timer is nice thought, but realistically, you need a gauge that is easily readible.

Also make sure your fuel pump and fuel injectors will be able to flow enough fuel.

Lastly, get a datalogger or some sort of device that allows you to monitor knock.

[nissanfanatic]

Originally Posted by -Jayson-

if you want to not have to worry about blowing up your engine dont mod it. Especially dont add boost to it. You can get slow reliability or speed. You only get one.

Incorrect. The best way to ensure your engine stays reliable is to ensure proper Air/Fuel raitos and proper timing. As long as you tune it correctly and keep up with basic matinence, the engine should last nearly as long as the engine would without boost. Given you don't beat the hell out of it everyday. And with that CR, tuning is going to be increasingly important.

Important gauges should include

Boost
Oil pressure
Air/Fuel(not a narrowband, but a wideband)

The wideband is going to be your best friend. The FMU will probably work, but I would seriously inquire on what ratio those guys run as well as ask how much HP the stock internals can take. Its not so much boost, but how much air the turbo is physically putting in the engine. Also ask what type of fuel management these guys run. And learn how each of them work and which one fits your budget. Good luck.

[Schister66]

As long as you manage the Air/Fuel mixture w/ something like AFC hack, Hondata, Uberdata or Emanage you should be fine. The real problem w/ turbo cars is not cracking the cylinder walls or bending/breaking a rod...it is detonation or pre-ignition because of poorly managed fuel systems. If you plan to keep the fuel system under control, i think that 12-14 psi is safe for your car.