98 dx turbo questions

[Pimpn98]

I'm considering a small turbo for my 98 dx, since honda decided to make these cars amazingly slow. The thing is, I really don't want a large, loud exhaust, I could care less about the blow off valve sounds, and wouldn't be running enough boost for a huge front mount intercooler. I want the car to remain stock looking and sounding, I guess it would be sleeper"ish". I'm not worried about stop light racing, I'm just looking for a quick easy jump in HP so I don't have to worry about the mini-van 1/4 mile behind me on the highway while I'm trying to merge into their lane(it happens).
My question is, how much boost would I need to run to be able to make maybe 160hp to the wheels and about 160 ft/lbs of torque?
Would it be possible with a small, or maybe custom side mount intercooler from a factory turbo'd car, and my stock exhaust?
I understand the exhaust is going to restrict it quite a bit and would consider maybe 2 1/4" piping, but keeping it quiet is pretty important for me.

[Putney, VT Rice]

I wouldn't push the oringinal internals past 7psi for daily driver. 10psi is the absolute limit. I don't know anything about custom side mount intercoolers, but you don't need a huge intercooler if you're running a small turbo. For an Exhaust system, you want to go with nothing smaller than 2 1/4" piping. I would even recommend 2 1/2" piping and yes you can get a custom muffler that keeps the same amount of flow, but wouldn't sound like a fart can.

P. S. Did you get your headlight thing working correctly?

[Pimpn98]

I'll be looking at the alternator belt tonight, and looking for any lose wires, but if that doesn't work, it's looking like a new alternator or battery.
Thanks for the reply, what kind of numbers would 7psi be making?

[Putney, VT Rice]

Originally Posted by Pimpn98

Thanks for the reply, what kind of numbers would 7psi be making?

I'm not quite sure what kind of numbers you'd be making, but you'll be making more than enough to be able to merge properly.

[ek9wannabe]

if i were u i would switch to a y8 intake manifold first.........i ran 6 psi on my d series daily i dont think u will have a prob. also i would get at least a 2 1/2 exhaust, that will work good with a small t25 or a tdo4

[Pimpn98]

What kind of gain could I expect with a y8 manifold?
I'm really looking for at least another 20 or 25 hp to the wheels, I think that would keep me happy for now. If there is a simpler way or cheaper way to do it besides going turbo, I'm all ears.
I had to sell my 240sx full of bolt ons after I blew the head gasket, so this car is a bit un-exciting for me.

[ek9wannabe]

u could put a y8 intake on it and spray it.........that would be the cheapest way to make a little hp

[Pimpn98]

I'm not too sure about wanting to do nitrous though, seems like a lot of expense in the long run, turbo may be out of the question right now too since my Christmas bonus was less than expected. I'm thinking about adding a 4-2-1 header, and I know if I want to stay legal I'd have to either switch to an EX exhaust, or have a cat put in since the cat would be eliminated with the DX exhaust. Is the EX exhaust any larger in diameter than the DX?
And after the Y8 manifold, a new intake, and header, would anything else like ignition upgradees, or fuel pressure upgrades, make a significant enough amount of power to be worth the money?

[ek9wannabe]

to be honest........d series suck for power unless u boost or spray them...........u could go NA but that would require exstensive teardown and rebuild of the engine........like maybe some d15b pistons and a nice zex or crower cam......as far as the header dc makes a nice 4-1 for d's

[Pimpn98]

I've checked ebay and found quite a few different headers, ceramic and stainless steel, for about $50 shipped. I'm not concerned about looks, but from my understanding the stainless one will be less prone to cracking or welds failing, although it will have higher underhood temps than the ceramic. I hear the fitment is fine with the ebay headers, the only problem is that it will bypass the cat on a dx. If I drove without a cat for a while before finding a stock ex exhaust would it sound like shit? I'm sure it wont be loud, which is good, but would it sound a bit tinny, or pretty close to stock? If anyone can answer this I'd appreciate it.

[Pimpn98]

What is the dx's compression ratio, and what would the d15b pistons put it up to?

[X-Racer]

go dc headers, and for intake manifold just get skunk2, and aem or d. weapon intake

[dom yo]

Originally Posted by X-Racer

go dc headers, and for intake manifold just get skunk2, and aem or d. weapon intake

usually civics have a header.. not headers

[IISaiNtII]

if you have plans to boost, then don't waste your money on a part you're not going to be able to use in the future (intake/header).

for running small psi, 5-7 is ideal, while not requiring all the extras most people seem to covet. the basic greddy turbo would suit your needs perfectly, and can be found for <$2000 shipped new.

as for your exhaust, running that low amount of psi isn't going to require you to get a whole new setup, but bolting on an aftermarket EX system is something you'll have to do when switching to a turbo setup anyway. 2'' would probably be the ideal setup for this particular situation here. not alot of exta flow is going to be necessary, if any at all, but if you're going to do it, you might as well go 2 1/4'' the first time.

[Pimpn98]

Well I found out today my bonus will be way less than expected, so turbo is mostly out of the question, especially for 2 grand. I don't mind doing it piece by piece if I stay NA, but I figure NA I would spend under $500 on a header, intake manifold, and ex exhaust, and maybe some ignition upgrades. I know it wouldnt be close to turbo, but this engin needs something and needs it now.