Turbo on a DX engine??

2146 Views 15 Replies 7 Participants Last post by madtownhonda, Feb 18, 2002

SloCivic808

Discussion Starter · Feb 16, 2002

i got a D16y7 motor in my civic LX...just a dx with power windows, etc...anyways, i wanted to turbo it, but i heard if i wanna turbo the dx engine i should at least swap the head out because it only has 2 oil squirters or something, and other heads (like the older dx's) had 4. is it something i should do, or will i be fine with the greddy kit on my engine without swapping heads?

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BoostedRex

· #2 · Feb 16, 2002

its not oil squirters, its fuel injectors. im not sure if your car is the dpfi version or not, but with the dpfi some people covert to mpfi to get higher fuel flow but with all the parts you need to do it it might be more benefitial to just get a swap.

there is nothing wrong with turboing a dx, its been done....

SloCivic808

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 16, 2002

BoostedRex said:
there is nothing wrong with turboing a dx, its been done....

but is it safe? i don't wanna get problems because the engine isn't too good for turbo. i just wanna get the greddy kit and an i/c and bov for now. then down the line, add the other stuff as cash permits. that's why i wanna know if my engine will be fine just as it is, with the kit at 5.5 psi and an i/c.

dptkfil

· #4 · Feb 16, 2002

it's not worth it... why turbo a dx engine.. with the same amount of money or add 1000 or so.. u can swap a gsr or ls engine then put a turbo on that.. U will be flying..hehe

BoostedRex

· #5 · Feb 17, 2002

dptkfil said:
it's not worth it... why turbo a dx engine.. with the same amount of money or add 1000 or so.. u can swap a gsr or ls engine then put a turbo on that.. U will be flying..hehe

good luck finding a gsr with wiring changover for the dx and installation for 1000$ dont exagerate just to make it sound like a good idea. you'll just start misleading people.

dptkfil

· #6 · Feb 17, 2002

BoostedRex said:
good luck finding a gsr with wiring changover for the dx and installation for 1000$ dont exagerate just to make it sound like a good idea. you'll just start misleading people.

First i never said $1000 can do the swap.. Finding a GSR engine with wiring is not that hard.... Finding a b18c will be alot of harder and very expansive............
I don't think u read my post correctly... i asked why turbo an dx engine with less potential then swapping a ls or gsr engine.. a turbo kit will cost anywhere from 2000 to 3000...With that amount of money plus addition of 1000.. he can sure to swap in a GSR or LS engine and that engine will give him more potential... Am I right or not?? if he did turbo the dx engine.. what can he do next... rebuild the motor.. $hit that will cost some good amount of money.. although i am not sure.. how much it will cost to rebuild a dx motor..but i am sure it is not going to cheap... Am i right or not.....

SloCivic808

Discussion Starter · #7 · Feb 17, 2002

well, i was originally going to swap first, but i didn't have the 4500ish the shops were asking for a b18c swap. also, since i am in hawaii, there is not that much junk yards, shops, etc. where i can look for an engine. the shops usually get to them first and then sell them at inflated prices. another factor stopping me is because if i want to order, prices are around 3-4 grand with truck freight. well, i'd like to see a truck haul that thing to hawaii. so add on the charges for shipping it across the pacific and it's not worth it. i'm not looking for extreme power...so 1500 on a greddy kit and maybe 1000 more on i/c and some electronics and i'd be good with a litte extra go to compliment the show. i wasn't really looking for a drag strip monster. that's why the greddy turbo seems to fit me nicely, BUT, i just wanted more feedback from the people who have it or had experience with it, particularly on a dx engine. a guy in hawaii got a turbo on a dx engine in a hatch running 13.1 at the tracks. but he's keeping his engine work secret, so i can't really ask him what he's done to it. so...if greddy on my dx is the route i'm looking to take...anything major that i should be worried about?? thanks guys.

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l2p

· #8 · Feb 17, 2002

Go with a ls and then turbo that.

civperc

· #9 · Feb 17, 2002

I keep seeing, "get xxxxx engine and then turbo that", how much friggin money do you people have?? damn, I mean like 4000 for a swap and then another 4000 for a properly tuned turbo, goddamn.

SloCivic808

Discussion Starter · #10 · Feb 18, 2002

civperc said:
I keep seeing, "get xxxxx engine and then turbo that", how much friggin money do you people have?? damn, I mean like 4000 for a swap and then another 4000 for a properly tuned turbo, goddamn.

yeah, that's how i feel. that's why i just want to know how a dx with greddy turbo will run, and if there is anything really important i should know. so far nobody has actually really answered my question...i just keep getting replies with stuff like swap first turbo later. but i don't want or need a gsr turbo to run 11's in the 1/4. i just want a little more power for my little sohc.

jayvic

· #11 · Feb 18, 2002

Okay my friend turboed his 1.5L and it was a big difference over stock. I have a greddy turbo SOHC VTEC and I boosted 5.5psi last year (NON INTERCOOLED) and it worked very well. This year is going to be different though. You should notice a pretty good difference in your car. YOu wont be the fastest thing in town but you will surprise a lot of people with it. If that is the way you are going to go then try to go multi port fuel injection. I wouldn't suggest going past 5 psi though until you do something to deliver more fuel. If you have any specific questions about my car private message me and I will let you know about my experiences.
Later
Jay

dptkfil

· #12 · Feb 18, 2002

SloCivic808 said:
yeah, that's how i feel. that's why i just want to know how a dx with greddy turbo will run, and if there is anything really important i should know. so far nobody has actually really answered my question...i just keep getting replies with stuff like swap first turbo later. but i don't want or need a gsr turbo to run 11's in the 1/4. i just want a little more power for my little sohc.

First... let me tell u why u want to do the swap and not turbo charging ur car.. 1st.. I don't know ur engine condition.. If ur engine is not in good shape.. then u might kill ur motor faster... 2nd.. Even though u can get the greddy turbo kit for $1500, but don't forget u will need boost controllor, some kind of fuel managment, gauges, ignition upgrades, fuel pump upgrade...etc..Small things do add up... if u want to go turbo, make sure u have at least 500 left for back up.. (things might not come out the way u expected).. 3rd... Alright let say if u have enough money for the turbo kit and the other accessories.. ur car still need to be tune... I don't know how much they charge over at Hawaii, but tunning at CA cost a lot of money... 4th.. Let do the math.. 1500 for the turbo kit... 500 for installation.. another 600 to 700 for turbo accessories... wow.. 2600 ... I am sure that u can get a ls swap with 2600.. LS motor has a lot of potential if u want to turbo it (u still have an option to have more power and not stuck)...My friend got a full interior LS turbo integra (stock internal that runs low 13s.) And my last point, how much hp u can get from turbo charging a dx engine.. Think before u waste ur money on that useless greddy turbo. if everything runs right.. u should have more power then a ls engine.. but remember u are stuck .. unless u want to spent 7000 to 8000 to rebuild ur engine..If u have a ls engine then u can save up then turbo it later...

Now let me answer ur question."how fast is a turbo dx hatch run?"... My friend got a greddy turbo kit with the intercooler in his hatch.. I think he had spent close to 4000 with tunning and other accessories... Or maybe alittle cheaper... Anyway he is boosting at 8 psi, One night.. he was driving me home and a WRX pull up at a stop light and i told him to rev on him.. When the light turn green, dam the wrx had pull away from us.. by the time he on 2nd gear the wrx had at least 2 cars lenght on us.. and on third WRX is pulling even farther...Dam.. I was like his turbo dx hatch is hella slow.. can't even catch up with a wrx...Now, my friend is hella regret for spending 4g on a useless turbo kit and selling his car. If i am him.. i will not get that turbo kit on the first place and add another 1500 to put in a h22a.. h22a on a hatch will run at least low 13 or high 12s..

Well, this is all i am going to say. If u want to go turbo go ahead, i am not going to stop u.. But don't come back and say people at Superhonda.com didn't tell u to do the swap first and turbo it when u have money... having turbo car has alot of maintanance... So if u don't have enough moeny don't do it... Good luck.. U have to make ur decision.. if u just want to have a 12s daily driven car then go with a h22a swap then u will have less headache in the long run....

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BoostedRex

· #13 · Feb 18, 2002

dptkfil said:
First i never said $1000 can do the swap.. Finding a GSR engine with wiring is not that hard.... Finding a b18c will be alot of harder and very expansive............
I don't think u read my post correctly... i asked why turbo an dx engine with less potential then swapping a ls or gsr engine.. a turbo kit will cost anywhere from 2000 to 3000...With that amount of money plus addition of 1000.. he can sure to swap in a GSR or LS engine and that engine will give him more potential... Am I right or not?? if he did turbo the dx engine.. what can he do next... rebuild the motor.. $hit that will cost some good amount of money.. although i am not sure.. how much it will cost to rebuild a dx motor..but i am sure it is not going to cheap... Am i right or not.....

why get a turbo before a swap? because some people would rather have a boosted car that can keep up to one with a swap for less money. not saying that a swap is not a good choice, its just maybe not the top of the priority list for some.
and another reason is that if you get a turbo kit put together and you blow your stock engine after driving for a few months, then you can do the swap then and you will more or less have a direct bolt on turbo kit.

dptkfil

· #14 · Feb 18, 2002

civperc said:
I keep seeing, "get xxxxx engine and then turbo that", how much friggin money do you people have?? damn, I mean like 4000 for a swap and then another 4000 for a properly tuned turbo, goddamn.

If u don't have money.. why the hell u want to turbo ur car???

dptkfil

· #15 · Feb 18, 2002

BoostedRex said:
why get a turbo before a swap? because some people would rather have a boosted car that can keep up to one with a swap for less money. not saying that a swap is not a good choice, its just maybe not the top of the priority list for some.
and another reason is that if you get a turbo kit put together and you blow your stock engine after driving for a few months, then you can do the swap then and you will more or less have a direct bolt on turbo kit.

I agreed people would rather have a boosted car then a engine swapped car.. But think about the maintanence on turbo car.. if he did swap in a ls or gsr engine first.. then it will open up more option to him later on.. if he depends to boost it later at least that motor is newer then his old dx engine... which mean he can drive longer and not to worry about rebuilding his engine.. I just don't want him to blew his engine and then he got no money to rebuild it...

madtownhonda

· #16 · Feb 18, 2002

you can turbo a d16....there are plenty of people out there that have them...you can build it and make massive amounts of power...just because it only has one cam doesn't mean it belongs in a trash can...for $4000, you should be able to build it and piece together a turbo kit.....either that, or get a t-66 turbo, you know, the ones they put on Supras, RX7s, mustangs, etc

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