Helpful info-before going turbo.

I wrote this, only because I feel people need to ask themselves if they are ready for this upgrade.

Many people think if I go turbo, my problems are over. Ha, the beginning is when you go turbo. The problem is guy's, if your a NT, and you go turbo, you run into problems. You have to decide if you have enough money to supply the continues modifications you will buy. You will have to understand, running low octain gas will be it, and from now on, when you look on the gasoline, you're getting the most expensive one. You also need to realise, am I a good enough driver to handle this kind of horsepower? I know you're laughing, thinking, omg, this kid must be ***. Hell no dood, I have seen people who can't control there car because it out-does them.

Now ask your engine a question, can it handle the preasure of a turbo. That's hard to not think about. People who don't think before doing usually end up with severe problems/results. You have to make sure that this engine has good mileage on it, and that your engine life won't be completely destroyed by 120K on your engine.

A good way to lower compression for your car, is to run a 2mm head gasket. If you run your engine this way without turbo, expect 10% hp loss. Big loss if you ask me. But if you run it turbo, you can see your compression drop incrediably, and see that you can run high ammounts of psi going as far as your pistons and rods can take you.

You will have to look into manifolds, and the turbo you are planning to buy. You will have to change exhaust manifolds. No doubt on that. ANd you will have to change your downpipe, that is a must. Your fuel injector's and fuel pump will have to be changed if you start feeling fuel cut. To get better management, you can buy a Super-AFC, or you can look into other management systems such as the AEM EMS, that totally replaces your ECM = Engine Control Module, and then will be totally plug/play.

Some things for a turbo, you will need to figure where you want to get your oil. On the 2.0's, I believe there is a place on the head. As for the 1.8's, ahead of the oil filter, where we get clean oil is where you would hook that up. As for a return you can buy a 4G63 oil pan if you have the 2.0, and the oil vent, and then use that. For the 1.8, as long as you can find a way to get it back to the beginning, you'll be fine.

Other small thing's you'll need are a Boost Gauge, a 2/3 Pillar, so you can house these gauges. A Exhaust Gauge can't hurt, and a Fuel/Air Mixture gauge. Those are some nice things to have.

Also remember, change your timing belt before you do this, and make sure that you have 8+mm spark plug wires. NGK spark plug's work nicely in our DSM's.

[soulcontroller]

good info, thanks for your input.

going turbo for N/T folks is probably the most frequently asked question there is. a lot of time and money is involved in the conversion, something you really have to look at before making the jump.

i thought about it for a while, but im going to rebuild my suspension and engine before i bolt on a kit.

regards.

[brynden29]

I agree with 90% of what you said, fast1.8sohcDSM, however I do not think it is that much of a big deal as people make it out to be. I do think that if you do not do it right, you will have more problems than not. It does take $$$ though. And I spent more than most people have. But I spent it on making my engine strong enough to handle all the extra boost. For my money, it was worth my piece of mind to go ahead and rebuild my engine. The main thing to start with is a compression test. You can tell a lot about the condition of your block by doing one.

I am not saying that going turbo is all roses. You have to be willing to get all the "extra" that do not come with a turbo kit. Gauges, boost controller, ignition, etc. These are things that you do not need, but if you want to run safely you will want them, and they all cost $$$.

So bottom line, is turboing the answer to all your engine problems? No, even a rebuilt engine can have problems if not properly maintained.

Is it fun as hell? Hell yes!!!

Would I ever go back to NA? Hell no.

Just my .02

[dTERM]

Of course, we all have those occasional urges to max out HP. I think, and this is my plan, you need to secure the integrity of the engine before you think about squeezing it. I've seen too many guys grab a N2O kit, and blow a tranny within 5K miles. The first step should be strength. Spend the cash on forged pistons and rods. Check the cam shafts, make sure none are out of round. Replace all the bearings and spend that extra cash on a metal gasket. When you are 100% certian that the engine AND TRANSMISSION have a solid 100K miles in them, then worry about extra HP. Most people don't realize that the strengthening efforts of rebuilding and replacing worn parts can get you a nice little increase in power. My 1969 H/O 442 (Cutlass) had a 455 rocket under the hood that was sneezing oil. Dyno test showed 270HP at the rear wheels. A simple rebuild, no performance parts (aside from forged pistons an Edelbrock wet manifold and a new Holley carb, simply because the stock parts were unserviceable) and she was putting 420 horses on the dirt. Now, you won't get a 100% HP increase in your DSM from a rebuild, but I assure you, If I had put that car on N2O or bolted a supercharger on to her, I'd have blown a piston or two into the sewer. Forget everything you've learned from The Fast And The Furious...it's all wrong. If you have time to consult a laptop about your head pressure during a quarter mile race...park the GEO Metro at the next gas station and walk home.

I disagree with the no-gauges as a must. Running safely even counts for being turbo. That is the bottom line. If you run without a boost gauge, your car might as well not even be turbo because it hasn't been properly monitored. As for rebuilding an engine, I would say an engine rebuild with an overhaul haul has 95% less things to happen then a engine that has several miles on them. As for a 2.0 NT turning T, yes, the star stage II is a good kit for you, although I disagree with the 4G63/420A for maintenance/rebuilding/fixing reasons. As for the 1.8 engine, it will be interesting to see what happens after long stress on rods with forced induction. Engines with fresh bearings, rod's machined, and rehoning, I believe can take more stress then normal everday engines with 15k+ mileage.

As for your 455 Rocket, yeah, you probably would blow some things out, not that it is a weak engine, just because that much horsepower was even a lot back then. As for the Inline engine, I believe that was the best thing about them, forced induction would make any inline the best they ever could be.

Turboing isn't the only solution, n2o tanks will do the job also, and also require rebuilding/forged pistons. They can be even more powerful of an upgrade then a turbo. The NT 4G63 with a heavy enough shot can kick a 2nd gen eclipse right off the map, or even give a 1st gen the biggest run for its money.

Turbochargers though give you continues power upgrades, which is always a plus. Unfortunately the tank will not give you that continues power. As for the EMS, I would have to say that even though it was shown on the fast and the furious, upgrades have seen bigger improvements with it. That system isn't fake power, it really has been used/tested to show greater horsepower.