things to note when installing a turbo...

[yellow civic ex]

i'm getting an apex kit for my 97 ex. i'm deciding how serious this job is and what to expect out of it. i'd rather not get into it over my head, and i'd like to not hit anything unexpected. anyone have any advice? how hard is it to do the job? i'm pretty handy with cars, but never done something so big. i figure it's mostly bolt-on, right???
like i said...any advice would be great. thanks.
dave

[Snoopy]

probably the hardest part would be welding the oil drain hole to the oil pan. and maybe some wiring if you have to do that sort of thing. just take your time, double check all your connections, and pick up a helms manuel.

[inspyral]

It's basically an intake/header install, with the added components of running the oil lines, vac connections, installing feed/drain fittings, plumbing fuel connections, etc. The A'PEXi kit uses a gasket-sealed fitting and bolts for the drain fitting int he pan like the GReddy kit, I believe, so you won't need to weld it. For a first time install, it should probably take a full weekend. Make sure you double check all your connections. Isolating a leak is a pain once you have everything back together. You'll need an assortment of tools, obviously. Post any specific questions if you have them.

[derf]

Originally posted by inspyral
...uses a gasket-sealed fitting and bolts for the drain fitting int he pan ...

so does this mean you basically just drill a hole or something? how does this work... just curious

[ManTiS]

Originally posted by derf
so does this mean you basically just drill a hole or something? how does this work... just curious

yes, drill the hole and tighten nuts

[yellow civic ex]

does this kit come with good instructions??

[inspyral]

Originally posted by yellow civic ex
does this kit come with good instructions??

Are you getting it new? I believe it comes with pretty detailed instructions. This should help:
http://www.wabe.net/silum/turbo.html
pretty pictures, too.

[yellow civic ex]

thanks, that site will be really helpful. one more question...is turbo magazines website usually a reliable source of info?? they said that the apexi kit with the gt intercooler at only 5lbs of boost makes 187whp...i'm not sure how accurate that is, since i know kits like greddy only give a sohc like 140whp. check out this site:

http://www.turbomagazine.com/tech/0108tur_apexturbo/

[94civicEX]

Originally posted by inspyral
Are you getting it new? I believe it comes with pretty detailed instructions. This should help:
http://www.wabe.net/silum/turbo.html
pretty pictures, too.

Damn, that's an awesome How-To. That looks really nice.

Good luck, bro', maybe take some pictures as well.

[ManTiS]

Instructions with the Apexi kit are really good (for me anyways.)

[Jkan2001]

make sure you teflon tape the threads for the oil feed....i have the APEX kit on my 00ex and the guy that had the kit before me forgot to teflon tape it. I didn't think to even check it and after i installed the whole kit i started it up and it LEAKED OIL so i had to take it all off and basically reinstall the whole kit.

[inspyral]

Originally posted by yellow civic ex
thanks, that site will be really helpful. one more question...is turbo magazines website usually a reliable source of info?? they said that the apexi kit with the gt intercooler at only 5lbs of boost makes 187whp...i'm not sure how accurate that is, since i know kits like greddy only give a sohc like 140whp. check out this site:

http://www.turbomagazine.com/tech/0108tur_apexturbo/

They tuned the A'PEXi kit with an AFC. The numbers you're thinking of for the GReddy kit are probably untuned. The GReddy kit is also a good option for SOHC boost, but it may take more boost pressure to make the same power. You can easilly get past the 200hp mark with a GReddy kit, but t will take some good tuning with a standalone unit, and at about 8-12lbs of boost to do it.

[derf]

how do you tune a turbo?... can you explain? never really understood that..... what are you able tp change... besides. boost

[tokyoracer]

Originally posted by inspyral
They tuned the A'PEXi kit with an AFC. The numbers you're thinking of for the GReddy kit are probably untuned. The GReddy kit is also a good option for SOHC boost, but it may take more boost pressure to make the same power. You can easilly get past the 200hp mark with a GReddy kit, but t will take some good tuning with a standalone unit, and at about 8-12lbs of boost to do it.

so does this mean the the apexi will make more power with a smaller lbs of boost when compared to the greddy kit? since the apexi is ball bearing.. so i am assuming that it'll spool faster than then greddy? is that correct?

[inspyral]

Originally posted by derf
how do you tune a turbo?... can you explain? never really understood that..... what are you able tp change... besides. boost

Fuel and timing maps. Of course, you would need a way to alter those maps. In the case above, they used an AFC to tune the fuel curve.

Originally posted by tokyoracer
so does this mean the the apexi will make more power with a smaller lbs of boost when compared to the greddy kit? since the apexi is ball bearing.. so i am assuming that it'll spool faster than then greddy? is that correct?

Whether it would make more power per pound of boost would depend on the thermal efficiency of the turbo, and how well the setup is tuned. The IHI bb turbo is about the same size as the TD04H in the GReddy kit, so I would wager their thermal efficiencies are pretty similar. Yes, with two similar turbos, the ball bearing one would spool slightly faster.

[derf]

air fuel controller = AFC rite?

[inspyral]

Originally posted by derf
air fuel controller = AFC rite?

A'PEXi's acronym actually stands for "Air Flow Converter", since it modifies the MAP sensor signal in order to get the ECM to add or take away fuel, but yes, an AFC does control fuel, and yes, this is a run-on sentence.