Ok, I know I'll get the usual swap the tranny but indulge me. What are the cons to boost my auto and what are the forseeable upgrades needed?

Thanks. :wiggle:

 

Heavier.

 

Honda's automatic transmissions arent really designed to handle a lot of power so like the old cliche' ... I'd suggest a transmission swap. You might be able to find a shop that builds them though.

 

Turbo lag is a lot more pronounced.

 

Ok, since nobody really posted anything that could be thought of as more than hearsay, here goes.

Honda transmissions were not designed to hold much more power than stock. The clutch packs and bands wear out and fail if you shove too much power at them, which leaves you with a paperweight that costs a couple grand to replace. The alternative is to upgrade everything with items from Level 10, but that usually costs about as much as a new transmission as well.

Auto trannies do weigh more, but only by about 25 lbs. There is also not any more noticable lag over a manual car, provided you aren't trying to get boost from a roll. From a launch you can brake stall along with selecting first, but again, that heats up the fluid and contributes to early tranny failure.

A higher stall torque convertor will help a lot too.

All told, it's cheaper both upfront and in the long run to just do a manual conversion if you plan on boosting much at all.

 

It's not hearsay. I've driven automatic turbos, and the first 2-3K RPM's are horrible until the turbo spools up. At least with a manual car you have the chance of starting with the turbo spooled up. Add on to that the fact that Honda engines make very little low end torque and the automatic transmissions have only 4 gears, and thus, longer gearing than the 5 speeds, and you have one very annoying bit of turbo lag. Will it be fast than before? Probably. Are you going to get annoyed that every time you hit the go pedal the car seems to hesitate a little? Probably.

 

I've also driven automatic turbos.This may be true if you ignored altogether how a torque convertor multiplies torque, which is how it works to utilize longer gearing.Gearing has very little to do with turbo lag. Tall gearing may mean you operate at lower RPM with each shift, but the longer you can stay in gear [and let's not forget that with an auto you don't fall out of boost between shifts since you never have to lift], the more benefit you get from boost, and the more boost you can make, since spool is directly affected by engine load and exhaust energy generated. WHP is WHP, no matter how long you stay in each gear. I'm not saying auto is optimal, but it's certainly not a deathblow in terms of lag. If it is, you did something wrong.

 

so would you guys say go turbo w/ auto or just wait for a n/a swap? I prob would do a tranny swap with the engine. I was thinking of getting JRSC, but I haven't heard many good things, just some horror stories. Besides, the JRSC costs a lot more then a swap and turbo. Keep the comments and tech advice coming! Thanks.

 

I wouldn't ever supercharge a 4 cylinder, ever. There just isn't as much room for gain as with a proper turbo system.

Unless you're just rolling in money, an auto turbo honda is not for you, but that's purely a reliability issue, not a functional one.

 

1stgen, what would you suggest that I do? Let's say ~ budget $2,000 to spend.