Hi all. I know a fair bit about N/A engines, but I'm clueless when it comes to turbo stuff. I'm wondering if someone can give me a bit of a lesson on a turbo setup for my 97EX.

Specifically, I want to start with the Greddy kit. I've been told that the Greddy kit by itself on a stock motor will make about 140hp at the wheels. Is this correct?

Suppose I wanted to make 170hp. What else would I need on top of the Greddy kit to do so reliably?

Suppose again I wanted to make 200hp. What more would I need?

I'm just trying to get a feel for the costs/complexity of this. Thanks.

 

140 wph is feasable with the stock GReddy kit.

For 170whp, you're going to need to turn the boost up. To do that you're going to need to upgrade your fuel system. GReddy gives you the bare minimum to run their kit safely at the stock boost level (~5lbs), so if you go beyond that without touching the fuel system you're going to lean out under boost. GReddy gives you a 12:1 FMU, which works ok with your stock in-tank fuel pump and stock injectors at 4-5lbs of boost, but if you up the boost, you up the fuel pressure needs. Since the FMU is going to need more pressure with the higher boost level, you'll need to add an inline fuel pump if you want to continue using the FMU and stock injector setup, since the stock intank pump can't produce high fuel pressures. The addition of an inline pump should be enough to allow you to run ~8lbs of boost safely.

To get past 200whp, I would ditch the stock injectors and FMU, and step up to larger injectors and possibly a high volume intank pump. If you get injectors that are larger than about 310cc, you'll need an aftermarket fuel controller to run them. Since you're aiming for 200+whp, your tuning will need to be up to the task. The best way to handle it would be to use a standalone engine management system like Hondata, AEM EMS, EFI PMS, Haltech, etc. With one of those, larger injectors, a high-volume intank pump, and good (dyno)tuning, you'll be able to run 10-12lbs of boost safely on stock internals and it should be good for 200+whp. If you don't want to spend the money on a standalone, you can run an AFC, DSM 450cc injectors, and possibly an intank pump, and you should be able to come close to figures you're looking for, at less cost. You won't have as many tuning options, though.

 

So the Greddy kit with an inline fuel pump would be sufficient to run ~8lbs safely? Any recommendations on what to look for in a pump?

Just for the sake of curiosty and my own learning - what are the specs/details of the stock equipment the Greddy FMU replaces, and the stock fuel pump, etc..?

 

Oh and thanks. I appreciate the help!

 

A 12:1 FMU, stock injectors, and an inline pump are sufficient to run 8lbs of boost. I wouldn't run much more than that on a 12:1 setup though, since your fuel pressure under boost is already in the 130psi range at 8lbs of boost. If you want to run more than 8lbs, look into larger injectors and a standalone unit.

The SOHC GReddy kit only comes with the 12:1 FMU and MAP signal control box. The 12:1 FMU raises fuel pressure 12psi per lb of boost, and the MAP control box makes sure the MAP sensor voltage stays within spec to keep the stock ECM happy. If you figure a stock intank fuel pump can produce ~80psi max, and the 12:1 FMU is raising boost 12psi per lb of boost, even at the stock boost level of 4-5lbs, you're pretty close to maxing out the stock pump(assuming base fuel pressure of 32psi, at 4lbs of boost, that equals 80psi of fuel pressure). As for an inline pump, you can use any high-pressure pump you want. A relatively cheap alternative is to look for Bosch or Aeromotive inline pumps out of the DRAG kits, since people who upgrade to larger injectors usually don't need their inline pumps.

 

So, just looking at the math, if the stock in-tank pump is good for ~80lbs, and for 8lbs of boost I would need 8*12+32 = 128lbs of boost, I would need an inline pump capable of raising pressure by roughly 50lbs?

How are inline pumps rated? (ie, would a pump have a rating like +50lbs?) What am I looking at for the cost of a capable pump? The Greddy kit is around 1500, so am I looking at 1700, 1800 total?

Also, this may seem like a silly question, but would an inline pump that boosts my fuel pressure to 130lbs be damaging in any way to the other stock components of the fuel delivery system (the in-tank pump, lines, injectors, etc)?

 

The inline pump should be rated for at least 125psi or higher. You don't add the inline pump's output to your stock output pressure. Some people actually replace the stock pump with a pickup tube when running an inline pump. You can pick up a Bosch or Aeromotive inline pump out of a DRAG kit for about $100 or so. Your stock rails and lines will be fine at that pressure, but you can't go too much higher on the stock injectors. If you run extremely hight fuel pressures on stock injectors for an extended perios of time(FMU setup at higher boost levels), you run the risk of your injectors being stuck open, or just general injector failure. That's why ~8lbs of boost is the most I would run with a 12:1 FMU setup.

 

Alrighty, makes sense. Thanks for all the help. One last question .. what's your overall opinion of the effects of running 8lbs of boost for extended periods? What components are likely to wear out more rapidly, and what's your impression of exactly how must faster they'd wear out? My engine has ~80k miles now, and I plan on keeping it for a few years at least.

 

I've been running between 8.5 and 10.5lbs of boost for over two years. The majority of that time, I was running extremely lean. That said, the only significant problem I encountered was a leaky headgasket, which I replaced with a new OEM one for $20. Of course, my engine only has about 50k or so on it, I'm no longer running an FMU setup, and I don't recommend running lean EVER. The main thing is to make sure you're getting enough fuel at all times. It's better to run a bit rich and lose a little power than to run lean and risk blowing something up. As for wear and tear, run a fully synthetic 10w30 with OEM filters and change them every 3k and you'll be fine. If you're worried about synthetic oil on your higher mileage engine, you can run a conventional 10w30 and maybe change your oil more often. Also make sure you're running NGK copper plugs that are at least 1 step colder(7's). If you fill up with 87 now, it's time to step up to 91 or higher. Higher octane reduces your chance of detonating.