I just upgraded from my 88 prelude to a 2001 about two months ago. The car already has a cold air intake, and exhaust. I was thinking about putting a turbo on it...

So I went to Idaho Speed Center here in Boise Idaho. They told me they could get me into a turbo for a "couple grand". That got me thinking. I just dont want to throw a turbo on and break other parts. I was wondering who has been through putting a turbo on, the extra parts and costs involved etc., and what your guess would be for a final cost.

Lastly, what are some other things that can be done to impove performance without adding extra wear n tear (ie NOS)? And an idea of $$ costs.

Any input will be appreciated! This is my first post on this site. I have been reading threads for a while, finally decided to join the fun.

 

Welcome. :cheers:

It will cost at least $1500 to have a homemade turbo setup. If it is done correctly, a small turbo setup won't be any less reliable than a stock engine with bolt-ons. Extra parts will depend on your setup and whether you buy a premade kit or piece your own together.

Any extra power will put extra stress on the engine internals. The key to longetivity is ensure all maintenence is kept up with rigorously to ensure the engine is running at its potential.

 

So Does my car need special tuneing to run the turbo? My friend was telling me that I would need to get a different chip to take full advantage of the turbo. What about Intercooling?

 

tuning can help you make more power and keep the engine running safely. the ideal method of tuning is to have your ecu socketed and a chip that has been tuned to your exact setup on the dyno installed into it. intercooling is always a good idea when boosting.

 

Have you ever had any interaction with those guys?

Welcome to HAN.

I'm in Boise also.

 

I have not delt with the ISC for anything other than having them order a k&n air filter for me. They could get it cheaper than I. I have not had them do any work for me before. What about you? Is it a bad idea?

 

So if I do a "homemade" turbo, does that require me to install it?
What kinda of turbos should I look at?
What type of chips to go with it and how much?
How much are intercoolers and what do they do?
What is NA work? I saw that on a previous post.
When is it a good idea to think about different headers, and how much would that cost?
ok, last question, sorry. How much horsepower can I gain from a turbo on an H22a?
Basicly I will have 2k to play with when I get my taxes back. What would you do?

So from the last post it sounds like I need to get a turbo and a chip that matches it exactly.

 

Go with a good, recognized brand name like Garret, Turbonetics, HKS, AirResearch, etc. These guys have been around a long time and know their business. Cheaper "off-brands" may not have the same durability or efficiency as these brands do. Look for a T3, T4, or Hybrid T3/T4.
Do a Google search. You'll find that you can spend as much as $1600 for an AEM EMS or you can spend a little for a chip. There are all kinds of options here that you can explore.
Intercoolers are radiator-looking devices that cool your intake charge. Since your turbo runs off of exhaust, there is a lot of heat in your intake charge. Cooler air is denser air and denser air builds more power. So essentially an intercooler increases the efficiency of your turbo by cooling the charge and therefore builds horsepower.
These range in price also, depending on how large of an intercooler you want.
You will have to get a turbo manifold or turbo header when you go to a turbo. You don't want to get your exhaust too big if you don't have a turbo, tho. Exhaust systems do not fall under the rule of "bigger is better" with normally aspirated engines.
Here's a good rule of thumb on that one; Do not exceed 50% total engine output with stock internals. So if you are making 200hp stock, don't push past 300hp without strengthening your internals (forged pistons, rods, etc). If you stay within 50%, you should have no issues (assuming the engine is in good mechanical shape already).
Honestly, after you price the turbo, wastegate, boost controller, manifold/header, blow-off valve, downpipe, piping, etc. You may find that $2K may not be enough. I could be wrong there, tho.
Not really. Basically what happens is that your stock ECM allows for some "play" in the fuel map, ignition map, etc, but is not capable of handling the amount of play needed for a turbo. If you get a chip your sensors are going to dictate to the ECM what the needs of the engine are, just as it does now -except that it will be allowed to compensate for the higher output.
Here's a couple of links to sites where you can get some pricing:
http://www.jegs.com
http://www.andysautosport.com
http://www.speedunlimited.com
A Google search will show a lot more places.

 

thanks everyone for your input. I have already learned a lot.

now I just have to decide if its worth taking the plunge into 2 or more K.

 

you will spend more then 2k i promise you, and i would do a far more amount of resaerch then the already great information that has been provided to you....

basically know thte in's and out's of turbo system, and how they work in regards to your car... before you make any choice as to go boost or not