SovXietday
02-20-2007, 05:37 PM
This post is for those of you that want to turbo your 01-05 EX/DX/LX Civic equipped with a D17. Unfortunately the D17 is the engine with the least amount of aftermarket support. It is also not backwards compatible with the previous gen D16 and D15 powerplants. This poses for many problems, most of which I will address here and some of which I have limited knowledge about. So, please read and take into account what you want, how much money you want to spend, and how much time your willing to throw into researching and understanding how everything works.
First and foremost, before you even start looking at turbo kits, you need to know what you have available for tuning fuel and ignition as ultimately that will be what is most important in the entire setup. Since FMUs will ultimately blow your engine, it's not worth even mentioning. If you plan on using one, go slam your head in a door. It will be more productive, and it may teach you something... that you're an idiot. Mmkay?
Your two other choices, one which will "do" and the other which will work great, are as follows. ECU piggyback system and ECU stand alone.
Unlike the previous gen D16 options, you cannot revert back to OBD1 and chip the ECU. It doesn't work, so basically that eliminates Uberdata, Crome, Hondata, Neptune, and any other chip or program that runs off the OBD1 ECU. Your cheapest option would be using some form of Piggy back system, IE Greddy Emanage, the SAFC/VAFC, or similar products. Most of these products are ok, they will work for mild setups but may have trouble idling larger injectors and they really don't do well with timing control. IMO, not having good timing control will cause premature engine failure quickly. Your best bet is going to be going with a standalone.
A standalone unit completely replaces the ECU in the car, and takes full control. AEM EMS is a perfect example, and better yet, it has FULL timing control. Timing needs to be retarded with boost and you can maximize the power that you make by playing with timing. It will also control fuel input, so not only will you have enough fuel during full throttle boost, but you'll have good fuel when you're just cruising around town. Best option, but also expensive option. Honestly, there is no expense too great for tuning, the better your tune, the more power you will make, and the longer your car will last.
Next, you will need to either find a company that makes a good solid turbo kit, or decide to piece together one yourself. Do NOT buy the Ebay kits, yes they are cheap, yes they suck, and if you need to be resorting to an ebay kit then start considering what you really have money to do. Tight budget
+ turbo = problem.
As for a turbo kit, look around. I've heard Apexi made one, but I'm not sure if they still do or not. As for building your own, you will need to have a custom turbo manifold made, as there are no companies (that I'm aware of) that mass produce these manifolds. Piping, downpipes, etc are also almost always going to be custom anyway. You will need larger injectors, and probably a new fuel pump. I'm not sure off hand if you can get a Walbro intank for those cars, but any inline can be set up correctly. Oil lines will need to be run just like always.
After all of that, you're still stuck on a stock engine. It's debatable how much these engines can handle before blowing, I'd say that with a stand alone unit you could push around 200whp before running into any issues.
So, now you know what needs to be done for an 01-05 Civic. They will cost a lot more to turbo correctly than the previous gen counterparts, so take this into account before you try and blow up your engine.
Edit:
Here's a post written by one of our members who put together a D17 and made over 400whp.
http://www.hondacivicforum.com/m_456149/tm.htm
First and foremost, before you even start looking at turbo kits, you need to know what you have available for tuning fuel and ignition as ultimately that will be what is most important in the entire setup. Since FMUs will ultimately blow your engine, it's not worth even mentioning. If you plan on using one, go slam your head in a door. It will be more productive, and it may teach you something... that you're an idiot. Mmkay?
Your two other choices, one which will "do" and the other which will work great, are as follows. ECU piggyback system and ECU stand alone.
Unlike the previous gen D16 options, you cannot revert back to OBD1 and chip the ECU. It doesn't work, so basically that eliminates Uberdata, Crome, Hondata, Neptune, and any other chip or program that runs off the OBD1 ECU. Your cheapest option would be using some form of Piggy back system, IE Greddy Emanage, the SAFC/VAFC, or similar products. Most of these products are ok, they will work for mild setups but may have trouble idling larger injectors and they really don't do well with timing control. IMO, not having good timing control will cause premature engine failure quickly. Your best bet is going to be going with a standalone.
A standalone unit completely replaces the ECU in the car, and takes full control. AEM EMS is a perfect example, and better yet, it has FULL timing control. Timing needs to be retarded with boost and you can maximize the power that you make by playing with timing. It will also control fuel input, so not only will you have enough fuel during full throttle boost, but you'll have good fuel when you're just cruising around town. Best option, but also expensive option. Honestly, there is no expense too great for tuning, the better your tune, the more power you will make, and the longer your car will last.
Next, you will need to either find a company that makes a good solid turbo kit, or decide to piece together one yourself. Do NOT buy the Ebay kits, yes they are cheap, yes they suck, and if you need to be resorting to an ebay kit then start considering what you really have money to do. Tight budget
+ turbo = problem.
As for a turbo kit, look around. I've heard Apexi made one, but I'm not sure if they still do or not. As for building your own, you will need to have a custom turbo manifold made, as there are no companies (that I'm aware of) that mass produce these manifolds. Piping, downpipes, etc are also almost always going to be custom anyway. You will need larger injectors, and probably a new fuel pump. I'm not sure off hand if you can get a Walbro intank for those cars, but any inline can be set up correctly. Oil lines will need to be run just like always.
After all of that, you're still stuck on a stock engine. It's debatable how much these engines can handle before blowing, I'd say that with a stand alone unit you could push around 200whp before running into any issues.
So, now you know what needs to be done for an 01-05 Civic. They will cost a lot more to turbo correctly than the previous gen counterparts, so take this into account before you try and blow up your engine.
Edit:
Here's a post written by one of our members who put together a D17 and made over 400whp.
http://www.hondacivicforum.com/m_456149/tm.htm