ok ive been researching online and been thinking of getting my head redone with titanium valves/retainers/springs and getting rods and pistons im keeping the head standard size and same compression im just wondering if all is the same will the engine still be street legal as in pass california smog? i got a edelbrock kit on a 97 civic ex. i plan on getting a aem ems and boost controller as well for track just wondering if building the engine would be ok.

 

building the internals on your engine doesnt necessarily build performance (depending how you build it) but it will allow to safely run higher levels of boost.

I'm not familiar with Cali smog laws since I'm on the east coast but I dont see why internals would effect your vehicle for smog testing

 

ya im not trying 2 get more hp from the engine besides from running higher boost i just dont want my internals failing when i do

 

97 Civic? What type of engine do you have, and what does your turbo setup consist of.
Besides being forged (stronger), getting pistons of the same compression would be pretty pointless. The reason you want low compression pistons is so when you run more than x psi you wont crack a sleeve or something like that.
How much boost does your edelbrock kit run? I doubt you have much if any room to up the psi and still pass emissions, but I don't live in Cali so who knows.

 

getting pistons of the same compression is not pointless. Upgrading to forged pistons instead of cast will allow you to run more boost because they are stronger it has nothing to do with compression you can run high compression and boost it will take less boost to get the same power plus with higher compression setups you have more low end power and torque before the boost threshold. The reason people drop the compression is for much easier tuning and less risk with bad gas etc. As far as emissions goes the building of the block to forged shouldnt matter but you would probably have to have 2 different boost settings one for the track and one for the street or at least smog testing.

 

yea the whole concept is 2 have it work at the normal settings for daily driving with the stock ecu but at the track swap my ecu 2 the ems and boost levels.

 

what ever you put in the head valvetrain wise will more than likely pass cali smog, now if you put some wicked cams in the head then probably not. but if you build the bottom end with forged internals with the same stock compression and stock aftermarket sized valves and springs it will be just like a stock motor just built to handle more power

 

thanks for answering that , now im just wondering if i get it port and polished will it be ok if they just smooth out the passages no overboring or anything?

 

yeah just some gasket matching, bowl blending and sidewall smoothing is really all you will need. nothing to crazy