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My d16y8 turbo build

130888 Views 286 Replies 55 Participants Last post by  TheAssassin
So after an incredibly long time I've finally turbocharged my 1997 Civic. After dabbling in the nitrous world over the summer, I decided to turbocharge my car with almost 160k miles on it. I planned my list of parts I would need and started purchasing them in the order that I'd be able to use them. I first got my hondata s300 and vac/boost, oil pressure, and wideband gauges so that I could at least use them before putting the whole turbo setup on. I ordered the street kit from Go-Autoworks with the Garrett T3 60 .48 a/r, along with the walbro 255 pump and 450cc injectors (which were out of stock, so Greg gave me 650cc's instead, no additional charge, just shows how dedicated Greg is to satisfying customers!) I received the kit November 18th. The next morning, driving in to work at 3:30 am I crashed my car. I ran over a tree. Yes, there was a tree across the road, a good foot and half in diameter. It looked like a relatively small branch from far away, but it wasn't. I totally destroyed the front end of my car and set off both airbags. I had it towed home (1 mile away, $125) and drove my wife's nissan to work. I bought a junky 1997 white civic to use for parts. Over the next 2 and a half months I replaced (used parts came from the white civic):

rad support (new)
oil pan (new)
pass. side lower control arm (used)
pass. side strut (new)
pass. side cv axle (new)
both knuckles (used)
entire subframe (crossmember? I've heard it called both) (used)
both fenders (used)
bumper (used)
bumper support (used)
airbags and srs unit (used)
both headlights (used cheap hid ones from the white civic)
rims and tires (used, tree bent one of my other rims)
Anyway, this is what my car looks like now, I wish I took a picture of it when it was crashed. It's on the dyno (duh)

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Bumper Hood


Right now it's on the stock suspension, with the front passenger side having the brand new strut, which makes the car sit about 2 inches higher on that corner. I'm going full coilovers soon so I didn't want to buy four struts if I didn't have to do so.

While doing all these replacements, I was also installing my turbo system:
Engine Vehicle Auto part Car Fuel line

I ended up not needing the boost control solenoid, that's why it's not hooked up. And my apologies for the incredibly dirty engine bay.
Onward, I finally had my car tuned yesterday. I would say the shops name but I don't know if I should because they wouldn't like me saying how my car fell off the dyno, or more like it rolled off the dyno. My car was so awesome that it magically melted one of the straps and popped off the rollers and almost hit the guy painting the wall next to us. Looking back, it's kind of cool having a car fall off a dyno at 70mph and not destroy anything, the guys were good sports about it and I'm very happy no one was hurt. But that's the reason I wont disclose the shops name, they might not like the bad publicity but I will say that they are very good at what they do.

Here's a video of the last run on the dyno. My car made 211 whp and 167 wtq on 7lbs of boost, 2.5" exhaust, no catalytic converter.

Dyno Tuning - YouTube

I hope my first post works!
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thanks!
i'm getting a set of progress csII's did you ever get yours?
If you're talking to me, I ended up going with a Koni/GC setup. I got tired of Progress BS about backorders for the next 3 months.
ah yeah that is the main complaint with them, and Koni/GC's are a very good set up too, very versatile and very good quality
New Parts!

So my input shaft bearing needs to be replaced. Here it is along with the oil seal:
Auto part Revolver


I also got a Competition Clutch Stage 4 clutch and pressure plate:
Fictional character

Auto part Clutch Transmission part Clutch part


I also got a set of Progress csII to replace my blown 15 year old suspension:
Auto part Automotive engine part Suspension part Metal
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New Parts! (cont.)

Suspension Suspension part Auto part Shock absorber


New OEM top hats (fourth one is already installed):
Button Auto part Grommet Wheel Metal


Cutting the bump stop:
Finger Hand Bowie knife Blade Nail


All put together:
Coil spring Auto part Suspension Suspension part Shock absorber


I hope to install the suspension parts tomorrow or Monday if I have time. The clutch and bearings I'm going to do at my dad's laboratory because it's super clean there and clean=good when dealing with open transmission surgery. I'll be sure to take a lot of pics so stay tuned!
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Progress Technology Competition Series II

On Monday I installed my CSII's. It was very straightforward, the only snags were getting the old bolts out, blow torch anyone?

I took pics of the rears:

Coil spring Auto part Suspension part Suspension


Vehicle brake Auto part Brake Disc brake Machine


Auto part Bumper Tire Automotive tire Automotive exterior


Coil spring Suspension part Auto part Suspension Shock absorber
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Progress Technology Competition Series II (cont.)

Here's my car: Front ride height is 12 1/2 inches, rear ride height is 13 inches. I'll eventually lower it a half inch front/rear but I need to raise my exhaust a little bit to avoid scrapping.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Alloy wheel Hood


Land vehicle Vehicle Car Alloy wheel Motor vehicle


Land vehicle Vehicle Car Hood Bumper


Land vehicle Vehicle Car Hood Automotive design


I'll get the white front end repainted soon I hope as we as getting an OEM colored gas cap door (the clear came with the car...)
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Progress Technology Competition Series II (cont.)

You can see here the super tyte JDM Civic Type R that I took apart to rebuild my red civic lol

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Crash Mid-size car


My goals with this car is to daily drive, with as much autocross and dragging as possible. I would rather this car be a blast to drive on the back roads as opposed to insanely fast down the strip.

So far after 2 days I can tell that it handles so much better than my 15 year old suspension. I can go around turns so much faster than before and there's a lot less body roll as well. One thing that I love about the new suspension is the near lack of backwards shifting when taking off.

On a different note, I had to take the power steering belt off (pivot bolt snapped in half, oh well) and that coupled with the suspension means there's a lot more feedback while driving.
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Pics of Gauge Setup

I posted these pictures in another thread but since they pertain to my build I'll post them here too.

Here's my Air:Fuel ratio, Vacuum/Boost, and Oil Pressure gauges on the A pillar. I wired in an on/off switch because I didn't feel like doing the dimmer option. The switch is next to the mirror adjuster switch.

Car Vehicle Family car Center console


Land vehicle Vehicle Car Gauge Speedometer


And here's my Nitrous pressure gauge (currently not hooked up because I have no nitrous lol)

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Vehicle audio Center console
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How are you liking the progress csII's? I was initially saving up for those same ones but i think i will end up going with racelands for cheap and then save up for them later.
Save and wait, you will be immensely satisfied! The improvement is awesome, it's not too rough on the roads and it handles great.
You gonna get any sway bars or tie bars. I used the fuse for the headlights to control my gauge lights. When you switch to the highbeams they turn off as well.
For now the stock front Ex swaybar is fine, though a rear swaybar with a brace may be a cheap upgrade. I like doing things in steps so I can feel the difference that each upgrade does.

I could have done that, but I had a switch laying around and some free time to get the added "behind the dash" wiring in order. I was thinking of wiring it into the stock light dimmer, that would have been cool.
ONE MORE COMMENT!!! Good build. Different from my plans, but good nevertheless.
Subscribed to see this the rest of the way through. Everything is looking good so far. Keep up the good work man. I like the fact your not taking shortcuts and I may look into the street kit from Greg so that I van keep the a/c and stuff on my coupe. That was one of the things keeping me from turboing it in the beginning.
Do it! My wife said she wouldn't let me not have ac. But it is definitely nice to have it,especially for defogging and such.

I want to do everything right, no shortcuts. However I also want to do most of it myself. I think painting and tuning(for now) will be the main things I cannot do.
Yea I can't help you much with tuning or tell you much about turboing for that matter ( did you have to tilt your engine and fabricate special mounts to get your stuff to fit right? Lmao)
But back to the real, I went to school for autobody and if pa wasn't so far away I could of hooked you up on the painting part. My old teacher has a body shop and he also let's me squeeze a few cars/trucks in the schools paint booth when its open or I need a little extra cash.
The car in my avatar, I repainted it from the back windows to the rear of the car because some dumbass rear ended me in the mc donalds parking lot.
Ugg that thread is filled with so much fail. He could devout his time and resources and really make something special if hed just cut the crap.

Thanks man, if only TN were closer. I've put the painting off for so long because I'm a function > form guy but the three color scheme is really starting to bug me. I need it before may I've decided lol
Lol yea I hear ya on both. Don't really know what's up with dude but I had a multicolored hatch once and I know how it is when car to be all one color again lol
I've got a set of red mirrors at the house right now that came off a 2000 si coupe that I gotta paint white for my buddy back home. He was running almost the opposite of you now. But now his is just black and white. With two broken white mirrors til maybe this weekend when I get off the boat.
Love the turbo kit! Good luck on the build. Mind if I ask, what spring rate are you running on the progress? Might of missed it.
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