[speedfoos]

OK. Had to do some more defabrication to get things to fit tonight. That GT30 is a big turbo and needs lots of room!

You can see in this pic that I can't wedge the mani on to the head studs, because the intake side of the turbo is hitting that center rad support.



Time to take some more stuff off. I cut the center (vertical part) rad support to move it out of the way so the intake side of the turbo would clear. Add it to my list of things to get re-welded when this is all done.

Radiator was gettin' in the way too, so out she came.



Now I start fighting with mounting up the turbo. Mind you this is all temporary so I can determine the exact position and orientation of the turbo down pipe in order to hack up my cat pipe to get the whole thing connected. I fought with it and discovered that AC lines are in the way.

I'm determined to keep AC so I've bent the lines as much as I can, and it looks like the downpipe will fit just fine. Although I did wrap the DP, I'm also going to have to shield the AC lines now since they'll be really close to the DP. This is really fun. So I jerked the PS pump off, and was about to pull the alternator so I could get at the AC compressor to move it out of the way in order to bolt up the downpipe.

I ran out of gas. I'm dead tired and this how I left the car and walked inside.



Its beer time.

But I did get my UKDM tails installed! I had to open up the the hole where our USDM secondary tail lamp goes. The UKs only have three bulbs and the US ones have four. You could still see the hole where Honda just plastic-welded a square of plastic over it. I just drilled it out and cut the rest of the shape with my box cutter.



Here's before:










And with the mad UKDM bling!








Like I said, it's beer o'clock now. I'll work on it more in the morning!

[LT2004ever]

nice update man! man it just seems you dont have all the room u want in that tiny civic man! u shoulda bought a lude or a s2k for engine room lol. oh well, cant wait till u get everything in and settled, and running. btw i like the tails man.

[speedfoos]

I know man, the engine used to look so spacious. I'm buying an S2K when I get promoted in 2009. Momma already gave me permission!

[speedfoos]

Day 2

Bugger all, I was tired last night! So I tore most of the stuff of the driver's side of the engine today so I can at least bolt the turbo assembly up to start hacking at the exhaust. Looks like the AC is going to be a big pain, but I should be able to keep it. Move all the accessories out of the way (PS pump, alt., and AC comp) and it fits! Hooray!!





I was so excited I took TWO pictures. Now I know what you're thinking, "But 'foos, space on that digital camera is expensive! Are you sure you can afford it?" Yes I can. See. Its a turbo.




Okee dokee time to start hacking at the exhaust. Dropped the cat assembly to cut the flange and pipe off and discovered something really stupid. Now I had heard about this before, but I was skeptical. I mean really, Honda could not be this dumb. Why would you do such a thing? This like an interfooler in my opinion.

Double-walled pre-cat pipe. Looks like 2.5 but is only 1.75. Does anyone remember a certain scene in Animal House........? This is the Honda equivalent of a padded bra.




I've got the cat off and I have length of straight pipe and a flex coupler, and no welder. Trying to think how I am going to mock up this new pipe to replace the Honda "Wonder Pipe".

Then it occurs to me! "Shazzam! I bought that nifty intake mock-up kit!" Best $15 I've spent so far.




Mocked up the pipe, and ran everything off to my welder. He should be done with it by Monday or Tuesday. Cool beans.

Now I've been working on the cooling lines. I've discovered that making AN hoses is my least favorite thing to do in the whole world. I think I'd rather eat glass than do that again. What a pain in the ass.

But the coolant lines are made and run so I'm going to take a break, play some PS2 with my daughter, then mount the intercooler and pipes later tonight. This is kind of fun!

Here's my shiny water lines. Used the TB return line for the turbo feed line.

[tuningmycivic]

just so you know, i'm subscribing so i can avoid all these issues once i start my install when i get back home in October...

always a good read man, keep up the nice progress.

[speedfoos]

Yeah, if I can impart a bit of advice now. Either go with a kit or don't. Don't use pieces of a kit and expect things to bolt right up. They don't I've got Dezod's mani, downpipe, IC and IC piping. Although they are great, quality parts, they are made for Dezod's turbo kit. Nothing has bolted right up so far. I think I've modified everything to work for my setup now, although I'm sure I'm going to have some work to do on the IC piping to get it just right. Definitely not knocking Paul's stuff, its just when you go custom, you really go custom.

[tuningmycivic]

lol, i got a used SF kit as the basis. prolly gonna have to go with some different IC piping and diff fuel system since the FMU showed up broken...:disgust: other than that though, it's just the electronics and hoses i think i'll need to worry about. Like i said though, no reason i shouldn't use your thread as a basis of things to watch out for

[speedfoos]

Absolutely, that's why its here! Good thing the FMU showed up broken as you'll need to run an EMS anyway.

Going out to install the IC and pipes now.

[tuningmycivic]

i got an emanage, PnP harness, and RSX-S injectors. still looking to get a wideband though...

[FoSho]

Oh man just wait, this is just the start. I did buy the dezod kit with a very large 5027E precision turbo, and I had just about as much fun as your having. I had to bend the shit out of my a/c lines aswell but my wastegate finally fit. I bent the top & vertical radiator supports alot to fit that turbo. I took the entire turbo & downpipe out at least 10 times trying to get the turbo clocked right. Even with a kit it was a pain in the ass to install. Oh & did I mention the intercooler piping was ridiculous to fit. And um the oil line kit does not clear the intake manifold ( had to make my own customer -AN lines for pressure sensors & turbo feed.

Oh and not to mention car is not running due to intake manifold leak. Haha, I had my car back for 1 day running great. Aren't turbo cars fun!!!! One thing you think will be real quick turns into a 3 hour job!

[drew22mader]

Speedfoos, all looks good man, getting so close and loved watching this. I just got my intercooler mounted and the bumper trimmed up enough to clear, won't be too much longer, *cough* Tuesday *cough* whenever my race manifold is here and i can finally start the build. Hopefully i don't have to hack up and weld a bunch of stuff like you did. I have the 5027E Precision Turbo so this should be fun!

Good luck man!

[speedfoos]

FoSho, could you snap a picture of how you ran your IC piping? Particularly the intake charge pipe - the one from the TB to the IC. That pipe goes in the top hole of the IC right? That's the one I'm having the most fun with right now.

I've got a different oil line kit, it fits fine, and I made my own water and oil return lines. Most of the stuff I have will end up being custom at this point since I didn't buy a kit. Talk about a lot to undertake for the first I've ever turbo'd a car. But its working out as I expected really. Had to use my cold chisel and just separate the vertical rad support. That's on the "will take care of later" list.

Drew, I wish it was getting so close! I figured I may have everything installed by the end of the week. Lots to do, but its good fun.

My hammer and I have been persuading some things out of the way to run this IC piping!

[Alpha 5]

Originally Posted by speedfoos

My hammer and I have been persuading some things out of the way to run this IC piping!

.


Isn't that what moding is all about? I am glad you have MOST of the pieces and that it is going as expected. We all appreciate you keeping us up on pics and how it is going. Now quit reading this isht and go to work.....

BTW, when you said "Hammer and I" did you mean this hammer? LOL

[speedfoos]

You can't touch this Alpha, you just can't. LOL.

I've given up for the night. It seems like the one IC pipe (from TB to IC) bends down when it should bend up. Any of you cats out there with a Dezod IC and piping kit, I'd greatly appreciate a pic or two of how that one runs.

Once again, it's beer o'clock.

[lxcivic2k1]

Looks like its slowly coming along man....but I gotta say that exhaust is the dirtiest exhaust i've ever seen, unless its suppose to come all black.