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Hi guys, i drive a 100% stock 2002 Civic DX coupe, 1.7 SOHC D17A1 (I 90% sure its a A1) and i wanna turbo it, downside is im not too mechanically inclined and no nothing about turbos other than a basic understanding of how they work. I was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of a website (Or you yourself) that could tell me everything that im gonna need to buy/do to my car before i can effectively run a turbo system in it. Im not a huge race junkie so id prefer a system that allows me to keep my AC. If it matters, im currently looking at the (full) T3/T4 turbo system on andysautosport.com (Ill provide a link below). Please help! Thanks!
The kit im looking at:
http://www.andysautosport.com/honda/...a00002358.html

 
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There is a sticky in the 7th gen section of the search function which will tell you what you need to know.

you have two routes:

A: DIY
You're probably in the research phase and won't be able to do it your self for a year, because you'll have to school your self in basic mechanics.

B: pay a shop to install
you'll need a lot of money.


The basics of the build are as fallows (I am not boosted so you'll have to find out the specifics)

-since you're running a d17a1 you do not have vtec. On the plus side your tuning fee will be lower. however you will need to run your O2 sensors from where they mount now on your exhaust manifold to where they will mount into aftermarket Cat.

-you'll want a 2.5-3 inch exhaust system.
-a turbo header which lets the exhaust gas turn the turbine in the turbo which allows boost to gather in the intake charge.

-you'll need the charger it self
-an intake tube
-an intercooler to cool the intake charge
-a BOV which is a safety device that vents boost levels above what is safe for you internal engine components
- a waste gate, which regulates boost by diverting exhaust gas
-larger injectors which give the needed fuel for the extra oxygen that is added from boost.
-an after market ECU which can adjust the air fuel ratio.
-you may want an aftermarket intake manifold
which is not an intake or filter but the piece that sits under your throttle body that splits the intake charge into the four cylinders.

-a 3 bar map sensor to detect the level of boost which will be needed to tune the vehicle.

-spark plugs for boost application

-a boost gauge and oil temperature gauge are also recommended

then when you've installed all of this you'll need it tuned at a tuning shop.




this is for a low boost build 6-8psi, I've heard some people run stock internals at 10psi but it is risky so if you do not have enough money for another engine don't even try to boost the vehicle.

If you're running higher boost you'll need internals

-pistons/rings/rods/valves/springs... things like that.


I'm sure I've missed/said somethings that aren't quite right, but if you understood what I was talking about above then you're well on your way to building the project.

 
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The first question that begs to be asked is do you have 4-5000 to spend on achieving a reliable turbo setup?

 
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Does that apply for a 03 ex as well?

 
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more or less. Slight difference since the D17A2 (ex engine) runs a slightly higher compression ratio, so you have to be a bit more careful with tuning and how much boost you run.

Full disclosure: I only skimmed mac25's post, but I've turbo'd a D17A2 before. He is a friend of mine, so I trust what he says. lol

FWIW, I ran a 2.36" exhaust system (60mm piping - A'PEXi WS-II) on a boosted D17A2, and, although I had a problem with my wastegate that limited my boost to 2.5psi, I was still making 155whp (Bone stock D17A2 MT dynos at ~110whp).

One thing I would suggest as a "must have" for boosting would be a wideband AFR gauge (popular choice is the AEM UEGO AFR gauge). Narrowband will be nothing but a fancy light show since it just taps your upstream O2 sensor.

RSX-S injectors (310cc or something like that) will do just fine up to (I believe) 8psi over the stock D17 (230cc I think) injectors

If you wanna go higher, a Walbro 255LPH fuel pump and converting to a return style fuel system is where you wanna be looking.

Just remember: tuning will make or break your setup. Piggyback units (e.g. GReddy emanage or A'PEXi VAFC-II) can only do so much. The AEM F/IC is a much better piggyback alternative, but still a piggyback, nonetheless (I have one of those for sale with a PnP harness, BTW). A standalone (e.g. Hondata k-pro) will get you the best results, but also incurs more cost (since it utilizes a user-supplied k-series ECU on top of the modification needed - current price is $875 + cost of ECU). Not only does the method of air/fuel tuning matter, but the quality of work of who tunes it will matter. When I was stationed up in WA state, word got around the import scene that there was a tuner that blew a dude's engine while trying to tune a 6thgen Civic with a standalone AEM EMS. Kid spent like $1500 on the EMS and wound up with a blown engine. Do research on local tuners if you decide to boost.

 
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Good catch on the fuel pump and wide band o2 sensor Josh =D. ...but that was 2014 so I did have a few things to learn.