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... i have been reading EVERY thread in theses FI forums for months now trying to decide to get this kit from sf. i have been trying to get the general idea of how i can run my car at 7psi daily to start with. but there is no one place to get straight answer as to how to run "100%" safely on this kit with no issues. there needs to be like one spot that has how to run the kit perfectly after its on. theres so many threads where u hear things like osoboosted runs 11psi , madwheel blew his headgasket w 6 psi but i know he had the upgraded turbo, andymans issues, another guy said it runs brutally rich etc... i know nothing is really 100% safe so dont flame about that , i mean tho i wanna drive my car hard, but MAINTAIN everything fully... now the things ive gathered so far -can i run it hard at 7psi daily if:
- ichange the oil every 3500-4000 KMS
-watch heat levels in engine
-start at 5.5 psi to check everythings working then go to 7
-install kit properly
-watch the spark plugs
-i never have less than 91 octane
-get mbc and watch it never goes above 7psi
-and take good care of car in general?
i just want it to be "reliable" and things taken care of usually are...i also dont want to be adjusting fuel issues cause thats what the fmu is for right? so out of the box , 1.when installed correctly, and 2.maintained can i run it at 7psi hard daily? i got the dough now and just wanna make correct decision...
o ya i have 03 lx
( i wanna be the one to reply to someones post months from now ...get it, had it for 20,000kms and no problems)

sorry for long post
thanx

 
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If you have the money get the turbo kit. You will have no regrets. It is worth the little problems you might run into. But the kit is safe. There are more and more people with it and no real major issues.

 
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^^^^^^ thats the kind of answers i want to hear! -guns what sorta "issues" have u had if any, and what small things would you do differently next time, that question actually goes to everyone w the sf kit...

 
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Things like the:

Missinglink MAP sensor isolator to fix check engine light assoc. w/ MAP sensor errors.

Get an O2 sim for the rear O2 sensor. Solve another check engine light issue.

Find a local shop that sells Methanol. Get the Methanol/Alch injection. You will want to turn up the boost.

Get a boost guage, Air/fuel gauge, EGT gauge and fuel pressure guage. Only realy need the boost guage but the others are good to have.

Be sure to get the oil restrictor from SF. If not you will have smoke at idle.

Look into Boost control. either manual(cheap) or electronic.

Search and read. Then search some more.

 
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yeah there are lots of people with this kit that dont have any problems. they run their car easy, dont go over 6-7psi, keep up with maintence, they had their car tuned right and most important, they know what they're doing and how to keep it problem free. the fact that you know to use 91 octane gas, use the right spark plugs,etc.. shows that you are off to a good start. its little things like that that can kick your cars ***.

 
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Think about the worst that can happen and that will ease your mind about boosting. Worst comes to worst you have to buy another SOHC longblock ($500). It is good to know what you can and cant do but I think you are thinking too much into it.

 
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That is the one reason I went boosted and not K20 swap. You can get a whole engine for $500. If things go realy wrong. Just swap it out for next to nothing. My rims cost more than my engine.

On the other hand all these people who plan to one day boost a K20. Blow something and yiou are out at least 3,000.

I will stick with my D17..

 
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I would suggest getting an electronic boost controller.. you can't really watch a manual one..

Otherwise, that and getting some gauges to monitor what's going on under the hood.. I think everything should be okay..

 
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...k whats best place to get missing link, and o2 sim?
and ive never heard of the oil restrictor yet...

thanks for the replies...

 
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www.synapseengineering.com

 
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u guys have the ML004B model correct?

 
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well, as with any turbo kit going on a car that's no necessarily meant for a turbo, it's all about tuning. If you have a local tuning shop who actually knows what they're doing, have them look at it, get your fuel right and all that.. if you're only going to run 7psi and the motor is tuned right, the only thing you may need to worry about is getting a better head gasket for starters.. I've heard of them blowing. Apparently some companies are working on releasing some for the D17, but for now there are places that will make custom gaskets.

 
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Yeap. Sounds right. Just look at the page for each one, it says the engine codes that it's for.

 
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Get a turbo timer to extend the life of the bearings and seals in the turbo....

It really is all about how you treat the motor... Only be hard on the car when it gets to temp, change the oil religously (sp?), let the car idle for a few minutes to cool the oil before shutdown, always run the best gas (93 or 94 if you can get it, to help avoid detonation, especially on those hot summer days), regularly inspect all hoses and connections, and watch the gauges.... Finally, get the car tuned....


Everything will help to keep the car reliable...

 
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what is this oil restrictor you mention? I know someone that had smoke coming from their engine/exhaust due to an oil leak, but i figured it was because of a faulty install.

 
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I'm interested in knowing all about this "oil restrictor"; What is it, where does it go, and what does it do?

cdub:
I'd not worry so much about the reliablity of it, I'd worry more about getting it installed correctly and having gagues all over to tell you exactly whats going on. A turbo timer is a "must" in my book, as something that lets the turbo cool down consistantly will give you much more life and fun time out of the turbo. 7 lbs of boost shouldn't give you any reliablity problems at all, the VW's with the 1.8t run 6 lbs on their 1.8L engine and last quite a while with no issues.

Edit:
Allright I'm a tard, a search for "oil restrictor" turned up the answers I was looking for...

The oil supply line for the turbo provides more oil than the turbo will ever need. At idle, the oil will get backed up as there is too much of it coming in as opposed to whats going out the return line. The restrictor is a piece that sits in the oil feed line on the block side of it and restricts oil flow to the turbo by 25% (according to Catalyst). This change has also been approved by SF's turbo supplier.

 
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who has replaced the injectors with their kit? and is it necessary?

 
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i had smoke coming out my exhaust at idle for 3 weeks when i got my turbo. Its normal. the turbo seals have to seal. Ive never had anything come out my exhaust since. I have no resrictor

 
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Somewhat the same here as osoboosted said...

No oil restrictor here, but I'm on my second turbo now and neither have smoked at idle, maybe I'm lucky?

I tip for the install is to find a SMART place to run the oil return line at the top of the oil pan. That and make sure you consistantly check all rubber hoses that were altered from the turbo install... I found the some of the pipes rubbing into the rubber hoses was creating unnecessary wear and could have resulted in a blowout of some type. Check your new fuel lines and make sure they clear the throttle body mechanism (with the car off, have someone inside floor it while you stare at the throttle body, making sure the moving arm doesn't rub into the fuel line). My friend noticed that, it didn't touch when I was staring at it, but if it were pulled back it would rub the fuel line.

The hoses will help play a part in your reliability. The upgraded turbo that SF shipped to me, which now comes as a standard, seems a little over kill. My engine blew the HG within 2 weeks, with 93 octane, iridium plugs, and all necessary cautions (except for retarded ignition timing).