Hello...I'm looking into a 98 Integra coupe. I've been told that this is a better choice for turbo due to the lower compression ratio. My question is that with proper tuning, will the Integra be reliable with a RevHard turbo kit? If I add a Fluidyne radiator, and operate at lets say 6Psi of boost will the Teg be ok with a 3hr highway run at 80MPH? I'd only up the boost on a Friday night for a street run or two. Otherwise, 6psi daily. With tuning and all will I be ok? Would I be ok at 6PSI on a GSR? Thanks.
LS Turbo Reliability
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In answer to your question. Yes. In all aspects.. Remember, once you're on the hightway, the turbo will barely be spooling, considering that your RPMs at 80MPH without acceleration will be negligable. With the parts you descibed, you're well on your way to a 14lbs of boost daily driver. But don't forget injectors and fuel management. These are the key to reliability.
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"With the parts you descibed, you're well on your way to a 14lbs of boost daily driver"
I don't understand where you came to that conclusion, all he said was a radiator. 14 PSI on stock internals isn't going to last long. I believe the range for stock internals on a GSR is 6-8 PSI.
Your title states an LS though, but at the end of your post you ask about a GSR so I don't know which one you want here. 5-7 PSI on an LS.
You mention that you would up the boost on race nights. I caution this move. Up your boost too much and you'll be looking at a blown engine, thats how most people blow their engines with turbos; they get boost happy.
I don't understand where you came to that conclusion, all he said was a radiator. 14 PSI on stock internals isn't going to last long. I believe the range for stock internals on a GSR is 6-8 PSI.
Your title states an LS though, but at the end of your post you ask about a GSR so I don't know which one you want here. 5-7 PSI on an LS.
You mention that you would up the boost on race nights. I caution this move. Up your boost too much and you'll be looking at a blown engine, thats how most people blow their engines with turbos; they get boost happy.
Tuning Tuning Tuning!! If you're perfectly tuned with a low boost setup - there should be no problems at all. Just change your oil a little bit more, check your lines here and there and you're set. Buy some additional safety items. (ie: Oil Cooler, Radiator) It should run like a dream.
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The ls has the stringest block i was talking to this guy that has a ls motor in a hatch that he runs only professionaly at the 1/4 and he was runnin 20 lbs of boost on stcok internals go to show how strong the ls block really is
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Any car can run on 20 PSI, it's just a matter of how long. Probably under 100 hours. So yeah, he can run only professionally, that's only a couple of minutes a day. Daily driver though? No.
Most kits are pretty reliable with their band aid fuel setups as long as you keep the boost down. They run pretty run to insure some safety but if you want the most power, most reliability, and most boost get a good fuel management i.e. a stand alone not a piggy back. If you're obd1 definately go with Hondata.
Actually the guy running 20 PSI on a stock B18B with a block guard is St00pid from honda-tech or superhonda, at least I think thats who you mean. It IS a daily driver LS HB, and it puts out about 300whp due to a relatively small turbo.. Lots of kickass tuning and engine management..
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heat my friend would be your killer...as long as you could keep the car from overheating and the oil gettin to hot you c could do the trip ;-)supralova on Mar/05/04 said:
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Cruising down the highway at 60mph at low RPM does not pose a problem. low rpm + lots of airflow = whats the issue?
It doesnt hurt to install some kind of oil cooler when you boost though, it's just common sense.
To answer the main question, you're setup will be reliable as you make it. In other words, reliability will be directionally proportional (in this order), you're knowledge level (no stupid mistakes), and how well it's tuned.
That means, if you're confused about something, get it figured out, and if for instance you're having trouble tuning you're setup with an FMU and stock injectors (for example), realize that you'll either upgrade fuel delivery and tuning tools or risk a blown motor.
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For the record, tuning means time on a dyno with a wideband A/F sensor, not slapping on a piece of sh*t narrowband A/F gauge and getting it somewhere in between clouds of black smoke and 2000 degree EGT's.
A Turbo LS can be very reliable, but many aren't because many people have ghetto fuel management and/or no tuning. Everyone seemed to think that I would blow mine up with just street driving, and that it would not even withstand one trip to a road course track. Well, I've taken it to a road course four times now, have done just as many autocrosses, and I have beaten on it just as badly every day for several months. I've done many 100+ mile trips at over 100 MPH, and boosting most of the way. I've had the turbo and manifold glowing bright red more times than I can count. I've also had it up to extremely high speeds many times as well. It's still running strong.
The only time that the engine has started to get hot was after a few laps on a road course on a hot day with the stock radiator. A Spoon thermostat and thermoswitch seemed to help for other trips out there after that, but an upgraded radiator is really what's needed, so I got a Fluidyne.
Now here's what I have done differently from most kids who blow up their turbo Hondas:
-Base timing retarded to 14 degrees
-Mobil 1 0w40 synthetic oil, RSX filter, and an oil pressure gauge. I frequently check the oil level too.
-Fuel management that works: Walbro 255 l/hr fuel pump, DSM 450cc injectors, and an AFC (initially set to -38% at all RPMs to compensate for the injectors, then get it tuned right away). I actually use a VAFC on my LS so that I get 16 adjustment points (I set the VTEC point to 4000; Lo cam map from 1000-4000, Hi map from 4000-7000). It works really well, passes emissions, and does not throw a check engine light. When the car is tuned, they will tune the wide throttle map, but don't forget about narrow throttle... I copied the wide throttle settings (that were determined by dyno tuning with a wideband) and leaned them out very slightly (only a few percent). My throttle points are 20% low and 50% high, so that it will go to the wide map as soon as I get on it. Fuel economy isn't bad at all, unless I go to the race track (about 15 mpg out there, lol).
Other people have been known to use extremely ghetto things like check valves (aka Missing Link; blinds ECU once you hit boost), a FMU (Fuel Management Unit; increases fuel pressure to force more through the injectors), or a "hacked" AFC (not hooked up the way it's meant to be; they plug the TPS into the MAP input or some crap like that). Those things are bad ideas and will not work well, but a lot of people insist that you need that crap, and many never even attempt to test or tune it with a wideband. I think it's no coincedence that a lot of people blow up their turbo Hondas.
Your tuning needs to be done using a wideband, with the engine at WOT and while some load is on it (ie take it to a dyno). Even though you are tuning for a target A/F ratio (I went with about 12.5:1), not power, a dyno is needed to put appropriate amount of load on the engine. That load has a significant effect on the turbo.
The only time that the engine has started to get hot was after a few laps on a road course on a hot day with the stock radiator. A Spoon thermostat and thermoswitch seemed to help for other trips out there after that, but an upgraded radiator is really what's needed, so I got a Fluidyne.
Now here's what I have done differently from most kids who blow up their turbo Hondas:
-Base timing retarded to 14 degrees
-Mobil 1 0w40 synthetic oil, RSX filter, and an oil pressure gauge. I frequently check the oil level too.
-Fuel management that works: Walbro 255 l/hr fuel pump, DSM 450cc injectors, and an AFC (initially set to -38% at all RPMs to compensate for the injectors, then get it tuned right away). I actually use a VAFC on my LS so that I get 16 adjustment points (I set the VTEC point to 4000; Lo cam map from 1000-4000, Hi map from 4000-7000). It works really well, passes emissions, and does not throw a check engine light. When the car is tuned, they will tune the wide throttle map, but don't forget about narrow throttle... I copied the wide throttle settings (that were determined by dyno tuning with a wideband) and leaned them out very slightly (only a few percent). My throttle points are 20% low and 50% high, so that it will go to the wide map as soon as I get on it. Fuel economy isn't bad at all, unless I go to the race track (about 15 mpg out there, lol).
Other people have been known to use extremely ghetto things like check valves (aka Missing Link; blinds ECU once you hit boost), a FMU (Fuel Management Unit; increases fuel pressure to force more through the injectors), or a "hacked" AFC (not hooked up the way it's meant to be; they plug the TPS into the MAP input or some crap like that). Those things are bad ideas and will not work well, but a lot of people insist that you need that crap, and many never even attempt to test or tune it with a wideband. I think it's no coincedence that a lot of people blow up their turbo Hondas.
Your tuning needs to be done using a wideband, with the engine at WOT and while some load is on it (ie take it to a dyno). Even though you are tuning for a target A/F ratio (I went with about 12.5:1), not power, a dyno is needed to put appropriate amount of load on the engine. That load has a significant effect on the turbo.
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YEs it is extremely reliable granted you have a decent setup and drive responsible. I ran a kit for more than 2 years. boosted 7lbs on the street and 12 on the track. It only lasted long because i was constantly checking plugs, oil, coolant, and had a semi-upgraded cooling system. You want to double up on power and so on.. well you need to double and triple up on the regular maintence and don't beat on it all the time. only thing that killed my motor was a blown headgasket. Now i'm waiting for my built b20. Oh this was all in a LS hatch btw.
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