88 CRX B18A1 Build, Any Help Appreciated

[88TRex]

Hey guys I'm not so much brand new to imports as I am brand new to wanting to understand and build them. Up until last week I didn't know much more than how to check the oil and put gas in. Ever since I was 16 I have just traded cars, ran the shit out them, traded them for something else. Now I'm 21 and haven't learned a damn thing about them except how to haggle them off. So I've decided to start my own project, keep in mind I will not be installing the parts myself (basically I'll be watching and helping however I can) but I just want to know what's in my car, how far to push it, and general knowledge about it. My friend has built plenty of Hondas before and he will be doing this one. He's given me some pointers on what to look for and I've done what research I can, but I would like all the help I can get. Thanks in advance for any and all help.


1988 CRX Si
B18A1 (1990)
5 Speed
Stock with the exception of air intake and exhaust.

Goal: 220-240whp DD with the ability to turn upwards of 270-280.

Here's what I've compiled so far:

Holley 112-548 Honda GSR Throttle Body 62 mm
Honda DSM 450cc Fuel Injectors
Walbro 255HP Fuel Pump
Ebay Fuel Rail
Ebay Turbo Kit
DPT 42mm Radiator
Ebay Universal Electronic Turbo Timer/Boost Controller


Is there anything I need that I don't have listed? (Intake Manifold, FMU, etc)
Is there anything I have listed that I don't need?
Is there anything different that I need from what I have listed? (Bigger injectors, different TB, etc)
Is this feasible with stock internals?
Is there any other info you guys need?

I work 40 hours a week at minimum wage, so I have little time and little money. I'm basically hoping to run 12's all day and every now and then break into the 11's. Can this be done with this set up? Car weighs about 2020 lbs, I weigh about 220 (hopefully less by the time this thing gets built haha)

First post, first inquiry. Sorry if it's in the wrong section or if most of my questions can be answered elsewhere, or if I'm just retarded. I've researched and this is what I've come up with with the little knowledge I have about these things. Thanks again! I guess I could've spared you the life story...^_^

 

[Matts96HB]

Save your cash and get a decent turbo kit. Especially if you want to drive the car daily. Ebay is hit and miss. If you get a kit that's a miss, you'll be rewelding the manifold, replacing the turbo, and pissed off when the boost spikes and runs your car lean.
Ditch the fuel rail. Stock will work just fine.
DSM 450cc injectors would be decent for this setup. Stock probably wont make it to 240.
The throttle body really isn't necessary either. Stock will work, I made 448whp on an ls with a stock TB.
throw a clutch in if you have a habit of beating on your cars. Act, clutchmasters both make good ones.

Personally, I wouldn't push a stock ls past 200whp. Its just not worth the risk.

If you were to put a set of pistons, a set of rods, and a set of head studs in, you'd be good to go for 270-280whp.

One last thing. You need a way to tune the car. A chipped ecu will allow for anyone who is familiar with crome, turboedit, uberdata, etc.to tune your car. I recommend this route.

 

[88TRex]

Awesome, thanks for the quick reply! There's a shop down here that I can get it dyno tuned at once everything is installed. Is there a turbo kit you'd recommend? Cheap and reliable is key, although I realize those 2 options are generally on the opposite end of the spectrum when purchasing anything.

 

[78civic]

FIRST.. Start saving some cash!! Get up to about 1500.00 (put it in the bank, don't piss half of it away on chicks)
Then.. Check your local Craigslist (or Searchtempest.com) that uses all of your surrounding Craigslist adds according to your zipcode, and you type in "B-18 turbo kit, or civic turbo and see what comes up.

There are plenty of kids that have spent thousands on parts, only to NOT pay for the right insurance and MOMMY AND DADDY aren't going to pay for the wreck. (again..)
If you can find one that that can prove that it runs, you might be able to get a WHOLE swap for a fraction of what you'd pay 'new'..
Depending on the state/area, Check the local police impounds or insurance company to see if they might have re-po'd any Honda hotrods..

OR,
send your head (complete) to Gude racing and tell them you want a head kit.
They'll port/rebuild your head and tune a ECU for the cams and work they've done and ship it back to you.
While they're working on your head, pull the pan and pop in some ARP rod bolts and maybe a GSR oil pump, new seals, belts/tensioner, water pump and maybe a remote oil filter/cooler to top it off.

E

 

[88TRex]

Is the only thing wrong with an ebay turbo kit the turbo itself? There's a guy around here selling a kit for cheap, could I just buy it then get a better turbo and be set? Also is it even worth looking into trying to tune obd0 with something like Turbo Edit or should I just convert it to obd1? And thanks for the SearchTempest link, I had no idea that existed, that could have/is/will save me a lot of time! Although I haven't seen too much of an import scene around here so I'm not sure how much luck I'll have.

 

[K2e2vin]

There's many different things that can go wrong on a ebay turbo kit. Manifold can crack. turbo can go, etc. Not saying they're all bad, it's just one of those risks with cheap parts.

You can look at what's included in the kits and piece together your own kit from used parts(or as suggested above, buy someone's old setup). This way, you usually end up with great parts for lower prices; only thing you may want to invest in is getting the turbo rebuilt if it has a lot of miles on it(if you get lucky, some people sell their new turbos for cheap due to unforeseen financial circumstances, etc.).

Turbo Edit is great but generally OBD1 has far more options and support.

 

[78civic]

Hey, I forgot to mention that the DSM boards frequently have good used turbo's from their upgrades and it won't be a no-name chinese brand.

E