Turbo kit for the d16y7 engine non vtec

Terrell Russell

New Member
Ok guys so I'm a highschooler turned into a gear head don't know how but I did in a short period of time. Now being me before I start making my civic look even better then it is (body and rims stock) so I don't turn into a ricer or what not lol, I want to get a lil bit more power underneath that hood so. Ik what everyone's gonna say sway out the engine for a vtec one or wire up a vtec solenoid. I don't want to do any if that right now, was going to decided to keep it simple till I get another car this is a daily driver and it will stay like that till I turn 18 or 19 I'm currently 17. So I want to go with a ebay turbo kit (picture posted of the one that looks the best to me that I believe includes everything) so I was reading about doing this it's totally do able but people are saying sway the head for a y8 and the intake for a y8 also (maybe new injectors? If needed not sure) also probably have my grandpa help me with some of it he's the mechanic in the family, but if someone could just go over the things I am going to need also to do this would be sweet! Also a new oil pan with return line most likely, also I'm not sure of how to wire the boost gauge and a oil pressure gauge in(i need to learn how to) I don't need to go all that fast maybe looking to go atleast 150 160 or even 170 without blowing anything. Really I'm just looking for a safe speed I can run with the rest of the stock internals also this is an automatic,I'd like to keep it that way for sure! Not don't know how to drive stick yet. Thanks guys for all the help tying to learn as much as I can and do ad much I can to my car and learn about cars in general doing stuff like this.
 

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lethal6

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First off, you don't just "wire up a vtec solenoid". VTEC doesn't work that way. You want it, you need a head that has it.

Second, do yourself a huge favor and stop looking at those cheap ebay "kits". There is a reason they are so cheap. About all they are good for is some of the tubing.

Third, you need to swap in a manual. Your automatic isn't going to handle the power, they weren't built for it and are a known weakness in hondas.

Fourth, you need fuel management and a PROPER tune when done. The tune alone is going to run you anywhere from $500-800 alone and is the single most important thing to a boosted set up.

Are you talking about 170mph? It's going to take a lot more than a little cheap turbo kit to get your d-series up to that kind of speed. Have you ever gone anywhere near that? Do you realize how fast and how dangerous that is on a track let alone on public roads? Or are you talking about 170HP?

Boosting a civic has been talked about and documented so much it's been beat to death. Do a search and I guarantee you will find threads on it with everything you need to do to DO IT RIGHT. That includes getting rid of that terrible automatic slush box.
 


lethal6

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:popcorn:

f**k me right?

Yeah. What kills me though, is that I have been here for over 5 years and if I could find a mirror image of the site from 2010, I guarantee it would be the same questions asked over and over back then too. Everyone thinks their system/car is going to be different and the information has always been the same with the exception of some of the technology and "tricks of the trade" changing with the times. No wonder most of the OG members eventually give up on the tech section.

No offense to the kid, it just gets old. 5 years of newbs asking how to boost...what kit to run...what exhaust to get...how to make their slow ass d-series faster...what wheels...how to lower their car. Only difference is back then they were also grinding about what body kit to run and now they are asking about what set up to stance their car.
 

Terrell Russell

New Member
Well I get that I need a s**t tone of stuff I'm no expert like your self but I feel that I've seen pots of civics stock with boost that have blew me away Ik it's possible. Now yeah ok I'm I was talking about 170mph (just got my wisdom teeth out was talking crazy prolly cuz I was high on these stupid pills sorry but from what I am told I could run 7 or 8 psi safely without chafing the pistons and s**t like that with the y8 head and manifold and a tune afterwards. Don't know how much tunes are in my area which I'll have to do more research on,but if I'm correct they tune through ob1 and they tune the head (prolly missing something else?) Don't see why that would cost 800 dollars plus listen guys I'm just trying to pick up a lil bit of speed ok I'm not trying to race any hot rods or anything just want a little more speed ok and yes in the near future when I'm 20 I'll purchase a new turbo because the pipes I get would be fine prolly. I've seen someone with an automatic with boost didn't seem to be shitty to me but then again that was a new civic. I'm not trying to spend 6 thousand. Ik you guys are tired of here this and I'm definitely not trying to be a ass hole or ignorant I'm very serious. (It gets old ik that's how I feel when running my youtube channel for 4 years and people ask me the exact same question as the last person asked and I answered.) Sucks but I guess hey here I am asking and learn


There's actually a written guide on how to wire up a vtec solenoid on a y7 head don't think I believe it though. Involves alot of tapping on to other wires.

Please just be straight up with me guys like I said I feel it's possible no way it's not to get little more power. There's always a way I believe! Thanks for the feedback give me more!!
 

lethal6

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A new civic and a 15+ year old tired automatic are totally different. Different motors, different transmissions, different technology. You need to focus on your car or get rid of it and buy a newer one if that is what you are trying to match up to. Your automatic will NOT be able to handle it. It's been proven.

Why waste your money and do it again down the road instead of saving up and doing it right the first time? I wish to s**t there were forums around when I was your age so my friends and I would have had the internet for advice on how to do it right instead of blowing a ton of money doing it a bunch of different ways until we got it right.

Only your motor can tell you if it will handle the boost, stop listening to youtube comments or trolls on the forums, each motor is different and it all depends on how it was taken care of and the current internal condition. I have seen them handle it and I have seen them grenade under the pressure because they are old and tired. It's usually the latter because corners are cut just like what you are planing on doing by going cheap. Tunes cost that much because it takes time to get the air/fuel and other ratios dialed in. You are paying for the software and their time to do it. Yes they cost that much. MANY people can attest to that.

No one here is an expert. Never was it even implied. We have just been through it, some personally and others through dealing with THOUSANDS of threads just like this one. You are no different than the previous kids that have come on here and I guarantee you won't be the last. Big dreams but have no clue what it is actually going to take and most usually learn the hard way because they are bull headed and don't listen. It's the life of a civic forum. Every one of you has a commuter car that you wish was something else and don't realize until it is too late how much it actually costs to build power correctly, safely, efficiently, reliably.

No one said you had to spend $6k. One very good complete kit from a reputable company will run you about $2000 and with the tune you are still under $3000. That is a good base kit. Then from there you can build internals and go with a bigger turbo in the future. It takes money to play. Do it cheap and the motor will let you know really quickly why it doesn't give a s**t to make it until you are 20 to get to that better setup you should have started with first.

Again, you aren't just wiring up VTEC. If you don't have it and put a head on that has VTEC there is wiring involved, maybe that is what you are mistaking for wiring up just the solenoid. VTEC is in the head, it isn't just a solenoid. You need a different cam with a specific VTEC profile on it and you need a new head to match that cam, then you need the solenoid to switch it to that lobe in the cam (in layman's terms).
 

mc360

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If you can't do a head swap and wire up vtec what makes you think a turbo install will be simple? Not to mention almost every kit found on ebay is going to need something cut and welded to make the kit fit, also you make make a civics top speed much faster than they were by adding a turbo but you will lose your license faster than you got it if your caught speeding at 100+ mph let alone 170 lmao.

A price on a tune depends on if it's street or dyno tuned, a dyno will get you better power results but usually have drivabilty issues and street tuning gives better streetablity but lower hp usually and you don't get a nice graph telling you your hp. If you get a street tune you better make sure the person knows what they are doing or your engine will be toast. As far as I know the engine ecu controls the auto transmissions on these older civics, when you swap the ecu and convert back to obd1 you lose control of your auto tranny which will make it not last very long.

Save up the money and buy a go-autoworks turbo kit for 1900$ and bolt it directly on with no issues. An obd1 ecu will cost you another 150$ and if you want tuning on the fly (trust me you want it) then your going to pay another 150 for a moates ostrich/hulog combo or 300 something for a moates daemon
 

Terrell Russell

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Yeah I'm totally hearing what you guys are preaching and I now agree, if so possible could you guys maybe write up a list for all things needed for this project in this thread would help alot. I'm willing to spend 1900 on a turbo now lol. I just need to know about everything else I'm going to need also. If and (prolly) if I take the head of I want to clean my piston heads of all the nasty carbon on them. Or should I not? So many things that come into play here its crazy. So once again it would be so blessed if you can just make a post on this thread of everything I need that would be sweet. Thanks guys


Info on my civic

1998 honda civic lx 4dr
200,000 (just hit that last month)
Cars in great shape bought it from a doctor he took great care of it. He really want me to sell it back to him for his son,not gonna happen lol.

Oil and transmission fluid changed on time everytime. No issues with the car at all.

Give me a list of things you guys recommend me getting I'm totally down with the 1900$ kit from auto works for sure and if I have to yes I'll buy a manual tranny
 

Terrell Russell

New Member
Amazon.com - Turbonetics 11008 T3 60 Series Journal Bearing 22pc Turbo Kit - Honda D-Series Ram Horn Manifold https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R7TGFGU/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_1eGAvb0DTXG9


This what I got guys that autoworks site is trash doesn't work for me so I found this kit on the Internet autoworks has the same turbo for sale! This one I'd like 3 bucks cheaper. Savins!!

What do you guys think?, I'll prolly send another 1000 or 1500 more on the rest of the junk I need yeah.
 

bairdandrew77

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Converting your car to manual should be first on your list. 90s honda transmissions are typically garbage when they're raced and quickly break.
Something people tend to overlook is emissions, do you need to worry about it where you live? The rules vary between states and cities. But if you turbo, then on top of that switch to obd1 for tuning (which you need to do to boost it properly), then just plan on failing emissions. Just another thing to think about.
 

Terrell Russell

New Member
Yeah Ik I need to get the tranny first,I'm really just making a plan,seeing if the turbo I get is good. Where can I get a good manual tranny? Ebay? Or should I get like a custom one that fits the car. Not trying to spend a s**t ton on a tranny 500 is about ok I'd say or less. F emissions right now. And I'm not trying to turn this in to a supercar/racer it's still going to be a daily driver for a little longer until I can afford another car.
 

lethal6

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Does your county require emissions though? We all say f**k emissions because they are a pain in the ass, but if your county requires it when yours comes up every other year, you are dead in the water because it won't pass. If you don't have it in your county then have at it.

If all you have is $500 for a tranny swap, you are going to be looking at a used set up. Either junk yard or something like craigslist. I would never buy a motor or transmission off ebay unless you know the company 100%. To many shady sellers on there.

A custom one is going to run you a grand to start and go up from there depending on what you want internally, then there is the cost of the clutch kit, the pedals, the switches, the cable/hydraulics, etc.

What about your tired motor? You plan on rebuilding it so it can handle the power? 200,000 miles is a lot of miles for a turbo set up to run reliably.
 

Terrell Russell

New Member
Tell me about it man, I really am thinking this all over trying to think of all the things I need, where to get them from, it's a lot. But I think I will probably end up swapping the engine and tranny for a d16y8 that's probably where I'm gonna have to start. If I even want anymore power. wish I could afford a B series. That would be sweet. Don't think that would fit in this car though. This site has really made me think about all the stuff I'm going to need and overall it's prolly gonna take me all of 2015 or the rest of it and some of 2016 to have it all up and going. First things first is buy another honda because this one is gonna get torn apart and for awhile it's looking like! I don't have to worry about emissions I live in michigan.
 


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