Have one or more of these thoughts passed through your head?
• “The power of a bolt-on K20 is just not enough for me!”
• “I really want to turbo my car but I don’t know what kit to choose, or exactly how to install one!”
• “I’m planning on going turbo but I don’t know exactly what I need to budget for!”
• “F*CK CAMAROS I WANT TO MURDER THEM IN MY CIVIC!!!!”
If any of those quotes sound like you, then you’re in luck! This thread is going to show you everything you need to turn your Si into a fire-breathing, V8 killing monster, courtesy of Full-Race and Borg Warner, two of the biggest and best names in forced induction technology.
What turbo/kit do I need?
First off, I think there are a lot of turbo kits on the market that are good and supply lots of horsepower, but the quality of my Full-Race kit, from the downpipe and all the hard parts, even down to the fittings and the bags they came in blew me away. Even my good friend Mark of Origin Fab geeked out over the quality of the manifold and downpipe welds for a good 30 minutes, and this was after he told me I had better not gotten a kit from a few choice competitors (BJ and Sh…. ) who he said overcharged their customers for sub-par materials and fabrication. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that the Full-Race kit seriously impressed someone who has seen and assembled almost every turbo kit out there, as well as fabbing his own stuff.
So hopefully you’ve now joined the “do it right the first time” club and decided on the Full-Race kit, now let’s go into why I think you should choose the Borg Warner EFR. After tons of research and talking to Geoff and a few others who actually own an EFR, I decided that I should give it a try and hopefully separate the myths from the truths about this turbo. So let me lay out what I found out:
• The EFR is a long turbo because of its fortress of a bearing housing. The upside is that this over-engineered housing is borderline nuke-proof. Here’s a pic of an EFR housing to a GTX unit. Sorry Garrett.
EFR Bearing Housing Vs Garrett by whitacre.alex, on Flickr
• The EFR will SAVE LOTS OF COMPLICATIONS with its built in BOV and IWG
• The EFR’s turbine housing is stainless steel! This means that no matter how hard you beat on it, cracking will never EVER be an issue
• The EFR is ideal for turbo noobs like me because you don’t have to buy an Electronic solenoid, a BOV an EWG or a dump tube and set them up, it’s 95% plug and play
• The EFR is very easy to clock and install thanks to its built in features and v-band compressor housing (coming from Mark who has experience installing about every turbo kit imaginable)
• Setting up the IWG and its preload was super, super easy
• Not having to make a dump tube fit and screwing around with an external gate saved me time, not to mention the lack of a wastegate port makes the manifold stronger, and you won’t have to worry about anything dump tube related falling apart over time
• Since the EFR has an IWG, you won’t deafen or fumigate yourself dd’ing a car with an open dump. Girlfriends, grandmas, mature people and baby foxes everywhere will thank you
• The EFR is not and will not be a ‘numbers’ turbo. But after driving my car on the road, Mark and I came away seriously impressed at the response between shifts and how linear and quick the spool is when going part throttle to full throttle (aka how you drive on the street)
• I personally think the 7670 is the ideal EFR for a stock or built K20
• The EFR is not a magical amazing cure all turbo, but it is incredibly impressive when driven on the
• You will NEVER understand how good this turbo is until you drive a car that has one, I know I didn’t
If you read through all of that, hopefully you can understand why I chose the Borg Warner EFR 7670 to compliment the Full-Race turbo kit on my stock K20, and why I highly suggest anyone who wants a powerful, FUN TO DRIVE street or road race car should put the EFR at the top of their list, consider the 7670 over the 7064, and to choose the Full-Race kit.
What do I need outside the Full-Race turbo kit?
• Clutch: CC stage 4/5, CM FX350/400 are good budget choices (~$400), I have a CC Twin for extra insurance ($1050 includes flywheel)
• Better CMC: Nissin EM1 units can be had for ~$40 on eBay, a Hybrid or K-Tuned clutch line is like $90, I have the $175 Hybrid kit that uses a Nissin CMC
• Fuel Pump: Deatsch Werks 265c is a perfect replacement for stock, Walbro 255lph is an old favorite, I have a Deatsch 320lph and it’s awesome. The 320 will fit without cutting but is a tighter squeeze than the 265c. The DW pumps are quieter than the Walbro 255 (~$95-150)
• Injectors: 1000cc+! Fuel Injector Clinic, DeatschWerks and Injector Dynamics are both awesome, I prefer FIC ($450-$550). I have FIC 1050 SP Injectors
• Fuel Pressure Regulator: Think about crushing your stock one if you want to have enough fuel for over 450whp, this is an easy thing to do if you have a crushing tool, and here’s the thread for a community one: http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/force...rush-tool.html
• 4 Bar MAP Sensor: The Omni one is the same as the Hondata and costs ~$55
• OBD1 IAT: You will be eliminating the MAF sensor with this kit, and Full-Race welds in an OB1 IAT bung in the charge pipes, buy one and a pigtail at Honda or clip one off a 90’s Honda (on the intake manifold!) at a junkyard (free-$40)
• Pigtail for the Boost control solenoid: this allows you to wire the solenoid into the ECU and ground it, just like a mac/hondata one. Included in the Full-Race kit.
• Hondata Flashpro: duhhhhhhhhh! I suggest you buy used ($550-590)
• A Good Tune: Find a good dyno tuner in your area that knows how to compensate for load differences if you are using an inertia dyno, or get a quality E-Tune. I have a dyno tune, plus Rulo Si of E-Tunez to help trim things up if needed.
• 3” Exhaust: Full-Race makes the best one out there off the shelf, don’t kid yourself and buy something like a Skunk2 ($600 + shipping)
• 2 Step Colder (Range 9) Plugs: NGK BKR9EIX, aka 2669, are where it’s at. Most people, including me gap them to about .0022 ($40)
Heat Management Precautions
**One crucial area many people overlook on this chassis when it comes to turbocharging is heat protection. The underhood temps can get crazy hot when you beat on the car. Proper, no shortcuts taken heat protection is a NECESSITY if you want everything under your hood to last for years of driving. Here’s what you should get:**
• Extra Gold Foil: I bought 30 extra feet of DEI gold tape in addition to what Full-Race sends.
• Ceramic Coating: Around $250 for both the manifold and downpipe, keep the heat inside the pipes! I have a 2k degree silver Calico coating on mine
• Heat Wrap: At least 75 feet for the downpipe and manifold, I used DEI titanium.
Not Neeeded But Highly Suggested Purchases Before the EFR is Installed
• Motor Mounts: Hasport or Innovative are the best, I have 70a Hasports (~$380-425)
• Traction Balls: Full-Race sells awesome ones for about $300, don’t get anything else, these will last until the end of time and kick all kinds of ass.
• Boost/Wideband Gauges: Important to make sure your car is running well. I think the AEMs are nice ($325 or so)
• Brakes: A better pad and fluid will do you well for a while, stock brakes get scary coming down from 120+ (Axxis ULT/StopTech/Hawk HP+ pads, Motul RBF 600 or ATE SuperBlue fluid works)
• Suspension: Read up about why BC, GodSpeed and *Insert <$1200 coilover name here* coils are total sh*t and proceed to buy Koni shocks and a drop spring or a koni/KW coilover. Don’t forget camber kits! ($900 – how baller are you feeling today?)
• Good Tires: Get summer tires. Spinning is not winning. ($500+)
• Miscellaneous Budget: Keep some extra cash on the side for little things you may need during the install or things you are afraid may break over time (transmission *cough* *cough*)
Pre-Install Guidelines
Ok, so if that list of other things you’ll want for the perfect turbo setup didn’t make you cry, here’s where we will need to start preparing for the installation. This part is arguably the most important, as being organized and prepared for anything can save hours upon hours when it comes to put the kit on your car. Here’s what you’ll want:
• A good selection of metric combination wrenches, 3/8” and 1/2” ratchets with deep and shallow sockets with swivels/extensions, an impact gun (air or electric), a small cutting device (pneumatic jigsaw or electric 4.5” angle grinder) and an adjustable crescent wrench
Now that you have your tools, you are going to need to clock the turbo and install the fittings, which if you get it as close as possible to perfect while off the motor, will save you TONS of time. First take off the actuator bracket that comes on the turbo, along with the WG canister, as the bracket sent with the kit will need to be utilized. Next, loosen the Compressor V-Band and the other bolts with swivel plates slightly so you can adjust the turbo’s orientation. Next, study these pictures and try to replicate everything as closely as possible.
This picture shows the correct turbo clocking, how the vacuum lines should be run to the wastegate, and how to foil the actuator. The only INCORRECT part is that if you use the black Full-Race BOV cover, the 90* should be facing towards the FRONT OF THE MOTOR.
Barb Placement Correct by whitacre.alex, on Flickr
Also, take note of the transmission bracket that lies very close to where the Boost Control Solenoid is. You may grind this off if you wish to have more space. The bracket is NOT FUNCTIONAL and the removal will NOT affect anything.
58439a80-d353-42f5-ab5e-ad434941cca2 by whitacre.alex, on Flickr
We chose not to, but removing it to move the exit of the compressor housing slightly upward may help. ALSO: note the white wires are the Solenoid pigtail listed earlier; you will need more wire to extend to the ECU and a ground. We used 18 gauge speaker wire.
Coolant fitting closest to the motor, use the bottom port
Coolant fitting facing the back of the car, use the top port
Here are pictures showing the oil drain and feed lines, note that the compressor cover IS NOT CLOCKED CORRECTLY in these photos, but that will not change the orientation of the oil lines.
Now once you are satisfied with the clocking and fittings, secure everything in place and attach the Full-Race supplied actuator bracket to mimic the one shown above in the pictures. Now Full-Race supplies a mid-boost canister (10-19 psi) that does NOT require any threading to fit perfectly. Here is another picture of it installed.
You will want to attach the hose from the boost solenoid to the nipple on the top of the actuator, and also push the vacuum hose onto the BOV cover, and secure it with a zip tie. Below is another picture of how the actuator rod is oriented. I apologize for the quality.
Now you must set the preload, which will be 3-7mm, aka 3-7 full turns of the rear nut, locked in place with the front nut pictured above. You can also label the nut with a Sharpie to properly count your turns. This will adjust your cracking pressure for the wastegate. If you want to run 15psi with solenoid intervention I suggest starting off at 4-6mm of preload.
Getting Serious – Putting Parts on your Si
Now that your EFR is clocked and has the fittings on it, it’s time to start taking your car apart. The most important thing you need to do is take off the subframe to get access to the back of your engine. Here is a quick explanation from Geoff of Full-Race on how to do it:
“First, safely get the car in the air, remove front wheels, lock the steering wheel in place, disconnect and remove the battery. Next, unbolt universal from steering rack splines (leave plastic alignment tab on the steering rack), unplug electric powersteering rack, unbolt lower control arms to separate from their ball joints (but not separating LCA from subframe), pull axles/intermediate shaft, then lastly using a floor jack or a friend, unbolt and lower the subframe.”
Once you remove the subframe, it’s time to get to work! Start by removing the oil pan, scraping off the Hondabond, and then choosing where to drill and tap it. Below is a picture of where we placed the bung on the left side (facing from the back of the car) of the pan.
Next you must set up the oil feed. This is done by teeing into the oil pressure sender located next the oil filter (where the oil pressure sensor reads from). The pictures below will show you where to tee and how to arrange the fittings.
Application of Heat Management devices
Now is an ideal time to gold foil your wiring harness, power steering harness, and anything that is up against the firewall. Seriously, gold foil everything you can get your hands on. If your harness is dirty, it may be beneficial to wipe everything down with rubbing alcohol to ensure the foil sticks. Below is a pic of some of what I foiled. Seriously, go crazy with it! It is also a good idea to gold foil the 90* silicone elbow that will come off the compressor housing. Also, if you look closely you can see why I will never be an artist. Take your time here and make sure everything is covered to your liking. Spending an extra hour on this step will be worth it long-term. The cramped engine bay in the 8th gen civic needs protection from the extreme heat of a turbocharger!
Also, a very useful technique of applying gold foil is to cut your large roll or sheet into 1” pieces with scissors or a paper cutter, then to wipe the surfaces with rubbing alcohol before sticking the foil on. This will insure that the Gold Foil will not come off!!
After you’re done foiling as much as possible, it is time to mount the turbo and manifold to the motor. Try not to cry tears of joy as it goes on. Turbos are for men. Anyway, this is pretty standard fare. Re-use the OEM gasket and mounting hardware, although the bottom left bolt can really be a pain. We relocated a stud to the bottom left to make things a little easier. Below is a pic of how we removed the stud (using 2 nuts) and where we put it.
Don’t forget the gasket!
Now it’s time for you to get the intercooler installed. Luckily this isn’t too hard. First, take off the bumper cover, then set about unbolting the crash bar. Once you are done with this, bolt the Full-Race unit in the place of the stock one using the stock hardware and prepare to line up the intercooler. Make sure to quadruple check with a tape measure that you place the intercooler directly between the headlights before drilling the holes with a 21/64” bit for the mounting hardware. Here is how we made sure the intercooler was aligned before drilling:
Now you can reposition the little thingy thing that tells you the outside temperature by making it face straight up instead of pointing out in front of the radiator where the intercooler now sits. We also relocated the horn on the drivers’ side of the car to a new location, this may be something you want to do as well. In the next picture you can see where we relocated the second horn to, it is the black piece on the right side of the picture.
Next you’re going to trim and bend some non-structural sheet metal by the driver’s side fenderliner in order to fit the charge pipes through. Take a look at the pics below to get a good idea of how much you need to cut. Note that trimming this is not affecting your car in any negative way.
After you’re done with this, the fun and final part is here! Fitting the charge pipes. The cold side is simple, just connect all the pipes together starting from the bottom endtank to the throttle body. Put some T-Bolt clamps loosely around the silicone couplers, wiggle everything into place (maybe using some soapy water to help it move) and get ready to do the hotside. You’ll see from the pics below how the hotside piping is routed from the compressor outlet to the top endtank. It’s definitely a little fussy to get everything set but proper angling of the coupler on the turbo and patience threading the pipe by all the lines in the back of the engine bay goes a long way!! After all, the piping is routed like this to give you the quickest spool possible, so it’ll be worth it in the end!
Untitled by whitacre.alex, on Flickr
Untitled by whitacre.alex, on Flickr
Now is also a good time to squeeze the intake onto the compressor inlet of the turbo if you have one. This was very easy for us to do but here’s a pic just in case!!
Untitled by whitacre.alex, on Flickr
The Finishing Touches
You’re almost done!! Now you can go ahead and put the downpipe on the turbo, and tighten the V-Band clamp. **I suggest you coat the V-Band clamp's threads and inner flange groove with high temp anti seize to make sure that bad boy stays on. The anti seize helps it tighten straight and the threads will last a long time! ** Once it’s on and tight, go ahead and put everything back on the car!! Slap the subframe and axles back on, and put your bumper on to conceal the intercooler. **If you have an ‘09+, you will have to remove the fog lights to fit the intercooler. You can just take out the lights and leave the lenses in, or go for some of the block off plates that are found on non-Si civics. Either looks good, I’m using the block off plates.
Now that you’ve done this, it is time to plug in your IAT sensor and put the battery in! First, unplug the MAF, split open the shield around the wiring and follow this DIY from Hondata to splice in the OBD1 IAT Sensor. FlashPro Help EASY! Now stick the sensor into the bung already welded on the charge pipes.
ob1 IAT by whitacre.alex, on Flickr
Now you’ve got to arrange the battery, there are many options here. It is possible to rotate the stock battery and move it somewhat up against the ECU to make it fit. You have to wedge it in there a little but it fits!! You can also use this opportunity to switch to a lightweight battery like the Odyssey PC680 that I have, or relocate your battery to the trunk for even better weight distribution and a cleaner looking engine bay. Your call!! See how my battery is done up below.
Turbo Bay by whitacre.alex, on Flickr
Ok!! I promise you’re in the home stretch now! You’re essentially done with the turbo kit, now you have to do the injectors, fuel pump and your spark plugs. That’s it!!
Here is the link for a DIY on how to do your fuel pump. The DW320 pump that I used required NO TRIMMING, you just had to snap the cage back together like a man!! http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/diy-h...-improved.html
Below are some supplemental pictures showing how we crushed the fuel pressure regulator using a comptech tool.
It barely looks like you are moving it at all, but it works!! Pull it out of the tool when you’re done and it is good to be put back in the cage!
The Fuel Injectors are super easy!! Follow the beginning of this RDX Injector DIY, but remember you don’t have to de-pin anything! If you have the plug and play clips like I and many others had you just, well, plug and play! http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/diy-h...r-install.html **ALSO** After you unplug the injectors, it is a good time to pre-lube the turbo system! Fill the motor with good synthetic oil (Rotella ftw!!) and crank it over for about 15 seconds WITH THE INJECTORS UNPLUGGED so the car does not fire. This helps get some oil pressure to the turbo and protects the bearings for when you are finally ready to crank it up.
Finally come the spark plugs, which hopefully all I need to tell you is to make sure you gap the NGK BKR9EIX aka 2669 that you bought because I told you to .0022. Then put them in and go get tuned!!
If You Bought Gauges….
Don’t worry, I won’t leave you hanging! After all, the only way you wouldn’t have gauges is if you didn’t care about blowing your car up, right? Right?? Anyway, if you’re like me and have an Excelerate gauge pod, here’s how you install your gauges! First, carefully pop off the trim around your speedo that the gauge pod replaces and take the white tabs and move them onto the Excelerate pod.
Next go ahead and take off the dash. Carefully pop everything out on the driver’s side and beware of one stupid screw that hides around where the VSA button is to the left of the steering wheel.
With the dash off now unscrew and take off the tach so only this is left
With that big space you can run wires from where the gauges will be to where the need to go to draw power in order to turn on and to their signal source. You can snap the pod on once you run all the wires through this hole.
We ran the wires to the fuse box for power, here’s a pic to give you an idea.
Untitled by whitacre.alex, on Flickr
We ran the wire for the wideband through a hole in the floor and secured it like this.
Untitled by whitacre.alex, on Flickr