im looking to installing a turbo on a non turbo car for the first time and have not done alot with the ecu, im looking to turbo a prelude 5th gen, and what more should i have in mind when messing with the ecu cause i know that if i do something wrong there it can mess up the whole car, im not that familiar with the fuel/air ratio and how to calculate the timing of the spark.
HP Academy has classes for this.
Haltech, the builder of stand alone ecus has a website with instructions an a forum, I think.
DIY AutoTune sells stand alone ecus and a user’s forum.
You might want to read a book on the subject…
All of these can be searched on Google.
Keep in mind just throwing a turbo on an engine is more expensive and difficult than you think. You might want to watch this:
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Well of course. You will likely need a set of custom pistons and connecting rods. A turbocharged engine has lower compression than a NA engine, and will typically have forged connecting rods and stronger bearings as well.
The idea of just throwing a turbo on a NA engine is likely to end with a LOT of disappointment.
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some how putting a turbo on a 23 or more year old vehicle that was not meant to have one just might not be the best idea.
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huh thanks for informing me about NA engine, didnt know that they were catagorised like that, i will read into it thanksbcohen.
my question would be would it be possible to convert a NA engine to a turbocharged one, or would it be better to build a g23 vtec?
… and a lot of expensive repairs.
I would prefer a nicely restored Prelude over one that has been messed with.
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Yes, that’s how the engine manufacturer starts…
Modern spark and fuel control can control power, detonation and pre-ignition pretty effectively with some pretty high compression ratios. 10:1 would not be too high to start. Intercoolers help bring the manifold temperature down to reasonable levels. Basically if the turbo adds 15 psi to the intake manifold, you can expect 80% more power.
More power means it can break things… like connecting rods, pistons or crankshafts. If the engine can take nearly double the power, can the clutch? Transmission? Drive axles? Tires? All things to think about when adding a turbo to an NA engine.
Watch the video to see what is involved in actually getting the system into the car… Fabrication is a big task. Wiring is an even bigger task. And you haven’t even gotten to the point of putting it on a dyno to tune it.
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Thanks man didnt think about it in that way 
Poster @Blakensnake had a thread here recently related to this topic. You should be able find that thread using the forum search feature, above right.
I expect you already know that the main reason a person would try this is b/c they were curious whether such a thing is possible. that’s a good enough reason imo. But if your goal is to own and drive a turbo-equipped car, you’d be money ahead to buy one (new or used) that came from the factory that way.
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+1
There are no turbocharged Preludes from the factory. The maximum power is in the fifth generation at 200 hp. I had a seventh generation EX V6 and power was quite good. Mine was a 2005 with a 5 speed manual. It did 0-60 in 5.9 seconds in a Car and Driver test.
Nothing that guy does to vehicles will be any help to anyone .
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So what other ways can i improve the preformance of my car if its a NA engine?
In my opinion it’s best to stay with the original configuration & leave those sort of modifications to the professional engine designers. If you want a vehicle with w/more power, common sense says to just buy a different one.
If you are asking which are the main factors that determine engine power in a na gasoline engine, I’d guess:
- engine displacement
- cylinder compression
Note that it’s not possible to diddle w/any of those without affecting other things like:
- cooling system
- transmission
- suspension system
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I’d start with getting that 24 year old car in near-new condition, all maintenance done, then detail it. Maybe then look into higher-performance tires. How old are the struts/shocks? Quality replacements can really improve handling.
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A number of car testers have said that it’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car fast.
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Exhaust headers and a low restriction exhaust with the catalytic convertors is about the only thing you can do without tearing into the engine, replacing parts and then have it tuned… Which you can’t do to a Honda ECU without adding a daughterboard from Hondata or similar. Then pay a tuner to tune it for the headers. Lots of money for 10 to 15% gain at most.
There might still be performance camshafts for this… but you really need new higher compression pistons and while you are in there you might just rebuild the engine… See where this rabbit hole leads?
Service it, enjoy it, and save your money for an actual performance car.
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How fast do you want to go = how much money you got period…
You can start off on the cheap with a decent gain in performance, but at a point not far past that beginner on the cheap, for every 0.01" cost more and more and then you get to the point that the next 0.010" faster will cost you double what the last 0.01" cost you and the next even more and more and even more the faster you go…
About the cheapest bang for the buck right now is a turbo LS swap into a fox body or SN95 body Mustang (basically a factory drag car) or whatever body you chose…
Now you have a fast car, how you think you are going to slow it down, up grade the brakes, $$$$, then you put even more money in it and now you are sliding around in your seat and need to upgrade safety stuff… 4-5 point harness, rollbar/cage for safety and mount the belts to… suspension also, has to be able to handle the new speed, etc etc etc…
IT WILL snowball in a hurry…
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An LS into a Ford— sacrilegious!
Now a Coyote or an high performance SBF would be fine.
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