Honda Car Forum

i have a 93 honda civic ex with a 1.6l v-tec its the d16z6 how much psi could i do without burning the pistons?any info helpful is appreciated

after time the turbo will be rough on the pistons. you could run low psi like 4 or 5 lbs but its not a good idea to put a turbo on a stock d16 or alot more than your pistons are going to burn

You can, but you'll only be able to push the pistons as far as 5 to 8 psi, depending on the conditions of your pistons, but there not gonna last a lot, probably around 3 to 4 months, also depends on how you run.

It depends on the condition of the engine, how well it's maintained once it is turbocharged, and if it's properly tuned to handle the extra power. You need to get a compressions and leakdown test done on your engine. Those tests let you know what kind of condition your valves and piston rings are in. Maintenance should pretty much speak for itself. You should probably do some extra maintenance beforehand, like changing the water pump and timing belt and a coolant "flush". But it's important to change spark plugs religiously, as well as do oil changes on a regular basis, making sure to inspect the oil for metal filings. Having a proper engine management system and getting it professionally tuned is a must. Too many people throw on turbo kits and blow up their engines, resulting in people claiming that you can/should only run 4-8psi. PSI doesn't really mean a whole lot when it comes to performance. 10 psi from one turbo is totally different from 10 psi from another. You can't rely on the fuel delivery stuff that comes with most pre-made turbo kits, they're just not sufficient. Getting something like Hondata, Neptune, AEM EMS, A'PEXi FC, or Greddy e-manage. Then find a quality tuner in your area, or travel, and have them tune your car. Shoot for low to mid 200whp as a goal with a stock engine, this will be a good place to start. Going beyond that will require you to upgrade your entire exhaust system to 3 inches, possibly upgrading to an aftermarket camshaft, possibly upgrading the intake manifold, and possibly getting the head ported for better air flow. These are just to give you a rough idea of what you'd be looking at. I strongly suggest that you check out http://www.turbod16.com. It is filled with an insane amount of info, far more than anyone would ever be able to give you here.

sure..and if it's an automatic...the engine isn't the only thing you'll burn up...think of the poor tranny.

its not psi that matters. 8psi from a 14b and 8psi from a t4 is a huge difference. its power level that matters. your z6 is ok to run around 200hp on stock internals with the right TUNE. you must have it tuned, thats what determines how long it will last. 8psi from a t3 tuned properly will run for years. asuming you already have good compression, no smoke, ect ect

I totally agree with cleaninc's answer and just want to add to it. As a general rule of thumb with most Honda engines internal parts are able to safely handle 150% of their stock power output. That means in your case D16Z6=125 hp. 125hp x 1.50 = 187 hp. The crank shaft is the strongest part in the rotating assembly and can handle up to 600hp and is forged from the factory! Your connecting rods, and cylinder walls are next in line, and then your endcap bolts and pistons are the weakest. If you start upgrading your internals your priorities should start with the weakest parts first.But like cleaninc said you got to have it professionally tuned with a good air/fuel management system installed. Otherwise your fuel gets very lean and next thing you hear is a big BOOM and it’s to the d-series grave yard with it!

There is no way to do this without messing up the pistons eventually. If your gonna do it, do it right and get more aggressive pistons to handle the turbo.