Ted's Owner
On to Integra number two!
So, my buddy Victor has a '00 Acura Integra LS hatch that we supercharged over a weekend. It was a long 18-hour process, and since then, it's seen some changes. He wanted to post about it and some of his experiences with a boosted car, so I'm going to let him open up a thread on my account. So, I'm going to turn my computer over to him now.
Victor: "Hey guys. I wanted to talk about my experience with boosting a car and the do and don'ts.
I found a shop local to me called RAF Fabrication. They do custom car and fabrication work. The shop owners Nick and Justin specialize in Honda's and Subaru's, but have the capabilities of working on anything you bring them. Nick makes custom M90 supercharger kits for Honda's that he sells on eBay. These guys are very professional and Nick is one of the best welders I have ever seen. He is contemplating making a seller account on Club Integra, so keep an eye out for that. Also, let Ted's Owner (Nick) know if you're interested in any one of his products. He can make to-order just about anything you can think of.
Anyways, back to the supercharger install. Once Nick and I got everything installed, all hell broke loose. It ran okay, but needed a tune really bad. The computer was damaged during shipping, causing gaps and issues in the tune. It had a coolant leak, boost leaks, insane idle issues, and so on. I was making 3.3psi with an 8psi pulley... I new something wasn't right. Take my advise and be cautious when buying used superchargers online. Double-check all of the components to make sure that they aren't worn out... When I found out that the car wasn't making the power it was supposed to, I had Nick at RAF tear down the supercharger and give it a thorough inspection. He found that the oil seals were blown, chunks of Teflon were missing off the rotors, and all of the gaskets in both the intake and the supercharger were blown.
So, after this discovery and about a week of downtime, Nick at RAF had a custom M45/M90 hybrid supercharger setup with a ported and polished supercharger housing and silencer deletes put together for me. No need for VTEC when you have a supercharged B18B1 that screams like a banshee. :twisted:
Before the supercharger issue was discovered, Nick at RAF also prepped a P06 ECU with a street tune that is reliable for up to 13psi. Along with that, he replaced my plastic SRI with velocity stack with a custom lobster bend intake utilizing the old velocity stack, and added a custom PCV catch can; he's in the process of building me a custom unequal length header (it'll make the car sound like a Subi, and it'll increase hp and boost pressure by 1-2psi). After I upgrade the exhaust, add the header, and add a test pipe, I'm looking at an extra 30whp. All of this has been proven over and over with his car and other customer cars.
Anyways; after the supercharger rebuild and re-install and the fresh tune, I go pick up the car and give it a thorough test drive. It pulls extremely hard and traction is non-existent -- spinning in first, second, and part of third. I pull back into the shop parking lot when I hear a noise that doesn't sound like it's supposed to be there... It's coming from the supercharger... As it turns out, the polyurethane coupler gave out (it broke into six separate pieces) because I used cheap GM s/c oil instead of the good expensive whale oil like one is supposed to. So, word to the wise -- "USE THE EXPENSIVE SUPERCHARGER OIL!" Otherwise, s*** breaks.
A few days later, I went to pickup the car after repairing the supercharger again, and I drove it worry free for a week. I took it to work, and on the way home, I couldn't help but notice that everything on the dash started to dim... The alternator quit. I got it jumped off and limped it to RAF for them to replace it. Normally, I would replace it myself because I'm a DIY-mechanic, but it would've required removing the supercharger again. I didn't have the time nor the desire to do it, so I left it to the professionals this time. I just picked it up this evening, 2/8/14. So far no issues, and it's running better than ever! You can ask Ted's Owner here (Nick). I dusted his truck, ha-ha.
On another note -- Nick from RAF got attacked by an exploding impact this evening. He has three fractures in his leg and it required some stitches, but he kept working on my car until it was done. If that doesn't show you dedication and total badassery I don't know what does."
Parts list
B18b1 non-VTEC with OEM internals
Custom M45/M90 hybrid supercharger
P&P'd M45 supercharger housing with silencer delete
Razor edged rotors
Jackson Racing intake manifold
Jackson Racing pulleys and brackets
B20 crank pulley for 8psi boost
RC Engineering 440cc injectors
Custom lobster bend intake with Blox velocity stack and filter combo
Custom PCV catch can
Custom P06 ECU with an, "Awesome street tune!"
Walbro 255lph fuel pump
Greddy DT axle-back exhaust
RAF UEL header *not installed yet*
KYB AGX adjustable shocks
Energy Suspension polyurethane bushings in the rear
Eibach 17mm rear sway bar
5mm hubcentric wheel spacers
Auto Meter boost gauge
Rota 16"x7" Circuit 8's with 205/50R16 Kumho Ecsta AST's
No name rear strut tower bar
Polished engine bay
Future plans
Forged internals
Partial or full sponsorship *in the works with RAF* - Victor, as of 02/13/2014, is now fully sponsored by RAF Fabrication
GS-R or ITR transmission with LS 5th gear and LSD
Stickier tires
Upgraded brakes
Lowering springs
Paintjob
Weight reduction
HID's
Wrinkle Red valve cover
Upgraded cooling system
Water-to-air intercooler for the S/C
ITR lip
Full 2.5" exhaust
Disclaimer: Ted's Owner (Nick) and Nick from RAF are NOT the same person!"
Written by Victor and Edited by Ted's Owner (Nick)
Pictures
What the motor looks like now.
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