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The itch for Turbo...

From the sounds of it, you need to remain where you are and perhaps look for a heat exchanger/intercooler for your CTSC. I mean no offense when I say this, but if you are balking about spending the money for a proven turbo kit (i.e. SoS, LoveFab, or what have you), then you have no earthly idea what you are getting into with the horse power numbers you are wanting. I could be wrong, but drivetrain loss will equate to somewhere around 50'ish hp; therefore, to reach your desired number you will have to push anywhere from 450 to 470 hp. Things CAN and WILL break at these numbers.

As others have said already, you will need a good catback 2 1/2" diameter or more, some high-flow cats, an FIC since you need to remain SMOG compliant, and of course have your car tuned. This will cost you several thousand dollars on-top of what you spend. This does not include a clutch, so hopefully you have a good one already.

There are cars running these numbers reliably, but it remains a gamble no matter how you look at it. If you really sit down and think about this, you are already making sacrifices with quality and proven reliability because you cannot justify the money needed to get the car where you want it to be. These cars are not american muscle where hp can be found cheaply. You are going to need to spend some serious money to when things go wrong, so hopefully you have figured that into your thought process.

Good luck in whatever you decide, but I would strongly recommend that you consider what others have told you.

I am not really chasing HP numbers - I simply mention the 400 rwhp number because many I have spoken to say that is the sweet spot power wise for the NSX. I am not looking for big HP, nor do I plan on building the motor, etc (I know many say that and change :biggrin:). I'm just looking for a little more pep and stronger performance. From what it sounds like a simple turbo set up will get me there.
 
My half shaft was fine at 420rwhp and 420rwtq until (from the height difference in the joint between an overpass and freeway was 2" and I jumped, caught 2" of air at WOT (hitting redline) and landing back on the tires. cracked my tranny case and half shaft. $12k of damages were covered by State Farm... like a good neighbor.
 
My half shaft was fine at 420rwhp and 420rwtq until (from the height difference in the joint between an overpass and freeway was 2" and I jumped, caught 2" of air at WOT (hitting redline) and landing back on the tires. cracked my tranny case and half shaft. $12k of damages were covered by State Farm... like a good neighbor.
Dude.. which policy do you have??? Please email/FB me Bats :)
 
Half shaft strength is going to depend on how you drive the car, Drag racing is definitely or quarter mile runs are obviously harder on the shafts than street. No issues with my half shafts with over 20K miles and over 500 RWHP but don't do quarter miles runs. Also, using race tires or drag slicks are DEFINITELY going to strain the system more than street tires.
 
So what are the half-shafts good for hp wise? Outside of the transmission, they seem to be the weakest link..no?

The half shafts if properly maintained will handle 400rwhp in track use almost indefinitely, but they must be serviced and only a few of us serious track guys seem to be doing that. I pull my half shafts every season to clean, inspect and repack the CV joints with Redline CV Grease and vent the boots. Since I have done this I have 4 years of use without a failed joint. Prior to this maintenance I had two failures in a single season. The 10-20 year old grease installed by Honda when the half shafts were originally built can not be expected to deal with anything more than normal street usage. If you drive at high speeds or higher than average stress levels or do a couple of track events a year you should do this maintenance every three years. If you really track your car I recommend every year as part of your pre-track prep for your first event of the season that the shafts be rebuilt. YMMV. The process is simple and does not require a large investment. Parts are under $50 and if you do them yourself it is just your time, If you pay someone the job takes about 3 hours. Instructions for the process can be found in the NSX Service Manual.

FOR the OP - The HiBoost CTSC is not in my opinion worth the money or risk, without IATs being controlled what little is gained will quickly be negated by the higher and quicker heat soak of the added blower heat. You can get to nearly the same level of whp and keep the whp longer if you address the fuel system and IATs either through a intercooler or chemical cooler after the blower.

An Autorotor CTSC on a 3.2 with Meth after the blower and a proper fuel system will yield 375-385whp. The key to making power safely with these cars is a low and consistent IAT. Add in the HiBoost pulley after the other mods and you will get very close to your 400whp goal. Do not take steps to get the IAT and fuel system under control and you can make very close to the same whp numbers but after your first or second run through the gears the power will drop 20-30whp. You are already having this issue with you LoBoost setup you just may not realize it. Install some sensors, log some data, and if you track watch your lap times.

Dave
 
I am not really chasing HP numbers - I simply mention the 400 rwhp number because many I have spoken to say that is the sweet spot power wise for the NSX. I am not looking for big HP, nor do I plan on building the motor, etc (I know many say that and change :biggrin:). I'm just looking for a little more pep and stronger performance. From what it sounds like a simple turbo set up will get me there.

Famous last words if I have ever heard them! lol
 
Meh. Only thing he needs to worry about breaking at 450ish is clutch. I say spend the money and go.
I concur, haven't had anything to break including clutch and been boosted over 450whp since 2010.... outside of bad tune by Balance performance her in Georgia. (stay away from them)
 
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Going turbo and doing it right to get to 400 to 425 rwhp will cost anywhere from $10K to $18K on the stock engine. I have the SOS Twins on mine and am at 440 rwhp with no problems. Though I'm considering dialing it back a touch just to be safe.

It's debatable as to what HP numbers are appropriate. HP isn't everything and the only time that there never isn't enough HP is in drag racing. And that is only as good as you can hook it to the track surface. Most of the people I've talked to including NSX Techs and engine tuners told me that for a car as light as ours 400 to 450 rwhp should be the sweet spot. If you are just looking to update your NSX's performance, as I did with my install, then you'll be happy with 400 to 425. And according to my sources the engine and drive train should remain reliable as long as you aren't dumping the clutch, running at max HP all day everyday and do your maintenance on schedule. This range of HP is very controllable on my car with the traction control on. As you are doing your research, keep in mind that different turbo kits will distribute the power differently. I've found that some kits spool up faster and distribute the power smoother with a fun even pull through the power band than other kits. And other kits spool up later and give you that fun kick in the ass when the power hits. It's all a matter of what you are looking for in performance. And one more thing, do your research when looking for a tuner. A cheap bad tune could be expensive down the road. Good Luck.
 
Going turbo and doing it right to get to 400 to 425 rwhp will cost anywhere from $10K to $18K on the stock engine. I have the SOS Twins on mine and am at 440 rwhp with no problems. Though I'm considering dialing it back a touch just to be safe. It's debatable as to what HP numbers are appropriate. HP isn't everything and the only time that there never isn't enough HP is in drag racing. And that is only as good as you can hook it to the track surface. Most of the people I've talked to including NSX Techs and engine tuners told me that for a car as light as ours 400 to 450 rwhp should be the sweet spot. If you are just looking to update your NSX's performance, as I did with my install, then you'll be happy with 400 to 425. And according to my sources the engine and drive train should remain reliable as long as you aren't dumping the clutch, running at max HP all day everyday and do your maintenance on schedule. This range of HP is very controllable on my car with the traction control on. As you are doing your research, keep in mind that different turbo kits will distribute the power differently. I've found that some kits spool up faster and distribute the power smoother with a fun even pull through the power band than other kits. And other kits spool up later and give you that fun kick in the ass when the power hits. It's all a matter of what you are looking for in performance. And one more thing, do your research when looking for a tuner. A cheap bad tune could be expensive down the road. Good Luck.
This is very good advice ^^^. Let me clearify myself. I'm around 400whp on low boost and 500whp on high boost.Low boost is fun and high boost comes in handy when you don't want to take any chances against vettes,gallardo, mustang or want to close the gap on a stock GTR.Research, decide and do it correct the first time. Keep in mind, if you go over 4-425 you will need to build motor to handle the numbers. And most important, don't let any tuner blow smoke up your @$$ about how good he is, I had the so call "best in the state" add too much timing and power to my 1st motor, blew it up and left me with a repair bill.Good luck Bro.
 
So what's the best way to research tuners? Anyone know a great one in the DC/MD area?

-Is the tuner certified? If so then in what.
-What ECUs are their specialty?
-How far are they from you?
-How many tuners are at the shop?
-What is the reputation from actual customers?
-Do they tune advanced ecus (Motec, ProEFI, Infinity, Haltech, etc)
-What is their customer service like?
 
Interesting to read this thread. I have a very similar situation to the OP. My current set up is a 92 with a built motor and I have the CTSC with high boost pulley, AEM FIC, and intercooler. I have wanted more power and considered the SOS TT setup but have held back due to cost vs gains. I have elected to move forward and will be getting this done in the next month or so. SOS is local which is very nice for me. I will also be going with the flexfuel setup. My current set up dynoed at 390 to the wheels and I hope to make 500 on low boost and 600 on high boost with the new setup. I will gladly share my findings once the setup is done.
 
You can always do remote tuning. Find local dyno guy, abd have then set up time with best guy in country willing to take your money
 
Sorry don't mean to thread jack but I too am in the hunt for turbo. Undecided on which kit any turbo guys here willing to share the break down of your kit and dyno chart?
 
Sorry don't mean to thread jack but I too am in the hunt for turbo. Undecided on which kit any turbo guys here willing to share the break down of your kit and dyno chart?

What are your HP goals? Is your engine built or will it be built? I would get a ride from folks who have different kits. To get an idea of how they perform.
 
Simple fix: Go rent a pirus for a week when the need for power feeling comes back. Every time I hop back into my NSX and M3 from a 1995 520i I am happy.
 
What are your HP goals? Is your engine built or will it be built? I would get a ride from folks who have different kits. To get an idea of how they perform.

Looking at angus kit because of all the good reviews and the "nsx like nature of the kit " hp wise I know 400 is the magic number when keeping things in reliable terms. I have rode in a turbo and supercharged nsx love the response of the Sc but the brick wall u run into at hi rpms leaves much to be desired, turbo fills the gap but the turbo does have lag. My buddy did upgrade the turbo and really lessens the lag I have not ride in it with new turbo (6266) . I'll post dyno charts I researched later.
 
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