california legal turbo 1.6
 

I want to build a 1.6 turbo that is carb legal in cal. I have about a 2k budget and my power goal is 160+ rwhp. I am a complete noob on the subject of turbo's and i'm sure i will get flammed for it, oh well. I dont mind buying a used kit so long as it is relatively reliable. Also what sort of prep work should i make or do to my 1.6 before i turbo it? any and all information is greatly appreciated :noob:

Begi and FM make carb legal turbos I believe. As far as prep work, read. Read until you've searched/read for hours. Then, read some more.

And when you think you're done, keep reading.

^^ Thanks i've been reading up on prep work for a litttle while. I wanted to run this kit by you guys https://www.miataturbo.net/prefabbed-turbo-kits-3/begi-s-1989-1993-turbo-kit-noob-questions-58623/ I wanted to know if this would be worth it and if it would meet my vague requirements?

I'm pretty sure the only turbo kit currently with CARB legal certification is the Greddy 1.6 Turbo kit. It will produce 145WHP reliably.

There's truth in here somewhere...


At this time, there are only two vendors presently selling a 1.6-specific kit which have an associated CARB EO number. One is Greddy, the other is Bell.

The Greddy system is perhaps the oldest of the presently-offered systems, and it's far from a high-quality package, but it does work. I used one as the basis of my '92 build, and managed to cross the 200WHP barrier with it, though of course not in anything that could be described as CARB-legal trim (Megasquirt, 440cc injectors, new downpipe, intercooler, etc.)

Bell produces some of the better-quality systems out there, though it could be argued that there's a bit of wink-n-nod going on here, as their CARB EO document is based on a very old version of the system which used an IHI/Aerodyno turbo. In actual practice, I have not heard of anybody having difficulty getting through an inspection with one.

FM used to have a CARB-legal kit to offer, back when they were repping Bell's hardware. Since the two companies split, FM has sadly had nothing to offer us Californians in this regard.

The best bet you have is to find a used GReddy kit WITH the CARB sticker. Since you're a 1.6L you can prob. get away with running a megasquirt since there is no OBD. A used GReddy kit, even with bandaids will get you to 160whp.

Is Bell's chinacharger kit CARB legal? I went with Greddy myself, but that was before the chinacharger option was out there, and I think I'd go that way now if I were doing it again with the same goals.

But yes, a used Greddy kit can be found for ~$800 or so. That'll do ~140 whp.

To get to your 160whp for your budget once you've got the Greddy kit:

Megasquirt for $600
Wideband for $250
Ebay MBC $15
NB or Supra Injectors $50
Turn up boost to 6-7 psi

Keep in mind with no intercooler you'll have to let the boost taper down near the top end, and probably run a bit richer than optimal to prevent detonation.

Also keep in mind that there are other costs. You might need a new clutch. If your catalytic converter is old/clogged you may need to replace it with a high flow unit. It would be smart to get oil/water temp gauges.... etc.

-Ryan

Well, that gets into a bit of a grey area.

Depending upon how strictly you interpret the wording of the EO, it could be argued that none of Bell's current offerings entirely satisfy the critera of EO D-349 and D-349-1.

Specifically, here's D-349, which is Bell's EO for the '90-'93 cars: http://arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermkt/devices/eo/D-349.pdf

Note that it calls for an IHI or Aerodyne turbocharger. Bell hasn't sold those in years- they switched to Garrett years ago but never updated the EO. So a Chinacharger-based kit would be no less compliant than a Garrett-based kit.

That said, I haven't heard of anybody failing visual because of this.

thanks for all your input guys this has been very informative. I hope that any and all other noobs will find this useful as well

thanks again for the help guys its been really informative. I have another question for you guys, i know a lot of people say that the 1.6 diff is a pos and that i should upgrade to the 1.8 i wanted to know if i was only planning on getting 160-180rwhp would i still need to get the new diff?

Well this is all very interesting, given the fact that I too live in California. I had planned to use the Begi-S kit sans 2554, and instead use a t25 from a Nissan engine. But in the back of my mind I always worried a little as to how this would play out at smog time. I wonder if there are any Begi-S kit users here who could chime in on their experience at the smog station.

Ray

well so after reading and hearing a lot of the post on this forums i've decided to just buy a 1.8 and turbo that instead will my set up still be the same as the 1.6 turbo or will i have to start over?

^ Um...curious as to why? Once you buy a 1.8 you lose the option to go with a Greddy kit, which is only made for the 1.6.

Ray

simple really

1. more displacement more power
2. Dont have to worry/ replace or upgrade the diff

i'm sure loosing out on the greedy turbo kit is a downside but i'm sure i can find something suitable to replace it

Well you still have the option of the begi kit, of course, albeit you will have to keep in mind what was already stated in this thread. Another option you might want to think about is going with a used JRSC (Jackson Racing Supercharger) kit, which I believe is also smog legal in CA and puts out around 140-150hp. A decent unit will probably cost a bit more than a used Greddy system and you don't have to drill the oil pan.

Ray

The 1.8 uses a different port spacing from the 1.6, so an exhaust manifold designed for one will not fit the other.

Apart from this they are quite similar, however adding an engine swap to an already borderline-illegal turbo system raises certain additional questions. The Greddy kit won't work on it, though Bell does make a 1.8 turbo system as well. It has a slightly different CARB EO number than the 1.6 system, and whether that's a problem is something that's between you, Bell, and your inspector.