You read right, I had the pleasure of witnessing this sleeper at the Dyno shop (Genesis Automotive) where I dyno'd my car not too long ago. The kit was installed 4 years ago on this 07 TL-S Auto, completely stock motor, no other supporting mods other than the turbo kit & 3" exhaust. Car is tuned very conservatively (8psi) for DD, owner has been having fun all those years and car has been reliable up to today. I also spoke with Rodney and I just may go that route soon, who knows. He gave me a great price I can't refuse. He also has a Turbo 6MT KBP Type S for sale as well.

On to the sleeper, as you can see everything is completely bone stock, no A-Spec kit, no aftermarket goodies. Just the turbo hidden under the hood.








I also attached the dyno graph and the video below.



Sleeper Turbo 2007 Acura TL Type S 5AT Stock Motor 8psi 3" Exhaust - YouTube

 

Be careful.

 

^ indeed

Your car should be making more power than 350whp on 8 psi. My car is a j30 and made 383whp @7.5 psi.

 

I definitely will. After all I was recently really considering running nitrous. Still doing homework

True. If I go the boost route I do want to be anywhere in the 6-8psi range as long as the tune is very conservative, safe and reliable for daily duty. Also I don't yet plan on doing internals, maybe later. I'm not looking for crazy power either, just a bump while being very reliable. Not to mention hearing the vroomm pssshhhh everyday. Reliability is always at the top of my mod-to-do-list. I think I've done pretty well so far.

 

I think the be careful warning is because Rodney had stole a bunch of money from a lot of people, including me.

Be careful.

 

what what i heard i'd be much more worried about the guy and not the turbo addition!

 

Oh I see.

Yeah I've read the stories about that. I'd be sure to take the proper precautions if/when that time comes. Thanks for the additional heads up.

 

Andy Gerzina has been making Rotrex kits at a great price that give more power reliably than the turbo can, but comes at the cost of deleting the A/C compressor

 

^^^I've seen Andy's car in person...he's a mad scientist and a pleasure to deal with.
Shoot, the guy gave me a bed to crash in so I could get a fresh start to drive my new car home (bought near his home).
He's that kind of thrill.

For serious, research him.
J.

 

Yeah I know all about Andy's kit but life without A/C would be no life lol.

 

You're asking a death wish if you don't have AC in Florida.

 

Run water.meth for sure. Follow my thread

 

Exactly

I already follow all current turbo threads lol

 

I think if you want fast...no AC is the way.
Honestly, unless it's traffic and daily driving...I drive with windows down anyway. If I needed a more comfy daily, I wouldn't have my daily TL turbo project be it.

 

Reliable, Daily and Turbo don't mix.

 

Don't you have a CTS-V now? Bet you won't remove the AC from it, regardless of how fast it is. :P

I'm in SC and AC is an absolute requirement or I would have considered Andy's setup. I've always loved centrifugals, but it would be hard to get me to buy a Rotrex since they are not rebuildable. I also prefer a turbo just for the quieter exhaust.

 

i live in san diego and even here no A/C would not work. i'd be divorced and have skin cancer on the left side of my arm and face

 

LOL...yes! But that's my daily, if I were going balls out aftermarket turbo on something that's intended to be fun on the weekends I'd most certainly consider it!
It's hot AF but I can TECHNICALLY get away with no AC, even in a daily. I had cars without it in HS and I think that tolerance never left me.

 

This, my friend, is NOT entirely true. I dd my boosted setup and have been for several years now. Did I mention it's a swap (j30a1 to j35z) too that's using experimental j37a4 heads too? Or how it's running e85 with pure methanol injection at 16lbs of boost? Or about how I tune the car myself and learned to tune on? Or about the fact that it's driven HARD every time it's used?

If it's done properly and cared for, it can be done with ease.

 

And you're also definitely just a everyday, run of the mill layman too!

 

Not to mention, that's one example of a "trouble-free" car, but more than likely it's that all trouble hasn't been a been deal to you.

 

Point made from both, however, its more about using high quality parts and the correct installation of the parts that make up a majority of the reliability. Of course the tune has its place in there as well but I'm talking more mechanically here. I've learned that those, above all, have made the greatest difference in EVERY aspect of ANY repair or custom job on the vehicles I work on. Don't take short cuts, don't opt for the $5 cheaper part, do 'severe service' maintenance intervals instead of "whenever I get to it", etc...

 

I dd my turbo car . No one wants to race anymore. Lol,but I check everything over during my gas fill. So oil, water, make sure nothing rubbing, burning, no weird noise, and etc. It takes extra care when you are at another level compared to everyone else.

 

Race car level, Ken.

 

You guys are my heros.

 

only when I drive it like one. Most day I drive like grandma to keep that sleeper status

also remember what Uncle Ben said. With great power comes great responsibility. :P

 

Yes it's not entirely true, but at the same time it is. Your not an average shade tree mechanic Robert. Your turbo set up is an engineered system and it's gone through many iterations, a car that needs E85 and methanol doesn't strike me as something that I could drive 1000 miles on a whim. To me reliable is something that I can drive to the track, beat on and then drive home, not some pulls here and there but repeated launches at the 1/4 or a day(s) at the autoX or a road course, but that's my own personal definition. I don't want the casual acurazine user or lurker to get the wrong idea, It's a lot of work to make a turbo J-series reliable, you know better than I do!

you are one of the few here that DD's their turbo J series. It's good that you keep up on it, it goes with the FI territory.

No disrespect, keep spooling guys

 

 

^LOL that's the first thing I thought of too.

 

Great minds!

 

 

Crabs can do that.

 

No disrespect taken.

The point I was illustrating by mentioning facts about my setup was how much more complicated it really is from the typical turbo systems that would require a great degree less attention and yet it can STILL remain dependable/reliable. We both have our points and neither of us wants to mislead another member on here but the truth of the matter is I'm the one actually doing it and there's never been a moment I can reflect on that would require having an absurd amount experience and knowledge to keep the car in its current state. Since being assembled, it's been just as fun and reliable as it's always been. That's the bottom line.

Put a turbo on nearly any car and it can be made reliable. However, with the compromise of added power comes decreased service life given that all other essential supplementary subsystems (i.e. Fuel, ignition, tune, etc...) are within their appropriate range. That's the sacrifice one will make and should be understood before the plunge has been taken. If you lack just a little in any of these necessary areas, that's when you've turned the car unreliable. Power is key in setting the bar (so to speak) for all of these important factors. Obviously, the more power is expected or demanded from the engine the greater the workload in all other areas of the car as a whole. Your car was designed by the factory to handle 300hp but you want the engine to produce 500hp, take no chances and make sure everything is good up to 600hp. This assures the engine will have that added assurance and provide cushion in demanding situations. And this, of course, is exactly how the manufacturers increase reliability. If you "play it safe" in all parts, the car WILL remain dependable.

A few examples of what I'm saying:

* Fuel system- My car uses 3 fuel pumps so that in the event one failed, the engine is not starved for fuel when it's needed most. It is designed to support roughly 800hp in regards to flow and supply. It supplements with high octane methanol during boost even though the e85 is probably more than enough to handle the job and up to 20lbs without knock. I tune for 11.0:1 AFR even though 11.5:1 would make slightly more power to help cool the charge and allow for less detonation. I run a swirl pot to help prevent fuel starvation to the pumps under extreme braking, acceleration, and cornering. Each fuel pump has its own dedicated relay, fused circuit and wiring harness ran of an isolated power distribution center in the rear of the vehicle. The fuel lines are all -6 braided steel hose that have AN fittings to maintain the ultimate in rigidity and won't leak like traditional crimped or barbed fittings. All fuel lines, rails and injectors are heat shielded to prevent heat soak into the fuel as well as protects against vapor locking. The fuel system is divided into two primary loops: a high volume and a high volume which again aids in starvation. Each loop has its own fuel pressure regulator which is then controlled by engine vacuum to keep fuel demands optimized based on engine load. The methanol injection system uses an electronic module of which uses the engines MAP signal to accurate deliver an ideal ratio of pure methanol in relation to the primary e85 fuel. This system further increases e85's already high octane level as well as its cooling factor caused by enrichment.

I could go on and on about just this one system and I haven't even really began to get started on the rest of what's been done. Again, this merely illustrates the significance of failsafe and going beyond what would simply "work" in an effort to increase reliability. I could have just done 1/4 of the things mentioned and got away with the power I'm at now but I'm a perfectionist when it comes to having fun without hassle.

 

I take the opposite track with regards to modifications - KISS Keep it simple simon/stupid. I understand the need for redundant systems, and especially when aiming for 500+ whp it is a necessity. In my instance, I'm looking for 400WHP give or take 20, and I've found the further one strays from stock, the more potential for issues there are. Stock fuel lines but an upgraded pump is simple, and sufficient for the HP I'm aiming for. I recall when turbos first really hit the scene, everyone was removing the stock fuel lines and running AN lines to support big horsepower, and then making 350WHP in their civic. It took a few years before people realized even stock DX Civic fuel lines could handle 500 whp.

Same goes for cooling. Using the stock radiator and fans is much simpler than trying to reinvent the wheel, unless forced to for space considerations. I think Ken even went back to the stock cooling fan as the slim fans didn't work too well.

I think E85 is a fantastic choice for these cars, especially considering their proclivity to detonate in stock form. I know its not available for everyone, but if I'm given the choice between it and meth, I''ll take E every day. One less system to worry about.

There's always more than one way to skin a cat.

 

^^^That's a wise man right there.

 

Very true ken. checking the basics on a daily basis at any level can avoid alot of failures.

 

car does have a high upkeep. Just found out that it is leaking from the oil drain because I forgot to put thread sealant on it. lol O well no one said owning a turbo car was easy.