Bearing It All

Ready to go GT with your Si?...        read full caption Ready to go GT with your Si? If you answered “yes,” then prep your car by disconnecting the negative terminal on the battery. Raise the car on jackstands or on a lift, if you have access to one. You will be making repeated trips to the undercarriage of the engine bay throughout the install.

Loosen the hose clamp on the...        read full caption Loosen the hose clamp on the throttle body so that you can remove the air intake tube. Disconnect the crankcase vent tube from the intake tube, as well. Remove the OE air intake system and air box. You will have to remove the lower intake located behind the front bumper, too.

Remove the lower splashguard...        read full caption Remove the lower splashguard cover. Remove the exhaust manifold starting from the bottom by unbol-ting the lower portion from the catalytic converter. You can then remove the upper half by pulling it up and out of the engine bay.

Drain both the engine oil...        read full caption Drain both the engine oil and coolant. Undo the radiator hose and remove the radiator overflow canister. Remove the lower right radiator fan so that you’ll have more room to work with the turbo kit.

In this picture, HKS had to...        read full caption In this picture, HKS had to grind away a portion of the block in order to fit the turbo manifold onto the motor. The finalized kit will not require the block to be modified to accept the HKS manifold.

Remove the oil pan and mark...        read full caption Remove the oil pan and mark off the oil inlet to the oil pan and drill out a hole for the turbo oil drain. Fasten the oil drain pipe with sealant and gasket. Make sure it’s tightened at the correct angle as recommended by HKS. Clean out the oil pan completely and replace the oil pan.

Assemble the oil pick-up “T”...        read full caption Assemble the oil pick-up “T” fitting along with the oil pressure sender with Teflon tape and tighten the assembly onto the block. Screw in the flared male fitting (should point up) onto the oil “T” and attach an oil feed line (supplied) using a trouble-free routing underneath the intake manifold. You can then reattach the oil pressure sending wire.

Attach the oil feed line (supplied)...        read full caption Attach the oil feed line (supplied) to the turbo. Here’s where it gets difficult, so either brush up on your Latin or continue on with the install. The actual turbine should be attached to the turbo manifold. If not, then make it so, Number One.

Install the turbo assembly...        read full caption Install the turbo assembly to the cylinder head. Make sure that you have a clean surface and a reusable OE exhaust gasket (replace if needed). It’s important that you tighten the oil feed line with a smooth bend pointing down toward the block.

Install the compressor outlet...        read full caption Install the compressor outlet and gasket onto the turbo compressor housing. Fit the 90-degree bend hose to the compressor suction. Attach the suction pipe to the turbo suction and loosely attach the HKS MegaFlow filter to the suction pipe. Don’t forget to install the valve cover vent fitting onto the suction pipe.

HKS even supplies a bracket...        read full caption HKS even supplies a bracket to attach the suction pipe/air filter to the transmission to compensate for any engine movement. Simply position the suction pipe into place while lining up the bracket to hold it in place. Tighten and adjust the pipe/filter assembly after you have enough clearance from all angles.

Attach the supplied hose to...        read full caption Attach the supplied hose to the throttle body and waterneck, then route these hoses toward the bottom of the turbo.

Attach the valve-cover vent...        read full caption Attach the valve-cover vent hose to the suction pipe fitting. Use the provided spring clamps to tighten.

Install the compressor pipe...        read full caption Install the compressor pipe from the turbo outlet to the throttle body. Everything should fit like a glove.

You’ll need to extend...        read full caption You’ll need to extend the intake air sensor wires so that they can reach the suction/air filter pipe. Cut the red/yellow and green/black wires and extend them with the wiring provided in the kit.

Install the O-ring grommet...        read full caption Install the O-ring grommet onto the suction pipe and reinstall the OE air sensor.

Reattach the map sensor plug...        read full caption Reattach the map sensor plug located on the throttle body.

Attach the throttle body heater...        read full caption Attach the throttle body heater hose and waterneck heater hose to the watercooled section inlets of the turbocharger.

Attach the turbo oil drain...        read full caption Attach the turbo oil drain hose from the turbo to the oil pan. HKS also includes heatwrap to protect certain parts from absorbing any unwanted heat.

Remove the O2 sensor from...        read full caption Remove the O2 sensor from the stock exhaust manifold downpipe and attach it to the HKS turbo downpipe. You can then bolt the downpipe to the upper portion of the exhaust manifold. Don’t forget to bolt the downpipe to the catalytic converter.

Reinstall the radiator fan...        read full caption Reinstall the radiator fan and hoses, then refill with coolant. Tie down any loose hoses and lines, tape up any exposed wires with electrical tape, and double-check all nuts, bolts, and connections. Reconnect the battery and start the engine. Check for any leaks and parts that may need servicing.

To help tune the fuel management,...        read full caption To help tune the fuel management, HKS provides an F-Con Mini Plus module. This unit refines the OE fuel curve and controls ignition timing. This helps to maintain a proper air/fuel mixture in order to achieve maximum power.

The F-Con Mini Plus plugs...        read full caption The F-Con Mini Plus plugs straight into your ECU, which is located behind the passenger-side kick panel. With this HKS GT turbo kit, it is said that you will see a gain of 45 hp conservatively while gaining 40 lb-ft. You can also choose to add an HKS intercooler kit at a later time.

The B16A motor is one of the best automotive production engines ever created in the free world. Nothing comes close to beating it (unless it’s an Integra R motor, an SR20DE-T, or an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii). Consider 160 bhp and high-revving capabilities, and it’s easy to see why I’m right. The tunability factor is great, and you have so many tools with which you can improve the performance. So many, in fact, that the amount of time you can take to identify every single part available properly could be better spent finishing college, establishing a career, and retiring all in one shot.

Take turbo kits, for instance. This HKS turbo kit, to be specific. Unlike others on the market, this system includes a ball-bearing GT TBB25 turbocharger as its main driving force. So what does that mean? Well, defined by HKS, the GT turbines are co-engineered along with Garrett Turbochargers of Japan with a full ball-bearing cartridge system that reduces weight and friction on the center shaft as opposed to bronze bushing-type bearings on standard turbochargers. For you, it means quicker spool-up times and better response out of your turbo.

The kit includes a cast-iron manifold and turbine extension, downpipe, Super Mega Flow intake, and all associated trinkets to reaffirm HKS as one of the top dogs. Best of all, it’s CARB-pending and should be approved by the time you read this. We repeat: smog legal. Follow along as HKS engineers Howard and Norm show the ropes on prepping a ’00 Civic Si for GT duty. HKS recommends that you take at least two days to install this kit properly.