As many of you have probably seen on our social media, we strapped our CT-R back on the rollers a few days ago after a much needed clutch install to continue testing our prototype drop-in turbocharger upgrade with Hondata's new EGT Air Charge Reduction Disable update. Though we are still make great power per PSI of boost and still at relatively moderate boost, today we reached what we currently feel is the end of the road pushing the limits with the factory fuel system (and stock engine). A built engine and fuel system upgrade(s) could really show what this turbocharger is capable off. We see no reason that this turbo can't reach 500+ horsepower.
We managed to put down 463 horsepower and 413 ft/lbs torque with a target boost of 24 PSI at peak torque, tapering to 27 PSI at redline to keep the torque dialed back for safety/longevity. – Boost reference = MAP
We tried to make various adjustments in an effort to break the 470+ horsepower barrier, but simply could not. However, this setup consistently made power despite the adjustments that were thrown at it.
Run 6 was our first run where we crested the 450+ horsepower mark (with a bit more torque than expected). You can see that the graph looks rather jagged and erratic. During this run the fuel system was at its limits, with the DIFP maxed almost the entire run, which caused the ECU to fluctuate in and out of open loop. We found a happy medium in Run 7 when we dialed back requested torque, increased start of injection timing and decreased midrange fuel pressure to keep everything happy. The next two runs we attempted to push things a bit further with minor tweaks, but could not due to DIFP maxing out and kicking the ECU into open loop after “peak” horsepower around 6200 RPM. At this power level/RPM, the stock fuel system is 100% at its max.
On our quest for even more power, we figured we would try a run this morning with slightly cooler air temps and a cooler engine without any other changes. However, Run 10 did not allow us to meet our goals. Instead, this run provided us with some interesting information that we would like to share with the community.
It appears that the Civic Type-R’s ECU is constantly in search of charge air, not actual boost. Though we did not change requested torque (which ultimately creates the boost curve) tables during the last 3 runs, Run 10 logged between 1-1.5 PSI less boost than run 9, with identical AIRC. After reviewing the last 3 logs, we noticed that AIRC remained identical with minor variances in actual boost. The Type-R’s ECU is smart enough to quickly compensate for variances in air temperature, densities, etc., which means that this setup will safely make consistent power regardless of weather, climate and elevation.
We are excited to see what this car can do at the drag strip, stay tuned for results!
