10th & 11th Gen Civic 1.5T / 3rd Gen Acura Integra Drop-In Turbocharger Upgrade Development

A few months back we compared Honda's 10^th Gen and 11^th Gen Civic’s (which is also the same as the 2023+ Acura Integra) turbochargers, discussed turbocharger measurements/specifications and mentioned that we would be developing a 100% drop-in turbocharger upgrade for these platforms. Today we are here to showoff what our team has put together for thus far and what these communities can expect to see from PRL Motorsports.

Bigger is Better

• Well, sometimes... As a company built on grassroots racing history, we have always strived to push the limits and develop products that offer the highest potential while keeping as broad of a power curve possible. Typically “bigger” turbocharger wheels and housings translate to higher power potential. However, there are times that “bigger” is not always better depending on the application.

Turbocharger Spool

• It is important for manufacturers and customers to properly match turbocharger specifications around their desired power goals, driving style or application. Though larger turbine wheels, compressor wheels or housing sizes may result in increased power potential, it can also mean increased turbocharger lag/response. Properly spec’ing out a turbocharger can be a balancing act - trying to implement the best of all scenarios into one package. This is where compressor/turbine wheel aero design comes into play, such as blade count and profile. Modern technology and aero knowledge allow manufacturers the ability to manipulate or change potential airflow with various designs within a given footprint.

Spacing Constraints & Reliability

• One of the biggest hurdles manufacturers must overcome, especially with drop-in, factory-location turbochargers, is tight spacing constraints. We must keep in mind existing housing sizes, connections to surrounding components such as oil/coolant lines, downpipe, charge pipe, intake, inlet pipe, etc. There also becomes a point where fitting too large of components such as turbine or compressor wheels can lead to reliability issues if the CHRA’s bearing structure isn’t intended to support that large of a rotational mass or spin that fast, or if there isn’t enough material left in the housings, which can lead to cracking. We cover many of the leading causes of turbocharger failures, issues and preventative care in a previous blog article

Our development team has kept all of these factors in mind while designing our 1.5L turbocharger upgrades. We implemented a moderately sized, high-efficiency turbine wheel to properly complement Honda’s small displacement 1.5L Turbo engines for optimal spool, while also mating it to a high-efficiency compressor wheel that utilizes the latest in aero technology. The wastegate actuator diameter has been increased to alleviate back pressure and promote turbine exhaust flow. Reduced backpressure from the larger wastegate actuator hole and reduced shaft speed (in comparison to other options) from our selected compressor wheel, will help aid in turbocharger longevity. A journal bearing CHRA will be retained to keep the price point down for the 1.5L Honda market.

This turbocharger was designed with the goal of efficiently producing around 350 horsepower, hoping to touch around the 400 horsepower mark at max effort. We plan to begin testing these turbochargers within the upcoming weeks to see what they’re capable of.

2016-2021 10th Gen Civic Comparison:

2022+ 11th Gen Civic 1.5T & 2023+ 3rd Gen Integra Turbocharger Comparison:

Prototype Turbocharger Specs:

• Journal bearing CHRA
• High efficiency point-milled 9-blade billet 7075 aluminum 65 Trim compressor wheel (48mm inducer, 60mm exducer)
• High efficiency Inconel 713C 9-blade 84 Trim turbine wheel (47mm inducer, 42mm exducer)
• Larger wastegate actuator door