Just curious between what drove you to install the kit yourself than having a shop install it. Or vice versa.

Save Money, Learn more about your car, pride in saying you put it on yourself!! Just do it bro, you know you want to!


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current status - No 3rd Gear synchro


http://hometown.aol.com/ohshootuhh/
www.Fast420A.com

DIDDO!!! i loved installing it! i learned a lot, especially knowing you've done all the hard work on it. it's also cool telling people when they ask who've installed it for you and you say you did it. they give you more props and respect for the good work if it runs well. it's pretty straight forward to install but just be patient if you do decide to work on it and have little money on the side for little things you might need at an auto parts store like teflon tape and tools you don't have. and also if you were to install it and something goes wrong, you could always troubleshoot the problem yourself. that's what happened to me a couple a times. and lastly, if you do decide in having someone do the kit, make sure he has experience in doing this, machine shops that deal with porsches or turbos are the best places, not a mom and pop shop in the middle of the farm.

I should be finishing my install today when i get off work and its cool as hell to know that i didnt have to take it to a shop and waste money. A friend and I did all the work and there is definitely a lot to learn about the car. We have put in a lot of work b/c of minor setbacks but its worth it

*raises hand

wanted to learn more about how it worked incase something went wrong (uhh always does hehe). Good way to spend a weekend though IMO.

a weekend?? i wish mine took that amount of time...my friend and i have put in approx 25 or so hours. but we are doing it in the parking lot at my apt. wish we had a garage around here

My reason was that NO ONE works on my car 'cept me. I was the same way when I was racing bikes. If I'm driving around a modified vehicle, I want to know who tightened all the bolts so to speak. Even if someone helps me with something I'll follow them and make sure everything is how I want it.

i put mine in after work one day, 1 because i could'nt wait any longer, and 2 because i'm too cheap to pay a shop:-)

Same here. You get instructions with the kit. They are bad, but you have the resources of the board to help you. I can't remember anyone trying to install it and failing. It's cheaper now and cheaper later b/c you can diagnose and fix the problem if you know how it works.

matt

5 hours installing turbo with buddies= 25 bucks

Knowing that Dino is ready and waiting to answer any questions you have= priceless!

I would figure that taking your car to a shop to install a turbo kit would be pointless b/c there are so many of us out there that can help each other out. Hell I live in KANSAS! I think we're probably only missing an Alaskin rs-t/gs-t.

;-)

man, i'm 19, and with the help of this list, I went from "whats a turbo" to pulling the engine, tranny, installing differentials, turbo kits, NOS, whatever.... its easy as 1,2,3 with a good set of tools, plenty of time, another daily driver, and friends on this list like armond, dino, kyle, etc.... Working on your car yourself will let you know exactly whats going on, not to mention saving you a hell of a lot in labor, plus learning one engine throughly will give you a general understanding of how all engines function and are built.

I may have a good deal on a Star Stage II in the works. Of course i would love to do it myself, but i have so little experience in working under the hood. I just know id end up screwing something up then id be stuck with a car in my driveway. But i also dont like the idea of paying $500 plus for someone else to do it. Im not sure what im going to do yet.

hey brad...i thought you bought your car like that, from a buddy or something. maybe i'm just losing my mind. college wears on my brain :P anway though---turbo install, "I said the fly". twice actually. took it off and fiddled with it once cuz i was bored.

Working on your own car= the best feeling of pride and acomplishment. I agree, no one touches my car but me. Do the install, save money, and learn more about your car. Knowledge is PRICELESS :)

yeah i installed my own,,,still got a few bugs , but i get much respect. power to the DSMs!!!

Well thanks for the input guys. I have 'little' mechanical background, I mean I can change my own oil, AT tranny fluid, and plugs. I've also installed my own cat-back and intake. I'm really nervous of doing the install, of course Kyle (Fast420A) will be helping also. Also, I'm gonna need your guys help. I'm scared as shit of blowing something up. Grrrrrr....ok Kris....you can calm down now!!!!!! Thank God I have the HRC kit. I guess all I have to do is follow the manual step by step, do each step slowly, and say my 'Hail Mary'.

Yeah too cheap to pay a shop to do it. I NEVER let a shop work on my car if I can help it also, I don't trust em and I have pride that I can work on my own car and save myself tons of money in labor. I love working on the car also haha it always takes me hella long to get something done, I saw the sun set yesterday installing my EGT gauge and it still needs to be tapped.

Alright Kris, is that enough responses to convince you yet? ;-) We can do it bro, I'm ready when you are. Now it's just a matter of us having the same time off to put it on there!



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current status - No 3rd Gear synchro


http://hometown.aol.com/ohshootuhh/
www.Fast420A.com

well i chose to install it myself because i don't trust no shops around me, and i know if i do it myself it will be done right. and i learned alot of stuff about the car while doing this. the most important i think though is if something goes wrong you won't be left to the mercy of a shop, sinse you installed it you probably can find what is wrong and fix it yourself.
lates
james

Do it yourself!

I had mine installed because 1) It's my only car/low downtime, 2) Less chance of breaking parts, 3) No skill or tools, 4) Didn't know about 2GNT forums. This was a bad idea.

I've since taken everything back apart and reinstalled it at least once, and helped another guy install his kit. I'm also poorer, my car was gone for over a MONTH, and I've had to fix most of the stuff that was "installed". You can do it yourself with nothing more than hand tools, a drill, this board, a weekend, and beer.

Dan

i had a shop do mine b/c

1. i wanted their custom kit
2. it's all under warrantee (which i've already used)
3. they know what they're doing, all they do is turbos
4. 175whp165wtq @ 3psi
5. i got the design, install, service, and high quality parts for not much more than what i would have paid for ALL NEW parts from hrc (i know i have more of a star setup than anything, but i compair it to hrc b/c that's what i would have gotten if i hadn't gotten this)
6. did i mention it's custom?
7. i didn't want a used kit in order to save some $$, and like i said before, with buying all new parts, the dyno time, and EVERYTHING all at once, it was more cost effective to go this route.
8. this is my only car, it HAS to run, if i fucked it up, i'd be SOL.
9. i helped install a kit on my friends integra and we almost burned that turbo up in about 1 sec (oil return line feasco), BE CAREFUL if you do decide to do it yourself
10. i didn't want to spend that much money for something that would be 1/2 assed by me and some friends. it had to work, and for that much $$, i wanted the best i could get.
11. i helped install a star kit on john's car (yelloweclipse, he actually replied to this post too) and it wasn't that bad. i knew how to do it to my car too, before i got my kit, but since the shop was custom designing it anyways, they had to install it to see if it worked right etc etc, thus installation was included in the price and there wasn't anything i could do. but that said if you compair it to the hrc kit, it was only about 500$ more (w/ a bunch of extra's added onto the hrc stage2 kit...like fmic, dyno time, profecB, tt, guages, any extras like oil pan welding) which is pretty good for an install.

make any sence? now after all that rationalization, READ THIS:

if i had gotten a kit, star OR hrc, i would have installed it myself. it's not bad at all. you unbolt this and bolt that and wire there, etc...we did it on john's car w/o any instructions. trust me (famous last words) IT IS EASY TO INSTALL A TURBO KIT. the hardest part is getting the old stuff off b/c the bolts are more than likely rusted (or stripped) in place.

What a painful and lonesome two days it was as well. :-)

Because I trust no one, and I would probably have to fix all the mistakes I would pay someone to make anyway.

A.D.P.
"...If you do too much, people become dependant. If you do to little, people loose hope. If you do it right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all."
bring it on............

yeah haha I hear ya everyday I went to bed exhuasted and depressed cuz the car wasn't ready yet and I ran into problems.

Yeah putting the kit in your self is a good idea that way you know how to fix it. Kinda like why they make you build RC cars :)

Installing your own turbo will be an experience you'll never forget hehe. Take pictures while your transforming that beast cuz it'll never be the same again!

Just finished installing a HRC stage 2 in my car. Shouldn't be too difficult; before this, I've only gone as far as changing spark plugs and oil. :-)

Hey, I plan on getting a turbo this summer when I get the $$. The guy who has been doing some stuff on my car quoted me $1,000 to install it and a bottom end kit. I was like f**k no. I'm gonna do this myself with the help from you guys of course. I can't wait.:D

Did it myself w/ help from a friend. actually did it in the parking lot of my friends apartment one weekend. Everythign is really straight forward, honestly the directions where there for reference, think we looked at em twice. theres nothing to complicated about how a turbo system works.

OOH i did. with a liitle help from my Pops

I did.

Holy shit.....I didn't expect this much response. Anyway, I've decided to give it a try. Hell, the way I see it, if you can't install it then you have no business buying one. Fast420A (Kyle) will be with me for the install. Mucho thanks to him for offering to help. Now I just need to wait for my gauge pod, and figure out a schedule that'll work for me and him. Thank you guys for bringing me back from the 'darkside'. You'll be hearing a lot from us during the install. Wish us luck guys!!!!!! :7