Sloppyish Homemade Turbo Build
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Sloppyish Homemade Turbo Build
Decided I might as well make a build thread since it seems like everyone else is doing it. The car started out as a SBE ls2/eforce setup. I ended up cracking 3 piston’s ringlands and took it apart to have Thompson Motorsports build me a block. They rebuilt my block with a K1 crank, K1 Rods, and Diamond pistons. I went ahead and put this all back together along with WCCH heads and the eforce. I pretty well max’d it out on an LS2 with the 10% overdriven crank pulley and 2.75” blower pulley.
It was a decent amount of fun but I felt like I was at a point where I was making too much low end torque to run 26s on the street but hardly enough power to utilize the 28s up top. That and constantly fighting 185+ degree IATs on 50 degree nights got annoying. The car was on E85, Methanol, had a 7gal ice tank in the back, bigger HX, and was still running into issues when I’d make a second pull. Went ahead and sold all of this to switch to a single turbo. Everything I have built in the past has been turbocharged so it’s nothing unfamiliar I was just burnt out on the blower.
I am piecing together most of the kit myself, building the manifold/intercooler pipe etc. I went ahead and switched to a CX Racing Radiator/Intercooler setup so that I could mount the turbo in front of the engine.
The kit will consist of:
Already on the car is:
Fuel:
Drivetrain:
Obviously there is a lot I left off on the car but it gives a generic rundown of what I already have. Hoping to get the manifold welded up this weekend and get the turbo hung from it. I have spent a ton of time working on other people’s cars lately so I have not had time to mess with mine except for once a week or so it seems like. Going to be having all of the hot parts coated especially since the driver side manifold looks like trash.
It was a decent amount of fun but I felt like I was at a point where I was making too much low end torque to run 26s on the street but hardly enough power to utilize the 28s up top. That and constantly fighting 185+ degree IATs on 50 degree nights got annoying. The car was on E85, Methanol, had a 7gal ice tank in the back, bigger HX, and was still running into issues when I’d make a second pull. Went ahead and sold all of this to switch to a single turbo. Everything I have built in the past has been turbocharged so it’s nothing unfamiliar I was just burnt out on the blower.
I am piecing together most of the kit myself, building the manifold/intercooler pipe etc. I went ahead and switched to a CX Racing Radiator/Intercooler setup so that I could mount the turbo in front of the engine.
The kit will consist of:
- CX Racing Intercooler/Radiator Kit
- OEM Driver side exhaust manifold w/ crossover behind block/bellhousing
- Log style passenger manifold
- VS Racing Billet Wheel s480 clone w/ 4” bumper exit “exhaust”
- VS Racing 60mm Wastegate and 50mm BOV
Already on the car is:
Fuel:
- 450 Intank pump w/ LPE blockoffs
- Twin 044 Externally mounted pumps
- Magnafuel regulator
- 10an feed splitting to 8an behind the rails
- Stock feed as return
- FIC 127# Injectors (These will be upgraded)
- LS2 Block (K1 Crank, K1 Rods, Diamond Pistons)
- WCCH 243 Heads
- GPTuning Camshaft
Drivetrain:
- ·TDP Built T56
- ·TDP Built 07+ Rear End
- ·Centerforce DYAD twin disk (this will die)
Obviously there is a lot I left off on the car but it gives a generic rundown of what I already have. Hoping to get the manifold welded up this weekend and get the turbo hung from it. I have spent a ton of time working on other people’s cars lately so I have not had time to mess with mine except for once a week or so it seems like. Going to be having all of the hot parts coated especially since the driver side manifold looks like trash.
#6
Instructor
Thread Starter
Ended up rebuilding the turbo manifold and putting the log portion below the runners instead of above. I didn’t want a short runner up front and that’s about my only choice while maintaining AC but my buddy told me it shouldn’t be an issue so I guess I’ll just run with it.
#8
Instructor
Thread Starter
#9
Melting Slicks
badass man. Loving all these single turbo builds, hoping to start mine in the coming weeks, and hoping to build an almost identical hotside (stock drivers manifold, log passenger, fender exit exhaust).
Details on the log manifold? Size of piping and primaries? Dont skimp on the pics! lol. Also where did you order the piping from?
Details on the log manifold? Size of piping and primaries? Dont skimp on the pics! lol. Also where did you order the piping from?
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jayyyw (04-16-2019)
#10
Instructor
Thread Starter
badass man. Loving all these single turbo builds, hoping to start mine in the coming weeks, and hoping to build an almost identical hotside (stock drivers manifold, log passenger, fender exit exhaust).
Details on the log manifold? Size of piping and primaries? Dont skimp on the pics! lol. Also where did you order the piping from?
Details on the log manifold? Size of piping and primaries? Dont skimp on the pics! lol. Also where did you order the piping from?
I bought all tubing and piping from Ace Race Parts, the vbands are from Monkey Fab Garage, and the flanges for the passenger side log are from PRL Motorsports. The flanges are only 80 bucks for 2 of them in 1/2" which was one of the best deals I could find, plus they are a perfect fit for the 1.5" pipe fittings.
I will try to get more pictures up after work today.
#11
Melting Slicks
The log is basically 1 2.5" sch 10 short radius 90 towards the back that will connect to the crossover via vband. The log is 2.5" sch 10, and the front is 2x 2.5" sch 10 log radius 90s. All runners are 1.5" sch 10.
I bought all tubing and piping from Ace Race Parts, the vbands are from Monkey Fab Garage, and the flanges for the passenger side log are from PRL Motorsports. The flanges are only 80 bucks for 2 of them in 1/2" which was one of the best deals I could find, plus they are a perfect fit for the 1.5" pipe fittings.
I will try to get more pictures up after work today.
I bought all tubing and piping from Ace Race Parts, the vbands are from Monkey Fab Garage, and the flanges for the passenger side log are from PRL Motorsports. The flanges are only 80 bucks for 2 of them in 1/2" which was one of the best deals I could find, plus they are a perfect fit for the 1.5" pipe fittings.
I will try to get more pictures up after work today.
Last edited by MTBSully; 04-16-2019 at 11:35 AM.
#12
Instructor
Thread Starter
Same lol, bought a tig and kind of been playing with it a little but before a few months ago I have never really built too much. I'm sure it'll crack eventually but that's alright lol. I went with a T6 flange though.
#13
Sub'd.
#14
Hi can I ask why you went with the log low instead of high?
are you going to run a fender exhaust?
i have a very similar setup with a 2.5” downpipe and rear exit exhaust. It’s soon going back in so they can extend the log so it’s higher up and hopefully allow the space for the downpipe to be increased to 3.5-4”.
are you going to run a fender exhaust?
i have a very similar setup with a 2.5” downpipe and rear exit exhaust. It’s soon going back in so they can extend the log so it’s higher up and hopefully allow the space for the downpipe to be increased to 3.5-4”.
Last edited by SteveSierra; 04-16-2019 at 02:03 PM.
#15
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Thread Starter
I was going to do it high but it made the plugs way harder to change. Where it's at now I can get to all of them just as easily as I could with regular headers. It also set the crossover down lower so I didn't have to move any wiring that goes across the firewall. I am doing a 4" bumper or hood exit exhaust though. I haven't decided which at this point.
#16
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St. Jude Donor '15
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#17
Instructor
Thread Starter
Well so far the manifold isn’t turning out too bad, but it’s not too good either 😂 it’s going to crack for sure but that’s alright, it’s a learning process. First thing I’ve ever really built so I’ll be interested to see how long it lasts. I’ll finish it up tomorrow, ran out of argon today.
Last edited by CHR89; 04-17-2019 at 09:36 PM.
#19
Instructor
Thread Starter
#20
Melting Slicks
Looks good to me but what do I know. What tig do you have? The new vulcan pro tig from harbor freight has been getting really good reviews I was thinking of picking that up as my first rig.