After some initial teething issues with a faulty pump and difficulty bleeding the system I've had the WTA setup running for a month or so and the results are much as expected. EGTs are reduced, the truck makes better top end power and is able to hold that power under high boost far more consistently. The next mod will be the installation of a high-flow version of the CT20 turbo with a billet wheel compressor but I'll write up about that in more detail when the install happens in a couple of weeks time. In the meantime, below are some photos of the intercooler install and the finished product.
The project was far more time consuming than I anticipated as there were numerous complications involved ie. having to mount the radiator on a tricky angle in order to get it to fit inside the factory bumper, having to move the power steering reservoir, map sensor + filter and glow plug relays to fit the intercooler in the engine bay. Additionally the intake pipe between the turbo and cooler had to be made with a series of particular curves to fit in what is a very tight space and also required a small kink in order to clear the valve cover. The design was based on what a number of other forum members have done in their 2LTE LJ78s and a lot of the difficulty in the project was due to there apparently being less space in the Surf engine bay. In truth space was so tight, it was only just possible. Below is proof it can be done in a Surf without losing a battery
The water pump is the regular Bosch type which I mounted between the passenger side battery and wall of the engine bay and it runs from a relay which is switched from an 'ON' wire I tapped into the ignition loom. I painted everything on the front of the truck black to keep things discreet. The brackets for the radiator, pump and other components I made from aluminium, bending when necessary with a small MAPP gas torch. The intake pipes and custom intake manifold are all made from two inch mild steel cut with an angle grinder + cutting disc and then welded with a small MIG. Coolant lines are 19mm. Total coolant capacity is only about 2 litres but the radiator gets plenty of air flow through the bumper and is presumably aided by the viscous fan and as yet the lack of volume hasn't been as issue. I have no coolant temp sensor in the system so am unsure of how much heating is happening so time will tell as to whether this is an issue or not.
There is a long gradual hill climb near where I live which is useful for testing the effect of various mods on EGTs. Pre-intercooler max temps were 1000F (post turbo) holding at 100kmph in 5th gear. Post intercooler running stock boost of 10PSI max dropped to 840F and with boost notched up to 12PSI I saw a further drop down to 780F. I suspect when if and when I increase boost further with the new turbo I will see a further drop and possibly the more efficient turbo itself will also contribute. It's too early to comment of any improvements in fuel economy. Around town the difference seems minimal however I suspect on the open road under sustained boost the results will be more positive.
The general performance of the truck is still somewhat unsatisfactory (fellow 2LTE owners will understand), but it's not far off acceptable under boost now. The main remaining issue is with the abysmal spool of the stock turbo but I'm hopeful the high-flow will help some. I have played a bit with adjusting the fuel screw which definitely increases power but also increases smoke so for now it is turned back to stock fueling and any tuning will be revisited post turbo install. The truck already has a 2.5 inch exhaust + dump pipe and cooling system is top notch. I only see 5oC or so of temp increase above the thermostat opening now whereas I'd see +30oC before I started making improvements. It's no wonder these engines have a bad rep consider how woefully inadequate the factory cooling system is
Time will tell as to whether all the expense and effort is worth it but the new turbo is not far away so hopefully onwards an upwards!
Before:
The project was far more time consuming than I anticipated as there were numerous complications involved ie. having to mount the radiator on a tricky angle in order to get it to fit inside the factory bumper, having to move the power steering reservoir, map sensor + filter and glow plug relays to fit the intercooler in the engine bay. Additionally the intake pipe between the turbo and cooler had to be made with a series of particular curves to fit in what is a very tight space and also required a small kink in order to clear the valve cover. The design was based on what a number of other forum members have done in their 2LTE LJ78s and a lot of the difficulty in the project was due to there apparently being less space in the Surf engine bay. In truth space was so tight, it was only just possible. Below is proof it can be done in a Surf without losing a battery
The water pump is the regular Bosch type which I mounted between the passenger side battery and wall of the engine bay and it runs from a relay which is switched from an 'ON' wire I tapped into the ignition loom. I painted everything on the front of the truck black to keep things discreet. The brackets for the radiator, pump and other components I made from aluminium, bending when necessary with a small MAPP gas torch. The intake pipes and custom intake manifold are all made from two inch mild steel cut with an angle grinder + cutting disc and then welded with a small MIG. Coolant lines are 19mm. Total coolant capacity is only about 2 litres but the radiator gets plenty of air flow through the bumper and is presumably aided by the viscous fan and as yet the lack of volume hasn't been as issue. I have no coolant temp sensor in the system so am unsure of how much heating is happening so time will tell as to whether this is an issue or not.
There is a long gradual hill climb near where I live which is useful for testing the effect of various mods on EGTs. Pre-intercooler max temps were 1000F (post turbo) holding at 100kmph in 5th gear. Post intercooler running stock boost of 10PSI max dropped to 840F and with boost notched up to 12PSI I saw a further drop down to 780F. I suspect when if and when I increase boost further with the new turbo I will see a further drop and possibly the more efficient turbo itself will also contribute. It's too early to comment of any improvements in fuel economy. Around town the difference seems minimal however I suspect on the open road under sustained boost the results will be more positive.
The general performance of the truck is still somewhat unsatisfactory (fellow 2LTE owners will understand), but it's not far off acceptable under boost now. The main remaining issue is with the abysmal spool of the stock turbo but I'm hopeful the high-flow will help some. I have played a bit with adjusting the fuel screw which definitely increases power but also increases smoke so for now it is turned back to stock fueling and any tuning will be revisited post turbo install. The truck already has a 2.5 inch exhaust + dump pipe and cooling system is top notch. I only see 5oC or so of temp increase above the thermostat opening now whereas I'd see +30oC before I started making improvements. It's no wonder these engines have a bad rep consider how woefully inadequate the factory cooling system is
Time will tell as to whether all the expense and effort is worth it but the new turbo is not far away so hopefully onwards an upwards!
Before:
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Inspired by your thread from many years ago. I appreciate the info on tuning too. I was hoping you'd chime in actually as I wanted to ask if you know anywhere I can buy one of the bleed valves? I'm keen to give a basic home tune a go.
I'm not sure I'd say it spools hugely faster than the OEM CT20 but it definitely does give a bit more pick up in the low RPMs. Getting into third gear when driving up steep hills from a stop is a bit more forgiving which I'm very pleased about. I can let the revs drop to 1750rpms in third and it will still pick up from there. Previously, anything below 2000ish was a dead zone. The best thing is it seems to be a LOT more consistent in the way it builds boost which really aids the driveability of the vehicle. The old turbo did sweet f#@k all until 2200 rpm and then would pick up with a big 'woosh'. The new turbo just smoothly goes about it's business right from the moment it starts spinning. I'm starting to feel like the overall results will be very positive when I've done some basic tuning. Additionally, thus far there don't seem to be any unforeseen downsides (touch wood) as has often been the case with other non OEM parts I have fitted.
