quick garrett turbo question... opinions (1 Viewer)

[joshoisasleep]

OK, the work is done. I took the truck for a test drive today with two of the guys from the shop. The boost gauge we were using was metric, so I can't really offer performance numbers. All I can say is that yes, it felt like I was at sea level again... although The boost at low revs was a little less impressive than I'd hoped.

To summarize...

In the "I'm stoked" category
1. The work all looks really well done
2. They replaced the entire air cleaner assembly
3. Now my hood shuts properly for some reason. I blame the air cleaner
4. Turbo works great, more power and no more black smoke
5. There's talk of the price going down. ($1,200 was the figure given as the "Maximum" we would pay... I made them put it in writing and thus expected to be paying exactly that)

In the "Get what you pay for" category
1. No pyro. I'm really unhappy about this after what people have been saying on here about needing a pyro. Unfortunately, there's no local supplier. Waiting for one to be shipped is not going to fly with the woman. I'm thinking of heading for the coast to find some sort of marine supply shop on advice from Tapage.
2. Old exhaust pipe is being used, complete with muffler. Do you guys think I should replace with a wider one? It would probably be cheap here, I know a good shop.
3. boost at low revs more than compensates for altitude... I feel like it could be better though

Pics of the finished install tomorrow... after we pay though.

Thoughts?

 

[Dougal]

OK, the work is done. I took the truck for a test drive today with two of the guys from the shop. The boost gauge we were using was metric, so I can't really offer performance numbers. All I can say is that yes, it felt like I was at sea level again... although The boost at low revs was a little less impressive than I'd hoped.

To summarize...

In the "I'm stoked" category
1. The work all looks really well done
2. They replaced the entire air cleaner assembly
3. Now my hood shuts properly for some reason. I blame the air cleaner
4. Turbo works great, more power and no more black smoke
5. There's talk of the price going down. ($1,200 was the figure given as the "Maximum" we would pay... I made them put it in writing and thus expected to be paying exactly that)

In the "Get what you pay for" category
1. No pyro. I'm really unhappy about this after what people have been saying on here about needing a pyro. Unfortunately, there's no local supplier. Waiting for one to be shipped is not going to fly with the woman. I'm thinking of heading for the coast to find some sort of marine supply shop on advice from Tapage.
2. Old exhaust pipe is being used, complete with muffler. Do you guys think I should replace with a wider one? It would probably be cheap here, I know a good shop.
3. boost at low revs more than compensates for altitude... I feel like it could be better though

Pics of the finished install tomorrow... after we pay though.

Thoughts?

Good to hear.

Converting from metric to imp for boost isn't hard. 100kPa = 15psi = 1 bar.
Fit a new exhaust when you get the chance and you'll reap the rewards. Fit a pyro when you get the chance and get it tuned to suit. Have they increased the fuelling at all with this install?
You weren't really expecting a new exhaust for that price were you?

 

[joshoisasleep]

No, I'm pretty sure they haven't touched the fueling. The engineer mentioned specifically when trying to console me about the pyrometer that it wouldn't be a big deal because we weren't changing the fueling.

And yeah by "in metric" I mean, I just kinda drove around and looked at it and didn't write anything down...

So all I need for the exhaust is a piece of pipe with no muffler and no other garbage? How wide should it be? 2.5"? 3"? Am I right in thinking it will affect performance and manifold temperature?

And yeah, secretly I was hoping for a custom exhaust and manifold... hey they didn't say they WEREN'T going to

 

[cruiser_guy]

If you're tight for cash just loose the muffler. If you decide to do the whole system make sure you go to a place that will actually use a proper pipe bender and not the "heat up the pipe with a torch and bend it like corrugations" method. It seems that here in Central America most muffler places do NOT bend the pipe properly. If you cannot find a good muffler shop DON'T change the piping. The corrugations will offset the size gains. I have 2 1/2" pipe on both the BJ60 and the 3B turbo powered FJ55. The FJ45LV will also get 2 1/2" pipe. None of them have mufflers and we have NEVER been asked about it either even at AirCare!

I STRONGLY recommend AGAINST any fuelling adjustments unless you have a pyrometer installed. Maybe someone can send you one where ever you'll be for a few weeks. I have not changed the fuelling on my BJ60 when I installed the turbo and I CAN get it too hot. The FJ55 supposedly has the factory adjustments on the fuel delivery and I can EASILY get it WAY too hot!

 

[joshoisasleep]

Thanks for the heads up on the piping. My shop has a pipe bender (the guys that built my rear bumper system), so I'll probably get them to do it tomorrow if it's around $50

 

[joshoisasleep]

I just hate to lose the exhaust... the piping and muffler are all in beautiful condition somehow!! Even brand new gasket. Anyone want? I think shipping might be a lot...

 

[Dougal]

I wouldn't worry about it.
Finish the trip and enjoy it. Worry about upgrades later.

The altitude compensation is the main benefit for this trip isn't it? In which case your exhaust isn't going to be flowing much more than a stock engine at sealevel anyway.

 

[joshoisasleep]

Yeah but wear and tear decrease (from high EGTs in the mountains) was also a main purpose. Doesn't having the thinner exhaust increase my EGT's? I just kinda figured if I can have my guys do it tomorrow and do a good job of it for $50 why not do it when it's cheap and before I drive another 20,000km's without it.
Although, that kind of thinking makes it very difficult not to do everything I could possibly imagine to my cruiser at the same time...

 

[Dougal]

Yeah but wear and tear decrease (from high EGTs in the mountains) was also a main purpose. Doesn't having the thinner exhaust increase my EGT's? I just kinda figured if I can have my guys do it tomorrow and do a good job of it for $50 why not do it when it's cheap and before I drive another 20,000km's without it.
Although, that kind of thinking makes it very difficult not to do everything I could possibly imagine to my cruiser at the same time...

I'm sure your girlfriend will put the necessary brakes on your spending soon enough.

You won't have EGT issues with a turbo fitted and no fuel increase. The EGT's will be a lot lower than stock.

 

[cruiser_guy]

I just hate to lose the exhaust... the piping and muffler are all in beautiful condition somehow!!

It sounds like you don't want to do it anyways so why bother? I had another BJ60 when I turbo'd my truck and the other truck got the old exhaust system. Loosing the muffler is probably the biggest gain anyways. If you tear out the exhaust later on a rock or something then you can upsize it.

 

[brownbear]

that set up looks fine to me. Stay with the stock exhaust if it's in good shape. Removing the muffler will help reduce the temp.

My truck has 2 inch off the turbo as it mated the flange and I had some serious bends to do prior to getting under the truck. But immediately below the engine I go to 2.5 inch.

LIke dougal says, fine tune it later. Enjoy the air it will breathe.

 

[Tapage]

You won't have EGT issues with a turbo fitted and no fuel increase. The EGT's will be a lot lower than stock.

That's only in the case that you haven't previous EGT issue .. with the " stock " settings ..

 

[joshoisasleep]

That's only in the case that you haven't previous EGT issue .. with the " stock " settings ..

Pretty sure my EGT's are fine at sea level. No black smoke down there pre-turbo.

Thanks again for all the advice guys, I'll take it and leave the exhaust alone for now (Anya thanks you for that!).

Took the truck away today, and for it's first real drive back into town. Just as everyone says... it's like night and day. It's so weird to be able to accelerate uphill in Quito (10,000 ft). It's also weird to see no black smoke behind me at all, ever. It's got a lot more "Oomph" even straight off the line in first, and throughout the power band... I almost rear ended so many people on the way home! Also, before we left one of the guys put on a power steering belt, which we've gone without for months... as a result it REALLY feels like a whole different truck... I can power up hills and steer with on hand, instead of chugging up while hauling on the steering wheel with both arms and staring intently in the mirrors for black smoke!

I think my earlier complaints about low end boost were unfounded. I'm pretty happy with the results. The only 'flat spot' is changing into third on a steep uphill (around 2000 rpm) it doesn't drag me up like just before the gear change... I feel like with the WG set around 7psi and no change to the fueling, that's just where this setup is at and that's fine.


Also, the bill came to about $1700. That's way over the girlfriend budget so I had to remind him of his $1200 quote. He was good about it though and honored it to the $... I said some stuff about sponsorship and promotion to make him feel better about the whole thing. I don't mind saying it because they did good work and I'm happy to promote/recommend them. After all that he even took us out to lunch!

 

[joshoisasleep]

First real experiences with turbo install

OK, drove all day today on highway and offroad, topped 13,000 feet again this time with turbo.

The good: cruised at 13,000 feet pulling uphill in fourth sustainded with ease.

The bad: At sustained high engine output coolant temp starts to heat up after a while. It's gradual enough that I didn't notice it in several hours of intense city and light highway testing. Little hoses on injector pump keep blasting off, making engine go into Ultra Mode for a few seconds before I can jump out to stick them back into place.


I think I'm going to do the exhaust after all... maybe that will keep temps from rising. Man it's amazing how much power the engine can have when you change the air/fuel mix. The first time one of those little hoses blew off I was cruising steadily uphill at a solid pace, more or less maxed out in 3rd... all of a sudden I was thrown back in my seat and it felt like I was being blasted uphill! And yes I know that's bad...

 

[wesintl]

I think I'm going to do the exhaust after all... maybe that will keep temps from rising. Man it's amazing how much power the engine can have when you change the air/fuel mix. The first time one of those little hoses blew off I was cruising steadily uphill at a solid pace, more or less maxed out in 3rd... all of a sudden I was thrown back in my seat and it felt like I was being blasted uphill! And yes I know that's bad...

I doubt that will cure the rising temps. It'll help the egt's but overall not the temp imho. I just got 2 1/2" exhaust with no muffler. It's a mandrel bend off the turbo the rest is just bent 2 1/2 but it's a pretty free flow I have. Egt's I haven't seen above 7k at all post turbo but uphill I can still get up to 220 temp wise. Intercooler is the next helper. You just have to drive accordingly.

 

[joshoisasleep]

Hmmm my stock exhaust is pretty bendy... it goes all over. I really need to get better gauges so I know whats going on under there! Whenever I stop and do a 'hand test' nothing ever seems too blazing hot... I just don't like seeing the coolant gauge threatening to go over the mid point. Still it IS a major improvement... I saw it go way higher than that pre turbo... :whoops:

 

[cruiser_guy]

Do you have a boost gauge? What does it show? You don't want to blow out your head gasket. Do not think that simply because your fuel has not been adjusted that you are not getting hot pulling hills. You need to do all you can to get a pyrometer ASAP. Search or e-mail some of the guage manufacturers and see who their distributors are where you are travelling.

Find an industrial hose supplier (mangueras industriales) and get some of the good hose clamps for your air hoses between the turbo and the intake as well as the small hoses between the injection pump and the intake. The cheesy OEM hose clamps and the gear drive hose clamps won't give you the clamp pressure you need with the turbo.

Take a look at post #12 in my thread https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj55-iron-...972-september-potm-cruiser-guy-guatemala.html for a picture of the clamps I mean. You cen see them on the blue hose coming off the turbo. I have since changed the rest of the hose clamps for the air hoses on the turbo to those type as well. I also have a much better hose from the air cleaner to the turbo now.

 

[Klaufi]

´Since this is a garrett thread i need to now asp whatto look for n a T25 to see if it's usful for me! I can get a T25 tonight, te guy wh has it doesn't know anythign about it, i can get it hella cheap, are tere any numbers or something so i can analyze different types and if it's god for my 3B?

 

[Tapage]

Based on my experience with NA turboed engines .. the turbo push your engine much more and sure you get much more power .. but at the same time much more heat that it's producto of the power ..

There is no way to know how much fuel you are injecting in your engine without a Pyro .. check the usuals, fan shroud, fan clutch and rad ..

 

[joshoisasleep]

OK I did the hose clamp thing yesterday and no more problems with the hoses blowing off. I am in a port city now so on Tapage's suggestion I will look for a marine supply store and see if I can find a pyro that way.

Mainly when the engine heats up going uphill I have just been turning off the air conditioning and that usually brings the needle back down... haven't seen it go above halfway on the white part. Will also look for a better coolant temp gauge.

Tapage what do you call a pyrometer in Spanish? I had it but I forgot...