Long time lurker but first time poster here. I am in the process of turbocharging my 5L-E and am in need of some help. I know this might not be a very popular mod people are doing anymore, and resources on the subject are few and far between. I know the simplest and most cost-effective way of doing it would be to use a CT20A turbo, manifold and bits from a late 2LT-E or 2LT-II engine which would bolt right on. However, I would like to do this project once and do it right. I know the CT20A turbo is an old design and not particularly suited to the 3.0 liter displacement of the 5L-E engine, so I was looking at other options. The TD04L-13T from a Subaru WRX has been highly recommended on this forum as a suitable and efficient turbo which is exactly what I'm looking for - my goal is to run around 12 psi with an intercooler, 2'5" exhaust and a chip which I've managed to get my hands on. It's mainly hilly roads around here, so a fast spooling turbo with good mid-range would be ideal.
The issue is I cannot for the life of me find a genuine TD04L that's in good condition and which wouldn't require me to sell a kidney to pay for it, either used or new. The only ones I can find for a decent price are Chinese knock-offs, mainly from this brand called MaxSpeedingRods. I'm not particuliarly familiar with them, but would rather go for a genuine item. The one thing I particulary like about the TD04L is that there's plenty of documentation available, and I know it's been done before.
The other turbos I am considering are:
- Mitsubishi TF035HL-14GK2-6: This would be off of a mid-2000s Pajero running the 3.2 liter DiD engine (4M41). There's not a lot of information on this specific turbo, and I am unsure how it compares to the trusted TD04L. The main upside of using this turbo is that I can find a genuine item in condition for a good price. It seems to be a low-mount turbo on the 4M41, which would need to be converted to a high-mount on the 5L-E. I would need to fab an adapter plate for the manifold and figure out the dump pipe. My hesitation comes from the fact that I haven't seem these being used on a Toyota L series (or B series) before and am unsure how it'll perform. The Mitsubishi 4M41 engine is a bit bigger than the 5L-E (3.2 ltr vs 3.0 ltr), but I know Mitsubishi used another variant of that turbo with a 5 cm housing on the 4M42 (3.0 ltr displacement). The WRX's TD04L-13T-6 also come with a 6 cm housing.
- Holset HE211 / HE221: There's been some discussion about these turbos in the past. I know the HE211 wheel is a similar size to the TD04L and it's got the reputation of being an efficient turbo. However, these Holset turbos seem to be mostly efficient at high boost, so I am not sure how they would perform in a low boost application (12 psi) I am planning to run. I'm not even sure they can be adjusted without to much trouble to max out at 12 psi. Would anyone know?
- TF035 from a Mitsubishi 4M40T (2.8 ltr): I believe this would be the TF035-12T, which replaced the TD04-12T on earlier 4M40s. Some of the Australian turbo kits use the TD04-12T, so this makes me think that it would work. However, like the TD04L-13T, finding a genuine one that won't break the bank seems impossible. My mechanic says he can get his hands on a copy from a supplier he trusts and it's not too expensive, but then again I'd rather go genuine if possible. I am also unsure how good this turbo would go on a 5L-E, as I've read some people say it's already pretty stuffed up on the 2.8 ltr 4M40 engine.
I would appreciate any thoughts and insights. Perhaps @Dougal or @gerg could chime in if possible, I know they've been in a lot of the past discussions on the topic and are experts on the subject.
The issue is I cannot for the life of me find a genuine TD04L that's in good condition and which wouldn't require me to sell a kidney to pay for it, either used or new. The only ones I can find for a decent price are Chinese knock-offs, mainly from this brand called MaxSpeedingRods. I'm not particuliarly familiar with them, but would rather go for a genuine item. The one thing I particulary like about the TD04L is that there's plenty of documentation available, and I know it's been done before.
The other turbos I am considering are:
- Mitsubishi TF035HL-14GK2-6: This would be off of a mid-2000s Pajero running the 3.2 liter DiD engine (4M41). There's not a lot of information on this specific turbo, and I am unsure how it compares to the trusted TD04L. The main upside of using this turbo is that I can find a genuine item in condition for a good price. It seems to be a low-mount turbo on the 4M41, which would need to be converted to a high-mount on the 5L-E. I would need to fab an adapter plate for the manifold and figure out the dump pipe. My hesitation comes from the fact that I haven't seem these being used on a Toyota L series (or B series) before and am unsure how it'll perform. The Mitsubishi 4M41 engine is a bit bigger than the 5L-E (3.2 ltr vs 3.0 ltr), but I know Mitsubishi used another variant of that turbo with a 5 cm housing on the 4M42 (3.0 ltr displacement). The WRX's TD04L-13T-6 also come with a 6 cm housing.
- Holset HE211 / HE221: There's been some discussion about these turbos in the past. I know the HE211 wheel is a similar size to the TD04L and it's got the reputation of being an efficient turbo. However, these Holset turbos seem to be mostly efficient at high boost, so I am not sure how they would perform in a low boost application (12 psi) I am planning to run. I'm not even sure they can be adjusted without to much trouble to max out at 12 psi. Would anyone know?
- TF035 from a Mitsubishi 4M40T (2.8 ltr): I believe this would be the TF035-12T, which replaced the TD04-12T on earlier 4M40s. Some of the Australian turbo kits use the TD04-12T, so this makes me think that it would work. However, like the TD04L-13T, finding a genuine one that won't break the bank seems impossible. My mechanic says he can get his hands on a copy from a supplier he trusts and it's not too expensive, but then again I'd rather go genuine if possible. I am also unsure how good this turbo would go on a 5L-E, as I've read some people say it's already pretty stuffed up on the 2.8 ltr 4M40 engine.
I would appreciate any thoughts and insights. Perhaps @Dougal or @gerg could chime in if possible, I know they've been in a lot of the past discussions on the topic and are experts on the subject.
