TurboClunker (a.k.a. cheap-ass slaps a turbo on his LX)

[KWalkerM]

I would say you don't need much downtime if you are really organized. It could be done in a weekend with careful planning.

However, I am not organized nor am I a good planner, so if I ever decide to revamp this project or even have to do a HG, I think I've decided to buy a cheap 4runner or the like as a 4x4 beater while the 80 gets work done, then sell it when the 80 is back up and running.

I am also not a planner or organized haha I have so many bolts in a 5 gallon bucket from all my mechanical work that should have gone back into my 60 when I worked on it. Ironically enough I say that while sitting in a Toyota dealership getting my oil change done 300 miles ahead of schedule and not 6 months and 6k miles over due.

A lot of it is funding and I would need to buy new tools in addition to replacing what I am missing. I doubt its in the cards for me unless I get a second rig again.

 

[scottryana]

Minor update:

Drove through the carwash yesterday without ripping off the hood scoop, so I'll call that a win Carwash attendant was a little skeptical.

I've put together a list of parts to rebuild the downpipe. I've got plenty of scrap from the first attempt, and I'm thinking the second attempt will be all stainless and 3" the whole way rather than 3.5>3>2.5 (found a vband flange for the Borg warner that tapers straight to 3"). I'm also thinking I'll just tack the thing together and then take it to an exhaust shop for finish welding. I don't want to screw this up again.

Two downpipe questions for anyone who knows anything about this stuff:

1) I put a section of flex pipe on the wastegate dump tube the first time around because my buddy told me to. I think it did make it easier to bolt up the downpipe, but I think it also made the whole thing more leaky since the flex pipe is super thin and hard to weld on. Should I make the wastegate exhaust a solid piece connecting to the main DP this time? Or is a flex tube really a better idea?

2) I've thought about using a v-band or other type of exhaust clamp to connect the upper section to the lower section. Does anybody have experience with exhaust clamps or even v-bands (other than the one coming off the turbo)? Do you think this would be more or less leaky that a 2-bolt or 3-bolt flange?

If at all possible go 3" all the way, just be careful though as going to a free'er flowing exhaust you are going to be boosting more easily...

As for the solid wastegate mount, the WG is solid mounted to the manifold so the two should move together. Shouldn't be a huge issue.

I have used v-bands in the rest of the exhaust before, you just need to make sure the rest of the exhaust downstream is able to flex and move when the truck is articulating.

 

[Heckraiser]

I have 3.5" exiting the turbo now, so 3" will actually be more restrictive than my current downpipe, but less welding

Thanks for the input on the wg. That was my thought initially as well, but my buddy fed me some story about the main pipe and the wg pipe heating/cooling at different rates since they're taking different amounts of hot firey exhaust. I tried to research online, but there really isn't a lot out there. A few DSM guys say get the flex pipe for the above-mentioned reason, some say get it for ease of installation. But whenever you research this topic you have to wade through piles and piles of "just dump it under the car and be a man/don't get pulled over"

 

[scottryana]

Your current dump is 3.5 but the rest of your exhaust is 2.5" including cats and mufflers, but you are going to do everything 3"? If so I think you will see a nice decrease in back pressure.

I have 3.5" exiting the turbo now, so 3" will actually be more restrictive than my current downpipe, but less welding

Thanks for the input on the wg. That was my thought initially as well, but my buddy fed me some story about the main pipe and the wg pipe heating/cooling at different rates since they're taking different amounts of hot firey exhaust. I tried to research online, but there really isn't a lot out there. A few DSM guys say get the flex pipe for the above-mentioned reason, some say get it for ease of installation. But whenever you research this topic you have to wade through piles and piles of "just dump it under the car and be a man/don't get pulled over"

 

[Heckraiser]

No, I'm just going to do 3" straight outta the turbo and then taper to 2.5" prior to the first cat. The rest of the exhaust will still be stock.

Currently it goes 3.5" out of the turbo for about a foot, then tapers to 3" for about a foot then tapers to 2.5". I'm happy with my downpipe, I just need to re-do it due to exhaust leaks... so this is not a performance upgrade, more of a "appease the wife" upgrade.

Eventually, I'd love to do a full 3" exhaust, but the truck has lots of other issues to address first.

 

[scottryana]

Oh gotcha! And yeah the passenger is usually the ones choking on exhaust fumes haha. Better make the wife happy!

No, I'm just going to do 3" straight outta the turbo and then taper to 2.5" prior to the first cat. The rest of the exhaust will still be stock.

Currently it goes 3.5" out of the turbo for about a foot, then tapers to 3" for about a foot then tapers to 2.5". I'm happy with my downpipe, I just need to re-do it due to exhaust leaks... so this is not a performance upgrade, more of a "appease the wife" upgrade.

Eventually, I'd love to do a full 3" exhaust, but the truck has lots of other issues to address first.

 

[Enders]

Awesome thread! With 20/20 hindsight, is there anything you would change now? I'm going to take a personal loan out and go through my 93 and was thinking this would be a fantastic addition.

 

[mechanist]

...would be a fantastic addiction.

Fixed it for you.

 

[Heckraiser]

I just wanted to do a quick update to document an issue I had about a month ago.

We had a couple days of single-digit highs back in early January. On day 1, I made a few short trips (just a mile or two) and didn't let the truck fully warm up. On day 2, I hopped in and started driving up i70 to go snowboarding. It was probably around 0* outside. Anyhoo, the truck threw up a smoke screen that would put James Bond to shame. I pulled over, some frothy crap under oil cap, low on oil. Limped home.

My first thought was "well s***, there goes the headgasket." I called up Beno to start pricing out a tear-down. He laughed at my story, then talked me down off the ledge. Compression numbers turned out to be great (150-160 across the board!), leakdown was fine too. Also passed the napa "block tester." However, when I emptied my catch can, it had about a 50/50 mixture of oil and water (clear, not coolant).

So I'm pretty sure what happened is that my short trips in frigid temperatures on day 1 caused condensation to build up in the crank case, catch can and breather hoses. That condensation then froze up and plugged my CCV/PCV/catch can apparatus. Crank case pressure built up on day 2 and forced oil out both sides of the turbo (exhaust side, causing smoke screen, intake side, filling my intake pipes and intercooler with oil). I literally poured about a cup of oil out of my intercooler.

Cleaned everything up and put it back together, all is running fine now. No smoke, no oil accumulating anywhere. However we haven't had a seriously cold snap to reproduce the issue. My catch can is located behind the passenger side headlight and I don't think it ever got warm enough to melt the ice inside, since that location gets plenty of fresh air through the grille area.

So here are the 2 solutions I can think of: 1) relocate catch can to a warmer location in the engine bay (not really sure where) 2) unhook one of the PCV hoses from the catch can (probably #2, the bigger one) and place one of those little air filters on the valve cover. This would be the easier solution and would definitely help the most in terms of relieving crank case pressure, but not exactly emissions compliant. It would be easy enough to switch back for emissions test though.

Anyhoo, that's the news. I've had a come-to-jesus talk with the wife and I may be bringing the rig back to stock in the near future. She thinks I've taken a perfectly reliable truck and made it unreliable (I've had to garage it and tear it down two or three times now). I feel like with this last episode, all the bugs are pretty much worked out. But I can see her point, and happy ... etc.

We shall see.

 

[4rings5cyls]

If you do decided to go back to stock, I'd be inclined to take the turbo parts off of your hands and we can work out any stock parts you may need.

Thanks for the follow up though, I was wondering how this set up fared when the temps dropped down low.

 

[Heckraiser]

It's a trade off. 20* outside, and it feels extra peppy! 0* outside and the turbo pukes oil

If I do go back to stock, I'll PM you. I'm in Westminster too.

 

[DHwreckage]

thats a bummer about going back to stock, just have to burn all the water off when its extra cold here!

 

[4rings5cyls]

Sounds good. I thought I had a sweet swap lined up with a turbo truck, but the owner has gone radio silent...this would keep me from selling the 80 and buying a turbo diesel 70-something. At least for awhile.

 

[FastCarGuy]

Sorry to hear this. Couldn't you just put some sort of wrap around the catch can and the hoses, or move it nearer the exhaust to keep it warm? I'm assuming it's freezing up mostly from freezing air passing through the radiator at speed? How about a winter front over the grille?

 

[Heckraiser]

Yes, I believe it would be easily remedied by moving catch can to a warmer location, adding an air filter to the PCV #2 hole or probably a number of other methods. This is more of a "happy wife, happy life" issue than a mechanical one. She's fed up with me taking her garage spot and spending time out there cursing. I don't have a lot of free time, so if anything needs work, it's usually a couple weeks of downtime before it get's addressed. Like I said, I think I've pretty much worked through all the bugs, but the truck has also had a lot of downtime over the last year between the build and subsequent "improvements." Basically, any time another one of these little issues crops up, she thinks I'm dumber and dumber for not leaving well enough alone.

 

[FastCarGuy]

I would surely spend as much on xanex if I had to go back to stock as I did on the whole turbo.

 

[TUNEUP]

Planning on replicating this setup with a front mounted intercooler and an ebay gt35 turbo. Thank you for making this journey. You have helped a ton. Be prepaired to see a very cheap turbo build soon.

 

[Heckraiser]

Cool, glad it helped. I wish I had gone FMIC in the first place instead of cutting up my hood. Nice thing about an ebay GT35 is that you can use it for a year or two (hope it lasts that long) while you save up for a real garrett. The real garrett should then pretty much just bolt up. I'd go internal wastegate to simplify the plumbing if I were to do it again.

 

[TUNEUP]

How long was your oil feed line from the turbo to block? I looked but didnt see anything.

 

[TUNEUP]

I figure for the 4 or 5k miles i drive this thing a year the ebay turbo should satisfy for a while.