Thread: Fitted a turbo

Originally Posted by ajge

Hi, No water feed - not needed. The crank breather is remounted just outside the photo. The manifold is custom built from scratch. I will attach some more photos on Friday. I'm away for work until then. I will ask about the 5/16 tube. regards Andrew

I should add that connecting the rocker cover breather before the turbo is normal. The oily that passes through the turbo burns up in the motor. It becomes a problem over time if that oil loaded air then passes through an intercooler. Fitting a Provent or periodically washing out an intercooler is a solution. I think it's better to retain the crank case breather. Although I don't think the turbo version has it fitted.

I'm planning to do the same to my perentie at some stage- what size exhaust system was fitted and where did it exit- some more pics would be great.

Hi
The exhaust is 2 1/2" it is installed in the same location as the original. More pics to follow
Regards
Andrew

Hi there, this is Brad from KLR Automotive. I do not want to violate any marketing/advertising restrictions, but I did want to clarify some of the questions being asked here.

1. We fabricate our own manifold to suit the Garret small-frame (aka T2) family
2. We retain the original crankcase breather system - it works so we don't change it.
3. The air filter indicator is retained.
4. We have not found intercooling to be necessary (read cost-effective) with this set up. With a bigger turbo/bigger boost an intercooler would give a bigger benefit (but with added cost/work to fit).
5. We can and do tune these on the road, but our preference and recommendation is to dyno tune - it is easier and more accurate for monitoring temps and boost pressure when you can graph them and review.
6. Prices do vary depending on exactly what the client wants, so we can only give a ballpark figure over the phone (variations like the type and size of the exhaust, dyno-tuning, existing accessories or mods all affect the total cost).

Some general points about turbocharging the 4BD1:

1. You can't hurt the 4BD1 by turbo-charging it (within reason)
2. Any turbo is better than no turbo.
3. The factory turbos (Garret and IHI) are generally a poor choice. If you get one for nothing then use it (see above) but if you need to buy one there are far better turbos out there.
4. Avoid "churbos". The money you save won't cover the cost of an engine rebuild should the worst occur. Let someone else be the guinea pig.
5. I think someone else has already said this, but I'll repeat it anyway. Most factory turbos are of the medium-frame (T3) family size. While they will work, the small-frame family gives a far better result for most drivers. Keep in mind the relatively narrow rev range of this engine.
6. There are guys out there running big turbos with massive boost pressures. We do not do this - essentially we can't warrant the installation. Most drivers are after a decent performance gain without sacrificing long term reliability.
7. If you decide to go the DIY route just be aware that bolting a manifold and turbo to the side of the head is the easiest part of the job. It is easy to get an install right, but it is also easy to get it disastrously wrong. Don't rely on the internet; talk to people who have done it and look at their installs.
8. Don't under-estimate the cost of the parts for fitting a turbo - our full kit has almost 100 individual parts.
9. If you do DIY then I still recommend dyno-tuning and fitting an EGT gauge. Everyone, us included, likes to see before and after dyno runs.
10. Please do not think this is the final word on turbo installations; turbos are a bit like tyres and shocks - everyone has a different opinion. I am just explaining what we know to work through experience.

Lastly, don't procrastinate about a turbo. It is the best money you will spend on your 4BD1.

If I have violated any restrictions here then I throw myself on the mercy of the court.

Cheers, Brad

Brad,
Firstly thanks for taking the time to come on the forum and to clear up a few things. I actually started the questioning and am still quite interested in the setup. Very well written, highly informative and without putting the sales hat on!

A couple of other things we would be interested in knowing:

- Do your standard installs require/use EGT/Boost Gauges or are these not required in your set up?

- What are your general expectations for KW/Torque increases after fitting the Turbo system?

Although these questions are specific to your setup, I think we also realise that your experience will help others who are going down the DIY track.

Thank again,
JRW

Another one:

What increase do you typically see if using a larger (3") exhaust?

Cheers!

Hi there,

Most of these questions are difficult to answer briefly, however to summarise:

1. We do not supply gauges as part of a standard install, but can do them on request (another price variation...). We tune using our own EGT and boost gauges temporarily fitted (for both dyno and road tuning).

2. We do recommend fitting with any turbo upgrade an EGT gauge and a capillary water temp gauge, but these are not strictly necessary. If you want to go down the road of a DIY big turbo with big boost then these gauges would become mandatory.

3. With the Perentie 4BD1 we expect to double the rear wheel HP output. Once we have dyno'd Andrew's I am sure he will be happy to post the results for his.

4. I do not want to ignite a debate over exhaust systems, but we have not found a 3" pipe to offer any real improvement over a 2 1/2" system that we use with our turbo set-up (and I stress our set-up; I can't comment on others), however it can't hurt if you really want to run a 3" system. It comes down to extra $$ and if space allows (clearance behind the LH front wheel is tight, particularly with larger tyres).

That said, a bigger turbo and bigger boost would benefit from a bigger exhaust (but also requires bigger $$).

If you would like to get more specific it might be better if you call me; I don't want this to become a sales pitch.

Regards, Brad

Thanks again Brad! Very informative information again regarding both your system and systems that others will be putting together.


JRW