Turbocharger?

[USMC302]

I spoke with the turbo folks that sponser Mike Murrilo in NMRA and FFW and so on, so I obviously heard all the advantages and good things about having a turbo. I know the disadvantages and advatantages of a supercharger but what are some disadvantages to going with a turbo.
Anyone have bad experiences or specifics to look out for when turbocharging? Thanks

[Torinalth]

the main things are you wil never pass emissions tests if you get a turbo... beyond that its pretty solid... the only thing you gotta worry about is having the boost controller go out... if you can get passed the initial setup with no problems then that is the main that that can kill you... boost controller goes out and you either get almost no boost, or you spike from like the usual 8 psi to some odd 15 or so then your engine grenades...

turbos are great, and i love em... but they cost a lot and betwen emisions and having that light worry that "if my boost controller goes out then i could be screwed" i chose not to go turbo...

Torinalth

[91GTturbo]

No regrets here, other than my other hobbies have kept me from spending the kinda money I had intented on spending on the mustang this year.

Heat can be an issue. Don't cut cornors on the cooling system and invest in a cowl hood to pull some of the extra heat from the engine compartment.

The engine compartment can become cramped, especially with twins, a single is not as bad.

As far as the boost controller going out, never seen that happen to anyone so I can't make much of a comment on that. Emissions, never had a problem, I'll have to check with some of my fellow turbo/stang enthusiasts about that one.

[Jaegermeister2k]

When i owned a 240sx i did alot of research on turbos,and the boost controller going off NEVER came up.BTW you don't actually need a boost controller.If the turbo has an external wastegate you should be able to raise the boost by turning a nut on the wastegate.I myself would go with turbo over supercharger any time,but they're just way too expensive.

[USMC302]

I plan on pushing somewhere in the payground of 15psi right of the bat, they say I will have full boost at 3kRPM and right around 600hp, problem is, my tranny is only recommended for 500hp, so bolting on slicks will not be the first thing i go out and do. I know my axles will most likely go too, but once it breaks, upgrade! After talking with the turbo guys, it just seems too risky to push 15 psi from the blower with all the stress on the crank and all. The guys said I could get the turbo kit for $2999 plus another $1k for the 67mm turbo, so $4K is what I was looking to spend on the blower setup with an intercooler anyway. I remember him mentioning something about the boost controller but not much, I will take caution on that though once I order it. I plan on installing myself since I have the garage and tools and work on them for a hobby, hell, I think I work more on the cars than I do here at work! ANyway, thanks for the input

[VeNuM]

That price seems a little on the cheaper side. Does it include coatings? Jet-Hot makes a great coating for all the piping and such. Turbo's produce massive ammounts of heat too. I always know plenty of people pushing over 15 psi on street/strip supercharged Mustang's with no problems, you just need the proper bracketry. ~Brian

[USMC302]

Coatings, now that is something we didn't get into detail on but I will keep it in mind, if all else fails, should some exhaust wrap work?
Of those you know running 15psi and such.....are they running pump gas? Just the premium or do they have to use a little extra in the mix? Thanks, and look at you, 408w?! D*mn, good luck

[91GTturbo]

I have a wrap on my downpipe and a heat shield over the turbo and it works pretty well for me. The ceramic coating does look nice and I know some guys that have parted with the extra money have said it was definately worth it, guess I'm just cheap.
And $4K should put you in a pretty good kit. Just out of curiosity, who's kits are you looking at?

[USMC302]

Pro Turbo Kits out of San Antonio, Tx, said they have sponsered Mike Murrilo before, they will take the time to talk to yuo about your setup and answer all questions you have.

[84_GT350]

You might also try Brad up at Total Performance. I talked top him a while back and that man knows his stuff. Then again they sell Cartech kits and there used to be a huge wait on those...not sure if that's improved in the past year or two. Wrapping your pipes can actually give you an extra few hp since it holds that heat in but it'll also cook your headers unless they're super strong. I'd go with a simple IC'ed single...maybe T64E or something like that depending on motor size. It'll also be important to get the right housing size worked out for a good A/R ratio. That'll mean the difference between good response or turbo lag. IMHO, you can't beat a turbo for power and response (when set up properly). Blowers are great but they're rpm dependent (centrifugals, anyway) and they put quite a bit of stress on the crank snout. Plus you've got bracket flex, belt slippage, etc. etc. Turbos just use something you'd waste otherwise to make power...it's the closest thing to free horsepower you can get.

[the69dr]

Hey if you want all the downsides visit turbomustangs.com and read all you want on problems you may incounter, if you want info on PTKs e-mail me at the69drajc@yahoo.com as I'm a Pro Turbo Kits dealer and I'll let you know what we've encountered.

Adam

[MidNiteBlu 5.0]

how do you figure turbos wont pass emissions? thats the dumbest thing ive ever heard.

all you have to do is turn boost down and not be running a ton of fuel in. though im not sure if running too rish has an effect on emissions.

[84_GT350]

That's what I'm sayin. You can pass (unless, of course, you live in a state with visual inspections and the kit isn't CARB exempt...I don't know of a single exempt kit though) provided you adjust the wastegate so you don't get much (if any) boost to the motor and lean out the fuel pressure just a little. And yes, running rich will cause you to fail emmissions test since you'll be producing too many hydrocarbons. Basically, a turbo kit alone won't cause you to fail emmissions. If that were true, every AWD Talon, Eclipse, and Subaru would fail.

[Dark_5.0]

Get on www.anythingcars.com and talk to sandman about that place in San Antonio they put a turbo on his 03 mach 1.

Maybe he can tell you if they are good or not.

[USMC302]

Not worried about emissions, only real worry is running pump gas, as I would like to use this everyday on the street, most people say 10psi is the most I will be able to run on pump gas. So, I'll keep my rich mix close at hand though. I am gonna check out the site and everything tomorrow, thanks

[84_GT350]

With a well tuned FMU, maybe a chip to tune the spark curve, and premium gas (91...92...whatever they have where you live) I'd say you'd be able to go as high as 12-14lbs on a daily driver with a good intercooler. Remember...the turbo won't kick in until the engine is sufficiently loaded so it's not like you'll need that extra fuel all the time

[ShaneH]

Pro Turbo is a very good place to deal with. Keith Campbell is a good friend and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend his business. He does in fact sponsor Mike's car, as well as Chip Havemann, John Urist, Bill Devine, Bill Rimmer, and Andy Collins. His products are top notch.

[USMC302]

Outstanding, thanks