APS Install time
Don't know about a shop but it took me and a friend about 4 days if you put it all together. It is a pain in the *** and then some. Be weary of the bad turbos though!! I had my kit on for less than 500 miles and a turbo took a dump so you might wanna get them looked over before the install. Just my .02 cents.
Don't know about a shop but it took me and a friend about 4 days if you put it all together. It is a pain in the *** and then some. Be weary of the bad turbos though!! I had my kit on for less than 500 miles and a turbo took a dump so you might wanna get them looked over before the install. Just my .02 cents.
Ya i'm thinking of upgrading my turbos through LGM anyways. I heard its a pain in the *** to install so i think i'm just going to pay a shop to do it. Thing is most, if not all charge by the hour. Thats why I was curious about how long it might take.
I think you are big time dreaming on 18 hours. I think more like 50 hours might be more like it. The manual is good but there is lots of little stuff to do. You might be getting a heart attack if you pay per hour at todays shop rates. I was lucky I had buddy helping for 20 bucks an hour but also did install new engine at same time. I think had about 80 hours into the engine and turbo install. It might be doable by experienced shop in maybe 30 hours.
Remember you need that k member and different ypipe if you aren't going to custom duals.
I am also starting to wonder whats up with the aps turbos. They should be bulletproof if they are in fact actual mits 20gs not chinese knock offs.Most the kit is very high quality can't see why aps would risk their rep to save a few bucks on knock offs. But defintely there seems to be a high failure rate especially on the f body kits.If you are getting new snails from LG sure you will be fine. My dud turbo that leaked coolant into oil could easiliy have hurt my brand new 10thousand dollar motor. We caught it in first couple minutes of running so praying that my new 408 is ok. It seems to be fine but will feel better after get thousands of miles on it not just the hundreds put on it before put it away. I just ran the turbos oil cooled only for few hundred miles and was staying out of boost anyway. mits does sell the 20gs both with oil only and oil/water center carts.
I will be running ebay center carts for now and see what aps will do for me when get the old carts out. If have anymore trouble will go to LG likely.
Remember you need that k member and different ypipe if you aren't going to custom duals.
I am also starting to wonder whats up with the aps turbos. They should be bulletproof if they are in fact actual mits 20gs not chinese knock offs.Most the kit is very high quality can't see why aps would risk their rep to save a few bucks on knock offs. But defintely there seems to be a high failure rate especially on the f body kits.If you are getting new snails from LG sure you will be fine. My dud turbo that leaked coolant into oil could easiliy have hurt my brand new 10thousand dollar motor. We caught it in first couple minutes of running so praying that my new 408 is ok. It seems to be fine but will feel better after get thousands of miles on it not just the hundreds put on it before put it away. I just ran the turbos oil cooled only for few hundred miles and was staying out of boost anyway. mits does sell the 20gs both with oil only and oil/water center carts.
I will be running ebay center carts for now and see what aps will do for me when get the old carts out. If have anymore trouble will go to LG likely.
I think a shop that has done a few should knock it out in two days without tuning.
Oh and I was the one who helped KnightmareLs1 out. It was a pain and a two post lift was definitely required. But we are both mechanically inclined people and we could only wrk on it so long a day due to the on post shop hrs.
Oh and I was the one who helped KnightmareLs1 out. It was a pain and a two post lift was definitely required. But we are both mechanically inclined people and we could only wrk on it so long a day due to the on post shop hrs.
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Both my turbos went with under 1000 miles on em !((DON'T)) even install there turbos my man!!!! because if and when they do go???your gonna be in my postion and have to pull the k member to change em out!
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That's an excellent question. I over-paid a shop to finish installing my kit, and it still took them 4½ days (with a tune) when they told me 5 for a COMPLETE installation. I had the entire thing except y-pipe installed on my own, but didn't want to drive it anywhere without a decent tune. I took off the charge pipes and put the stock manifolds & y-pipe back. So what that means is the oil pan didn't have to be dropped/cleaned/drilled/tapped, the cutting for the FMIC and front end pieces were already done, the annoying bending/banging within the engine bay, etc. They had only to reinstall the manifolds/turbos/down-pipes (as an entire assembly), modify the y-pipe a bit, slap on the charge pipes, and tune it. Maybe a clamp here or there, but not much. I'm sure removing the K-member took some time, but if I can get it on and off in 2-3 hours on a garage floor by myself, then using a lift, which they have plenty of, should not take any longer, methinks! Oh yeah, I also had all the remaining nuts, bolts, etc. labeled for them to make it easier!!! Oh well.
2000 sounds very reasonable from EPP.
Going with LG right off the start is likely a good idea with all these failures and so many at low miles it is hard to trust the aps turbos anymore.
Mine are so far ok at about 3000 miles but have not boosted them past 7.5psi on my 408.
My inlets are also stented now so they shouldn't suck shut but not really planning on boosting past 7.5 just want to make it till end of october then car is away and have all winter to upgade them to the LG most likely.
I just recieved an email from Lowbird he is member on here. He bought some ebay center sections and I bought the same ones. He has run his now for 3000 or more miles and so far so good he bought a second one after trying the first one when his passenger side went out.
They are possibly a low priced alternative to the failing aps but long term would be a good thing to confirm their reliability.They have upgraded wheels so should spool a bit faster not sure if they put out anymore airfllow than the aps ones.
I likely will sell them off if do go up to the LG ones. Shame the passenger side requires k member dropping the drivers side can be changed out pretty easily with k in the car.
Going with LG right off the start is likely a good idea with all these failures and so many at low miles it is hard to trust the aps turbos anymore.
Mine are so far ok at about 3000 miles but have not boosted them past 7.5psi on my 408.
My inlets are also stented now so they shouldn't suck shut but not really planning on boosting past 7.5 just want to make it till end of october then car is away and have all winter to upgade them to the LG most likely.
I just recieved an email from Lowbird he is member on here. He bought some ebay center sections and I bought the same ones. He has run his now for 3000 or more miles and so far so good he bought a second one after trying the first one when his passenger side went out.
They are possibly a low priced alternative to the failing aps but long term would be a good thing to confirm their reliability.They have upgraded wheels so should spool a bit faster not sure if they put out anymore airfllow than the aps ones.
I likely will sell them off if do go up to the LG ones. Shame the passenger side requires k member dropping the drivers side can be changed out pretty easily with k in the car.
Here is what Lowbird pms me about the ebay centers.
"Hi Al, I just put the one turbo on that I bought from e-bay. I put it on the passenger side when I had the trans out for a new clutch and 9" fabbed rearend install. Pain it the *** with the motor in the car but with the trans down it can be done. It's held up great so far and I've put at least 4k on it, maybe more. I'm still running the stock aps provided turbo on the drivers side and so far no issues. I bought an extra turbo from Kando Dynamics on e-bay because the price was so good and so far so good. It is still wrapped up in box it came in for future use if needed."
"Hi Al, I just put the one turbo on that I bought from e-bay. I put it on the passenger side when I had the trans out for a new clutch and 9" fabbed rearend install. Pain it the *** with the motor in the car but with the trans down it can be done. It's held up great so far and I've put at least 4k on it, maybe more. I'm still running the stock aps provided turbo on the drivers side and so far no issues. I bought an extra turbo from Kando Dynamics on e-bay because the price was so good and so far so good. It is still wrapped up in box it came in for future use if needed."
I think $2000 is a fair price through a reputable shop. Then again, I wouldn't have just any shop work on my car let alone with this particular turbo kit. To be an fbody specific kit, it sure was a pain in the *** to install. You can install a 6.0l turbo kit in one day.
I did my kit by myself on my garage floor with tall (20-22"?) jack stands over a period of 12 days. It took me exactly 81 hours but that was to install my motor, transmission, turbo kit, and new shocks (including removing rust and painting my factory upper and lower control arms). I also rewired my entire engine harness. If I had to do just the turbo kit but still on the ground in my garage... I could do it in about 30 (best case) to 40 (worst case) hours; but I like to take my time.
Are you even moderately mechanically inclined? I've always worked on my own cars changing my oil, spark plugs, then alternators, starters and complete sounds systems. When I got this car, 8 years ago, I eventually installed my own cam, headers, intake, exhaust, clutch, etc and I was comfortable doing it. For the most part, this kit is just turning a wrench. Its pretty hard to screw it up with the detailed instructions they provide. Spend $10 at Staples and have them print off the instructions in color and put them in a spiral-bound notebook. Best money ever spent!
But think about doing it yourself. Its great experience and I enjoyed myself for the most part. Its also nice to say that you did the work yourself when people ask you. Plus you'll sav about $1200-$1500.
Then again, for $2000 to drop it off and pick it up ready to race, If it wouldn't strain you financially, it might be worth it.
I did my kit by myself on my garage floor with tall (20-22"?) jack stands over a period of 12 days. It took me exactly 81 hours but that was to install my motor, transmission, turbo kit, and new shocks (including removing rust and painting my factory upper and lower control arms). I also rewired my entire engine harness. If I had to do just the turbo kit but still on the ground in my garage... I could do it in about 30 (best case) to 40 (worst case) hours; but I like to take my time.
Are you even moderately mechanically inclined? I've always worked on my own cars changing my oil, spark plugs, then alternators, starters and complete sounds systems. When I got this car, 8 years ago, I eventually installed my own cam, headers, intake, exhaust, clutch, etc and I was comfortable doing it. For the most part, this kit is just turning a wrench. Its pretty hard to screw it up with the detailed instructions they provide. Spend $10 at Staples and have them print off the instructions in color and put them in a spiral-bound notebook. Best money ever spent!
But think about doing it yourself. Its great experience and I enjoyed myself for the most part. Its also nice to say that you did the work yourself when people ask you. Plus you'll sav about $1200-$1500.
Then again, for $2000 to drop it off and pick it up ready to race, If it wouldn't strain you financially, it might be worth it.
Last edited by SStolen; Aug 1, 2009 at 02:54 AM.
2000 for the install
500 for the dyno tune
There are some tuners that can write a tune for mulitple boost settings based on octane. "one tune to rule them all." So say you have an AMS 1000, setting one is 10 psi and 93 octane. Setting 2 is 14 psi with 93 octane ond torco addative. Then setting 3 is 20 psi with C16. There are people out there that can write a tune that will stay constant between the diffrerent boost levels as long as the end user controls the octane.
I know of several people making 600+ on pump and over 1000rwhp on C16 or Prototype 120 all on the exact same file.
-W
500 for the dyno tune
There are some tuners that can write a tune for mulitple boost settings based on octane. "one tune to rule them all." So say you have an AMS 1000, setting one is 10 psi and 93 octane. Setting 2 is 14 psi with 93 octane ond torco addative. Then setting 3 is 20 psi with C16. There are people out there that can write a tune that will stay constant between the diffrerent boost levels as long as the end user controls the octane.
I know of several people making 600+ on pump and over 1000rwhp on C16 or Prototype 120 all on the exact same file.
-W
