single or twins for 1000 rwhp?
single or twins for 1000 rwhp? ive decided to go the turbo route after being a procharger guy for almost 10 years. Im looking for around 1000-1100 rwhp and dont know what to get. I drive my car on the street a ton so it needs to have good street manners. The twins have that WAY COOL factor but gets really expensive but sounds like it might be better on the street but it seems like most people go with a bigger single. Is it for cost, simplicity, or both? what are everyones opinions?
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From: Norn Iron
Go with whatever is easiest to install in the car. There is no right or wrong. You need to decide which is best for your application and intended use.
Price wise, I'd say there is really very little difference
Price wise, I'd say there is really very little difference
One day, when I get my shop built, I'll be able to focus on a turbo setup. Out of simplicity and the fact that a big single works as well as anything ive seen for a street car, I'll be going single. Twins are cool though, but a touch of lag in a single on the street wouldn't hurt my feelings. And I can spray a single at the track when no lag is wanted.
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From: Ohio
Around 1000whp is where the cost spread starts to shrink between the two. At 600-700whp, a single is far far cheaper.
At 1000whp, a pair of On3 76mm turbos will get you there for $700. Big singles will work, but to save money you'll likely be stuck with a T6 turbine.
At 1000whp, a pair of On3 76mm turbos will get you there for $700. Big singles will work, but to save money you'll likely be stuck with a T6 turbine.
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From: Norn Iron
I wouldnt say far far cheaper, really depends what turbos you choose.
There are pros and cons each way, there really is no universal answer.
Sometimes finding room for a big single is hard....as is finding room for a downpipe. So two smaller units is just easier.
Some who go nuts with twins, or tubular manifolds in general can leave the engine by with terrible access for simple things like plug changes....worth considering when you design.
Cold side plumbing with either, probably less of a concern as both should be fairly easy
There are pros and cons each way, there really is no universal answer.
Sometimes finding room for a big single is hard....as is finding room for a downpipe. So two smaller units is just easier.
Some who go nuts with twins, or tubular manifolds in general can leave the engine by with terrible access for simple things like plug changes....worth considering when you design.
Cold side plumbing with either, probably less of a concern as both should be fairly easy
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From: Norn Iron
Perhaps if buying full kits, you're limited to what people offer.
But actual cost of parts etc...there really wont be a huge difference.
Many can use truck manifolds, so no cost difference there. hot/cold pipes, really wont be a huge pile of difference there either, maybe a little more fab with twins.
Turbos, such a wide range of prices, there is no simple answer there, but yes two of anything will cost a little more.
But thousands ? ....doesnt really make a lot of sense, depending on the level of kit of course.
But actual cost of parts etc...there really wont be a huge difference.
Many can use truck manifolds, so no cost difference there. hot/cold pipes, really wont be a huge pile of difference there either, maybe a little more fab with twins.
Turbos, such a wide range of prices, there is no simple answer there, but yes two of anything will cost a little more.
But thousands ? ....doesnt really make a lot of sense, depending on the level of kit of course.
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Verdad Gallardo 9 Second Club
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From: Norn Iron
Obviously the more parts you use, each part can give trouble. So if you have two turbos, then potentially yes you have two items that can fail.
But in the same logic you could say a V8 has 4 more cylinders that could fail vs a 4 cylinder car.
And no, there should be no diffculty tuning either.
But in the same logic you could say a V8 has 4 more cylinders that could fail vs a 4 cylinder car.
And no, there should be no diffculty tuning either.
IMO it really depends on what you want out of the car. Class racer with limitations or a weekend warrior type deal.
There really isn’t that much added costs on twins. Other than another turbo really. You can get away with 2 smaller wastegates vs buying a 50-66mm gate that will run almost double what a 38-44mm’s would run.
I have debated twins many times and may still go that route to make it a more snappy bottom end car. What I like about twins is they almost seem simpler to package. Generally you are dealing with 2 smaller turbo’s opposed to one massive T6 flanged….well assuming you want a full exhaust and don’t plan on dumping out the front bumper.
In the 1000-1100whp range I would probably look into some Borg S366's or something. Proven reliable turbo, cheap to find as well. That’s assuming you will have some cubic inches pushing them. But they are on the larger side for a T4 67mm. You could run some cheap On3’s but I wouldn’t expect amazing reliability. They may be I dunno, lots on here seem to use them but at the end of the day it’s a china turbo. I run a China GT45 and it seems to be fine but it’s also a budget build stock 5.3L. Turbonetics seems to have an awesome warranty plus a pretty tiny and easy to package as well.
Jay
There really isn’t that much added costs on twins. Other than another turbo really. You can get away with 2 smaller wastegates vs buying a 50-66mm gate that will run almost double what a 38-44mm’s would run.
I have debated twins many times and may still go that route to make it a more snappy bottom end car. What I like about twins is they almost seem simpler to package. Generally you are dealing with 2 smaller turbo’s opposed to one massive T6 flanged….well assuming you want a full exhaust and don’t plan on dumping out the front bumper.
In the 1000-1100whp range I would probably look into some Borg S366's or something. Proven reliable turbo, cheap to find as well. That’s assuming you will have some cubic inches pushing them. But they are on the larger side for a T4 67mm. You could run some cheap On3’s but I wouldn’t expect amazing reliability. They may be I dunno, lots on here seem to use them but at the end of the day it’s a china turbo. I run a China GT45 and it seems to be fine but it’s also a budget build stock 5.3L. Turbonetics seems to have an awesome warranty plus a pretty tiny and easy to package as well.
Jay
Last edited by jay_rich; Aug 25, 2015 at 06:53 PM.
I've been reading up on turbos the last few weeks here but I'm about as green as it comes to them. As far as price I've only been referencing kits. I really like the huron speed stuff as far as fit and finish goes. I'd be looking at close to 9k for a complete kit thru them with a boost controller though. I've seen a lot of good results with the s484 be turbo. How would the lag be with that?
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From: Scottsdale, AZ
I've been reading up on turbos the last few weeks here but I'm about as green as it comes to them. As far as price I've only been referencing kits. I really like the huron speed stuff as far as fit and finish goes. I'd be looking at close to 9k for a complete kit thru them with a boost controller though. I've seen a lot of good results with the s484 be turbo. How would the lag be with that?
I have one of the S484s on my Nova and am local (buffalo) if you want to check it out. Running at Empire this Friday. 
My 69 camaro has twins on it. I like the simplicity of the single personally but both work great.
My 69 camaro has twins on it. I like the simplicity of the single personally but both work great.
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"Choosing between a single or parallel twin turbo setup is primarily based on packaging constraints in the engine bay, or a personal choice by the tuner. In most cases, for top performance, a single turbo is preferable because larger turbos are generally more efficient than smaller turbos. However, often there is not room for one large single, or the tuner wants the visual impact of twin turbos. The notion that two smaller turbos will build boost faster than one large turbo is not always accurate because even though the turbos are smaller, each one is only getting half of the exhaust flow."
https://www.turbobygarrett.com/turbo...between_turbos
https://www.turbobygarrett.com/turbo...between_turbos