Turbo for 5.3
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 557
Likes: 9
From: Bowling Green KY
I would just build my own at the flange like in the sticky.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/forced-in...turbo-kit.html
https://ls1tech.com/forums/forced-in...turbo-kit.html
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 557
Likes: 9
From: Bowling Green KY
I'm sure you could make it work. My thought was that by the time you square up the one end and weld it to a turbo flange, cut a hole in it and well on a pipe for the waste gate, you'd have about as much work in it as fabbing the merge yourself. I do see the appeal to that flat surface, were your thinking of mounting the gate right to that? If so it would be 90 degrees to the flow of gasses, which is not ideal.
just lookin at what ya got so far i think you have more chops than to throw that thing on there. be creative. welding up the hot side and tuning are the two best parts of the process...enjoy it a little!
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Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 248
Likes: 1
I didn't realize you need a heat exchanger for the water to air inercooler... now I have no idea where to put it. Need advise on this one .... no I need a heat exchanger ? Can I just use a water tank ?
Lotta guys running no heat exchanger with a/w coolers. The volume of water is important to pull the heat out. I think 5 gallon capacity tank plus whatever the lines and cooler hold is a good start. Run just water on the street and add ice at the track. zBrown runs a $80 eBay a/w and makes 1200 hp. Don't over think it.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 557
Likes: 9
From: Bowling Green KY
Mine is 3". I like 3". I would not go below whatever they outlet of your turbo is. Your going to have to get up to 4" by the time you get into to your throttle body. What size is the inlet on your intercooler? For example if my turbo outlet was 2.5" and my intercooler in was 2.5, then a 2.5" pipe in between them becomes obvious. 3" makes sense for me because my in and out on my intercooler is 3".
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 248
Likes: 1
I believe my turbo is 2.5 and I haven't bought the intercooler. I'll just match the size of the turbo and get an intercooler with 2.5 or reduce it to 2.5 ... next question is where is the meat location for the bov , before or after mass sensor . Before the intercooler etc
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 557
Likes: 9
From: Bowling Green KY
I'd put the BOV after the intercooler, somewhere on the charge pipe from the intercooler running to the throttle body, and I would delete the MAF sensor and just go for a SD tune. A logical progression would be to get an intercooler with 3" inlet and outlet. That way you step it up from 2.5" to 3" going into the intercooler, and if you get a little bigger turbo later with a 3" outlet, you won't be choking it back to 2.5 to go through your intercooler. On the outlet side of the intercooler, I'd run up to the throttle body with 3" and from there you will need to open it up to match the throttle body. I did my size increases using the silicon couplers. Made it easy, just buy like a 2.5" to 3" coupler to go into the intercooler from a 2.5" pipe off the turbo. That is easier than trying to do it with hard pipe. You could also use a 2.5 to 3" coupler off of the turbo, and run 3" to the intercooler. You could make it simple and only buy one size pipe for your whole cold side and use 3" for it all, make any size changes you need with couplers.