The BallSS

iTrader: (9)

Do a build thread, I'm sure others would like to keep tabs.

Kfxguy

iTrader: (1)

Alright. I'll just do it in this thread instead of making a new one.

ALL ULL C

iTrader: (17)

Trendsetter's truck is an 02 which 99-02 have less grille/bumper area to work with (even considering someone got ambitious with the cutout for the IC on his). Being you're working with an 04-07 you'll have more room up there to fit I believe a 4" thick core.

Kfxguy

iTrader: (1)

I've got a little time before he orders the rest so i'll look at it. I really like the idea that everything I need will be right there and it'll be minimal work. I'll feel somewhat guilty that I didn't build the whole kit like the last two, but this project cannot drag out. He's talking about having everything bought in the next month. So this project may come sooner than I thought. I'll still have to modify the down pipe because we went with a 1.25 AR turbo so the exhaust housing is bigger, but I have my ls6 on a stand i can mock it up and fix the down pipe.

Forcefed86

iTrader: (4)

You can def weld on the OEM manifolds. They weld great. I don't see why people pay for manifolds at all, then you are stuck where they put the turbo and usually some **** poor plug access. That's never ideal, IMO.

Use the OEM manifolds and put the turbo where your setup needs it. Place the turbo where it fits best. Then simply route some cheap 2" mild steel pipe to it off each manifold to a divided T4 flange..

Kfxguy

iTrader: (1)

I wasn’t talking about welding on the stock manifold. I was talking about welding on one of those eBay turbo manifolds. I’m not doing all that. If my son had another vehicle to drive, I’d build it. But in this situation, I need it done in a weekend. That’s not optional. We are considering just buying a whole kit and he’s now looking at the On3 kit because it’s like $700 cheaper with more stuff included and more options. I just don’t know anyone who’s had an on3 kit.

TrendSetter

If you need to keep the truck on the road you can do the hot side and just run a quick pipe to the throttle body and take the spring out of the wastegate. Then the next weekend you can build the cold side in much less of a rush.

TrendSetter

I’ve never bought a cheapy kit but I’ve looked at the pictures and I’d guess most of it is throw away. Piecing a kit together will net a better overall experience.
I also like cast manifolds but the heavy wall stainless pipe manifolds work well also. Check out kb racing (no affiliation, never seen their stuff in real life, but pics and reputation seem good)
http://www.kbracing.net/about.html

Kfxguy

iTrader: (1)

THX. Never heard of them. Their kit looks nice but I don't like the wastegate placement. The more I look, the more I realize the only two choices i have (with what i'm wanting) is either build the whole thing myself or buy the Huron kit. Since we don't have time to build it, we had a long discussion last night (me and my son) and we've decided to just do the whole Huron kit. It seems to be the nicest and most well thought out and complete kit we can find. This is contingent on if they can cancel his jumping the gun manifold order.

Forcefed86

iTrader: (4)

Ebay manifolds are the same stuff, they weld like butter. I get not everyone wants to weld. But if you don’t buy a quality kit, you’ll have to weld anyway. Better of in most cases to buy a cheap MIG (harbor freight) and just do the hot side yourself.

Unless it s a quality (big $) kit, then it won’t come complete and you’ll still have to fabricate a bunch of BS. (or take it somewhere and pay more) Seriously doubt you’d get it done in a weekend. On3 kits have pretty poor fitment in my experience. (the fbody kit was an absolute nightmare w garbage plug access as well) You end up cutting them apart to get them to fit. And even then, they fit poorly. Then you are stuck using their cheap thin steel, overly large diameter piping, and blowing through it with a welder constantly. Its frustrating to say the least, I’ve done it more than once.

I’m simply saying I’ve built a lot of kits and its easier to make one than to buy a crappy one and make it over. I built a 2” divided hotside w 2 38mm gates in about 4 hours… Aside from a mig welder, you don’t need anything fancy to do it. IMO you’ll have a MUCH better kit (for about half the money) if you do it yourself. It will fit better with the small 2” diameter piping and have a better wall thickness and spool characteristics as well.

If you honestly want it done in a weekend the turbo kits the last part you need. Id get the ECU and injs, fuel pump all squared away. Switch to SD, tune it, etc etc…. mount the IC run piping… drill drain…setup feeds etc etc… Once all that’s done you could easily build a hotside in a weekend.

Kfxguy

iTrader: (1)

Thats pretty much the plan. I have springs and hardened pushrods to go in it. Then the intercooler. Injectors, 2 bar COS and put the 2 bar map in, then tune. I can rough it in the boost areas. I'm putting the drain in the timing cover more than likely. Maybe the oil pan. Havent decided. But I'm not pulling the pan so I'll use the grease and drill bit trick. I'm still a little apprehensive about that but i'll change the oil after. then another weekend I'll install hotside.

The BallSS

iTrader: (9)

Don't buy the On3 kit, the fitment sucks and you'll end up burning plug wires constantly.
There's a recent thread on here of a guy who used the kit, had all kinds of problems and ended up hacking it up to get it to work without burning wires regularly.
Do a combo of what Forcefed86 said, buy the HS turbo manifold and use the factory one on the other side, that's your best bet.
If you're looking at a kit, I'd stay with HS, both my last cars had their kits and the fitment is excellent, they gave me no issues and Jon over at HS is great, good luck getting a hold of the guy at On3 after your purchase as well.

Forcefed86

iTrader: (4)

I just hate to see people shy away from welding these days. Compared to a “nice kit”, A mig welder is relatively cheap. 2” steel piping is super cheap. Hell, the turbos these days are so damn cheap you don’t even need flanges. Cut the flanges off and weld the turbo housing straight to the stock exh manifold. Plop a cheap 38mm WG on the turbo housing and be done. Then you don’t waste any space or money on flanges. If the 78/75 craps out buy another and drop the cartridge in.

The BallSS

iTrader: (9)

That's the most hardcore thing I've ever read on this site lol.
Sometimes its not so much the welding but running the welder, my house is old and doesn't have the power to run a decent welder without tripping the breaker every five seconds or I'd be fabbing up all kinds of stuff.

Kfxguy

iTrader: (1)

lol.... I have a nice tig machine, and a mig machine and a plasma cutter. I have a lathe/mill. big blast cabinet, powder coat and cerakote setup and They get used regularly. I just built the exhaust for his truck out of stainless and installed a cutout. I figured you saw some of my build threads, I built the turbo setup for my car and another GTO and they both been working flawlessly. I built my whole exhaust out of 3.5" and completely fabricated my own dual mode muffler with stainless steel packing

Forcefed86

iTrader: (4)

I’ll take that as a compliment!

Really? You mean like 220v stuff? That seems really odd for a cheap 110v welder?

I’ve got a single 10g romex cable off my box out to a detached garage. That cable is only good for 30a max I believe. I’d have to double check, but I believe its on a single 20a breaker! Run a Hobart 140 welder on 110v. No issue with the breaker. Don’t need 220v welders for most of what we do. Certainly not for piping and turbo hot sides. I just did motor and trans mounts with zero issue on ¼” plate turned all the way up. I run the lights at the same time. Which do DIM a ton when welding. Lights in my home too. Have the original 1970 100a service box. Guess what I’m saying is… its hard to imagine a setup worse than mine!

TrendSetter

i read it and was like.... damn...thats a good idea...

Forcefed86

iTrader: (4)

Don't mean to argue with anyone specifically. Was commenting in general for anyone reading. With all that nice swag, I can’t imagine paying for a cheap kit. It will be more headache that its worth. Or at least until I find one that proves different, it will be.

Just stating that IMO, a quick and dirty mild steel hotside is the best budget option for most. It will work well and be serviceable for many year. Usually out living the motor it’s attached to. Not as likely to crack as SS IMO either. Seems like people in general feel like they need to put together some show worthy SS TIG’d masterpiece.

I can TIG, but I hate it. For me, it’s a giant waste of time/gas/money for a “pretty weld” that I’ll spray paint and cover up with heat wrap. 90% of my hotside isn’t even visible. So no reason to blow through $100 worth of argon and spend 20 hours TIG welding something suitable for SEMA. When I could MIG a whole kit in a few hours for peanuts that will run great for many years. KISS principle is where its at IMO. Not knocking the “Artists” out there welding up some amazing looking pipes either. Only saying its not needed to do the job well.

TrendSetter

my go-to is cutting the ends off 2010 camaro manifolds and extending them with 2" SS pipe for a simple and rugged twin kit. ebay wastegates work great and come with flanges. vband inlet turbos are readily available now, and those seem to include flanges as well so it all falls together pretty easily, and the vband inlet turbos let you tweak the orientation a little after welding so you dont have to get it completely perfect.
i tig it but for me tig is kind of an artistic outlet. a bunch of years ago i even made a brush grapple for my tractor that was 100% tig lol

Kfxguy

iTrader: (1)

I'm too picky to do stuff like that lol.