Someone Draw A Line In The Sand For Me

hoopty5.0

mechanicus terribilis
15 Year Member
Dec 14, 2010
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SW Houston
It's turbo time for me, folks.

A guy on another forum was advertising a 'massive turbo blowout, smoking deals you can't pass up!' So I figure, ok buddy, lets see what you got and sent him a PM with my particulars and wait to see what he suggests.

"Oh, you need the S476r with a race cover and a billet wheel. That'll get you where you want to go, and fast!"
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.
.
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For the low, low, low price of well north of $1500.00 shipped to my door.


While I'd love to shell out the cash and make enough power to send a rhinoceros into a low orbit, it simply isn't in the budget. They make a turbo that'll put enough thump into the truck motor to make an easy 700 whp for H.A.L.F. the price of this billet masterpiece he's trying to win me over with.

So... do I put the car on hold so I can say, "yeah, it's the billet one" while I pry my eyeballs off the back of my skull or do I take the reasonable approach and be happy with enough power to at least lift 1 front tire off a prepped surface?

(Cliff notes - Do I buy a more expensive unit for a little more power or settle for the reasonably priced one)
 
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I was sortof sitting in the same boat you are in back in Dec.
Why don't you contact my turbo guy down here. (or is it over here?) Drop my name, (like that'll make any difference) tell him that I bought a BWs300sx-3 turbo from him in Dec, and told you he gave me a smokin' deal. See what he recommends.
Name is Reid. His company info is Works Turbo in Pelham alabama.

I bought a good, not great turbo that ended up costing me about 700.00. I coulda bought some GT-45 chinee piece for a third that, but since I intend to drive the car a long distance it was important that I didn't have some turbo related failure 300 miles from home. Now the wastegate, I/C, and BOV?....All that junk is Chinee.
 
Well, I decided to ask why I needed to spend more money on the billet wheel. Long story short : efficiency. The engine doesn't need to spin as fast to make more power and it comes in lower in the rpm range.

But similar to what Nik says, this is my first turbo venture, so I'm going to learn on something cheaper and then maybe buy the nice one when I get all the kinks worked out. I'd be pissed spending $1600 on a snail and putting pieces of engine through it.
 
Nah. Hes got an lsx. It was high fived by Satan and rolls blunts with Angel feathers. This thing will live forever

Yea, that's true, but I just have to imagine that 700+ RWHP on a junkyard shortblock is a gamble. The unfortunate thing about turbos is that anything that gets puked out your exhaust port makes its way into the turbo. I'd be nervous to drop a bunch of coin on a turbo that might someday be force fed with molten chunks of aluminum or piston ring, especially when a cheaper one is still going to make enough power to require an NHRA license. Just my take on it. I also have expensive parts on a junk shortblock, so I guess I'm not one to talk haha.
 
Yea, that's true, but I just have to imagine that 700+ RWHP on a junkyard shortblock is a gamble. The unfortunate thing about turbos is that anything that gets puked out your exhaust port makes its way into the turbo. I'd be nervous to drop a bunch of coin on a turbo that might someday be force fed with molten chunks of aluminum or piston ring, especially when a cheaper one is still going to make enough power to require an NHRA license. Just my take on it. I also have expensive parts on a junk shortblock, so I guess I'm not one to talk haha.
Well to take your quote and hoopties and formulate a,response. Sure there is always a gamble with a jy block and if I was to try and launch a black rhino into low orbit I would likely use a 6 liter block from a 2500 series truck. Would the 5.3 hold it? Probably. Would a rebuilt 6.0 take it with a, smile on it's face? Absolutely. But this is what I love about jy builds. You push the boundaries of what is possible knowing full well what the possible consequences could be.
 
Well to take your quote and hoopties and formulate a,response. Sure there is always a gamble with a jy block and if I was to try and launch a black rhino into low orbit I would likely use a 6 liter block from a 2500 series truck. Would the 5.3 hold it? Probably. Would a rebuilt 6.0 take it with a, smile on it's face? Absolutely. But this is what I love about jy builds. You push the boundaries of what is possible knowing full well what the possible consequences could be.

Oh yea, I hear ya man. The more I get into this stuff, the more I appreciate junkyard builds. I just don't think he should throw pearls to swine, you know what I mean?
 
I agree with both of you. And why I chose this particular engine is its strength, albeit a junkyard motor. It has 6 bolt mains!!! There are stock bottom end cars running consistent 8s in the 1/4.

Is it going to blow? Probably. My novice abilities at tuning will most likely be the culprit though. Fortunately I have ~$1700 in the engine as opposed to the $4k invested in the 408 I had mostly done.
 
I was sortof sitting in the same boat you are in back in Dec.
Why don't you contact my turbo guy down here. (or is it over here?) Drop my name, (like that'll make any difference) tell him that I bought a BWs300sx-3 turbo from him in Dec, and told you he gave me a smokin' deal. See what he recommends.
Name is Reid. His company info is Works Turbo in Pelham alabama.

I bought a good, not great turbo that ended up costing me about 700.00. I coulda bought some GT-45 chinee piece for a third that, but since I intend to drive the car a long distance it was important that I didn't have some turbo related failure 300 miles from home. Now the wastegate, I/C, and BOV?....All that junk is Chinee.
This is the best advice in the whole thread! My buddy has been class racing for a few years now and uses only Reid at Works Turbo for all of his needs. He is the kind of guy that will give you honest answers and fair prices on good parts. When it comes to getting just the right turbo, ask an expert like him. If you wanted a blower.... Then I have all the answers you need!!! lol