Home grown turbo.....can it be done?

[Jonny Hotnuts]

I was thinking the other day about getting a basic turbo system for my bike. I did some research and found that the basic turbo kit around cost in the 3-4k range.
It is hard for me to understand why a basic kit cost this much.

I really only want about 3-6psi and was wondering why I could not use a used stock Garrett T28 (off a Mitsubish Eclipse) take a stock hedder and make a 4-1 collector with a flange and make the pressure tube from pvc. I figure that I could block off the intake rams and holes in the stock air box and use it. Things like pop offs I could buy from Summitt.

I figure that I can get all the parts including the compressor for around 1500$........a long way from 4k.



So am I crazy.....anyone do this?


Thanks

-JH

 

[Pipefighter248]

Few have home built turbos in the past.
Some succesful and others failure.
Just research everything and do some searching.
It can be done.
Just make sure you have enough fuel to back it up or boom.

 

[Jonny Hotnuts]

Thanks PF....good info.
I figure that with only 3-6 psi the stock fuel system should be ok.
(please correct me if it wont!)

 

[Pipefighter248]

I'm not a turbo expert, but be sure no matter what to get it dyno tuned by someone that knows what they are doing.

 

[browning]

your crazy

just kidding but i have checked into it also.i figure the very least a person can build a setup for is around $2500 to $3000.and that is if you have all the fabrication tools you will need.full assortment of tools h/d aircompressor mig welder plasma cutter big h/d chop saw.and at least some basic knowledge on how a turbo works your oil feed lines drainage ect...what your paying for in these kits is there time they put into figureing out what works and what doesn't.

 

[turbojonn]

No custoer support. No way to know if you can get enough fuel to it. Will the turbo get and return enough oil. For the extra 1000-2000 I'd just call Burt at 1320 straighliners and get his kit. It's upgradeable and you won't find yourself scratching your head on the side of the road with a smoking Busa that just burned up a top end.

 

[turbojonn]

No custoer support. No way to know if you can get enough fuel to it. Will the turbo get and return enough oil. For the extra 1000-2000 I'd just call Burt at 1320 straighliners and get his kit. It's upgradeable and you won't find yourself scratching your head on the side of the road with a smoking Busa that just burned up a top end. (IMHO)

 

[browning]

i'd second calling bert that who i'm currently going thourgh with my turbo setup.cool guy has time to answer your questions and i think his base kit is $3750 you can not beat that price to have everything pre fabbed up

 

[mrninja9]

i will 3rd the notion the man knows his TURBO'S

 

[Rosco]

I had my system installed by the most reputable shop in my country.
I maintain it myself and would be fully confident building my own system in the future.

The one thing a home builder usually can't do is tuning.
Getting the fueling right is the difference between a long lasting, reliable, bucket of fun and sitting on your butt, looking at a blown engine wondering what went wrong.

Unless I had my own dyno and a heap more experience I would find an expert for the tuning.

I have a Garrett T28 and run 6psi on a stock fuel pump but the shop went to oversize injectors as they were just about maxed out on duty cycle.

Just my 2c

Cheers
Ross

 

[bacharles]

great write-up guys and even better advice...

 

[Uncle Bob]

there is nothing like the satisfaction of building something from scratch yourself. I've built several systems myself, and can say from experience....your first one is always a "challenge". I wasn't very happy with my first one, and have modified it and changed it multiple times, partly for experimenting, partly due to engine damage due to tuning issues (or lack of) and partly because I can never leave well enough alone.

So I would suggest you examine it this way. If you love to tinker, and don't mind do things over a few times, I would highly recommend you give it a try. You can build your own system cheaply...very cheaply, depending on how you do it, and it can be very effective. BUT!.....(just like any system, really) Tuning is important, and you can cause traumatic, very expensive engine damage if you don't get the problems iron'd out well AND keep things realistic (boost vs engine config).

If you want to do it yourself, I recommend you read read read on the subject. Learn the minute details, and read all the things others have done wrong, so you won't make those mistakes. I can offer up some very good sites and forums if you like, and I am always willing to help anyone thats trying the great unknown

 

[Jonny Hotnuts]

I will start reworking the stock pipes this weekend.

Thanks for the support UB.



And while I am sure that 1320's systems are top rate I still cant understand why the kit would cost almost 4K.

So far I have found that a Garrett T-28 turbo is around 800$
So where is the other 3200$?
I am not anti the idea of buying a kit, I just want to know where the money goes. It is hard for me to take that it is all about R&D. I would think that once someone got it right that others that make kits would use it as a template.



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[Uncle Bob]

So far I have found that a Garrett T-28 turbo is around 800$
So where is the other 3200$?

thats easy, walk into a fabrication shop and ask if they'll build you an exhaust manifold, cold pipe, dump pipe, waste gate mount etc etc for cost of materials.

After they get off the floor from laughing, and quote you a price, the light bulb will turn on. That stuff's spendy when professionals do it

 

[browning]

don't forget the plenum fuel pump lines fmu ect...oh and the base map they spent dynoing the bike so you don't go right out and grenade your ####.

 

[Gary Evans]

Since many of the parts will come from Home Depot perhaps they would sponsor you.

 

[TURBO1320]

Any one can build a turbo kit we all start out doing it our self is there a wrong way of doing it SURE!! Is there a right way of Doing it SURE!! Is it fun building some thing and calling it your own well HELL yeah. I can remember when i was a kid my Grandpa bought me a little steam Engine and i put it togeather and i got it to run i was jumping up and down i thought i could do any thing i put my mind to and the same thing applys to your turbo kit,If think you can do it then you can but first think it threw, Building kits is not cheap and alot of the times things are way over priced and im sorry for that but you must under stand the cost of parts,gas ,supplys are not cheap and some of the venders i deal with want big buy ins like $20.000 and that is only one turbo manufacture and i deal with four and the cost of my 310 stainless turbin housings were $27.000 just to get started and thats not for the price of the turbin housings and i only sold four so far we will have our own waste gates and blow valves here soon and it was $50.000 to get the ball rolling i could go on and on, If you do build your own kit and you need some one to talk to give me a call I have alot of parts that will help on your fab up ,Burt 541-389-9938

 

[BrutalBusa]

I have an 04 Busa with a dry shot on it, but i'm tired of filling the bottle every other day.  I just got a very good deal on Garrett VNT Turbo. I just have the turbo, nothing else. I'm going to do the plumbing myself this winter. Most of the Technology is for a turbo is "off the shelf" they've been around since the 1930's. IF you take your time and do some research you should be able to make your own install kit. The big thing to watch is the tuning and fuel system upgrades you have to do after the turbo is installed. Most kits don't come with any fuel upgrades, and thats the most important aspect of a turbo. I hope to run 6-8lbs on a mostly stock engine. I'd be very happy with about 230-250 Horsepower. Any advice on what kind of fuel upgrades i would need (bigger injectors, more fuel pressue?) are more than welcome. Thanks, Dan

 

[TURBO1320]

I have a MAP sensor that conects to the power camander so you can read Boost,It will be out in a few weeks--NO MORE FMUs,Burt

 

[browning]

I have a MAP sensor that conects to the power camander so you can read Boost,It will be out in a few weeks--NO MORE FMUs,Burt

burt i'll be calling you on this one.not only would that be easier to tune it pulls the fmu out of the loop less fuel lines more space under the tank

.what kind of regulator would you use to control the the fuel pressure?can not wait for this one