Turbo kits versus turbo parts?

[ilsautomotive]

G'day all,

Before you ask, this is not a for sale thread or I'd move it myself. I remember Sunny and others saying that one is better off getting a complete turbo kit rather than buying individual bits and hoping they work well together. I am seriously thinking about selling off the stuff I have accumulated, focusing everything on getting the car on the road and running gas-injection ASAP, then looking into a ready-made turbo kit.

A few things have changed since my project began - I was originally going to buy a complete motor from a Qld member which was ready made for a very serious turbo setup, whereas now I am likely to be using the stock AU motor for the forseeable future. I was hoping to jump straight into the big league but that sale fell through and the member in question vanished. As a result, many of my parts are overkill and the wasted money in them could/should be helping to get the car finished in basic form sooner.

If anyone has any opinions or ideas on this I am all ears.

[EFFalcon]

it really depends...
when you say 'turbo kit'
do you mean along the lines of a snort kit? (you've gotta gotta buy a lot before thats up and running)
or something along the lines of TSA/JMM?

i personally don't see the point in buying a small turbo now then upgrading later, and so on.
build for the future IMO.

[Sundeep]

What John said.

I think Gilly (needfordspeed) has a decent list of parts and their respective suppliers sussed out, along with all their prices. He's been researching kits for a while so he'd know exactly what would go with what and for how much. Drop him a line or wait for him to post here.

You should be able to get almost everything you need to make up a good kit for about $6k. That's the turbo ($1500-$2000 for one like Dan's EB's I think), manifold (there was a guy on the forums selling them for about $800), 2nd hand/new good engine management (MickMalta picked up the latest version of WOlf3D for $1k) , injectors (~$500 from the US I'm told), fuel pump ($160) and a intercooler ($180). Then add to the piping, which cost me $500, ~$50 powder coating for the piping, a GOOD EXHAUST (must stress the word 'good') $700 and you're already pushing $6k, and you're ready to tune. But that's all good stuff!

I think all of that done to Dan's car by a pro cost about $8000, so if you want to get it done properly by pro's, but all including tuning etc. you'd need about $2000 more in your pocket to pay for labour.

If you want gas, drop injectors and engine management from the equation (~$1500) and then add whatever that will cost.

Then again I don't know as much as others about turbos and kits, so yeah.

Sundeep

[dansedgli]

THere is another person who making awesome manifolds, turbo's and wastegate setups at reasonable prices.
6BOOST has started a business. $3300 will get you arguably the best manifold around, a GT3540 and a good wastegate. IMO that is pretty cheap,
then there is all the other little stuff you need plus the ECU and fuel system.

Im likely to get my next kit from him for my torana. Ill find a link and post it.

Jack, if your gear is good for big power then keep it. No point in selling, buying tamer gear then reselling later on to buy the stuff you have now.

You might have to suffer a little more lag for less power in return but it will be worth it.

[Damo]

I'd just stick with what you have Jack, you still gotta get the thing back together yet. ;)

[ilsautomotive]

Cheers guys that reasoning makes sense. I've e-mailed the Gas Injection folk to ask about the limits of their injectors too.

Nice to know Kyle Hopf is back in the manifold-making business, if I have any hope of affording his manifold I'll go for it when the time comes.

[Qwikcorty]

not interested in a matt special cast job? ive still got cast rods left from doing mine.

[ilsautomotive]

Hmmm how much are we talking?

[Qwikcorty]

depends how hard it is to make, your turbo is bigger than the t04b i had. Does it use a t4 flange?

[ilsautomotive]

I don't even know :S I could send you the gaskets if it would help. PM me if you wish.

[Racecraft]

I'll tip into this thread from experience
Auto shops that will sell you fitted "kits" are ripping at least $45 an hour off you for every hour they work on the car. Turboing a Falcon is not rocket science, it might take some custom fabrication work but the theory is nothing new. It is all in the fabrication, not paying $50 an hour for some 'tuning house' to bolt on parts that they didn't make themselves but outsourced and then whacked a retail mark-up on. Components that you could of sourced or had made yourself cheaper anyhow. Accumalting bits and pieces, getting odds and ends fabricated by FABRICATORS directly and then finding a tuner with a dyno is where you'll save a packet of money. And the satisfaction of doing it yourself and your way Jack gives you that warm fuzzy feeling you cannot put a price on.

If you want to be a cheque book enthusiast, drop it off somewhere as an EA and pick up a bullet but I don't think that is your style Trouty.. You have done the research, you know what is required imo don't let that ground work go to waste...

[EFFalcon]

i think the most common parts that are forgotten are:

silicone joiners: real expensive
oil lines
water lines (depending on turbo)
dump pipe production (everyone thinks about manifold first)

in that list there is already a fair more $$$ to be spent.

does anyone know where to get a manifold made to suit an EA turbo setup? I've been getting screwed around.
any help would be great.

[Racecraft]

silicon joiners... I got a foot of 3" for $50 from autoshop.com

Oil lines, water lines and all the LPG fittings.. I sourced brass fittings from a plumbers warehouse for less than $100, saved another couple of hundred there by going to the source

Dump pipe is a catch, places wanted upto $400 for the twin set-up i needed, shopped around and got the whole ehaust from Turbos to tailpipe in 2.5" to the collector and a 3" mandel bent m/s zorst for $500

It can be frustratating listening to people trying to justify why they have to charge you so much for 'custom' stuff when the bottom line is they are charging you because A. they have nfi how to do it and have to figure it out or B. they outsource it and throw a bit on for themselves

[ea ba turbo]

the snort kit is probably one of the best value for money kits going around........

you can fit it yourself....if confident of knowing what you are doing!!!!!!!!!!

or get it fitted by a professional, knowing you will have a bit of backup support

and in most cases a lot more knowledge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TuMor]

What is your setup eabaturbo?

[ea ba turbo]

GT 35/40 ba turbo with a basic manifold, custom cooler
engine from the wreckers.... valve springs (ticford) and
reground cam.

[sphell]

Originally Posted by Racecraft

It can be frustratating listening to people trying to justify why they have to charge you so much for 'custom' stuff when the bottom line is they are charging you because A. they have nfi how to do it and have to figure it out or B. they outsource it and throw a bit on for themselves

Exactly right. If you can actually find someone that knows what your on about or is actually interested in seeing the end result, you'll find that the price is a lot cheaper.


Jack, keep what you've got mate. Set yourself a plan of how you want to do things instead of trying to do everything at once. Forget about the turbo stuff for the minute and actually get the basics right (motor and gearbox in and all ready to go).

Once that is done THEN start bolting the turbo stuff on. You'll have it at a stage where you just need the exhaust and cooler piping in no time.

[StevenAu2]

Originally Posted by dansedgli

THere is another person who making awesome manifolds, turbo's and wastegate setups at reasonable prices.
6BOOST has started a business. $3300 will get you arguably the best manifold around, a GT3540 and a good wastegate. IMO that is pretty cheap,
then there is all the other little stuff you need plus the ECU and fuel system.

Does he have any contact details or a website? i spoke to him ages & ages ago but dont have any contact details anymore.

[dansedgli]

http://www.calaisturbo.com.au/showthread.php?t=50987

[old_mate]

ea ba turbo how the hell are you running so fast with such a simple setup

how many rwkw u got?

[EFFalcon]

last i seen it was a bit over 300rwkw when it had a 5 speed.
with the auto behind it it was pushing 295... things may have changed since though.

[old_mate]

mm

you'd think slow ea would be pushing 11's then (probably will now with an auto)

[EFFalcon]

SLOWEA has more power then ea ba turbo.. but setup will be the determining factor.
ea ba turbo is doing some impressing things with his

[ilsautomotive]

Just to follow up, I am going to sell my intercooler (aiming for $250 unused, paid $375 at the time) because it isn't quite to the same standard as my other parts, but the rest is staying. Cheers guys.

[EFFalcon]

Good to hear jack
do it right the first time eh

[CruizinEB]

what car was the intercooler off?

[ilsautomotive]

It's new and off Ebay, not off any particular car.

[CruizinEB]

ok,thanks mate, all the best with your project