Turbo Questions for a 6.9

[mankypro]

Ok so I'm considering bolting on a turbo.

Which of the kits is 100% mechanical? That is no solid state brain? Or are they all? What should I pay for a new kit? (not going to bolt on someone's old turbo).

I just remember all the SAABs sitting on the side of the Autobahn in the 80's when the turbos were very popular. Dead turbo=dead vehicle.

I'm hesitant. Is there a way to build a turbo so that it's bypassed if it dies?

 

[Devilish]

Why not bolt on a used turbo? You can have the turbine cartrige rebuilt.
A new turbo kit is like $2000. A used kit is like as cheap as you can get it for pluse $3-400 for a proper cartridge rebuilt and balance.
As for a turbo bypass I'm sure a design can be developed but I figure it would be complex and be a mess under the hood. Better I should say 'not practicle to have a turbo bypass'. A turbo usually doesn't die suddenly and with regular maintenance you'll know when you need to do repairs.

 

[FordGuy100]

If I were to buy used now a days, I would probably go with hypermax. I say this because I hear that the ATS customer service is horendice, it absolutly sucks. The hypermax would be a little cheaper as well.

No, there is no brains to it, all it is is some up pipes from the exhaust manifold, into the turbo, which spools boost and sends it into the engine, more things are involved but that is the basics. No electronics needed, unless you count gauges. It really truly depends on how bad a turbo fails as to weither you can still drive it. I drove 50 miles with my turbo in real bad shape, making basically no boost at WOT, only 1.5psi, making a weird metal on metal at high speed contact sound. So it made it, and so far no more motor problems have occured from the intake wheel being thrown into the engine (smaller pieces, my truck has the screen on it so it caught the bigger chunks). Heres what it looked like

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You could move the wheel like 1/4 and touch the housing on basically all the sides. Yet I made it home

 

[69dieselfreak]

personally id go with a hypermax turbo it was very easy to install and pretty easy directions to follow

 

[david85]

If I were to buy used now a days, I would probably go with hypermax. I say this because I hear that the ATS customer service is horendice, it absolutly sucks. The hypermax would be a little cheaper as well.

No, there is no brains to it, all it is is some up pipes from the exhaust manifold, into the turbo, which spools boost and sends it into the engine, more things are involved but that is the basics. No electronics needed, unless you count gauges. It really truly depends on how bad a turbo fails as to weither you can still drive it. I drove 50 miles with my turbo in real bad shape, making basically no boost at WOT, only 1.5psi, making a weird metal on metal at high speed contact sound. So it made it, and so far no more motor problems have occured from the intake wheel being thrown into the engine (smaller pieces, my truck has the screen on it so it caught the bigger chunks). Heres what it looked like

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You could move the wheel like 1/4 and touch the housing on basically all the sides. Yet I made it home

yikes! That was close, at least you have a manual tranny in case the truck ever tried to run away on you.

Actually, I would caution you about hypermax because they still use the T04B turbocharger (same as on my used ATS 088 system) Its not unreliable or anything, but it just won't spool as well at lower RPM as the wastegated turbos on the banks (soon to be discontinued) or the ATS turbo kit.

I would still consider getting a used turbo considering the cost of a new kit. Carefull inspection can save some grief later on and you can also rebuild the turbo yourself if you are that concerned about it. Generally you can get a used kit for less than half the cost of a new one. I got mine for $200 but I had to make my own downpipe and crossover. I would not pay as much as $1000 unless its absolutely mint.

Now having said all that, if you can afford the cost of a new kit than it is one of those upgrades that is worth paying full price for. Just don't go over 8 psi if your 6.9 is stock.

 

[mankypro]

I have had turbocharged engines before, but they've all been plug and play (e.g. my 2.7t Audi - yeah I know a moment of weakness many years back).

I'm not particularly interested in making my truck some street rod - I just don't want to crawl up hills at 35mph in 3rd

Will I have to manage anything specific in cab with a Banks, ATS or Hypermax?

I'm not even shade-tree mech level - will I be able to install a kit? e.g. I can do glow plugs, and injectors - but I'd shudder at messing with the IP. Wondering if I should I just have someone install the turbo for me?

 

[punkmechanic]

I just put the hypermax pulse kit on mine and then drove 3500 miles with a 7000 lb trailer. I HIGHLY recommend hypermax. The instructions are great, everything you need comes in the kit (1850 to my door by the way) and the power is there but not all the time, i.e. it is possible to drive around without boosting therefore saving fuel. I actually "lost" the turbo for awhile in idaho due to low oil (the line nut worked loose, my fault not hypermax) and was not making any boost (1 psi at full tilt in 3rd) and it was low on power, but moving. I would think if the turbo went out all together my truck would run, just have a loss of power to the big non turning thing in the intake stream. Hypermax is great though, call them and tell them what you want and they will tell you if what they have will suit your needs. good price, easy to install, great support, real power gains. that is all that needs said really.

 

[punkmechanic]

almost forgot. Do yourself a huge favor and get a good set of gauges before you install the turbo, or at least at the same time. You want EGT (most important) oil pressure, boost, and engine temp. Dont trust the stock ones especially when you add boost. These motors are REALLY resilient but the possibility for harm is increased when the hairdryer is spinning.

 

[FordGuy100]

You should be fine. Its just a bunch of pulling off old parts, and putting in new parts.

Here is how mine went, or per as I remember. I pulled into Russ's work, and we bs'ed some before we got to work. We put the truck onto the lift. We then took a sawsall and cutt off the exhaust in a couple different places so it would be easier to take out. We then pulled the exhaust out (which happened to weigh a ton, if we had any extra time I would have cut into my muffler to see how much soot was built up in there). Me and my buddy then took a piece of pipe or something, and bent the firewall to clearance the downpipe. We then took off the old y pipe off of the exhaust manifolds. We then loosly put in the ATS up pipes in place. We took the truck down off the lift. We then took off my stock intake parts basically the filter. We moved things per instructions, like the CDR, and something else that I cant remember, it was on the firewall. Then we took my old valve cover off, and replaced it with the one that ATS supplies with the CDR on it (after we descoverd it had a hole in it, Russ brazed it up and painted it). We put that on. All the while Shane was doing the wiring for the gauges. Shane then put the pedistal on, and then mounted the turbo into the pedistal. We then put the truck on the lift, and then attached the up pipes into the turbo, and installed the downpipe. Then we fabbed up the exhaust....and that was the basics of it. The kits will come with instructions, and they write it out step by step, and if you follow it (who follows instructions ) it should be pretty stress free, taking it one thing at a time, not doing a bunch of things at the same time. Took all day to do it, but it was worth it.

I would like to that Russ and Shane for helping me with the install, if you can find someone who knows what they are doing and invite them over to help out.

It took me months before I installed my turbo, but honestly it wasnt all that bad.

 

[icanfixall]

Ebay has a used turbo up for bids or a BIN prive I think at 900.00. Looks complete too. Worth a looky see.

 

[typ4]

CLEAN THE OIL GALLEY EXTREMELY WELL BEFORE HOOKING UP THE LINE. THE SLUDGE WILL TAKE OUT A TURBO IN ABOUT A WEEK.
Yes I put it in caps for a reason. Didn't I Justin?

 

[FordGuy100]

CLEAN THE OIL GALLEY EXTREMELY WELL BEFORE HOOKING UP THE LINE. THE SLUDGE WILL TAKE OUT A TURBO IN ABOUT A WEEK.
Yes I put it in caps for a reason. Didn't I Justin?

Yes, caps for a reason. Skipping that 5 minute step can cost someone a good $400 in a turbo rebuild....been there done that......not somewhere you would like to go.

I didnt put it in cause we didnt do that step ....seriously though if we would have known we would have done that though.

 

[mankypro]

Well just found a newer wastegated ATS turbo from a Colorado wrecker - complete - also the intercooler. I'd tell you guys what I paid for it, but I'm stealing it so I don;t want to jinx it. I'm having them pull it per the ATS schematics to make sure I get everything.

Just so happens that ATS is 15 minutes from me so guess who is going to install it :-D

They have AWESOME SUPPORT. They've been on the phone with me for hours today - they were even the ones suggesting I pick up a salvaged turbo and told me exactly what to look for. Having them so close by is going to be great too.

Anyway in a couple of weeks I'll be part of the Turbocharged/Intercooled 6.9IDI world.

p.s. I saw another ATS OEM go for 650.00 BIN on Ebay this morning within minutes of posting...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&viewitem=&item=110271741522

 

[icanfixall]

 

[david85]

The Ebay listing is for the ATS 085 turbo kit. I would not recommend paying more than $500 for that kit in that condition.