085 better spooling, zf5, and intercooled

This is a right up for what I’ve done to my 085 turbo kit

The 085 turbo kit is general looked at as one of the runt of the pack, but for how cheap they are and a couple hundred bucks you can make them keep up with the more expensive sought offer kits

To Start off this is TBC as I have yet to intercool will be added upon completion

First thing I did was I went on eBay and bought a .68 a/r exhaust housing turbos are very universal it turns out. And I rebuilt it while I’m here. The turbine and compressor wheels are shared with the 093 kit which you can actually find parts for I rebuilt the turbo while I was here as the turbine was messed up

Turbos are very easy to rebuild if you are mechanically inclined and the exhaust housing bolts right up

First challenge the disgusting hunk of iron that is the factory 085 down Pipe, this exhaust housing used a v band so I had to make my own down pipe. Not bad. To do if you have a welder and a chop saw and patience, this solves a lot of issue with this kit and and the factory down pipe contrary to popular belief will not fit a zf5 in my experience

This was awesome in my set up 6.9 studded r and d cam, 90cc pump stage one injectors, fass, comp 910 valve springs, I’m sure I’m missing more specs , will start spooling at 1200 rpm and make atleast 20 psi might make more but I let off there.

Then comes my zf5 swap

I had already solved the down pipe dilemma with my own down pipe so had that going for me, the zf5 bellhousuing is much bigger than the t-19’s and the up pipe will NOT fit due to that. The factory 085 up pipe is a 2 piece deal a cross over pipe and an up pipe. The cross over fits fine but the up pipe hits the bellhousing really bad. After talking to Justin and determining it will not effect flow. I beat in a part of the up pipe to clear the trans. And still the up pipe didn’t fit into the cross over pipe well at all. So I went for a v band instead of the conventional fit the pipe in the other pipe and clamp as it used from the factory. Then the up pipe seals reliably and is much much easier to take off.

Bonus point for heat wrap on the up pipe turbos spool via heat you want to keep the heat in the pipe especially with these long up pipes that swoop under the trans with all that wind blowing on it going done the road

Quite the change up from the turbo kit people almost toss away as garbage!
Took alot of work but hey can’t complain for a turbo I got for basically free 300$ in parts and some elbow grease so maybe think twice before you pass on an 085!

Makes awesome power and spools down low, but when I have a trailer hills kill me with egts frustrating becuase I have a lot of power but can’t use it do to heat. So the obvious solution is an intercooler that is next when parts and motivation arrive.

No small task as everyone says bulls are the hardest to intercool v belts don’t help either. But I am determined regardless. And I see why there is a whole inch between the ac and the grille but I can move the ac an inch closer to the rad and space the rad closer the the rad as needed.

My intercooler pick is a 6.0 intercooler and running 3” pipe. I’ll relocate the driver side battery to the passage side. I have already done this before so that will be easy. And run the 3.5” intake to where the driver side battery was. I plan to use r and d’s intake manifold for this to make my life easy as I have used an intake hat before and didn’t care for it.
On another idi
For those curious sized will be listed below
Note these are for r and d’s manifold, 085 turbo, and a stock 6.0 intercooler

Turbo outlet 2”
Turbo intake 2.5”
Intake 3”
Intercooler inlet 3”
Intercooler outlet 3.25” (thanks ford)

Will add to this thread upon completion hopefully this can help someone looking to bring the 085 up to more modern power and trans! More than happy to provide exact parts and details if needed

Here are 2 general pictures and 3 of the up pipe,
Also if you are in need of a new oil drain or grommet you have 2 options as of right know there isn’t a 085 grommet available CDD told me there are working on 3d printing one

The 085 oil drain is 2 pieces of metal only that bolts into the turbo and one that goes into the valley pan grommet connected by a push lok type hose

You can separate them get a new hose and have a machine shop turn the bottom down to fit a 093 grommet

Or you can get a valley pan thing that you jb weld on to adapt the valley into a threaded bung where you can use a barb paired with just search up t4 turbo oil drain and get a barb on the turbo and use a high temp oil rated hose and clamps, that is the method I chose

The factory 085 air filter is off a 80’s Porsche 9/11 and is only sold by k and n can get the part number if anyone is in need I wish the snorkel tube that sucks air from the grille worked on my truck but it hits my cdr and Saginaw to much

Since I have no idea how a 085 does a cdr from the factory I used a 093 valve cover mounted cdr and then Jerry rigged some pipe from the hard ware store to get it to the intake box

I can delete my questions if you dont want this thread clouded up.

Do you have pictures of the up pipe installed with the zf5?
Have seen smaller exhaust housings that also had the slip fit piston ring style down pipe, but I think getting rid of that cast down pipe is a good way to go.

I believe that an 088 drain could be used with the 085, but have yet to confirm. Have both kits here right now, will try to confirm.

Have you thought about adding a wastegate from up pipe to down pipe to control boost, and potenially lower egt. Sized right, would have the quick spool of the 093, but the exhaust flow of the 085, 088. Have never had egt trouble with those turbos regardless of fuel....just more boost.

Very cool making it do what you want. Had planned on doing the smaller housing on mine for many years, but finally wore the 7.3 and headed a different direction.

Black dawg said:

I can delete my questions if you dont want this thread clouded up.

Do you have pictures of the up pipe installed with the zf5?
Have seen smaller exhaust housings that also had the slip fit piston ring style down pipe, but I think getting rid of that cast down pipe is a good way to go.

I believe that an 088 drain could be used with the 085, but have yet to confirm. Have both kits here right now, will try to confirm.

Have you thought about adding a wastegate from up pipe to down pipe to control boost, and potenially lower egt. Sized right, would have the quick spool of the 093, but the exhaust flow of the 085, 088. Have never had egt trouble with those turbos regardless of fuel....just more boost.

Very cool making it do what you want. Had planned on doing the smaller housing on mine for many years, but finally wore the 7.3 and headed a different direction.

Click to expand...

Never thought of a waste gate and likely won’t I can roll back under the truck today and grab one

Got the intercooler mostly in just need to finish up the brackets for the intercooler tomorrow, and trim the rad hoses and fully assemble the front end,
Wasn’t the worst spaced the rad and condenser into the engine 1 1/8” only had to take 1/4” off the grill can’t even tell,
My r and d intake should be ready early next week!
Need to relocate the battery next but nothing I haven’t done before
Coming together great, happy to keep the ac and have an air to air so many poeple recommended water to air which I just wasn’t interested in and also deleting the ac like what why would you ever do that

Intercooler is mounted can’t even tell which was the goal

i dig it man!
you might be able to gain some egt drop by relocating the air filter housing away from the motor so you dont heat soak the air filter, while gaining flow.

Next you might look into a cheap amazon turbo titanium turbo blanket to keep heat in and keep spool up. Also can a ww2 fit in the 085 housing? i was under the impression they would fit.

how are the egts now?

03wr250f said:

i dig it man!
you might be able to gain some egt drop by relocating the air filter housing away from the motor so you dont heat soak the air filter, while gaining flow.

Next you might look into a cheap amazon turbo titanium turbo blanket to keep heat in and keep spool up. Also can a ww2 fit in the 085 housing? i was under the impression they would fit.

how are the egts now?

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After up pipe seal I’m hard pressed to brake 1k, but towing is a DISASTER with egts especially since I’m always in the Rockies or Sierra Nevada’s, the air filter will be where the driver battery is. What is a ww2? Using context clues id imagine a compressor wheel, the ats kits wheels are all the same so if it’s a 093 it will fit this

Austin86250 said:

What is a ww2?

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The brand name is Wicked Wheel 2. Yes you can buy them for Factory Turbos so I guess it would work in your case as well.

IDIBRONCO said:

The brand name is Wicked Wheel 2. Yes you can buy them for Factory Turbos so I guess it would work in your case as well.

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Do they preform good or just noise

I think that they do improve performance. I'm not that up on them. It seems like they are sold as a step up in power.

Austin86250 said:

After up pipe seal I’m hard pressed to brake 1k, but towing is a DISASTER with egts

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That's not what I was hoping to hear! My intercooler is still up on the shelf, waiting for me to install it. Was hoping for a moderate improvement in performance and EGTs.

That was fast to get

david85 said:

That's not what I was hoping to hear! My intercooler is still up on the shelf, waiting for me to install it. Was hoping for a moderate improvement in performance and EGTs.

Click to expand...

Oh, my truck has plenty of power it scoots pretty good. A lot better egts after up pipe seal.
But my towing experience is always 20k+ gross and I’m in Idaho so everywhere I go so terrible mountains every way but south
My 460 zf5 doesn’t help with those terrible 2-3 and 3-4 gaps

What set up do you have?

Curious where your timing is set, injectors and injection pump?

With maxxed turbo pump, turbo injectors, same turbo ( but bigger exhaust housing) 6.0 intercooler, egts were a non issue( like took the gauges out and used them in another truck) even loaded heavy in hot weather. Even had a modded pump on at one point. Temps would barely reach 1300.