Non turbo to Turbo swap

[Charles Moore]

Hi,
I'm thinking my next upgrade will be to get boosted. I could use the extra power on long steady climbs, and better MPG's are always a good thing.

Is it worth it to search for factory turbo engine and then swap it all in?
Or should I just try to find the turbo bits and just add those on?

Everything is running fine now, so I'm not in a rush if it makes sense to wait till I find a complete motor.

Thanks for any input you have

 

[chillman88]

You may be further ahead if you find a donor truck or something but there's no need to swap engines if you don't want to. Plenty of guys running turbos on the older non turbo engines.

Really all you need is a turbo kit.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

You may be further ahead if you find a donor truck or something but there's no need to swap engines if you don't want to. Plenty of guys running turbos on the older non turbo engines.

Really all you need is a turbo kit.

To add a little bit to this, I'd say that it depends on what you want to do with your truck. If you want to keep the turbo kit fairly stock (as it was sold) then I see no reason why you'd have to use a Factory Turbo engine. Now if you want to go big on power numbers, then you'd want at least the Turbo rods. I'm going to go this way with my future build. I'm going to use everything N/A except for using Turbo rods. I'm not worried about differences in balancing since I'm going to have the entire rotating assembly balanced. I just don't want to mess with hard to find, limited supply parts.

 

[Randy Bush]

To add a little bit to this, I'd say that it depends on what you want to do with your truck. If you want to keep the turbo kit fairly stock (as it was sold) then I see no reason why you'd have to use a Factory Turbo engine. Now if you want to go big on power numbers, then you'd want at least the Turbo rods. I'm going to go this way with my future build. I'm going to use everything N/A except for using Turbo rods. I'm not worried about differences in balancing since I'm going to have the entire rotating assembly balanced. I just don't want to mess with hard to find, limited supply parts.

Going to need / use turbo pistons to go with the rods.

 

[Randy Bush]

Personally I still believe one is better off with a turbo engine.

 

[IDIoit]

i have a turbo block in my daily driver with a new factory turbo.
8 psi max, it does really good.

i built a twin turbo toy.
7.3 n/a block. i push 25 psi through it, and i am not nice to it, being a toy.
this is a block, like yourself, dead stock.
head bolts. i took the heads off, and oil pan.
checked bearing clearances, checked heads.
new headgaskets, and slapped the thing back together.
at the time it was ment to be a back up engine.
2.5 yrs later, im only pushing 20 psi, but now im intercooled with a jacked injection pump.
any turbo is better than n/A.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Going to need / use turbo pistons to go with the rods.

Naturally. I had assumed that would be a given, but you know what they say happens when you assume...

 

[miles1400]

i bought my sidewinder kit almost a year ago. i got a really good deal on it too $800 for everything except it didnt have the nuts and bolts or gauges and the turbo needed to be rebuilt, but when she told be she only wanted $800 i couldnt let the opportunity pass. rebiuld kit for the turbo cost $100 and the total cost when everything was done was $1,200. just for referance Banks is over $3,000 and i think hypermax is about $2,500

basically if you have the opportunity to go look at a turbo kit thats for sale in person or if you find one in a junkyard, if you have the money just get it, dont let the opportunity pass you because if you dont get it someone else will. it really doesnt matter the brand, Banks, Hypermax, ATS/factory i think you should get it but thats just my 2 cents.

i have a NA engine with a sidewinder kit and a straight pipe with the ip turned up 2 flats. on the highway it crusies alot better i only need about half throttle. as far as HP,TQ, and MPG Banks claims +82 hp and +129 ftlbs of torque to the wheels with 29% better mpg. all of those numbers is a truckload of BS. my truck dynoed at 149 hp and 349 ftlbs of torque at the wheels and i only get 1/2 - 1 mpg better than i was before NA but my truck does have 4:10 gears which really suck. i belive if i swap the axle gears to 3:55s i could probaly get that 29% better mpg

 

[Randy Bush]

Naturally. I had assumed that would be a given, but you know what they say happens when you assume...

There are some people out there that would not figure that out.

 

[chillman88]

There are some people out there that would not figure that out.

"Ok driver's side wiper huh? What engine, 2wd or 4wd"

 

[Scotty4]

My favorite Chris, was when I spent every day for two weeks in Oreillys and the same guy never knew the vehicle. I would say "1985 Ford F250, 6.9" and he would then re-ask for each bit... twice.

 

[Charles Moore]

So sounds like Id be mostly fine just getting the factory turbo bits and putting them on. I'm not looking for big power at all, primarily I want better MPGs really.

What parts would I need? Just the exhaust bits, air intake bits and the turbo itself yeah? The factory kit doesn't have an intercooler right? Will the factory fuel system hold up with the turbo or should I get the turbo injection pump and/or injectors?

Thanks folks!

"Ok driver's side wiper huh? What engine, 2wd or 4wd"

Lol. That's 99% of the parts store folks.

 

[chillman88]

Will the factory fuel system hold up with the turbo or should I get the turbo injection pump and/or injectors?

Yes it will. There's zero difference in the injectors, but the injection pump for the turbo models pushes a little bit more fuel. I wouldn't bother with a used turbo pump though, wait until you need a new IP for that.

Look up how to turn up the fuel screw. When you get the turbo installed you may want to turn it up, but that wouldn't help with your MPG at all. It will certainly help pulling a trailer though!

 

[IDIBRONCO]

primarily I want better MPGs really.

You may see a slight increase in fuel mileage, but don't expect a big one. If you use the extra power from the turbo to accelerate, you may see worse mileage. The big advantage may be if you go up a lot of big hills. Then you'll have the extra power so that you don't have to push on the throttle as hard.

The factory kit doesn't have an intercooler right?

As far as I know, none of the turbo kits that were offered for these trucks came with an intercooler. That led to MANY engines with shortened lives in my opinion.

 

[Randy Bush]

Yes it will. There's zero difference in the injectors, but the injection pump for the turbo models pushes a little bit more fuel. I wouldn't bother with a used turbo pump though, wait until you need a new IP for that.

Look up how to turn up the fuel screw. When you get the turbo installed you may want to turn it up, but that wouldn't help with your MPG at all. It will certainly help pulling a trailer though!

Not that it makes a big difference , but do believe the Turbo G ones have a higher pop off pressure.

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