Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Water Meth or Hybrid Turbo

[GCULP]

ok fellas, as you can see by my signature I've done all the recommended upgrades and am now looking for the next "best bang for the buck". My concern is Exhaust temps while towing. Am I better off going with a Hybrid like the Dodgezilla, I want to keep the Pac Brake, and a Smarty, or will the Water Meth system help while towing. EGT's are not an issue for daily driving. I'm not familiar with the cost of the water meth system, but the Dodgezilla and Smarty will be in the $1800 to $200 range.

 

[darkhorse]

Am I better off going with a Hybrid like the Dodgezilla, I want to keep the Pac Brake, and a Smarty, or will the Water Meth system help while towing.



I can't speak to the water/meth system but The Dodgezilla worked very well for me on my '01 6 speed & I've got to say I love my Smarty.

 

[AFarmer]

I would say that the turbo would probably be a better route to go. Have you looked at any of the High Tech turbos??

 

[AndyMan]

I don't think High Tech Turbo has anything that will work with the pacbrake. Don't all of their turbo's require an hx-40 downpipe?

 

[AFarmer]

They've got a 35/40 hybrid.

 

[AndyMan]

Interesting. I had no idea(obviously). I inferred from your post that you had overlooked the pacbrake reference in the original request. My apologies.

 

[GCULP]

Thanks fellas, it sounds like a hybrid 35/40 is the smarter way to go, I've never liked the idea of additional injection, whether it's water/meth, propane or ? Next question is how much boost will the hybrid create, I would like to upgrade in stages, but don't want to deal with an overboost code. When the Smarty is added, it won't be an issue.

 

[boydo]

Get a boost fooler for your map sensor and set the new turbo up for 35 psi at the intake manifold. Adjustable boost elbows are good for this, I prefer a gated bost controller http://http://www.turbosmart.com.au/index.php?id=43 they keep the waste gate closed until the desired boost level thius make for lightning fast spool up. Good luck.

 

[Boondocker]

I just want to throw in a comment about water/meth injection as I am asking the exact same question as GCULP. At May Madness, a couple of weeks ago, I spent a good half hour talking with the rep from Snow Performance. I'm very impressed with the quality and engineering of their kit (Stage 3). The price of their kit, possibly even with some upgrades, like a larger tank, is still cheaper than a hybrid turbo. What's more, his estimate on cooling was as much 200 degrees EGT reduction, compared to maybe 100 degrees with a hybrid turbo, plus as much as 75 HP increase, again, more than a turbo.



All this performance and less money too, why didn't I buy it for the show discount price? In a word - complexity. With a water/meth injection system, you need: fluid storage container, hoses, pump, nozzles, controller, boost connection, pyrometer connections, controller, power, switches, and assorted wiring. And then there's the fluid, without which, the system is useless. With a turbo, you need: turbo. There are a lot fewer points of failure and it's always there.



I'm not knocking water/meth systems, they are a great performance value, and I certainly do admire the Snow Performance system. But I have to ask myself, do I want all this complexity? After considerable thought, this type of system is not for me. Does that mean I'm ready to buy a hybrid turbo? Not quite. Whoever coined the term "hybrid turbo" was smart, because if they called it a "compromise turbo", I'm afraid it would enjoy no popularity at all. Now my choice seems to be between finding an HX35/40 compromise turbo for the sake of keeping my Jacobs exhaust brake, or spending 3 times as much for a performance turbo and an inline brake.



... Is it too late to do it right the first time ?

Oh well, I enjoy agonizing over this topic



Neil

 

[GCULP]

Boondocker, you knocked it clean out of the park with that response, that is exactly the way I was feeling about the "system", I don't need anymore things to maintain. Thanks for the info, looks like a hybrid and Smarty for me.

 

[wcjp]

Friend with 99' did some sort of hybrid using part of his existing turbo. Bought it from Piers. I think he paid about $650. He's running an Edge Drag Comp. Mentioned it lowered towing EGT's by 100deg.

 

[OPoole]

Any Holset HX-35 based hybrid turbo will work with the turbo mount brakes. Wastegated or non.

 

[icman95]

Just did the hybrid turbo thing. Sent my stock turbo to High Tech Turbo in Utah. They changed the compressor wheel and housing to a 40. Their stage 3 kit. Also had them rebuild the rest of it-new bearings, seals, etc. Total cost w/o shipping was $550. Htturbo.com. Did it for the same reason-wanted to keep stock Jacobs brake.

 

[Bova]

Just my 2 cents, last weekend Scott at Mass Diesel put the Snow performance stage 3 kit on my truck. Its tied into the washer fluid tank. It kicks in at 30 psi or 1100* it monitors both for you all you do is mash the gas! It is an awsome upgrade if you are making HP. It dropped my egt's 200* and i'm gonna guess 50 hp to the rear wheels, I'm 550-575 hp. You know those 90* days when the truck loses power, not any more!

 

[icman95]

Questions on the Snows:



What was the cost for the system as you have it installed?

How long can you expect the supply of washer fluid to last? What rate does it flow? In other words does it run out after pulling just a few hills or will it go some distance?

 

[Boondocker]

Just did the hybrid turbo thing. Sent my stock turbo to High Tech Turbo in Utah. They changed the compressor wheel and housing to a 40. Their stage 3 kit. Also had them rebuild the rest of it-new bearings, seals, etc. Total cost w/o shipping was $550. Htturbo.com. Did it for the same reason-wanted to keep stock Jacobs brake.

Hey icman95,



Please give us an update on the new turbo performance after you've run it a while, especially any towing. I'm most interested in EGT reduction and whether or not it smokes more than stock.



Thanks,

Neil

 

[Bova]

Iceman, the stage 3 kit is around $650-700. And with the biggest jets that come with the kit, and the pump at max pressure driving very hard, five or six pulls with the edge box on I have emptied the stock washer bottle in 100 miles. I only have 500 miles on the water/meth kit so its too soon for me to talk trash but so far I love this set up. I run regular washer fluid thats it.