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Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Have you personaly seen a HX40 fail?
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You couldn't pay me to bolt a HX-40 onto either of my 6BT's...
Matt
Matt
Would Piers be a good place to start? Yes!
Some people don't like the 40 or the fear factor that they have, but most people try to put too much power through it or they don't know how to drive the truck... ... ..... you can be at 500 hp and spinning the turbo to the moon and dumping the throttle from max boost and expect it to live a long life. If all out trucks had a blow off valve to dump the system once you let off it, then you could do this. The other one is cooling the turbo prior to shut down, if take care of stuff it will take care of you... ... . kinda like people!
Jim
Some people don't like the 40 or the fear factor that they have, but most people try to put too much power through it or they don't know how to drive the truck... ... ..... you can be at 500 hp and spinning the turbo to the moon and dumping the throttle from max boost and expect it to live a long life. If all out trucks had a blow off valve to dump the system once you let off it, then you could do this. The other one is cooling the turbo prior to shut down, if take care of stuff it will take care of you... ... . kinda like people!
Jim
That's sugar coating things a bit, Jim.
I know people who drive conservatively and have had OEM and modified HX-40's fail.
I even know people who have used them on top of a twin-turbo setup and had 'em let loose. If a HX-40 can't even survive being a top turbo in a twins setup... it will NEVER survive as a single.
The HX-40 has an embarassingly small shaft and the oiling leaves a lot to be desired. It's a recipe for disaster.
There's much better (bigger than OEM... ) singles out there... some are better than others. The HX-40 happens to be at the bottom of my list.
Matt
I know people who drive conservatively and have had OEM and modified HX-40's fail.
I even know people who have used them on top of a twin-turbo setup and had 'em let loose. If a HX-40 can't even survive being a top turbo in a twins setup... it will NEVER survive as a single.
The HX-40 has an embarassingly small shaft and the oiling leaves a lot to be desired. It's a recipe for disaster.
There's much better (bigger than OEM... ) singles out there... some are better than others. The HX-40 happens to be at the bottom of my list.
Matt
the HX40 has the same embarassingly small shaft and less than desirable oiling as the HX35...
if the oiling doesn't kill an HX35, it's not going to kill an HX40... unless you're overspinning it of course and running the bearings dry.
the only thing that kills the HX40 is the added weight and inertia of the larger turbine wheel... so realy, letting off at high boost is your killer...
FWIW, I'm running a 60mm HX40-16w w/ unmodified oiling. the only "modification" that's been done is the wheels were zero balanced. it's seen 42psi every day of its life, and while I make a concious effort to roll off the throttle when merging or passing, I've let off the throttle at full boost a BUNCH of times.
turbo has 8k miles on it.
that's my limited experience w/ the HX40... take it for what it's worth.
also take THIS for what it's worth... I'm building twins, and I will NOT be using an HX40 turbine wheel... when I originally built this turbo, I didn't want to use an HX40 turbine wheel, but I couldn't find a 14 or 16 gated HX35 housing cheap enough. I got a gated HX40 housing for free. the decision was made...
Forrest
if the oiling doesn't kill an HX35, it's not going to kill an HX40... unless you're overspinning it of course and running the bearings dry.
the only thing that kills the HX40 is the added weight and inertia of the larger turbine wheel... so realy, letting off at high boost is your killer...
FWIW, I'm running a 60mm HX40-16w w/ unmodified oiling. the only "modification" that's been done is the wheels were zero balanced. it's seen 42psi every day of its life, and while I make a concious effort to roll off the throttle when merging or passing, I've let off the throttle at full boost a BUNCH of times.
turbo has 8k miles on it.
that's my limited experience w/ the HX40... take it for what it's worth.
also take THIS for what it's worth... I'm building twins, and I will NOT be using an HX40 turbine wheel... when I originally built this turbo, I didn't want to use an HX40 turbine wheel, but I couldn't find a 14 or 16 gated HX35 housing cheap enough. I got a gated HX40 housing for free. the decision was made...
Forrest
Is there an aftermarket main shaft for the 40 one could install that would hold up better that the 35 main shaft that it runs with? Seems like that is the only issue is the main shaft is too small for the larger diameter compressor and turbine wheels that the 40 runs. If there is a bigger shaft out there then one could bash on this turbo all day long and it would hold up fine.
That's sugar coating things a bit, Jim.
Na, I'm not sugar coating it! If a guy wants to run a B-1 then that's fine with me but the 40 isn't that bad!
On the Twins deal, there are just very few people on the street running more fuel than me and I haven't had any issues, but saying that I was running at 74 psi in valet with the gate shut and I know that's not good on the 40 so it's changed now!
Jim
Na, I'm not sugar coating it! If a guy wants to run a B-1 then that's fine with me but the 40 isn't that bad!
On the Twins deal, there are just very few people on the street running more fuel than me and I haven't had any issues, but saying that I was running at 74 psi in valet with the gate shut and I know that's not good on the 40 so it's changed now!
Jim
So what exactly happens when you let off under full throttle and high boost that
A. Breaks the shaft
and
B. a blow off valve will cure? (It would be difficult to rig up a vacuum source, but not impossible)
What is physically going on inside of my intake and exhaust manifolds that's causing that sound and trying to twist the shaft when I let off at 40psi?
A. Breaks the shaft
and
B. a blow off valve will cure? (It would be difficult to rig up a vacuum source, but not impossible)
What is physically going on inside of my intake and exhaust manifolds that's causing that sound and trying to twist the shaft when I let off at 40psi?
I am going to post this and probably have it come apart tomorrow but I am another person that drives my PDR HX-40 hard. I have had stage 3 and 7 injectors and nitrous, it still lives after 40,000 miles! So far so good for me!
what happens is at high boost, the shaft RPM is high, and when you let off, there's no exhaust flow to maintain the speed, and all the boost that's left in the pipes and intercooler surges back past/against the compressor wheel... and therefore against the turbine wheel and shaft... the inertia of the heavier turbine wheel wants to keep it spinning, so you get a twisting force on the shaft.
there isn't really an affordable way to get a bigger shaft... these modded HX40's are already well over $1k...
the bomber series turbos that are so popular are pretty much the hodge podge turbos you're talking about... they flow better than the HX40, but in order to get an HX40 to stand up to similar abuse, it'd cost about the same, so why not buy a bigger turbo, right?
twins should help the life out a lot unless you're getting nuts w/ the boost because it spreads the load between two turbos, and your shaft speed on the small turbo is less.
Forrest
there isn't really an affordable way to get a bigger shaft... these modded HX40's are already well over $1k...
the bomber series turbos that are so popular are pretty much the hodge podge turbos you're talking about... they flow better than the HX40, but in order to get an HX40 to stand up to similar abuse, it'd cost about the same, so why not buy a bigger turbo, right?
twins should help the life out a lot unless you're getting nuts w/ the boost because it spreads the load between two turbos, and your shaft speed on the small turbo is less.
Forrest
Jim,
The people I know that have had problems with their HX-40's won't be telling all of us about it on the TDR.
There are a LOT of failures in various products that I hear about and are never posted on the TDR or any other online forum.
The old saying goes: Opinions are like buttholes - everyone has one and you always think yours doesn't stink as much as the next person's.
No heat, flames, fire, etc. intended - just stating my opinion... like everyone else.
Matt
The people I know that have had problems with their HX-40's won't be telling all of us about it on the TDR.
There are a LOT of failures in various products that I hear about and are never posted on the TDR or any other online forum.
The old saying goes: Opinions are like buttholes - everyone has one and you always think yours doesn't stink as much as the next person's.
No heat, flames, fire, etc. intended - just stating my opinion... like everyone else.
Matt
psst, check out BD's website.
I always cool mine down... that's one of the things I really noticed... MUCH easier to cool down a 16cm HX40 hot side than a 12cm HX35 hot side!
i personnaly have blown 2 hx40's and an hx50. all 3 turbos were severly abused. i have heard of great luck with the pdr modified 40's. but i have moved on to bigger and better turbos. jmo, nick
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Issue 128 – Digital Version
Digital Magazines
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Renew
Subscribe
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Back Issues
Subscription Status
Address Change Form
Buyer's Guides
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