Attention: TDR Forum Junkies After 2 months of research, searching old threads, and PM'ing numerous members I decided to purchase and install a HTB2 turbo with the "62" compressor and 12 cm2 exhaust housing as recommended by Paul at HTT for my BOMBS and driving intentions without killing driveability. Well, now i just can't get the smile off my face!
The turbo install was basically a bolt-in that I made more complicated by my stubborness, but I want to share my experiences to make future HTB2 installs a breeze for other TDR members. The HTT turbo came with all necessary bolts, gaskets, and O-ring. I also purchased the downpipe with clamps and turbo compressor outlet and clamp.
My installation took about 11 hours only because I worked on it mostly by myself and I was fighting a losing battle with the downpipe. If I had help from the start (and some of the following tips!), the install would have taken 5-6 hours. Here's my tips:
1) Soak all bolts/nuts/clamps with penetrating oil up to a week in advance.
2) Invest in some metric open end and box end wrenches. 15 mm was the size for the turbo mounting bolts. The ratcheting type and stubby type work extremely well in the close spaces that are even tighter when the HTB2 is installed.
3) Invest in about 1' of 4" exhaust pipe, 4" 90-degree elbow, and some exhaust clamps for working with the new downpipe to your current exhaust. The 90-degree elbow can be cut down to any angle and the new downpipe was about 8" short due to the amount of my stock exhaust that had to be removed. If you don't want to do exhaust work, at least purchase some 4" flexible exhaust duct as a temporary splice.
4) Remove passenger wheel well liner. In hindsight, removing the passenger wheel would have helped some more.
5) Disconnect negative battery cables from both batteries. Cover up terminals with non-conductive material. I found that I was spending lots of time with metal tools over the passenger side battery!
6) Install the cleaned-up stock intercooler boot on the compressor outlet with the outlet in a vice. The stock intercooler boot is 2 7/8" ID, but the HTB2 compressor outlet is 3" so there is quite the stretch. The stock boot is very stretchable yet strangely kind of feels like old newspaper. I have a 3" silicone hose to install, but the stock clamps were too small. New clamps on order.
7) Get your friend and install the HTB2 loosely. Attach the compressor outlet and note the limited clearance between the shock mount and outlet. Remove turbo, take to bench, mark with felt pen some reference marks, and clock the compressor housing to gain your clearance. Reinstall on truck loosely and check clearance. Repeat above as much as required. I did this twice before my friend showed up. Use your friend's help; your lower back and legs with thank you!
8) On the bench, attach the oil drain tube. Hook up shop air to the wastegate hose to activate the wastegate. A tire pump could actually work too I guess if no shop air is present. You will then see where the wastegate actuator hits the tube. Mark location and remove tube. Dimple the tube only SLIGHTLY in at this location with a SMALL ball peen hammer. Reinstall oil drain tube on turbo while on bench and triple-check the clearance. Make that quadruple-check including that the oil drain tube bolts are tight. You will thank me later because I wasted an hour trying to install the oil drain tube while the turbo was on the truck. Did you install the oil drain gasket? Just checking!
9) Reinstall turbo loosely in truck. Prime turbo with fresh oil while spinning it with hand to make sure that oil is in fact coming out the oil drain.
10) Friend can now hook up oil drain to engine block, while you move loose turbo around to give your friend clearance. Install oil inlet with new O-ring.
11) Rotate steel intercooler tube 180 degrees (not end-to-end) to get your alignment with the compressor outlet.
12) Tighten turbo mounting bolts, intercooler clamps, and oil drain clamps.
13) With friend's help hook up downpipe and tighten clamp. Adapt downpipe to existing exhaust.
14) Bump starter without starting engine to build oil pressure. Check all oil fittings for leaks.
15) Start truck up, idle for 5 minutes, and again check for leaks and strange noises. Then go drink some beer because you deserved it!
For some reason I had the wrong downpipe from HTT and the lower horizontal portion hit the floorboard. I had to run with an open downpipe for about 50 miles and 4 days with windows partially open in 20 degree weather (WHAT!!! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!) until I could get the custom exhaust shop to make that downpipe work. In the end this was a blessing because I had them replace my stock 3. 5" exhaust pipe to my 4" straight through muffler with 4" pipe. Paul at HTT is aware of my problem downpipe and chasing down current stock as well as with his supplier to double check for proper fitment.
Initial performance (limited) observations due to turbo break-in:
*Spoolup feels same as stock.
*Cruises at 4-6 psi less boost than stock, but at similar EGT.
*Light acceleration in town, i. e. stoplights, about 100 F EGT higher.
*Interstate on-ramp with Power Pup on performance/extreme at 80 mph
-stock = 22 psi and 1250 EGT
-HTB2 = 22 psi and 1000 EGT
*No surging
*Turbo whine? Gotta love it!
The HTB2 will work with a Scotty RA3 without any modifications. I read that with the AFE you would have to notch the bottom of the airbox.
I have a VA C3. 1 coming for a stack and for the boost fooling shortly.
Final thoughts:
Would I do this again in a heartbeat? You bet!
Would I deal with HTT again in a heartbeat? You bet!
Pictures are in my Reader's Rig gallery.
The turbo install was basically a bolt-in that I made more complicated by my stubborness, but I want to share my experiences to make future HTB2 installs a breeze for other TDR members. The HTT turbo came with all necessary bolts, gaskets, and O-ring. I also purchased the downpipe with clamps and turbo compressor outlet and clamp.
My installation took about 11 hours only because I worked on it mostly by myself and I was fighting a losing battle with the downpipe. If I had help from the start (and some of the following tips!), the install would have taken 5-6 hours. Here's my tips:
1) Soak all bolts/nuts/clamps with penetrating oil up to a week in advance.
2) Invest in some metric open end and box end wrenches. 15 mm was the size for the turbo mounting bolts. The ratcheting type and stubby type work extremely well in the close spaces that are even tighter when the HTB2 is installed.
3) Invest in about 1' of 4" exhaust pipe, 4" 90-degree elbow, and some exhaust clamps for working with the new downpipe to your current exhaust. The 90-degree elbow can be cut down to any angle and the new downpipe was about 8" short due to the amount of my stock exhaust that had to be removed. If you don't want to do exhaust work, at least purchase some 4" flexible exhaust duct as a temporary splice.
4) Remove passenger wheel well liner. In hindsight, removing the passenger wheel would have helped some more.
5) Disconnect negative battery cables from both batteries. Cover up terminals with non-conductive material. I found that I was spending lots of time with metal tools over the passenger side battery!
6) Install the cleaned-up stock intercooler boot on the compressor outlet with the outlet in a vice. The stock intercooler boot is 2 7/8" ID, but the HTB2 compressor outlet is 3" so there is quite the stretch. The stock boot is very stretchable yet strangely kind of feels like old newspaper. I have a 3" silicone hose to install, but the stock clamps were too small. New clamps on order.
7) Get your friend and install the HTB2 loosely. Attach the compressor outlet and note the limited clearance between the shock mount and outlet. Remove turbo, take to bench, mark with felt pen some reference marks, and clock the compressor housing to gain your clearance. Reinstall on truck loosely and check clearance. Repeat above as much as required. I did this twice before my friend showed up. Use your friend's help; your lower back and legs with thank you!
8) On the bench, attach the oil drain tube. Hook up shop air to the wastegate hose to activate the wastegate. A tire pump could actually work too I guess if no shop air is present. You will then see where the wastegate actuator hits the tube. Mark location and remove tube. Dimple the tube only SLIGHTLY in at this location with a SMALL ball peen hammer. Reinstall oil drain tube on turbo while on bench and triple-check the clearance. Make that quadruple-check including that the oil drain tube bolts are tight. You will thank me later because I wasted an hour trying to install the oil drain tube while the turbo was on the truck. Did you install the oil drain gasket? Just checking!
9) Reinstall turbo loosely in truck. Prime turbo with fresh oil while spinning it with hand to make sure that oil is in fact coming out the oil drain.
10) Friend can now hook up oil drain to engine block, while you move loose turbo around to give your friend clearance. Install oil inlet with new O-ring.
11) Rotate steel intercooler tube 180 degrees (not end-to-end) to get your alignment with the compressor outlet.
12) Tighten turbo mounting bolts, intercooler clamps, and oil drain clamps.
13) With friend's help hook up downpipe and tighten clamp. Adapt downpipe to existing exhaust.
14) Bump starter without starting engine to build oil pressure. Check all oil fittings for leaks.
15) Start truck up, idle for 5 minutes, and again check for leaks and strange noises. Then go drink some beer because you deserved it!
For some reason I had the wrong downpipe from HTT and the lower horizontal portion hit the floorboard. I had to run with an open downpipe for about 50 miles and 4 days with windows partially open in 20 degree weather (WHAT!!! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!) until I could get the custom exhaust shop to make that downpipe work. In the end this was a blessing because I had them replace my stock 3. 5" exhaust pipe to my 4" straight through muffler with 4" pipe. Paul at HTT is aware of my problem downpipe and chasing down current stock as well as with his supplier to double check for proper fitment.
Initial performance (limited) observations due to turbo break-in:
*Spoolup feels same as stock.
*Cruises at 4-6 psi less boost than stock, but at similar EGT.
*Light acceleration in town, i. e. stoplights, about 100 F EGT higher.
*Interstate on-ramp with Power Pup on performance/extreme at 80 mph
-stock = 22 psi and 1250 EGT
-HTB2 = 22 psi and 1000 EGT
*No surging
*Turbo whine? Gotta love it!
The HTB2 will work with a Scotty RA3 without any modifications. I read that with the AFE you would have to notch the bottom of the airbox.
I have a VA C3. 1 coming for a stack and for the boost fooling shortly.
Final thoughts:
Would I do this again in a heartbeat? You bet!
Would I deal with HTT again in a heartbeat? You bet!
Pictures are in my Reader's Rig gallery.
As for the EGT's being slightly higher on light to light driving. My buddies is the same way for some reason.
