Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Turbo Upgrade Done

[BJMarshall]

I got the stage 3 upgrade from HTT. It's a 6 blade 60mm wheel and a new compressor housing. It was extremely easy to install. Took about 1 hour start to finish. If you have access to a lathe you can do this yourself easily. The area behind the wheel has to be enlarged to accomodate the larger diameter wheel.

If you have a turbo that is in good shape, this seems to be a good upgrade. EGT's have cooled down. Boost comes up just as quick and much of the smoke went away. It's still pretty smokey down low, but is much clearer above 1500rpms. The SOP dyno says it helped, but now needs more fuel.

The most noticable change is the sound. This thing makes one heckuva racket now. Some may be annoyed by the high pitched scream, but I kinda like it.

 

[1965LONEWOLF]

So You Took A Stock Turbo And Reworked It ? Can I Do The Same With My 04. 5 Turbo ?

 

[WDixon27]

this thread is worthless without pictures :-laf

 

[BJMarshall]

I'm not sure what can be done to the 3rd gen turbos, but I know PDR sells a modified one at a seemingly decent price.

I started to take some pictures, but just didn't take the time. It was pretty straightforward though. The only tricky part is separating the turbine housing from the center cartridge. The rest is mostly just swapping parts.

You're not that far away. You could've come up here and helped.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

So is this supposed to be a relatively inexpensive upgrade for those needing more EGT room but don't have the bucks to spring for a new turbo? Sounds pretty similar to the PDR modded 35.

 

[BradyWilliams]

I will not say that you can't do the machine work but that machining process is not as easy as you have stated. You must reprofile the compressor housing and you need to know the clearances and they must be correct through the complete conture of the housing bore. You may be a great machinist, good for you. The only way we can get them cut correctly is doing it our selves. We have tried hiring a few more machinists with very good credentials but they just never worked out.

 

[PKirby]

I will not say that you can't do the machine work but that machining process is not as easy as you have stated. You must reprofile the compressor housing and you need to know the clearances and they must be correct through the complete conture of the housing bore. You may be a great machinist, good for you. The only way we can get them cut correctly is doing it our selves. We have tried hiring a few more machinists with very good credentials but they just never worked out.

It appears that he got the new matching fresh air housing with the wheel. I have bought a similar upgrade, (7 blade Super 40 style) and only the pocket behind the wheel on the center section had to be enlarged. The machine shop only charged me $20.

 

[TPCDrafting]

I did mine last year. I had a machinist do the work and he spent more time getting it chucked into the lathe than he did enlarging the pocket.



I tried mine first with a 16 cm no w/g housing and didn't like it within 5 miles. Went back home and put the 12 cm housing on. Note this configuration isn't recommended by HTT. I was installing 4 inch exh. at the time and only had to go underneath and shave an inch off the pipe to allow room for the w/g. I agree it screams like a banshee and there is an added whir sound in the upper range. I think this is what you call over speeding the turbo. Wife hates it sitting shotgun and so we're planning something else. Towing wise, I can maintain more boost when towing, but speed wise I'm not getting up the hill any faster. Still baby sitting the pyrometer with too much unuseable pedal left under my foot.

 

[BJMarshall]

I will not say that you can't do the machine work but that machining process is not as easy as you have stated. You must reprofile the compressor housing and you need to know the clearances and they must be correct through the complete conture of the housing bore. You may be a great machinist, good for you. The only way we can get them cut correctly is doing it our selves. We have tried hiring a few more machinists with very good credentials but they just never worked out.

It doesn't take much machining ability or knowledge to make a hole bigger. Like TPCdrafting stated, it took longer to true it up in the lathe than it did to cut it. Apparently you either didn't read my original post or didn't understand it. I got a NEW compressor housing that matched the wheel.

 

[vssman]

I've been running this upgrade for about 4 years now. Machining is very easy if you have access to either a lathe or a Bridgeport with a rotating table. Just open the counterbore diameter behind the wheel up another . 100". The kit comes with the new compressor housing therefore no 'matching' is necessary. The kit has performed very well and regularly is exercised to 44psi. This has been definately one of the better upgrades I've done to the truck.

 

[pwerwagn]

So is this supposed to be a relatively inexpensive upgrade for those needing more EGT room but don't have the bucks to spring for a new turbo? Sounds pretty similar to the PDR modded 35.

Vaughn, this is a similar setup to the PDR35. The pdr 35 *usually* uses a 58cm compressor wheel. They use it to keep surge potential to a minimum. the stage 3 HTT setup is a 60mm wheel from an HX40. The City diesel wheel is supposed to be a larger wheel than 60, I dont recall what mine measured.



Mine didnt help EGT a ton, but it definitley helped. If someone was going to buy a dodgezilla from city diesel, and then drop the bucks for a 14cm wg housing, I would suggest that they get an S300 based unit instead.



Having said that, I love my dodgezilla/14cm wg so far. sounds nice, spools frickin quick, and nice top end hp increase. I will be dynoing it in a week with some 370's, we'll see how it performs then!!!



--Jeff

 

[BradyWilliams]

Sorry, I did misunderstand the post.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Thanks for the information pwerwagn. Ill probably put a S300 variant on my '98 when I get ready to upgrade the turbo. Not cranking the power up a ton and want a good spooler for towing with an automatic.

 

[TSeran]

Sounds like my upgrading my 1995 RAM 3500 with a larger turbo is a waste of time? I am only interested in getting up the hill at a more reasonable speed.

 

[hsmith]

I installed the Super B on mine. So far I am pleased. Real test comes this week when I hook the 5th wheel up.

 

[JPittinger]

Sounds like my upgrading my 1995 RAM 3500 with a larger turbo is a waste of time? I am only interested in getting up the hill at a more reasonable speed.

Unless you're towing heavy, "a more reasonalbe speed" should be easy before a turbo upgrade is needed. Your stock HX-35 at 30 psi should pass everyone else going anywhere near the speed limit. If you can't get 30 psi with the wastegate disconnected, you need more fuel. "Fuel till you smoke, air till you're broke".