Turbo not the way to go?
10-14-2009, 11:31 PM
#1
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 221
Turbo not the way to go?
For those who are considered experts in this field, or those with an overwhelming knowledge around turbo FI, please realize I am just a beginner and I do not mean for this thread, nor my questions, to sound ignorant. Thank you.
I am seriously considering going turbo, and because of that, I have been doing all the research I can, and getting all the experience I can, on forced induction and turbo systems(helped my coworker install his sexy Dezod up in Mira Mesa, reading online, talking to friends, reading post after post after post on turbos, etc.). I am a fast learner, and I want to learn turbos. The problem that I am facing, having a fresh, and unbiased perspective on this, is that it "seems" like more often people have problems/issues with their turbos, than not. And, I noticed that whenever I browse the SL Classifieds > Engine & Drivetrain, there seems to be an abundance of people selling their turbo systems... more than anything else.
Long story short, my question is: Is turbo FI not the way to go? -OR- Are turbos not the problem, but the misuse and lack of proper tuning/education the cause of a lot of the problems?
It's just kind of scary, being fairly new to this, and wanting more power!, and seeing so many threads/posts about blown engines, bad experiences, etc.
Let me know what you think. I have respect for many of the members on SL, so I am hoping to get a lot of input, opinions(both professional, and otherwise), and experiences. Let's hear em...
I am seriously considering going turbo, and because of that, I have been doing all the research I can, and getting all the experience I can, on forced induction and turbo systems(helped my coworker install his sexy Dezod up in Mira Mesa, reading online, talking to friends, reading post after post after post on turbos, etc.). I am a fast learner, and I want to learn turbos. The problem that I am facing, having a fresh, and unbiased perspective on this, is that it "seems" like more often people have problems/issues with their turbos, than not. And, I noticed that whenever I browse the SL Classifieds > Engine & Drivetrain, there seems to be an abundance of people selling their turbo systems... more than anything else.
Long story short, my question is: Is turbo FI not the way to go? -OR- Are turbos not the problem, but the misuse and lack of proper tuning/education the cause of a lot of the problems?
It's just kind of scary, being fairly new to this, and wanting more power!, and seeing so many threads/posts about blown engines, bad experiences, etc.
Let me know what you think. I have respect for many of the members on SL, so I am hoping to get a lot of input, opinions(both professional, and otherwise), and experiences. Let's hear em...
10-14-2009, 11:40 PM
#3
I must say for a noob thats not a bad post...
there are a few reasons peeps are selling their kits...
1. upgrade to something larger or a new platform
2. money issues (the reason i had to sell my kit)
3. bad installs, bad tunes, blown engines due to bad tunes (pretty much lack of knowledge)
4. upkeep
there are a few reasons peeps are selling their kits...
1. upgrade to something larger or a new platform
2. money issues (the reason i had to sell my kit)
3. bad installs, bad tunes, blown engines due to bad tunes (pretty much lack of knowledge)
4. upkeep
10-14-2009, 11:43 PM
#4
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Valley Stream, NY
Posts: 1,049
turbo IS the way to go and im telling you this after finally blowing my engine with 110,000 miles lmao....i abused the car so it wasnt a surprise....BOOST FTW!!!! get a good tune and your good to go...and clutch haha
10-15-2009, 12:19 AM
#5
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Music City Scions
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Location: TN
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I was boosted for the better part of about 3 something years, with just changing the turbo and pipes a little........THEN PTuning had to come into the picture and make me sell it for their UBER fantastic domination of a turbo system they have produced.
So, My sale was for Upraded to better system.
So, My sale was for Upraded to better system.
10-15-2009, 04:45 AM
#7
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10-15-2009, 05:56 AM
#9
Not many people are going to post lots of threads if everything with their kit is going well. You'll only see the people having problems. None of which have gone unsolved on these forums due to the help of the real professionals on here. Some people get out of line but they are easy to identify. I'm boosted myself and was in your shoes when I put my kit in by myself but if you are the fast learner you say you are and take good advice when it's given, you won't have many, if any hiccups along the way to fun boosting!
10-15-2009, 09:09 AM
#10
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I appreciate all the great feedback and advice so far. Rangerryda, you make a very valid point. People are always more likely to share when something has gone wrong. Thanks a lot everyone. =)
10-15-2009, 12:37 PM
#13
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Location: Germantown, MD
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only problems i ever had were with ignorance like not keeping the maf clean before re-installing it and also putting my o2 too close to the turbo....
i have owned 4 turbo kits on my car and ran into 2 lil problems which were fixed in less than 30 mins...
sold 3 of my kits for money and only money
i have owned 4 turbo kits on my car and ran into 2 lil problems which were fixed in less than 30 mins...
sold 3 of my kits for money and only money
10-15-2009, 03:02 PM
#15
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1st was custom with a small .48 a/r turbo the turbine broke off the shaft after 5 hours of abuse....
2nd was a custom 6psi no intercooler setup using a xspower .63a/r to4e kit was greta had it for like 3 months
3rd was dezod...i didnt really wanna run untuned anymore...so never installed
4th turbo but 3rd installed was a setup similar to the first setup and after a week i decided the turbo was too small and i needed bigger so now ive got a to4e with a intercooler and 6psi spring but only hitting 4psi
10-15-2009, 03:19 PM
#16
Really it depends on how well the car is maintained, the quality and attention taken on install and component's quality as well.
For example, putting low end cheap E-Bay turbos on your setup might cause you some gray hairs early with seals going out left and right etc.
My advice is that you can boost. Take your time, install the components properly. Take attention to detail. Stay up on maintenance like oil changes and such. Also make sure you let the car properly warm up and cool down after driving.
Make sure you have a few extra dollars set aside for potential road blocks that can pop up with owning an FI car. In other words, don't boost on a budget.
Lastly, make a weekly regiment of checking things. On say Saturday morning, check all fluids, inspect for leaks, check vac lines, check clamps on pipes to make sure they are tight etc....10 mins worth of checking and inspecting every week will make life less hectic and you will be able to spot potential problems prior to them ever becoming larger. Simple as that!
For example, putting low end cheap E-Bay turbos on your setup might cause you some gray hairs early with seals going out left and right etc.
My advice is that you can boost. Take your time, install the components properly. Take attention to detail. Stay up on maintenance like oil changes and such. Also make sure you let the car properly warm up and cool down after driving.
Make sure you have a few extra dollars set aside for potential road blocks that can pop up with owning an FI car. In other words, don't boost on a budget.
Lastly, make a weekly regiment of checking things. On say Saturday morning, check all fluids, inspect for leaks, check vac lines, check clamps on pipes to make sure they are tight etc....10 mins worth of checking and inspecting every week will make life less hectic and you will be able to spot potential problems prior to them ever becoming larger. Simple as that!
10-16-2009, 02:34 AM
#19
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SL Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 221
Really it depends on how well the car is maintained, the quality and attention taken on install and component's quality as well.
For example, putting low end cheap E-Bay turbos on your setup might cause you some gray hairs early with seals going out left and right etc.
My advice is that you can boost. Take your time, install the components properly. Take attention to detail. Stay up on maintenance like oil changes and such. Also make sure you let the car properly warm up and cool down after driving.
Make sure you have a few extra dollars set aside for potential road blocks that can pop up with owning an FI car. In other words, don't boost on a budget.
Lastly, make a weekly regiment of checking things. On say Saturday morning, check all fluids, inspect for leaks, check vac lines, check clamps on pipes to make sure they are tight etc....10 mins worth of checking and inspecting every week will make life less hectic and you will be able to spot potential problems prior to them ever becoming larger. Simple as that!
For example, putting low end cheap E-Bay turbos on your setup might cause you some gray hairs early with seals going out left and right etc.
My advice is that you can boost. Take your time, install the components properly. Take attention to detail. Stay up on maintenance like oil changes and such. Also make sure you let the car properly warm up and cool down after driving.
Make sure you have a few extra dollars set aside for potential road blocks that can pop up with owning an FI car. In other words, don't boost on a budget.
Lastly, make a weekly regiment of checking things. On say Saturday morning, check all fluids, inspect for leaks, check vac lines, check clamps on pipes to make sure they are tight etc....10 mins worth of checking and inspecting every week will make life less hectic and you will be able to spot potential problems prior to them ever becoming larger. Simple as that!
10-16-2009, 02:46 AM
#20
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: South Florida
Posts: 2,603
Fenrir,
Just take your time and read as much as you can. It'll be difficult for you though to come here on the boards and determine who knows what they're talking about and what-not. It's hard to filter out bad advice on the internet forums. You can pick up some good books like Corky Bell's "Maximum Boost". The book is old and the information is old - but over 90% of it still applies today. It's a great starting point if you really want to learn what its all about.
You can also learn by visiting other forums that are not Scion related. Again - it'll be hard to filter out the crap from the good stuff, but you can see other people's builds and read what works or didn't work for people.
Keep in mind that there will be fan boys out there who root for certain companies and/or brands. They can be very biased so just be wary of that. Most products offered to the Scion community (from Dezod, Ptuning, World-Racing, etc) are all quality - it's up to the end user (you) to decide what fits your goals the best. Feel free to search the forums to find answers and don't be afraid to ask when you need some help.
Have fun.
Just take your time and read as much as you can. It'll be difficult for you though to come here on the boards and determine who knows what they're talking about and what-not. It's hard to filter out bad advice on the internet forums. You can pick up some good books like Corky Bell's "Maximum Boost". The book is old and the information is old - but over 90% of it still applies today. It's a great starting point if you really want to learn what its all about.
You can also learn by visiting other forums that are not Scion related. Again - it'll be hard to filter out the crap from the good stuff, but you can see other people's builds and read what works or didn't work for people.
Keep in mind that there will be fan boys out there who root for certain companies and/or brands. They can be very biased so just be wary of that. Most products offered to the Scion community (from Dezod, Ptuning, World-Racing, etc) are all quality - it's up to the end user (you) to decide what fits your goals the best. Feel free to search the forums to find answers and don't be afraid to ask when you need some help.
Have fun.