For those who swapped turbos!!!

[kapower06]

As most ppl know, I just got a new "frankenstein" turbo through dee. Its a ca18det turbo with much bigger wheels and ported housings. Anyways I have been reading old posts lately about different mani's and was wondering if its worth it to swap the SSautocrap mani, or just re-use the stocker? Also would it be safe to say that the job (removing mani, swapping turbo and lines, installing mani, lines, and exhaust) could be done in under 4-5 hours with the stock mani?

Any other suggestions would be great, thanks -Jake

[BACARDI_DWB]

well looking at your sig. you are only going to be using the stock 370cc injectors which is the mid to high 200hp range depending on fuel pressure. so if you are in that range you should be perfectly fine with the stock manifold. and if you do go to SS Autochrome please get it re enforced. and 4-5 hours depending on your skill level should be more than enough. (if you don't get one of those stubborn bolts) but for your level of hp i would just reuse the stocker unless you have larger plans later on you may want to look into something that flows better than stock... look at cost and what your plans are.... then decide from there

[XTCshri2222]

the ss auto chrome mani is fine, I and others on here have used them for a while with no problems

[kapower06]

yeah im probably going to keep the stock mani, but i wanted others opinions on if it would be worth it go for the easier install and higher power with the SSAC. Or gaurunteed fitment and strength with the stocker. If it would help I could do a port match and slight port/polish job on the manifold.

As far as fuel pressure its the stock regualtor with the walbro 255 lph pump (overrun) and I have black soot on my bumper above my muffler. No its not oil.

[ccasey645]

I would do the ss auto crome mani swap, but after I get the welds re-inforced. Actually I am doing that shortly. Quicker spool, equal length (really helps for high boost) but eather would work

[teddy]

Just stick with the stocker and make sure everything works good before dropping money on a manifold. Then if you feel you want more power, you can upgrade the manifold.

[boost_boy]

You can upgrade to an SS auto???? manifold if you want; especially for accessibility? But the stock manifold will suffice for what you're trying to accomplish. I welded a T3 flange on my stock manifold, slapped on a T3/T04B stage 1 with .63 backhousing, went to the dyno and put out over 300whp at under 20psi of boost. So the stocker can flow pretty good for this hp and that set-up was quick and fast as hell up top.

Dee

[kapower06]

Thanks for the replies guys, dee thanks for the turbo, it looks great, and the shaft has no play at all. Also im just making sure that the stock manifold isn't going to choke the turbo out in higher rpms. THe turbo should be on by next wednesday. Or tomorrow if I start on it early in the morning.

Pretty much as long as you guys think it wont take over 6hrs to do I should be good. I already have new gaskets and what not, so its just a matter of time off work (tomorrow) and the right weather. thanks again guys.

One more thing , Dee, what would you reccomend me keep this turbo's psi set to with the stock MAFS until i get the chip for the n60 MAFS. Also there is no break-in period for a turbo right?

[float_6969]

Stock mani should spool slightly quicker, but I don't know how it is going to flow up top. To it's defense though, it does have paired runners (4-2-1) even if they aren't equal length. The SSAC mani is an equal length, but the runners aren't paired like they are in the stocker. IMHO though, the runners are long enough that I wouldn't be too concerned about reversion anyway. The SSAC mani should flow more, it's MUCH easier to install and remove as opposed to the stock mani, and if you ever decide to jump up to a T28, you won't have to worry about grinding on the turbo housing or mani to get it to clear.

If you're sticking with those injectors and a slight MAFS upgrade, and a chipped ECU, I'd stick with the stocker. Anything more, I'd ditch it and get the SSAC unit. I've been running it daily for a year w/o a problem.

[boost_boy]

Thanks for the replies guys, dee thanks for the turbo, it looks great, and the shaft has no play at all. Also im just making sure that the stock manifold isn't going to choke the turbo out in higher rpms. THe turbo should be on by next wednesday. Or tomorrow if I start on it early in the morning.

Pretty much as long as you guys think it wont take over 6hrs to do I should be good. I already have new gaskets and what not, so its just a matter of time off work (tomorrow) and the right weather. thanks again guys.

One more thing , Dee, what would you reccomend me keep this turbo's psi set to with the stock MAFS until i get the chip for the n60 MAFS. Also there is no break-in period for a turbo right?

You're good to swing that puppy to 20psi, but I recommend 15psi which will stretching your factory system quite a bit, so 10-12psi should be good for daily driving.

Dee

[Chris859]

Not to thread-jack, but.... Dee, I am interested in one of these turbo's I have heard about from you. My stock ca t25 has recently started burning oil and having tons of shaft play(no contact with the housings yet though...) Hit me up with the details [email protected] , Thanks!

[kapower06]

ok im just going to go ahead and get a manifold. lol. I figure it will just make things easier and less work if something does happen. On top of that it should give up a few more pony's.

Now that question is which one to get? new ssauto? look at the runner design. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...wItem

or this style?http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...wItem

this one is the design im used to seeing and the one that some ppl say they have problems with hitting the valve cover. so which one should I get? they are both about the same price. Also awhile back when I thought about going kae-t (hence my username) I bought a can of VHT* flame proof 1300-2000*f creamic header paint, would it be okay to use that on the new manifold for greater corrosion protection and to trap heat in the manifold? Or will it hurt the metal from keeping too much heat in? thanks alot guys and sorry for all the newbish questions but Im sure it will all pay off, I plan on doing some before and after dynos ( with video) aswell as some track and highway footage.

I really hope to break 240whp on stock injectors and an N60 mafs.

thanks again guys

[float_6969]

They're the same mani my friend.

[kapower06]

please look again... THey are different. Look at the 2nd and 3rd runners. Has anyone used the one where the middle two runners are close to the same, or do most use the one with cyl. 3 and 4 that look similar?

[DeXteR]

Also awhile back when I thought about going kae-t (hence my username) I bought a can of VHT* flame proof 1300-2000*f creamic header paint, would it be okay to use that on the new manifold for greater corrosion protection and to trap heat in the manifold? Or will it hurt the metal from keeping too much heat in?

ok, don't paint stainless steel. if you've got stainless steel header/exhaust/whatever, either leave it be or wrap it. don't ruin the look of the polished pipes with some half-*** paintjob. if you're concerned with thermal polution in your engine bay, get exhaust wrap and insulate your header. a thin layer of high temp paint isn't going to do jack for insulation.

still, i'd like to keep the bling factor of stainless if it was my engine bay. there are other alternatives like venting the engine bay or segregating your air intake somehow. however, if you're all show and no go - wrap it.

just my $.02

[float_6969]

it's just the way they're sitting in the pictures. They're the same manifold. I promise.

[Chris859]

Sorry float - you are wrong... Lol, they are in fact two different manifolds. as he was saying - on one mani, the #1 and 2 runners are running with eachother, and the #3 and 4 with eachother... But on the other mani they ran #2 and 3 together, and then #1 and 4 come in through the sides. All said - they would probably flow very similar, but yes - they are different. Take a second look at the pictures from the head flange side...

[ccasey645]

No wonder I was confused. The SS Auto Chrome one has 2 different manifolds pictured in the same auciton! The first two pics the runners run differently than the bottom pictures. Plus I think I like the welds on the second manifold better. And based on the firing order I wouldnt go with the one in the first pictures of the SS Auto Chrome one. Plus the pics of it fitted on the car omg it was rusted, but thats what happens to steel mani's.

[float_6969]

Grrrrrr! Look, I OWN this manifold. If you understood how they built this thing, you would understand what I mean when I say it's the same manifold. I don't care which runners look like they are "paired" with what. None of the runners are actually paired together at all as they simply meet together in a LARGE (too big actually, it's cheap though) collector. None of the runners are paired together. I know that they LOOK different, but with them you have no idea what you're going to get. And don't even think about trying to specify which you want as they speak broken engrish. YES, the two pictures look different, but at the same time (as ccasey645 said) they have 2 different pictures on the same auction. Don't worry about how they are configured, they'll work the same way. Even if they don't work the same way (not possible) you really won't have much choice as to what you're getting anyway, as they take one set of pictures and use them on a gazzillion different listings.

And don't plan it looking that nice for very long. It'll look like crap pretty quickly.

[XTCshri2222]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...wItem

Thats the one I have, mine is just painted cericamic black.

[ccasey645]

Ya honestly I was thinking about it more like of natrually asperated headders where pairing the runners is the key to help pull out the pulses of exhaust by firing order but im sure it makes more of a difference on how the exhaust is directed at the turbine blade. And he's right there not really paired its just where they sit at the flange.

[boost_boy]

Same manifold, different angle.

Dee