Used Garret t25 turbo questions.

[Mr240dude]

What's up 240ers, so I stumbled upon a used garret t25 turbo on craigslist. Owner wants $90 and claims it's in good condition but now he;s upgraded. Is that a good deal? I am sort of noobish when it comes to turbos so I want to make sure when I check it out, that I can at least seem like I know what I'm doing so I don't get suckered in. Any tips for examining the turbo that can indicate it's shot? I really need to start piecing together my turbo kit and this would be a good start. Any feedback would be appreciated.

[OM3GA]

Not a bad deal at all! I see clean ones go for close to $200. I would look at it to make sure nothing looks damaged and that all threads are in tact without any broken off studs in them. I would then feel the shaft play lightly, first side to side to make sure it does not touch the outer edges and then in and out. You want minimal shaft play.

Good luck!

[Mr240dude]

Thanks om3ga I will do just that when I check it out.

[OM3GA]

No problem! Good luck!

[Mr240dude]

Hey om3ga not to bother you, just excited to initiate this project, I was thinking a few things to go about as far as the budget build. I know the turbo itself is the most important factor so if this t25 im checking out is all good that will be a weight off my shoulder considering it's a garret. Would it be wise to just purchase an ebay kit and chuck the turbo? I hear piping and intercoolers are fine to use from ebay. I would be running a blox 8:1 fmu and walbro fuel pump. I plan to run low boost around 6-7psi, mind you my car is an automatic 147k miles well maintaned...OR should I just piece together my own kit? I can't stress the budget thing enough. I just spoke to a speed shop in NJ gave me an estimate around $300-500 which isn't that bad, thought it would be more plus they got good reviews.

My build would be

-t25 garret
-walboro
-blox fmu
-intercooler kit
-bov
-down pipe
-manifold
- transmission cooler (need to look into this more)

Let me know if I'm missing something else...sorry for the long post.

[OM3GA]

Hmm.. well first off, what engine is this going on? I am assuming a DOHC KA24? Most of what you have on there looks good. I would go against getting a BOV personally, waste of money especially on stock boost and a T25. It will give you more trouble than it is worth, people can argue all day whether it is bad for the turbo or not without showing you any facts behind it.

I am wondering what your budget is. If i were doing a basic turbo setup for a DOHC ka it would go as followed.

Walbro 255lph fuel pump

Sard or Tomei Fuel pressure regulator (because the diaphragm in the stock FPR will crack over time with the higher flow from the pump)

Intercooler kit, i would go for the Powered by MAX high mount intercooler kit http://www.gtfactory.jp/cms/page.php?11 under $400 for a really good quality kit.

Downpipe, you can go with pretty much anything here. Powered by max also has a MAX flex cobra downpipe which is great on clearance and fitment but you can get whatever you'd like for that one.

If you do not get a cobra style downpipe (all one unit) you will need a turbo elbow as well. Such as this unit here http://www.enjukuracing.com/products/Ci ... pe%29.html (not my first choice but as an example)

Turbo Manifold, http://www.enjukuracing.com/products/%2 ... A24DE.html

Transmission cooler? Not on a manual. If you have an automatic transmission i would be very concerned on it handling the added power of a turbo setup. Just drop that and don't research it at all.

Now we come to the most important part. The tune or in your case FMU from blox that you have posted. I honestly would not even consider doing anything other than a drop in ECU tune at minimum. I know you are on a budget, most are but this is not something to play around with at all. A good tune will make all of the difference.

I would say get stock SR20DET injectors 370cc as well as a good tune and you would be set. Even if it means saving up a little more.

Just my input on this but feel free to ask if you have any more questions.

[Razi]

Just FYI, you can buy a nice AEM fuel pump at FRsport if you pay a little more than a Walbro unit.

[OM3GA]

Razi is very correct. I have been tempted to try out that AEM unit. It is a very nice looking pump and AEM is a good brand. However i know Aeromotive is great as well but i have heard odd things about their pump unfortunately. Walbro has been around for ever and is very reliable (keep your tank at or above 1/2 for the longest life) These pumps run a little warmer and need the fuel to dissipate heat as with any performance pump for the most part.

[Mr240dude]

I might just look into the AEM pump then, sounds like a better bet. Hey guys I just replaced my fuel pump last year, so it's practically brand new. That probablt means nothing though right? I would obviously need a high performance pump anyway to compensate for the turbo. Om3ga do you really think being that my car is automatic, there will be issues for the power goals I'm aiming for? 6-7psi...that's about 220 hp if I'm not mistaken. One last thing is, I want my car to stay reliable, I know KA's can go beyond 200k. Is turboing on these settings allowing that to be possible? Thanks again for the info guys.

[Razi]

As long as the tune is good, the KA will be fine. I think I turbocharged mine at about 165k miles, and I'm a little over 180k now, still running nicely.
As long as you're out of boost, the turbo isn't going to be putting extra strain on the motor, so not much will be different when you're driving normally.
Only thing is, the turbo adds quiet a bit of heat to the engine, and my motor tends to get very hot when I have the A/C on during the hotter days of Summer.
Besides that, it'll be fine. A lot of people end up killing their KAs due to a bad tune and setup or boosting beyond the limits of the stock motor.

A higher flowing fuel pump is recommended so your fuel system can keep up with the fuel demands.
My first Walbro died because the sock fell out and the pump sucked in a lot of crap. I'm on my 2nd Walbro and it seems to be doing okay.
If it dies though, I'll be switching to an AEM unit.

[OM3GA]

Thanks Razi for following up on the importance of a tune as well. I don't see the FMU to be comparable to a reflashed ECU by someone such as JWT who i think is number 1 for the KA tuning. So please pay attention to those words as the engine would not last long otherwise.

I would recommend a nice radiator such as Koyo or Mishimoto.

You are right on point about getting the walbro to hold up with increased fuel need. I would definitely get a Walbro or AEM fuel pump right off the bat.

As far as the auto trans goes... I don't see it lasting too long, in this case i would say get an external cooler and a mishimoto radiator (since the aftermarket radiator does not have a built in cooler) it would be best for the setup. The transmission may take it for awhile, i don't really know much about them :/

[OutToWinPAHC]

I hate the Walbro pumps so damn loud, get a stealth by aeromotive 340lph and silent