How to Install Turbo on Non Turbo Cars

Instead of building heat without much benefit, install turbo on nonturbo cars to see the best peak horsepower gains for the money. People who love to build their own performance car or truck spend billions on upgrades to increase horsepower in their own personal vehicles. Some of these products must be used in combination with others to get the most gain, which makes them more expensive. Older vehicles can be equipped with new technologies that make them go faster and cost less. One of the biggest gains in performance for the cost of the improvement is the turbocharger and forced induction horsepower.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Turbocharger installation kit
• Turbo exhaust header
• Intercooler
• Wrench sets (open and closed end)
• 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch ratchet drives
• 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch drive socket set
• Needle-nose pliers
• Screwdriver
• Drill and bits
• Tap and handle
• Razor blade
• Tie straps
• Electric tape (shrink wrap)
• Scrub pad (green)

1. Use a 5-ton hydraulic floor jack and four jack stands to lift and support the vehicle off the ground at least 18 inches at the rocker panels. Lift one end above the required height a few inches and place an automotive jack stand under the frame rail. Lower the weight of one end of the car onto two stands then move to the other end and repeat the lifting and lowering onto support procedure. Always maintain a level stance when supporting a vehicle on automotive jack stands.

2. Disengage and remove equipment that is located in the space the new turbo will be placed. Air conditioners, alternators, power steering pumps and belt pulleys must be moved from the factory or upgrade location to another. Hoses and wires must be rerouted for the turbo to fit correctly and look good once installed. Manage the new assignments by drawing a map of the new locations and have them ready once the turbo is installed.

3. Install a turbo intercooler in nonturbo cars first. Fanned intercooler tanks will attach to the front, the back, at the bottom or below the existing radiator tank. Use existing mounting brackets to keep the intercooler supplied with a large supply of fresh air. Cool, dense the air that is funneled into the turbo will result in the best turbo performance.

4. Mount high-flow filters onto the supply tubes that enter the intercooler. Placement of the tubes should be in unobstructed airways. Air dam technologies can direct air into intercooler intakes to improve the intercooler performance even more. Non-intercooled turbochargers risk overheating and damaging the compressor wheel inside the housing.

5. Remove the factory exhaust header and any Y-pipe that includes the catalytic converter(s). Apply a layer of penetrating oil on old exhaust fittings for up to 24 hours before removal. Loosen each nut and bolt. Continue to loosen all the bolts of a set before removing completely. Only after breaking each nut loose should they be removed one after another. Cross-pattern removal is recommended to evenly release built-up pressures that are secured under these fasteners.

6. Clean the exhaust port surface using a razor and green scrub pad to remove the old gasket and sealer without damaging the surface. Place the turbo exhaust header gasket over the header studs and seat the turbo exhaust header on top of the gasket. Thread the header bolts over each stud and hand-tighten. Use a 1/2-inch ratchet drive and header bolt socket to tighten the header evenly up to 65 lb. of pressure. Recheck the bolts and tighten again to 70 lb. of torque pressure.

7. Mount the new turbocharger onto the exhaust header outlet at the base of the turbo. Four turbo studs must be tightened to seat and secure the turbo onto the header outlet. Gasket and nongasket turbo seats are available, and insert a turbo gasket when asked by the manufacturer. The turbo mounting bolts can be extremely hard to reach on a retrofit, and time should be taken to be sure that each bolt is fastened to at least 50 lb. of torque pressure.

8. Construct the turbo down pipe to fit the existing exhaust system with all catalytic converters included. Secure the top of the down pipe to the turbo exhaust outlet and have it welded into the rest of the exhaust. Rarely will you find a down pipe that easily fits to existing flanges. Look for and find the best alternative to that problem by being ready to tie the turbo down pipe into the current exhaust tubing.

9. Connect the oil supply line to the turbo from the factory oil supply plug located on the engine block below the heads. Use a braided AN fitted oil line and connect the other end to the oil supply port on the turbo housing. Use the correct open-end wrench to remove the engine plug and fasten the oil supply fitting into place.

10. Create an oil return line fitting on the surface of the front side of the transmission pan at the sump pump. Drill and tap threads into the pan to secure the oil return fitting into the oil pan. Keep metal shavings from entering the oil pan at all costs. Magnets and proper drilling procedures will help prevent the loss of metal shavings into the oil pan. Run the oil return line down from the turbo to the oil pan.

11. Route a vacuum hose from the factory vacuum lines and connect to the turbo waste gate valve. This valve protects the turbo from overboosting and is also used as an entry point for the turbo boost gauge to get the boost reading. Use T splices to connect the waste gate valve and turbo boost sender to the factory vacuum lines. Install the boost gauge in front of the driver's seat and wire to the existing interior light dimmer switch for night-time use.

12. Connect the turbo fresh air intake to the intercooler using a screwdriver and hose clamps. Adjust the size of the intercooler air tubes using a razor or extra flexible rubber and hose clamps to add more elbows for a proper fit. Connect the turbo boost air outlet using the boost air tubing or hose connected to the engine's intakes manifold throttle body. Again, the use of hose clamps and flexible materials will assist in the fitting of these parts.

13. Introduce auxiliary fuel supplies at the fuel filter near the gas tank. Use fuel line T's to service the new fuel pump's added fuel line pressure. Wire any auxiliary pump to existing factory pumps to supply the correct power for operation. Extra fuel supply will require a fuel regulator to measure the combined fuel pressure in the line. Locate the regulator on a bracket secured to a wheel well of the firewall.

14. Connect auxiliary components to complete the installation. Fasten and secure all pumps and pulleys needed for factory equipment and wrap with belts. Connect a battery to the system and start the car. Adjust the turbo for the preferred 8 lb. of boost for the best results.

Tips & Warnings

• Use heat shield material on all connectors originated from or ending at the turbo and manifold header. Solder the fuel pump connections to prevent a short of the system. More boost pressure equals a more lean combustion condition. As the pressure moves from 8 lb. of boost pressure to 12 lb. of boost pressure, you will need to retard the engine's timing for the fuel/air mixture to remain at peak performance.
• Oil lines that do not produce enough oil into and out of the turbocharger can leave the compressor wheel in a compromising environment. Spinning fast and hot, the movement of the turbo compressor wheel results in lags and inconsistent performance when asked.

References

• MyTurboDiesel: Turbo FAQ 101
• TorqueCars: Adding an Aftermarket Turbo to a Car

Resources

• TurboChargerPros: Turbocharger Learning Center