ATTN!!! water cooled turbo users

[87GNcospg]

i got a turbonetics turbo. has the .63 garret exhaust housing. no clue if it is a stage 3,4,5. if anyone has pics of theirs then maybe you can help me out.

a local guy is able to rebuild the turbonetics turbo for me (with a cartridge) for 60% less then what everyone else wants to charge me. most of the turbo is going to be replaced. he was telling me there is no price difference to put a water cooled center section on.
i know that our cars might not really benfit from a water cooled section since the turbo is in a position where it gets a lot of airflow and blah blah blah.
For those that do have a water cooled center section. . . . . . where did you tap into the coolant? i was thinking about using the throttle body line.
any help will be appreciated.

 

[Taffy]

You really do not need the water cooled center section.

Is there any reason in particular that you want to go to water cooled?

 

[JayLashua]

Why wouldn't you need a water cooled center section? It will prevent oil coking much better (just like running synthetic will). I have a factory original turbo from 1987 on my Shelby. It is near perfect still. I also run a blowoff valve, another thing I never see this crowd talking about.. Nothing like hammering on your thrust bearing.. Say how long do your turbos usually last until they get excessive play and start puking smoke? There are a lot of things buick forgot when they built the GN.

I say, go with the water cooled section, and get a good blowoff valve while you're at it.. that "fluttering" soudn you hear == DAMAGE.. your turbo will last much longer with a BOV.

 

[salvageV6]

Got my water from the heater hoses area.

Here's the pics. Bottom of the folder has the water cooling pics.

NAPA makes a nice 90 degree preformed hose and the rest are NPT fittings and NPT to hose adapters for 5/8" and 3/4" heater hose.

Didn't think the throttle body supplied enough for the 3/8" NPT ports.

http://members12.clubphoto.com/allan631980/1702570/owner-0a12.phtml

 

[OneLethal87GN]

You wouldn't happen to remember the size of those fittings would ya? I don't trust the ones I have now. Thanks.

 

[87GNcospg]

even thoguh i am spending a fraction of the cost to rebuild a turbo to new i still want all the insurance i can get. getting a water cooled center section is not going to hurt the turbo. it will just make it last a lot longer. if people can go 140,000 miles on a stock turbo(no water cooled or BOV) with no shaft play or no rebuild then imagine how long a water cooled turbo should last.
water cooled turbos seem like a "new" thing to most buick guys.

 

[salvageV6]

I wouldn't do it on a conventional turbo, mine is dual BB so I had to keep the exhaust bearing cool in it.

I just mixed and matched fittings from Home Depot and every other hardware store including Pep Boys that has cool chromed NPT fittings to hose adapters for the big block carb. guys that use them for fuel I guess. Spectre line.

You go from 3.8" NPT out of the turbo to 1/2"NPT female then use the chrome fitting that goes to 1/2" or 5/8" or 3/4" hose size.

I am still using the 1/2" barb with my 5/8" hose.

Other fitting has 3/4" barb to 3/4" hose for the drain which is larger than the feed back at the heater area if you notice the heater has two different size ports on it.

Used readily available plastic T's (NAPA) one 5/8" and one 3/4" to splice into the existing heater stuff.

Relocated my heater valve up near the heater so the T's had more room and the heater valve still shuts off the heater core but not flow to my turbo.

 

[turbo nasty]

I say do it.
IF you could get ball bearings for a deal ..get em.
If you could get the water cooled center section for a deal...get it

You have a chance to get the best ..do it.
When I lived in Japan I had a Turbo Skyline w/ ceramic ball bearing and water cooled center section and it was factory equipped as described.

I am sure you could use the throttle body hoses to supply and return the water..or maybe the TTA heater lines and just use the ones that went to the oil cooler for the supply/return.

Good luck

 

[OneLethal87GN]

Do you have any pix of your set-up Salvage? I may go out this weekend and try to locate some fittings and hose. I keep putting things off so much.

 

[salvageV6]

The folder with all of the pictures I have in various stages of the install is linked above.

My first post in this thread has the link to that folder.

 

[S2V6RACER]

Originally posted by 87GNcospg
water cooled turbos seem like a "new" thing to most buick guys.

Yea, we are all idoits that live in caves.

 

[mec108]

Originally posted by Ted A.
Yea, we are all idoits that live in caves.

Hey Ted; It seems when it comes to new or different techology "SOME" buick guy's are very narrow minded.

 

[azgn]

maybe its the altitude, Ted.....us old farts are all idiots......

water cooled turbos is "old tech"...nothing new about it

modern turbos don't need it

but spend your money as you wish.......

the only instance where water cooling is sold/recommended is the Innovative dual BB......I had a dual BB 70 with the water cooled center section.....doubt it is needed...it is now on another car without the water hooked up....bet it'll be just fine

but what do I know, just another narrow minded Buick guy......

 

[86brick]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought the water cooled center sections were mainly for the turbo cars that go road racing (I've seen a few Supras that did the road racing thing and had these water cooled center sections)..... I personally don't think it would have any real advantage/purpose in a street/strip car that makes 1/8th and/or 1/4 mile passes (no road racing).... Just my thought....

 

[salvageV6]

I wouldn't trust any of the information in this thread.

The pictures in the folder are real however.

 

[mec108]

Originally posted by salvageV6
I wouldn't trust any of the information in this thread.

The pictures in the folder are real however.

I agree !!!!!!!!

 

[JZ 97 SS 1500]

On a street car you will see almost no difference in center section temperatures while running. If you are road racing then yes. It will help keep the center section temp down since the oil temps will also elevate. What water cooled center sections are mainly for is, when the engine is turned off, not running. It dissipates heat from the center section using a thermal siphon which is casted into the center section. Heat from the turbine housing and exhaust manifold/headers are transfered into the center section, the water is vaporized and rises. This draws in the cooler water, and the cycle continues until the heat drops below where the process can continue. This will help prevent the coking process.


Jose

 

[azgn]

Salvage, I am curious which information you "don't trust"?

as far as I know, the only folks that still use the water cooled center section is Innovative on their double BB.......it may have some use there since the damn thing turns for about 30 sec after shut off....but I doubt the oil would "coke" without it!

unless one makes a habit of running a lot of boost and immediatley turning the car off, oil "coking" is a rare event

 

[87GNcospg]

sorry. i didnt mean to offend anyone by saying it was a "new" thing. i know its not new to the buick community. i should off stated the response differently. I AM SO SORRY. i just never come across the topic in the buick community. YES, a lot of buick people are closed minded. this is true in all communites though.
i know water cooled turbos are "old tech". i know that a 150,000 mile non-water cooled turbo may be in the same condition as a 150,000 mile water cooled turbo. maybe it is just useless. maybe a water cooled turbo is just plain stupid and only DSM's and japanese (supras) use them. why did GM leave the water cooled option out on our turbos when the supras and other turbo cars from the 80's have the feature? did they just assume that everyone who bought a GN or turbo T would sit in their car for a minute or so before they shut it off after a good WOT 15lb run? a water cooled turbo is good insurance. its not going to be negative in any way. the only reason i am considering putting a water cooled section is because it will cost the same as not having it. the only extra money i have to spend is on all the little hoses and stuff to run coolant to the turbo. why not have a little extra insurance on our turbos?

does anyone still want to help me out? the reason i started this thread was to know if the throttle body lines would supply enough coolant.

 

[Ormand]

I have a factory original turbo from 1987 on my Shelby.

I have a factory original turbo from 1987 on my Buick. It has almost 180,000 miles on it, WITHOUT the water cooled center section, and WITHOUT the blow-off valve. Why has it lasted this long? Maybe because it is not in a Mustang, or a Supra, etc....