bb turbos on street only cars

[89mulletbird]

So, I just upgraded my turbo and went with a 6152 non-bb. I'm starting to wonder why anyone spends the extra $500 or more to get a bb version for running their car on the street. My non-bb spools with 3200 stall too fast anyways to keep traction on the street and I have to roll on the throttle, essentially slowing the spool up, or my tires will just go up in smoke anywhere below 40MPH.

And on the track, you halfway spool up the turbo before the lights go green anyways so it doesn't seem a bb will add much there either.

I've never ridden in a bb turbo car so I'm not sure how big the difference really is...I'm just talking blind here.

OK, flame away if you have a bb turbo

 

[salvageV6]

With your stall you can run a dual BB GT70 from Innovative.

No problems with mine on the street.

I spent the extra money so I wouldn't be stuck with a weenie 61 turbo in the future. :biggrin:

 

[boostingbuick]

Not to start a fight here but, Innovative turbo is no more. And I have called everyone on servicing a dbb from Innovative and they all said no.

 

[BlackMetal]

The point of ball bearings is to run a bigger turbo than your stall converter would normally allow. If you're "blowing off the tires" then your turbo simply isn't matched to the converter, BB or not.

Ball bearings aren't meant to spool in an instant and smoke your tires, it's meant to take a huge turbo and give it decent spool with a lower stall speed.

But in general, the extra $500 expense for the BB option doesn't really seem worth it in most cases. I decided against it for my car. Don't need a $500 ballbearing center section that sits in the garage 325 days of the year.

 

[Grumpy]

Not to start a fight here but, Innovative turbo is no more. And I have called everyone on servicing a dbb from Innovative and they all said no.

Rick Head has another company .. forget the damm name now

 

[boostingbuick]

Now I am post stealing. I spoke to rick and now is a distributor for Precision turbo's, just spoke to him. And a Couple of other guys that work there have started their own company called Comp turbo. But they don't service them either.

 

[87NAT]

The point of ball bearings is to run a bigger turbo than your stall converter would normally allow. If you're "blowing off the tires" then your turbo simply isn't matched to the converter, BB or not.

Ball bearings aren't meant to spool in an instant and smoke your tires, it's meant to take a huge turbo and give it decent spool with a lower stall speed.

But in general, the extra $500 expense for the BB option doesn't really seem worth it in most cases. I decided against it for my car. Don't need a $500 ballbearing center section that sits in the garage 325 days of the year.

I really hate to argue the point about blowing away the tires being a mismatched turbo/converter combo BUT...

I can light up my ET Streets at 35-40 mph @21 psi and go sideways IF I want to. That just tells me that my car is making ALOT of power.My previous combo with my TA-60 turbo couldnt spin those same ET Streets from 5 mph. I dont think that means the parts are mismatched. Of cousre I have not gone to the track yet and I might be putting down a 2.5 second 60 foot.:redface:

 

[jasjamz]

I think the "spool" thing is hard to debate since everyone may have a different opinion of what fast or slow spooling is. I do agree with 87NAT that cars that make alot of power can blow the tires away even if the stall to turbo combo isn't ideal. I had a stock long block, ta-49 in front of a TH-400 with a 3500 stall 9" converter. Ideal...no...spool up...INSANE! Could launch the car on the street off idle and leave like it had a small block in it. Now if I was looking to go with a 70mm turbo and wanted the GTQ wheel, and the .85 housing to get the most on the big end I would then opt for the ball bearing option to have "respectable" spool with say a 3500 stall converter. I guess it depends on the converter the owner feels comfortable with and the use of the car.

 

[BlackMetal]

I really hate to argue the point about blowing away the tires being a mismatched turbo/converter combo BUT...

I can light up my ET Streets at 35-40 mph @21 psi and go sideways IF I want to. That just tells me that my car is making ALOT of power.My previous combo with my TA-60 turbo couldnt spin those same ET Streets from 5 mph. I dont think that means the parts are mismatched. Of cousre I have not gone to the track yet and I might be putting down a 2.5 second 60 foot.:redface:

Well you and I are referring to two different things. I'm saying if you can't LAUNCH your car without cooking your tires, your converter isn't matched to the turbo. You're talking about being able to blow the tires off at 40mph, and I agree, all that means is that you have a pretty powerful car. Stall speed isn't occuring at 40mph, I'm talking about from a dead stop, if you can't even get a decent launch on a prepped track surface, you might not have your parts matched up.

The main point I was trying to make is that people seem to have the wrong idea about buying a ballbearing turbo. Some guys think it's a good idea to pay for the BB option on a fairly small turbo because it'll "spool like hell", but having the BB option on a small turbo might only result in "unmanageable" spool because you'll spin the tires every time. The true goal behind offering turbos with a BB center section is to allow bigger turbos to be run without having a crazy gas-guzzling stall converter.

 

[87NAT]

Well you and I are referring to two different things. I'm saying if you can't LAUNCH your car without cooking your tires, your converter isn't matched to the turbo. You're talking about being able to blow the tires off at 40mph, and I agree, all that means is that you have a pretty powerful car. Stall speed isn't occuring at 40mph, I'm talking about from a dead stop, if you can't even get a decent launch on a prepped track surface, you might not have your parts matched up.

The main point I was trying to make is that people seem to have the wrong idea about buying a ballbearing turbo. Some guys think it's a good idea to pay for the BB option on a fairly small turbo because it'll "spool like hell", but having the BB option on a small turbo might only result in "unmanageable" spool because you'll spin the tires every time. The true goal behind offering turbos with a BB center section is to allow bigger turbos to be run without having a crazy gas-guzzling stall converter.

I see..sorry to misunderstand you.:redface: Your theory is right on the money about stall/launch capability..