Looking for info on A TE-60 Turbo

[sholdwick]

How does this turbo compare to the TA-49 or TE-51? Anybody a TE-60 with a stock turbo? Are there better turbos today?

 

[ijames]

First off it has the TE housing (like the 51) which flows a little more air than the TA housing on the TA49. I would assume that all three have the Precision .63 A/R exhaust housing. The TE60 has the same turbine wheel as the 49 but has the bigger 60-1 compressor wheel. The PTE51 has the same compressor wheel as the TA49 but has a bigger turbine wheel. Both the 60 and 51 will spool slower than the 49, and both will make more power. If I had to I guess I'd put the 60 as slightly "bigger" than the 51, but they are really close. The PTE52 has about the same turbine wheel as the 51 but has the 60-1 compressor wheel so it is another step bigger than the 51/60, and still spools well with a modified stock torque converter. There are lots of other choices involving the new GT wheels and turbos but the first question you have to answer is what torque converter will you run: stock, modified stock 12" 2800 stall, or 3000 stall 9.5" or 9/11 or? Then look at your driving/useage. Do you want instant spoolup for great 60' times (and tire smoke on the street), or do you want to maybe give up a little et to get a better top end pull and less tire spin on the street?

 

[sholdwick]

TE-60

Thanks ijames. I have ran both TA-49's and a TE-51. The 49's have all had precision housings and stock converters. The TE-51 I ran had the precision housing and at first a stock converter(2,400 stall?). I later went to a 2,800 stall D5 unit and I couldn't really tell any difference in the spool up. I also felt that the 51 spooled better than the 49, but I was running a 210/205 cam in that car also. How much will a cam effect spool up? This is where I don't have the experience. I would like a little more bang than the 49 has, but what can I get without sacrificing street manners. I drive this car alot and I haven't been the track for years.

 

[ijames]

I don't think that a small cam really changes spoolup but I'm no expert there. If you are staying with the 2800 stall modified stock converter then I wouldn't go past a TE60 with the PTE turbine housing if you want snappy spoolup. If you are planning a converter change (that 3000 stall 9/11 is sooooo tempting once you've driven one, or a Precision, or ... ) in the future then you could step up to a PTE52 or the new GT61 with P trim turbine now, and then do the converter later. I'm sure there is also a true GT turbo that would be good but I can't help you there. Personally I like to go a little big on the turbo compared to the converter so I don't kill my tires on the street (I'm not much for burnouts), so I drove a 2800 stall/PTE54 combo for 3 years and was pretty happy but most people would have thought that had too much lag.

 

[turbofrank]

I just went from 12" 2800 stall to 10" 3400 stall on TE-60. Lower
stall conv spools a little slower. 60 ft lowered from 2.10 to 1.84 this past wed at the track. Go with a higher stall with TE-60 u will
love it.