My Frankenstein turbo

[WarWagon]

I wonder if anyone can shed some light on myturbocharger.
I have never ran or used this unit to it's full potential when I ran the car on the dyno and all the times I've been tuning the carb and ignition I've always had the boost set at 10psi... well I'll say between 10-12psi becuase I have the slightest fluctuation. However at 10 psi my buick runs good and pulls hard especially after the intercooler installation. but now it's spring pretty much and I'll be heading back to the dyno and to the track I'm ready to turn it up.
I've read in someplaces maybe even here about peoples running a te44 and a stock turbo unit at 14psi and it was said that the stock unit would make more power and be more usefull than the te44 at the same boost level untill you turn the te44 up to around 23psi.

I have NEVER gone higher than 12psi with what ever turbo unit I have. so I'm wondering now.
here are the specs that I know of about my turbo unit: It uses a stock .63a/r '87 gn/ttype turbine housing, turbine wheel and centersection. the compressor cover is an aireasearch peice with a .70a/r and the compressor wheels inlet diameter is 57mm or just over that but NOT smaller than 57mm. and the compressor backing plate is a rotomaster peice. the compressor cover has a 3" inlet and a 2" outlet.
any help, info or ANY feedback is appreciated.
Thanks

 

[charlief1]

Carb/turbo? A little more info would be helpfull.

 

[WarWagon]

Yes that's Right I'm running a turbocharged blowthrough setup . What other kind of info do you require??

 

[dr_frankenstein]

Hey man whats going on! Been awhile!

So you have the backing plate that i have been needing....... LOL where did you find the rotomaster piece?

The housing you have sounds alot like a the 60 trim off of there R-T3T4E, if it is a newer housing/backingplate - an older one will look more like a Rajay part.

As for the te44 vs stock, the differences are when they are most efficent - thus you hear of people saying stock over aftermarket, because of where the boost time is spent more often. the smaller one is at its sweet spot at lower boost, getting the most out of the turbo, while the larger one has a sweet spot higher up in boost pressure.

This is best explained by looking at compressor maps.

A.j.

 

[charlief1]

OK Aj, you got one on me for a change. LOL Aj knows more about the blow through than I do. Yes Aj, you do like to blow it don't you? LOL

 

[WarWagon]

Hey AJ,
yep it's been some time. That Rotomaster backing plate was on the turbo unit when I bought it's the only part on it that brand, I knew what the turbo fit but I had no clue exactly what it was but I just knew when I saw it that was different because the turbine shaft is alot longer than it should be sticking above the compressor wheel.

 

[dr_frankenstein]

LMAO! Charlie you sneeky bugger!

Anywho.... I wouldnt say I know more, I just have been playing alot with the vintage stuff........ Rajay, Rotomaster, Eaton, Borg-warner, TRW, those are the good ol'fun turbos. Even then, the knowledge I have about these has really only seriously taken root and made sense after your post on the 301 turbo.

So, WarWagon, you have the advantage over us - in that your blow through! This opens up a HUGE choice in whats available, With only your bolt pattern being the limiting factor. If I remember right, you were running the 86/87 manifold style, which as we all know is 3 bolt. Looking in the swap section, there a ton of used turbos that would easily suit your needs, a TE44 would be a great upgrade and let you get away with that stock torque converter.

So Im not 100% sure as to what info your really looking for, but im sure there is a more modern choice of turbo to make the power you want. And I totally swear im not just saying that for your backing plate! but if you do wanna loose it- gimme a shout.

LOL

J/K

A.j.

 

[WarWagon]

So your telling me AJ that this a 60trim to4e compressor on my car?

With the exception of the turbine wheel is this turbo an equivilant of anything that's sold for a gn from the aftermarket.

is a 20+psi boost pressure the happiest range for this turbo?

 

[dr_frankenstein]

thats what it appears to be, as you said the inlet was " A Little Over 57mm" and the closest Rotomaster I can find matching that size, is there T3/T4 Hybrid.

Compressor Wheel: 60 Trim (Inducer 58.2mm/Exducer 74.9mm)
Compressor Flow: 53lbs/min
Compressor housing: 60A/R

Here is the specs I have listed in my manual - does this seem accurate? you might have to pull apart the compressor housing so that we can actually measure the wheel instead of guessing.

As for what else uses a T04E 60 Trim theres quite a few, off the top of my head I know the TA49 and 51 both use that compressor. TE44.... on and on,

As for its boost range, we would need to sit down and calculate all of the math to find where it is most effiecient.... if we get hard numbers of what exactly it is then i can figure all that data out for you - but until we truly know what it is, were just pissing in the wind.

A.j.

 

[WarWagon]

That's great info AJ thanks, I'll just assume that's what it is, I'm not going to take the compressor cover off, it's working great.

 

[dr_frankenstein]

any other members want to give there input?

A.j.

 

[charlief1]

You pretty much summed it up Aj. I do think the ar .60 will work but a slightly bigger turbo might give you a little more top end but the lag may not be acceptable.

 

[WarWagon]

The Airesearch cover says .70 a/r inside the outlet.

 

[WarWagon]

The compressor wheel Minor Diameter is 58.25mm or 2.295 in and the major diameter is 69.9-70mm or 2.755 in.

 

[WarWagon]

This wheel don't quite match A.j's research but very close, Anyone lese have any info/insight's?

 

[WarWagon]

The compressor wheel has 6 main blades and 6 splitters. Somewhat of an odd wheel size. Anyone out have anymore info?
I can and will supply more info(if I have it) or measurements if needed.
Also I do know that this particular turbocharger originated from New Jersey, so maybe someone knows somebody.

 

[DailyDrifter]

any other members want to give there input?

A.j.

Yeah......... You suck :biggrin:

 

[charlief1]

The compressor wheel has 6 main blades and 6 splitters. Somewhat of an odd wheel size. Anyone out have anymore info?
I can and will supply more info(if I have it) or measurements if needed.
Also I do know that this particular turbocharger originated from New Jersey, so maybe someone knows somebody.

Not really Adam. Text Aj and see if he can give you some ideas. He's been about as busy as I have lately but he's been staying off the board lately. he may be stuck in the desert again.:frown:

Yeah......... You suck :biggrin:

And you want him, don't you Dave.:biggrin: LOL

 

[WarWagon]

lol You guys are great. A.J has searched on this wheel and I have looked though a lot of catalogs and other compressor wheel info, no luck YET. So I try the other way again ask more people. It would be nice to know what I've got so when I upgrade I don't go backwards.

 

[WarWagon]

Ah HA!
I think I may have stumbled upon the answer today rummaging through my Turbonetics info today.
I think A.J's first answer is right, well partly: the airflow is right on, the rest of the info in his research was off just a few numbers compared to what I found today:
part# 20235 T04B-H-3 compressor wheel. H trim (whatever that means)
Inducer Dia = 2.298
Exducer Dia = 2.750
Flow Rate = 53 lbs/min
I've seen the compressor map for this wheel tested to 3.0 bar with that being between the 70% and 65% rings. So looks like I can run any kind of boost I want with this as long as my engine keeps up.