This book here is highly regarded.

I've simply just spent years online reading random stuff about turbos and boost in general. You may be batter off with a centrifugal supercharger, as they're bolt on.

 

Hahns,

What is the most mileage a truck would have before you boost it and not have to mess with the internals (Rod bolts, head studs, etc)? I am talking about 4 lbs of boost.

 

You mean the highest mileage stock engine I would boost? As long as the engine itself runs like a top and has no obvious problems like high oil consumption, knocking/ticking, low oil pressure or excessive blowby (which typically goes along with high oil consumption), no amount of miles would stop me, especially at only 4PSI. Your 55.5k mileage is nothing. If you want to run only 4PSI, that big T76 turbo isn't a bad choice, it flows a lot of air at that low pressure and makes good power, I'd probably go with a T70 though.

These stock bottom ends will take over 600RWHP on boost with a good tune. The crank and rods are stout, Mopar didn't mess around. The hyper pistons are nothing special, keep detonation away and avoid breaking the ring land (see below) and they're fine.

Actually the bigger ring gap (from worn rings) of a higher mileage engine is better for boost, NA engines typically have a tighter ring gap than is desirable for boost, get that cylinder too hot for too long, the ring gap closes up and breaks the ring land on the piston. Also why tune is very important, gotta keep it rich (I'd shoot for 12:1 with 4PSI) to help keep the cylinders cool.

Most people recommend for mild builds over 10PSI to use Felpro head gaskets and ARP bolts, on the more wild side, Cometic headgaskets and ARP studs.

My motor had 102k on it when I boosted it, it now has 129k, truck has 269k, tranny has 206k. Mileage doesn't scare me.

 

Hey man have you ever dyno'ed your truck?

 

I know thread hasn't been bumped in a couple days but I love turbos since moving to a high elevation. I honestly would not use the turbo off a cummins if I were to do this to my truck, and I would not go sts, and here are my reasons why. Diesels run way different than gasoline engines, one difference (also related to there turbo) they have no throttle body thus no butterfly valve or vacuum. (but what does that have to do with anything???!?) well when your in it and that turbo spools it's spinning upwards of 100,000 rpms (yes I typed that correctly) and when your throttle body shuts it expects that 4psi to pretty much stop but it won't it sends a wave back to the turbo and since it's whole purpose in life is to push air it's not far fetched to think it too could be pushed by the same air however, when it's turnin 100k going backwards is not an option and thus works play into the turbo and causing a laundry list of possible outcomes. Diesels do not have these same problems and are thus built and sealed differently, I'm not an expert so I really don't know what harm you could do to either component running that turbo on that motor but I wouldn't do it. eBay turbos have come a long way, they're not neccesarily a bad option, or with the ricer seen on the west coast you can find ba used ones on Craigslist, especially in Albuquerque (ask me how I know). Now to my second argument, sts aka ****ty Turbo Systems, I would never run these. Let's cover some basics, with this system your turbo is in the back right? Ok and your motor is in the front? Uh hu so you have to run two elaborate sets of piping to connect the hot and cold side together, and you're gonna learn a lot of fi terms..... Like boost leak, pressure side exhaust leak, and not the least of which, TURBO LAG. This is like having the timing way out on an old jeep, or burnning up to ecu in a Honda. You know the power is there...somewhere but when you nail it, it ain't at your back tires. And problem number 2 with sts, have you ever seen an exhaust glow red? Ok cuz this is beyond common with the hot-side of turbos, even when it aint red that sucker is cookin. Ok let that stew in your head, you just turboed your truck but you know how to brake boost and what rpms you get boost in and you go out and tear it up a while, then it begins to rain, or the neighborhood kids busted the fire hydrant and there's water on the road.... What happens when that cool water hits your hot turbo cuz you put it in the back of the truck to retain a stock looking doghouse? Could be far fetched but turbos are too expecive for me to throw away because of typical weather... Oh and for sts you need to boost oil pressure to the turbo and back from it cuz the slightest restriction on oil will blow seals quicker than you can comprehend what's going on.

Now if I was gonna do this... I would take my exhaust manifolds off swap them and place them backwards and have a cross pipe built to connect them putting the tubi right in front of the accessory belt, and make sure there is a hole before the turbo on the piping for a waistgate so you don't wind up running allofit. Now take the fan and shroud off and replace with one or two electric fans so you keep the whole radiator cool and prevent its failure waiting every bit of work you've ever put into the truck. Now I hope you can figure out a downpipe with your own imagination and the ***** to just run a screamer tube so you sound bad when running all out. So that's it for the hot side.

Only thing I really have to say about the cold side is you would do best to run an intercooler, it's possible (they have them on cummins, and if your determined to have diesel parts on your truck here's your chance!) and it's insurance... And also don't go cheap on a blow off valve cuz it WILL ensure the life of your turbo.

And this concludes my short story on turbos and ram pickups, I don't know further specifics because I've never done this before on this truck but this is we're I'd start since I've been looking into this engine bay for years and have seen some very high horsepower cars utilize parts from this setup. Good luck, I hope you do research and continue with this project cuz it would be awesome to seen

 

ALL turbos will surge, not just "diesel turbos", that's what a BOV is for.

You're very missinformed. Water/snow will not hurt a turbo, they're very robust, I live in the PNW, it rains 9 months out of the year here. Also lag is not a problem, trust me. You do not have to "boost" oil pressure to the turbo, simply have to pump it back.

 

Wait -- you don't understand or even possess any knowledge of turbocharging an engine, yet you want to put one in your truck? What the hell for?

 

Nothing like forced induction to wake up a motor..... At least he is doing his research before diving in, and buying parts.

 

Now that I'm off work and have time to pick this apart more.

There's so much lag, it makes it unbearable to drive



Actually, many turbos need oil restrictors (regardless where they're installed) because they cannot handle the volume of oil pumped to them.


I'm not saying remote turbos are the end-all-be-all of turbo systems, because they're not, but they have their place and work very well when setup properly.

 

And it is sure as shootin' easier to set up than trying to find someone to custom make you some turbo headers......

Just out of idle curiosity...... turbos have a standard mounting flange, do they not? (on the exhaust side)