Turbo replacement/upgrades?

[Arahat1 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Arahat1]

Hi-
Anyone replaced there OEM turbo with one of the eBay ones such as but not limited to this: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/MAMBA-Up...19.m1438.l2649
I have used an eBay turbo before in a different car and it performed extremely well. Just wondering if anyone has, how did they perform?
Cheers and Happy Easter

[t303 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close t303]

I am not an engine tuner, nor do I impersonate one on the internet. However (as usual) I am the voice of caution. (or maybe I just don't like seeing people have any fun ).
One of the first things that springs to mind is what the ECD would make of the new pressures etc,? What would it do to your midrange?
Goes without saying that you would need to look at the exhaust, in fact I think I was told you design from the ar$e forward: exhaust first then turbo to suit?
Also, from bitter experience, I would caution boosting much above stock, lest thy cylinder head split itself asunder.
Knock out the main muffler first, install a straight through, then see how much more you need.
Any dyno experts on here can comment?
cheers
Steve

[carco Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close carco]

Lots of high hp petrol cars have had success with Mamba, likewise Kinugawa.
But that link's price seems way high ????
I think if you actually need a new turbo by all means look at the e-bay stuff.
If you just want to experiment with air flow, talk with Stao at Hypertune.
You can bet he's looked into these tiny turbos and can advise if it's worth the effort.
The KZ has a very small power band and I guess the factory turbo was worked into it. Depends where you want to drive your car.

[Arahat1 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Arahat1]

Hey thanks!
Yeah so it doesn't look like anyone has actually replaced the KZ turbo- maybe they just have a really long life cycle? Well if looked after that is. Water/oil cooling is a pretty good recipe for turbo longevity I guess.

[Arahat1 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Arahat1]

Lots of high hp petrol cars have had success with Mamba, likewise Kinugawa.
But that link's price seems way high ????
I think if you actually need a new turbo by all means look at the e-bay stuff.
If you just want to experiment with air flow, talk with Stao at Hypertune.
You can bet he's looked into these tiny turbos and can advise if it's worth the effort.
The KZ has a very small power band and I guess the factory turbo was worked into it. Depends where you want to drive your car.

Yeah to be honest I'm not really into experimenting with changing boosts, flow maps, etc. unless there's a proven track record of dyno backed improvement AND complete reliability to match. Please give me reliability any day over a little extra power. Stao at Hypertune- thanks.
I like the torque the KZ makes and it's good with the manual too. It goes up any hill without strain, and will overtake most other cars that are losing their power up the hill. Love it!
Because I've only had the Prado 6 weeks kind of wondering what i should be watching out for mechanically with a car that's done 380k, It's had a new head fitted, and has been maintained pretty well. Drives really well!

[t303 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close t303]

At 380K you should be watching everything!
Suspension/steering will probably need attention, ball joints, bushes, shocks, you name it. Just fix it as you need to I guess, at least parts are easy to come by.

Oh, and YOU MUST look after the cooling system, or you will be looking for a new head again.

[carco Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close carco]

Steve's correct. Once they get up some big k's, you can blow a lot of $$$ on suspension, drive line and cooling system, all depends how hard she's been used previously.
Exhaust is also correct. You need a plan or it wastes $$$. Those baby turbos have an odd dump flange so if you upgrade the dump and exhaust, you're probably going to stay with the factory housing.
That limits you to high flowing the factory model, which can still produce excellent results.
Once you increase the airflow by raising boost, the big restriction becomes the hot side.
First and easiest to fix is dump and exhaust.
Next your exhaust manifold pressure needs to drop and that's achieved by increasing the clearance between wheel and housing. A different more modern design wheel might also be sourced but there's not a lot of options available for this turbo.
A more modern or clipped compressor wheel will shift the air flow map on the cold side, typically to flow more air at higher engine rpm.
Depends how you want to drive it. I'm happy to stay around the 1900-2100 mark as after that my torque drops right off, but if you prefer to drop a gear and rev, you need the air flow to suit those rpm's.

[Arahat1 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Arahat1]

Steve's correct. Once they get up some big k's, you can blow a lot of $$$ on suspension, drive line and cooling system, all depends how hard she's been used previously.
Exhaust is also correct. You need a plan or it wastes $$$. Those baby turbos have an odd dump flange so if you upgrade the dump and exhaust, you're probably going to stay with the factory housing.
That limits you to high flowing the factory model, which can still produce excellent results.
Once you increase the airflow by raising boost, the big restriction becomes the hot side.
First and easiest to fix is dump and exhaust.
Next your exhaust manifold pressure needs to drop and that's achieved by increasing the clearance between wheel and housing. A different more modern design wheel might also be sourced but there's not a lot of options available for this turbo.
A more modern or clipped compressor wheel will shift the air flow map on the cold side, typically to flow more air at higher engine rpm.
Depends how you want to drive it. I'm happy to stay around the 1900-2100 mark as after that my torque drops right off, but if you prefer to drop a gear and rev, you need the air flow to suit those rpm's.

Ah wow- big money on suspension, driveline and cooling system? What sort of results did you get from your turbo with the high flowing? Does your car also have a few k's up?
Thanks buddy!

[carco Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close carco]

Mine's a standard turbo, I was explaining your options re-high flow and exhaust.
Yes mine has over 500,000k's, and just like Grandad's axe with 2-new heads and 6-handles. Best axe he's ever owned.
Seriously though, front suspension lower ball joints have to be checked frequently on a 90.