Building my own Turbo Kit

[Army of Wuzzy]

Hey y'all

As the title says, I'm planning to build my own turbo kit this upcoming summer as I'll have a break from college. The whole process is familiar to me, and I'm just looking for an opinion. My current plan is to do a rear mount setup, and make all the piping out of stainless steel. One of my friends is a professional welder and he offered to weld it if I pay for the materials. My only concern for welding it would be the ease of serviceability if something goes wrong down the road. Another concern is the cost of Argon to properly purge the whole tube, especially considering it's a rear mount turbo.

I'm just looking for opinions on if I should have it welded, or just play it safe and do silicone couplers and clamps.

Yes I know it'd be more efficient to just buy a V8, as well.

[Tommy434]

I built my own kit mines a 408 front mount 85mm so it was big tubing I’ve been welding and fabricating over 30 years so I feel like I can give my 2 cents
1st be prepared this is not an easy task so plan on extra time and planning
2nd, use aluminum for everything! No need for a purge and it’s 1/2 the weight and if I remember it’s cheaper. You will only need stainless for about 24” from the hot side then switch to aluminum I ran it all the way back to my mufflers( yours will be a little different)
3 stay away from eBay it’s so temping and I fell victim on some v band clamps and made my life hell. I found that Ace race parts seems to have the best prices but shipping gets costly if cost isn’t an issue race parts solutions will have everything but they are pricey jegs has some stuff also. Word of the day planning and patients. Good luck if ya need any advice you can always hit me up good luck Tommy

[Army of Wuzzy]

Originally Posted by Tommy434

I built my own kit mines a 408 front mount 85mm so it was big tubing I’ve been welding and fabricating over 30 years so I feel like I can give my 2 cents
1st be prepared this is not an easy task so plan on extra time and planning
2nd, use aluminum for everything! No need for a purge and it’s 1/2 the weight and if I remember it’s cheaper. You will only need stainless for about 24” from the hot side then switch to aluminum I ran it all the way back to my mufflers( yours will be a little different)
3 stay away from eBay it’s so temping and I fell victim on some v band clamps and made my life hell. I found that Ace race parts seems to have the best prices but shipping gets costly if cost isn’t an issue race parts solutions will have everything but they are pricey jegs has some stuff also. Word of the day planning and patients. Good luck if ya need any advice you can always hit me up good luck Tommy

I really appreciate the response, and I know it'll be a difficult task and take some time. I had no idea about the aluminum part. That sounds way better. Luckily I do have some background in fabricating, although definitely not 30 years. While in college, I run my schools FSAE team and we build the whole car ourselves, so I feel capable in my skills to do this, especially with my buddy who is the welder. Again, I really appreciate the feedback and I will definitely look into aluminum.

[co14camaro]

Just a couple of thoughts.
1. What is your ultimate goal for the car? Do you plan on racing it or just want some extra power on tap?
2. Whats you budget for the build? Be realistic here and like was stated stay away from eBay crap. Cheap, Fast, Reliable you can only have two!
3. Take care of ALL required maint on your engine beforehand to make sure its in good health. Adding lots of power to an engine in a poor state of tune is NOT a good idea. Especially with your LLT motor has the timing system been replaced?
4. Don't try to reinvent the wheel. There has been a lot of successful single turbo front mount set ups. A front mount is way less complicated and takes a lot less materials to build. Plus it has a lot less failure points. Rear mounts are notorious for having oiling issues due to having to run an oil line back to the turbo and some sort of pump to bring the oil back to the pan. Don't want any of that to fail otherwise bye bye turbo and most likely bye bye engine.
5. Make sure you have a good tuning plan. Check around to see if any local shops can dyno tune a V6 Camaro with something like HP tuners. Overkill can provide a base tune, but nothing takes the place of a skilled tuner sitting in your car on a loaded dyno. That's the best way to ensure your engine lives a long healthy life.
6. Take your time collecting quality parts and have a 2nd car you can drive while your Camaro is down. This is not something you can tackle in a weekend so be prepared!!
7. Make sure your friend is practiced using a Tig welder and knows how to weld Aluminum properly. Lots of people say they can weld AL but few can weld it properly!

[Army of Wuzzy]

Originally Posted by co14camaro

Just a couple of thoughts.
1. What is your ultimate goal for the car? Do you plan on racing it or just want some extra power on tap?
2. Whats you budget for the build? Be realistic here and like was stated stay away from eBay crap. Cheap, Fast, Reliable you can only have two!
3. Take care of ALL required maint on your engine beforehand to make sure its in good health. Adding lots of power to an engine in a poor state of tune is NOT a good idea. Especially with your LLT motor has the timing system been replaced?
4. Don't try to reinvent the wheel. There has been a lot of successful single turbo front mount set ups. A front mount is way less complicated and takes a lot less materials to build. Plus it has a lot less failure points. Rear mounts are notorious for having oiling issues due to having to run an oil line back to the turbo and some sort of pump to bring the oil back to the pan. Don't want any of that to fail otherwise bye bye turbo and most likely bye bye engine.
5. Make sure you have a good tuning plan. Check around to see if any local shops can dyno tune a V6 Camaro with something like HP tuners. Overkill can provide a base tune, but nothing takes the place of a skilled tuner sitting in your car on a loaded dyno. That's the best way to ensure your engine lives a long healthy life.
6. Take your time collecting quality parts and have a 2nd car you can drive while your Camaro is down. This is not something you can tackle in a weekend so be prepared!!
7. Make sure your friend is practiced using a Tig welder and knows how to weld Aluminum properly. Lots of people say they can weld AL but few can weld it properly!

My goal is extra power on tap, I know I'll have to deal with some lag. I have about 6,000 to do this and I know to stay away from cheap parts, if I find that my budget doesn't allow for parts I find satisfactory, I will continue to save until I can afford it all. My LLT motor has about 20,000 miles on it, and it is in very good working condition. I'm aware of the oiling issues and I've been trying to find ways to combat this. If I can't find a way to combat it, I'll end up going front mount. My reasons for the remote mount is not only to be different, but to challenge my fabrication skills. In addition, this is an engineering project so I can also do many of my class projects involving this. I have a very good tuner that lives near my house, and I've been discussing with them about if they have the ability to tune. I do also have a second vehicle that I can use during the downtime.
As for the welding, I'm still not 100% certain on doing it fully welded, although he is very confident in his welding as he spent a whole class in tech school doing aluminum.

[co14camaro]

If you do try a rear mount there's a couple of more things to keep in mind
1) Depending on the turbo you pick you may have to run coolant lines back and forth from the engine. Both the oil and coolant lines need to be protected from the elements. Again another failure point!
2) You will HAVE to have some sort of turbo timer that will run the engine to help cool down the turbo after a hard run.
3) You need to have the charge pipe fully welded to ensure it doesn't leak. Again anything under the chassis is exposed to some pretty harsh elements which will likely destroy couplers and clamp.
4) Your going to have to do some serious exhaust work to get it to work right. You'll have to tie both banks together and run one larger pipe down to the turbo. Don't go too large as that will create even more lag.
5) Make sure your size your turbo appropriately as well. Too large and it won't kick in till way high in the rev band. Too small and you risk over revving the turbo and destroying it.
6) I understand wanting to do something different but in my experience bolting on a well proven kit like Overkills is well worth the money and allows you to drive your Camaro after a weekends work and not spend countless hours/days/weeks/month/years tinkering with a completely unproven set up.

[ariZona28]

Let the record show that I'm usually the first guy to say leave well enough alone but in this instance let me say I understand what you're trying to accomplish. May I suggest you reach out to two members: Alice and tlavoie87. My apologies to these fellows for volunteering their knowledge but they would be the first individuals I would contact if I were attempting such a monumental task. I know they're LFX guys but plenty info pertains to both engine types. Good luck and can't wait to see the results.

[mikeman]

To do it right, I think forged pistons are a must. That's what I would do if I was going to invest my time/money into a custom V6/V8 turbo setup.

[alice]

First, No difference between LLT and LFX engines as far as turbocharging is concerned. My Camaro is a 2010 LLT and I turbocharged it from the beginning. 3 years later I converted to the LFX engine, everything turbo related remained the same except for the tune. My system is a twin rear mount. I have had 0 problems since 2011 when I installed the system. My system was engineered by me but followed the STS system as a basic guide. Turbo lag is NOT an issue if the system is designed correctly.

The best way to get excellent performance from a rear mount system is choice of component parts. Here is a prioritized list of the best of the best part to do a rear mount system. 1) TURBOCHARGER The best turbo's for minimum lag is the Borg Warner EFR 6258. It has a titanium turbine wheel, water cooled center section, ball bearings, built in wastegates and built in recirculation valves, saves a lot of plumbing!! 2) SCAVANGE OIL PUMP The best oil pump is the Turbowerx Exa-Pump. DO NOT USE ANY OTHER OIL PUMP! Quiet and reliable, tried them all. 3) COOLANT PUMP FOR TURBO'S You do not need to use coolant for the center sections of the turbo's but if you choose to do so, use a Bosch Intercooler pump Part #392022002.
4) ELITE E2-X CATCH CAN I highly recommend this particular catch can because of the efficiency of the unit. Others are good too but be sure to install a catch can on your project.

All other components are whatever you choose. No preference but when it comes to tuning, I recommend WillOverkill. He has enormous experience in tuning these systems. Another note, I suggest that you do NOT increase the size of the charge tube at the throttle body, use stock diameter with stock MAF. Other than these suggestions, the system on my Camaro has worked flawlessly for 10 years and is still going strong. A higher stall converter, if automatic, is suggested and will make a huge difference in performance on ANY turbo vehicle.

Check out this video for additional information but ignore the "Sequential" part of the system, as this will not apply to your project.

https://youtu.be/qb6prNRHAlQ

[bill522]

Originally Posted by alice

First, No difference between LLT and LFX engines as far as turbocharging is concerned. My Camaro is a 2010 LLT and I turbocharged it from the beginning. 3 years later I converted to the LFX engine, everything turbo related remained the same except for the tune. My system is a twin rear mount. I have had 0 problems since 2011 when I installed the system. My system was engineered by me but followed the STS system as a basic guide. Turbo lag is NOT an issue if the system is designed correctly.

The best way to get excellent performance from a rear mount system is choice of component parts. Here is a prioritized list of the best of the best part to do a rear mount system. 1) TURBOCHARGER The best turbo's for minimum lag is the Borg Warner EFR 6258. It has a titanium turbine wheel, water cooled center section, ball bearings, built in wastegates and built in recirculation valves, saves a lot of plumbing!! 2) SCAVANGE OIL PUMP The best oil pump is the Turbowerx Exa-Pump. DO NOT USE ANY OTHER OIL PUMP! Quiet and reliable, tried them all. 3) COOLANT PUMP FOR TURBO'S You do not need to use coolant for the center sections of the turbo's but if you choose to do so, use a Bosch Intercooler pump Part #392022002.

All other components are whatever you choose. No preference but when it comes to tuning, I recommend WillOverkill. He has enormous experience in tuning these systems. Another note, I suggest that you do NOT increase the size of the charge tube at the throttle body, use stock diameter with stock MAF. Other than these suggestions, the system on my Camaro has worked flawlessly for 10 years and is still going strong. A higher stall converter, if automatic, is suggested and will make a huge difference in performance on ANY turbo vehicle.

Check out this video for additional information but ignore the "Sequential" part of the system, as this will not apply to your project.

https://youtu.be/qb6prNRHAlQ

People like you are why I joined this Forum..

[alice]

Sounds like you are on your way to possibly becoming an Engineer or Mechanic. Great field to pursue. I am 72 years old and a retired Manufacturing Engineer and currently have my own business. (Machine Shop & Fabrication) Over the years I have built many forced induction projects and you learn as you go. What you are planning on doing will be an education in itself, so go for it. Never give up. Get all the formal education in the area you are pursuing that you can. When you get stumped, ask someone questions or for some help.

The LLT engine can handle a nominal 8 PSI boost on 93 octane fuel, with good reliability and good tune. A real kick in the ass! They can take more but this is a good and safe zone to start with. Here's a couple pictures of my 2010 Camaro. I just finished installing the ZL1 front end, turned out great!

Good luck and thank you for the compliment. (see my post above for a revision. Added catch can.)

[Army of Wuzzy]

Originally Posted by alice

Sounds like you are on your way to possibly becoming an Engineer or Mechanic. Great field to pursue. I am 72 years old and a retired Manufacturing Engineer and currently have my own business. (Machine Shop & Fabrication) Over the years I have built many forced induction projects and you learn as you go. What you are planning on doing will be an education in itself, so go for it. Never give up. Get all the formal education in the area you are pursuing that you can. When you get stumped, ask someone questions or for some help.

The LLT engine can handle a nominal 8 PSI boost on 93 octane fuel, with good reliability and good tune. A real kick in the ass! They can take more but this is a good and safe zone to start with. Here's a couple pictures of my 2010 Camaro. I just finished installing the ZL1 front end, turned out great!

Good luck and thank you for the compliment. (see my post above for a revision. Added catch can.)

I'm currently on my 3rd year of my mechanical engineering degree, so you are correct. I know it'll be a huge learning experience and that's what I'm most excited for. I have been planning on doing a single turbo, would you have the same turbo recommendation or another one for that kind of application?

I appreciate all your information, and it was really awesome to watch your video about the setup. I currently work in my University's machine shop so I plan to do everything except the welding and tuning myself.

The 6th gen ZL1 front end looks amazing on your car!

[alice]

If you do a single turbo, I would still use the Borg Warner EFR series but talk to a sales representative to get it sized as close to the engine as possible. A single turbo will introduce more turbo lag than a twin setup and that is why I recommend the Borg Warner EFR series because they are the fastest spooling turbos that I am aware of. I know money is always a consideration so that may dictate whether you go twin or single. Either way will result in good horsepower increases. It's strictly your choice.

[Army of Wuzzy]

Originally Posted by alice

If you do a single turbo, I would still use the Borg Warner EFR series but talk to a sales representative to get it sized as close to the engine as possible. A single turbo will introduce more turbo lag than a twin setup and that is why I recommend the Borg Warner EFR series because they are the fastest spooling turbos that I am aware of. I know money is always a consideration so that may dictate whether you go twin or single. Either way will result in good horsepower increases. It's strictly your choice.

I'll reach out to them this spring so I can prepare accordingly for this summer. Do you have any recommendations on how to deal with the oil feed and return lines? (Specifically location of them). I believe I'm going to go single for the cost aspect.