Well then someone needs to call every automotive and engine manufacturer that has ever incorporated a turbo charger on their engines without a turbo timer and let them know that their engineers screwed up

 

They are not needed. They can have some benefit, but I doubt any of us will ever see this add any reliability or longevity to our setups.

They just aren't worth the trouble IMO. I have friends that run them and we are constantly shutting them off and fooling with to get the car to shut off, rather than having it count down while we are working on the car. When you park, you have to leave it in nuetral and completely rely on the parking brake (which I never 100% trust). Some cars are fussy with alarms and locking the doors while the car is still running.

Just not worth the hassle as far as I am concerned considering you are basically getting nothing back in terms of reliability or longevity

 

I didn't know you were the authority on this issue (FI).

 

+1, it's just another electronic accessory that can potentially screw up in a big way, seeing as how it's connected to your ignition switch...

 

Well, being that your particular turbo isn't water cooled, I'd recommend it, especially since it's known to have seal issues.

It's not that big of a deal (the parking part), just make sure your parking brake isn't fuxd.

 

I'm not too worried about it, as long as Reggie's deal is an ongoing thing...

 

yes I am. everyone seems to think timers are no longer needed. If your hard on your engine, it definitely help and it's better than not having it. especially when it isn't water-cooled.

 

That's stating the obvious. You could also just not drive in boost and immediately shut the car down. If you have even 30~ seconds of slow idle/cruise before you shut the car down then a water cooled system is in no danger of hot oil coking in the bearing housing.

Therefore, not "needed".

 

I haven't seen a turbo timer thread in a long time. The debate over turbo timer is very much personal preference. For a car that is street driven, I feel a 1 min cool down is a good idea with a traditional journal bearing setup, like the Greddy's. On a dual ball bearing setup, like APS and JWT, I'd say its not really needed.

Then again, they are cheap, and 1 min of "just in case" cool down time is certainly not a bad idea, IMHO. When tracking a car, a long cool down is a VERY good idea.

 

+1 im letting mine go for 3 mins long i know but its my car

 

+2.....IOm usually let it sit for 3-4.5 minutes....I think Turbo timer is a good Idea for Oil cooled Turbo's.

 

Turbo timers aren't "required" even in floating metal, non water cooled turbos, BUT - they're a really really really good idea... Ball bearing, water cooled turbo's run much cooler and as a result could be safely run without a turbo timer. The caveat is how you drive the car. If you're not tracking the car for hours at a time and only get on it here and there, then running a timer is really pointless. I guess the best way to sum it up is to say that it depends on your driving situation, and how much time you have to sit with your car while it cools down for a few minutes after some spirited driving...

 

Im new to the TT thing and just ordered the Greddy kit. Are all turbo timers the same? Which one should I get?

 

Greddy/HKS/Blitz/Apexi...

I would just go with whichever one complimented your boost controller setup. They all pretty much accomplish the same thing.

 

the jags came with "turbo timers" and they were for superchargers. agreeably the water cooled turbos will cool down quicker however the other parts of the motor like the manifolds are not water cooled at the drastic temp change will cause expasion and comprrssion of the metal. for 100 why not for the peace of mind

 

are all the timers need splicing wires? or is there one with a plug n play wire design?

 

I dont have a timer but I know a guy that flys turbo prop planes and he said that after landing it was procedure to idle for 3 minutes before he shuts off. I dont know the difference in thermodynamics between turbos on cars and planes but I usually sit and idle for about 2 minutes.

 

WHen i pull out the key, it starts off at 30. I usually leave it there for daily driving but after a race, i bump it up for about 2 minutes and pop the hood for the heat to get out.

 

1 minute

 

Yes and no for a couple reasons. Many user manuals of turbo cars states to let the car cool for 1-2 mins after prolonged driving to let the turbochargers cool off to prevent hot coking of the oil. This is probably especially true for cars mainly running conventional oils though. My 300ZX Owners Manual states the same by letting it cool off 1-2 mins, but then again, its a 18 year old car, it was all conventional oils in those days. I leave my timer on auto mode and let it decide for itself, generally most timers keep a log of how you drive so it can determine a sufficient cool down time.