I'm over that and only half way there .

 

My 03 block has 146k and I put a turbo in it...a shitty turbo. It's holding up fine. 5-7.8psi (spring is 5psi, spikes to 7.8) Good tune and conservative timing.

 

thanks deadeye...I'm thinking once I know more I'm going to take the chance...it's my daily but I have access long term to another ride worst case scenario.

And for you 12hp nerds charging $2300 ....look up ART pipes and stop your adolescence...even I know about ART pipes, plenum spacers, and other options.

TDX2..sure...$1700...but you can get used ARTs for $400 and add more than 12hp right there. So about $40 a HP?

Now let's all brag about spending ten grand for a hundred horsepower and see who wins the financials contest?

Deadeye...what's the risk using a cheap turbo? If it breaks during driving what happens to car? Do you get stranded or just have to limp mode home?

I'm still set on rear mount turbo for a few reasons...but I also know from other worlds that there ARE budget solutions that can perform beautifully for those who have the brains and time to research the matter well.

Glad it's working for ya, I'd do the same if I knew what I was doing (I think).

Saved

 

Rear mount sts or otherwise is simply put, stupid.

Vortech is probably the safest FI for stock block (with stock pulley). Vortech for built block too is also probably the safest option in general.

BP Single is probably the best overall performer for HP/Torque though.

STS is just overpriced for crappy performance. You pay for the turbo, but get the "power" of a vortech, with none of the upgradability, and a lot more headache (oil lines, oil pump failure etc).

If you want turbo save some money and go with a BP kit. If you want reliability, get a base vortech kit, make 400whp on a decent tune, take the car home, stfu, and leave it as is.

As for "other worlds" that **** doesn't apply. When you get under a Z and start routing intercooler piping in and out of the car's various a$$h***s you'll understand why kits are made the way they are. Nitrous is always the cheapest power adder but nitrous solenoids etc are problematic, and setting up a nitrous kit correctly can be fairly pricey in of it's self. A decent kit can set you back a few grand, with some dyno time, a wideband, water injection (which is by far the best when paired with nitrous for getting good safe power) and a bit of exhaust (necessary at 100shot+levels really), you are looking very close to the price of an off the shelf FI kit. Now you can do it for cheaper, but you were talking about "legit" thought out ways of putting a car together. I don't consider a wet shot sprayed into your TB very legit. It might be effective, and it may not blow up, but it's not on the same consistent performance level of a proper turbo kit.


Furthermore reliability is more than just whether or not the car "blows up" as the keyboard warriors all over youtube seem to believe. Reliability is about how consistently a car can put down power. Turn on each day and go rip up the track or road. How easily or not easily components wear out, give minor headaches etc beyond just the health of the engine. I've definitely learned to appreciate cars that can just be pushed to their limits over and over and over. I've seen more than a few sick cars with tons of money in them go under the knife indefinitely... (Mine isn't "sick" but it definitely falls into that never ending ******** category). It sucks to see but it happens. Just part of the game I guess. And the cars that really perform well for years on end, those are the really cool cars.

 

Anyway torque breaks rods. Your rods are probably what will break on a high mile motor. The rods in these engines are literally toothpicks. I feel like this question has been asked a million times. You get a turbo kit on a high mileage engine and you're probably just sitting on a grenade. IMHO if you blow it though, just get another used motor. Enough of these cars get totaled that the vq35 can be had for a couple of grand.

 

^all valid points...

Each kit is going to have a few good things and a few bad things...one thing I like about rear mounts is that if you need to remove the turbo / wastegate it is pretty dang easy...If I have to remove one of my (greddy) turbos or a waste gate it means pulling the engine and transmission...

a few things that I don't like about the rear mount is the oil pump required to lubricate the blower...if the motor goes out your turbo is dead, I also don't like running the intake charge pipe next to the exhaust for any longer than you need to.

anyways...look what others have done and make the best decision for you

my two pennies...

 

To the original question.

Mileage isn't the question.

Condition of the engine is the question.

Compression check? (within 10% or less)
Leak down?,
Oil pressure at idle ~ max?,

Oil consumption? Any?
Leaky valve guides? Blow by? Excessive Crankcase pressure?

Oil has about an octane rating of 2 so, adding it to the combustion chamber, in any amount, is terrible.

Most turbo build do not have good control of blow by. This extra crank pressure is one of the worst problems. It can force oil in the combustion chamber, BAD! or blow out the turbo/blower seals, BAD!

Leak down test would be very key.

Block the intake and exhaust, open the valves and rotate the engine ...
How much pressure is blowing out of the seals and past the rings, at the top and bottom of the bores.


Thing that break engines;

Parts not up the task at hand. (including fuel)
**** poor tune.
Abuse, oh just a little more boost can't hurt...

Good luck on you endeavor.

 

I dont know were this reliability issue about the sts turbo.. I had mine installed early 2007 and i have yet to have any failing part..not alone any visit to a shop for repairs. I have over 45k boosted miles and and few trip at the 1/4 mile track with no issue. I did replace the Intercooler and replace the injector with the new GTR injectors because i'm running 90% duty cycle at 8psi. Heck i had he original air filter and finally replaced it last month.. Been also running 10psi the last 3 years..


Having said all of the above, i would pick the BP kit because of the upgrade option you have. STS is only good for stock motor. Any thing above 14psi you will see lag time increase to a point that it's not fun to drive on the street anymore.. I the BP kit was out early 2007 then i would've pick that.

 

For a stock block STS is "fine" power wise, but you still will likely have an oil return pump failure (unless you upgrade it to a turbowerx exa). The performance is just poor for the price. STS really overcharges for their kits.

In 2007 though as you pointed out it was a different situation. Now paing 5 grand for an sts kit would be just a bad choice when the same 5 grand could nearly get you a BP, a nice vortech etc.

 

I'd say the overall failure rate is WAY above 5%. Just with poor tuning alone... I'll second the notion that unless you have a solid back up plan, stick to bolt ons. That said my greddy 18G Z has 130k miles (boosted for 80k) still runs good making decent power but has some oil burning issues. And they are mostly commuting miles - it rarely saw boost except for on the dyno and few and far-between street pulls. If it were actually driven hard more than once in a blue moon, the motor would probably be long gone.