Can anyone identify this turbo?

[98gst14b]

I think my turbo has blown seals, to check I held my finger over the oil return and blew into the inlet and could hear air escaping through the compressor and exhaust, is this an accurate test? Plus the turbo has some in and out play but no up and down play. Also, I cant find any brand stamps anywhere on the turbo. Thanks.

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[JusMX141]

Knockoff China junk with way too big of an exhaust housing for a stockish DSM.

Compressor wheel appears to be about a 50-trim, but you can't tell for sure without measurement.

...and no, blowing into the oil drain is not an accurate way to test seals. There will ALWAYS be some air escaping....the seals are gapped like piston rings, and do not fit tight around the shaft and collar.

 

[98gst14b]

Well, I cant get too much air escaping but when I push in on the compressor turbine to take up the shaft play I can almost feel air coming out of the compressor before it reaches the oil drain! What would be a good replacement turbo while trying to retain my t3 manifold and exhaust system?

 

[JusMX141]

Anything with a smaller a/r turbine housing will feel night and day quicker than that setup.
The tough thing would be finding something with a 3" v-band to fit your existing downpipe.

With your setup, you should stick with some type of 50-trim variant or a Holset HX35 with no bigger than a .63a/r turbine housing. Anything bigger will yeild a VERY slow spool and wouldn't make useful power at all.

I can't imagine what RPM you saw full boost at with that giant divided turbine housing!

 

[98gst14b]

4500

Hows this turbo look......good price..

Garrett T3/60-1 w/ .63 a/r

 

[JusMX141]

Honestly, I would've expected 5000+ with that monster.

The turbo in that link is exactly the same as the PTE 6031E that my buddy is currently abandoning. It can't seem to last more than a thousand miles no matter what we do. We've tried inline oil filters, moving the supply from the filter housing to the head....nothing changes. He does like to run 34psi, so maybe it just can't take that boost level.

If you talk to others, the 60-1 compressor / T31 turbine combo doesn't seem to be in good balance....you're better off finding a 60-1 mated to a T350 or a P-trim turbine if you're looking at making some serious airflow. These turbos would all yeild a 4500rpm spool as well in a T3 housing.

Now I have NO idea what your goals are....and if your profile info is current, your 550 injectors are horribly undersized for both the turbo you were running and the 60-1 in the link you posted. A set of 550's would probably be maxxed out around 15psi on a 60-1, which is well below that turbo's efficiency. You're better off with a 16G at that point.

If you really want to keep this car a street car, find a nice Garrett 50-trim with a T31 (Stage 3) turbine. These turbos seem to be where it's at for street cars running boost under 25psi. Your choice of turbine a/r is going to depend on your desired boost level....be careful making this choice, because it's expensive to upgrade housings later if you're not happy with how it's performing:

.48 a/r T3 housing: Better for boost below 20psi. Spools quick, allows enough backpressure so the engine retains a nice torquey, streetable feel. It's not that you couldn't take this housing above 20psi; it would just become a huge airflow restriction.

.63 a/r T3 housing: Better for boost above 20psi. Spools 200-300rpm later than the .48 housing, but will allow the engine to breathe on top end because of reduced backpressure and increased flow. Could be used below 20psi, but would feel slow to respond....but still head-and-shoulders better than what you had!


If you're planning on never going above 20psi, I would say the 50-trim, .48a/r turbine housing, and a nice set of 650 injectors would keep you happy for a very long time. If you want to go nuts, the 60-1, .63a/r turbine housing, and 750/850 injectors could take you to 25+psi without trouble.

You already have the Garrett oil line accessories, which is why I'm recommending the Garrett 50-trim. There are endless possibilites of turbos you could use....this is just the most affordable and easy-to-fit choice in my opinion.

 

[98gst14b]

Very helpful info. I agree about your comment on my injectors, I plan on ordering 850s soon but I'm still breaking in my engine so I'm not in a rush for that. I have thought about your two selections and frankly the turbo I had was laggy but not that bad, If your .63s ar selection actually has a bigger (60) trim and a smaller ar (.63) than the turbo I had I would probably lean toward the .63ar selection. Mind you I rebuilt my engine with stock internals I probably wouldnt want anything much more than 400whp. So if the .48 can support 400 than why not go for that quicker spool right? Newayz the .63 you mentioned IS the link I had above right? What are your thoughts here?

 

[JusMX141]

If you're sticking with Garrett, I'd say a 60-trim or 60-1 with a .63 a/r T3 turbine housing will be where it's at to reach your goal of around 400whp. A 50-trim will get you there....it's just that a 60 or 60-1 will do it easier.

It's doubtful that either choice will make 400whp on less than 20psi, so I'm figuring you should scratch the .48 a/r housing at this point. Nobody cares how laggy a turbo is if it makes big power!

If you're choosing the 60-1, you may want to consider the Stage 5 turbine choice like I mentioned above. It seems to be more balanced to the compressor's potential.

The Garrett in that link above appears to have a 4-bolt turbine outlet, which is very common. You can buy an adapter that bolts to the turbine outlet and converts to a v-band like your existing turbo uses.

That's it, man....60-trim + .63 a/r turbine housing + 25psi = BIG smiles!

 

[98gst14b]

Well....if I push the exhaust out any more it will probably hit the oil filter, maybe I should re-do my exhaust, do you know the name of the exhaust outlet so I can weld it to the downpipe? Also the 60-1 .63 sounds great but I'm a little worried about lag, how much worse would they be than a 50trim or 60-1 .43? Also would I be able to rotate the compressor so the outlet points down? (For piping reasons) Thanks for your help!

 

[98gst14b]

Also, what is the difference between:

A 60-1
Garrett T3/60-1 w/ .63 a/r
And a TO4E
Garrett T3/TO4E 60 trim w/ .63 a/r

 

[JusMX141]

Well....if I push the exhaust out any more it will probably hit the oil filter, maybe I should re-do my exhaust, do you know the name of the exhaust outlet so I can weld it to the downpipe? Also the 60-1 .63 sounds great but I'm a little worried about lag, how much worse would they be than a 50trim or 60-1 .43? Also would I be able to rotate the compressor so the outlet points down? (For piping reasons) Thanks for your help!

Honestly, v-bands seal great and are convenient if you're known to remove your turbo alot....but they're not required by any means. I've heard how v-band turbine housings make it difficult to fit downpipes....if you look at a stock DSM o2 housing you'll see that it's set much sharper than a 90* angle, placing the downpipe almost underneath the turbine housing. You may need to swap to an oil filter housing that faces the filter forward if you really want to keep that v-band.

There are a few manufacturers that build o2 housings for Garrett turbos with a 4-bolt outlet that will fit right up to a DSM downpipe. You may need to go that route if you want to keep your filter housing the way it is.

I can't see how you're worried about lag considering the turbo you were using. Anything we've spoken of thus far will surely be an improvement.

The compressor and turbine housings on all T3 Garrett turbos rotate 360*.

Also, what is the difference between:

A 60-1
Garrett T3/60-1 w/ .63 a/r
And a TO4E
Garrett T3/TO4E 60 trim w/ .63 a/r

The turbo in the first link is has a 60-trim compressor with 7 blades instead of 6. It also features a "S" compressor cover with a 4" inlet. Your existing turbo's inlet appears to be 3", so you'd have to redo your air intake if you choose this one. The 60-1 compressor is used in turbos like the FP Red, PTE 6031E, and a heap of others.

The turbo in the second link has a plain, 6 blade 60-trim compressor. This is the same compressor wheel that the SBR G60 uses, and the Frank Level 4 and 5 20G's use. This turbo has an "E" compressor cover with a 3" inlet, which would work with your existing intake. It's a bit cheaper than the 60-1 also....I'd probably use this turbo if I were you.

 

[98gst14b]

I think im gonna go for a 50 trim with a .63ar because it can support around 400hp plus the quick spool...here is the link

Garrett T3/TO4E 50 trim w/ .63 a/r

 

[JusMX141]

That's a fine choice....a very reasonable price, too. The best part is that it's a real Garrett- you won't have to question reliability one bit.

I don't think you'll be disappointed with a 50-trim / T31 turbine / .63 a/r turbine housing setup. That's a decent setup for 18psi now and has LOTS of growing room for 25+psi down the road.