420A eBay turbo kit

[Culon1997GS]

Hello guys, i want to turbo my 420a and I was wondering if this is a good turbo kit for it? How much hp do you guys think I’ll be able to get from this turbo?

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[Ludachris]

It looks like any other Chinese turbo kit out there these days. At that price, I'm not sure how reliable you can expect it to really be. Most quality turbos, even smaller sized ones, from reputable companies aren't that cheap all by themselves.

Assuming this turbo doesn't fail shortly after install I wouldn't expect huge gains. Even if it were to perform well, you'll still be limited by the stock engine internals, the fuel system, and ignition system - and tuning. Read through some "turbo kit" posts in 420A forums here to get an idea of what power gains you can likely expect on a turbo kit alone. I found this one but there are definitely more: https://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/how-much-boost-can-a-420a-handle.292271/

Looks like 230-250hp is probable for just a turbo kit alone.

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

That's the same kit that's been on Ebay for at least 5 years, and cost around $500 when I first saw it. I haven't laid hands on that particular stuff but it's probably a collection of Alibaba items. I would just piece together some quality parts.

 

[Ludachris]

That's the same kit that's been on Ebay for at least 5 years, and cost around $500 when I first saw it. I haven't laid hands on that particular stuff but it's probably a collection of Alibaba items. I would just piece together some quality parts.

My thoughts as well. Wonder if anyone has put together a somewhat recent parts list for a DIY 420a turbo kit.

 

[jesse12345]

I recently just pieced together a turbo kit for a 420a. I bought everything on ebay that you'll actually need. The only parts I didn't cheap on was the wastegate, bov, and fmu. Obviously you'll need a wideband, boost and fuel pressure gauge. I'm only running 8 pounds since it's a stock rebuild, but it rolls out real nice. I'm real happy with it so far.

 

[Ludachris]

I recently just pieced together a turbo kit for a 420a. I bought everything on ebay that you'll actually need. The only parts I didn't cheap on was the wastegate, bov, and fmu. Obviously you'll need a wideband, boost and fuel pressure gauge. I'm only running 8 pounds since it's a stock rebuild, but it rolls out real nice. I'm real happy with it so far.

What turbo did you use?

 

[92AWDHX40]

My friend ran one and it came apart ripping hod engine up

 

[Spleen8urLSX]

I’m not a 420a guy but was many moons ago, and with common knowledge I can say you’d be better off piecing things together, as this kit likely includes a bunch of stuff that won’t directly work.

That cast manifold you could use and not worry about, but again I’m pretty sure by itself it can be had under 100 bucks. I’m by no means anti China turbo, they have their place where the user knows the potential issues in a budget situation but not reliably. I will say the “China turbo” game has changed a lot in recent years, however what’s pictured there isn’t up to the standard of the Chinese units vendors like Forced Performance and Pulsar are offering.

I never thought I’d say this but we’ve hit a point I’d run one of those and not think twice about it, however the lower end units like pictured there are a crap shoot, might last 20k+ street miles, more usually lasts a couple thousand but in some cases they’re junk out of the box. That’s a calculated risk you take but if you’re looking for guaranteed reliability that’s not the ticket. That and 9 times out of 10 when they include an intercooler core and a bunch of random piping it’s more hassle and headache to use it.

There’s many threads on here about piecing together a “kit”, while they’re mostly dated many of the same ideas still apply, nothing wrong with sourcing some of these cheap parts but you can save your money sourcing the ones that will actually work for what you want it to do.

 

[chrisman287]

I’d go generic for the manifold, intercooler and piping kit, oil feed and return.

Rest you can get second hand but name brand and not spend a fortune.

 

[jesse12345]

What turbo did you use?

I used a generic ebay t3 turbo that's a little to big but at 8 pounds it should be fine. I've had the small ebay turbos just fly apart so I stay away from those ( like the china 16g ). As long as you have the right amount of oil going to it and a good sized oil drain I've had no problems. I can't say how long it would last at a higher boost level though.