is it possible to build a junkyard turbo from scratch..

[madking411]

if i took a turbocharger, JUST the turbo, from the junkyard, off of a car with an engine of a similar size to mine, and tried to install it on my car's engine and had someone to build up everything for me? all the piping, etc.

Would it work out okay?? Would it give me any power gains, or be worth it to try? Would it be possible to run some nice psi, or run the max psi for stock internals with the junkyard turbo?
and, if you need to know, the engine I want to do this to is a 2.2Liter OHV in a 96 sunfire.

its just a thought...

[The BUCKY]

yea it will work maybe not as well as a good setup but it will work non the less

check out www.homemadeturbo.com

[madking411]

ohh, well thats good to hear.

For me, it'll be, either save up ~$4000 by next year for a REAL turbo...or, try to build a junkyard turbo for less $$....and im not really looking for a whole LOT of power, but what i want is a nice, semi-powerful, civic-eater, but that i can still drive reliably, and that wont eat a LOT of gas..

PS. homemade turbo didnt help me a lot, because, i'm not building an import motor and i dont know what kind of turbo im going to get yet.

Any suggestions on what car i should try to take the turbo from?

[redrumracer]

my friend has a 2000 sunfire that he put a turbo on and he had all the pieces made for him. if you want to contact him his myspace page is http://www.myspace.com/spyderwizard

[superboost]

I do it all the time. It is totally possible. What you need to do is start studying the varying types of turbos that came on particular cars, to learn the power they are capable of producing. Learn how to read compressor maps. For example, if you are looking to make in the neighborhood of 270-330hp, a 60/63 turbo off the old merkur or 4cyl mustangs is a good start. They flow around 34lbs of air and are about equivalent to a 16g on a mitsu, if a little more laggy. Depends on the power you want to make.

If you are in search of bigger power, the old garretts on the grand national and t-type intercooled cars are capable of outputting more. However, diesel junkyards are where you hit paydirt. You really have to be mindful of what you pull, and you may have to swap turbine housings, as diesels typically have HUGE hot ends, but you can makke some nice power. The current turbo for my next setup is a modified holset.

Don't believe these naysayers hwen they say it costs $4000 for a "real" turbo. $600 is a bit too "real" for me. You can roll your own "real" turbo from the junkyard and makke goodd, reliable power. It just takes a bit more leg work and research on your part because instead of paying someone to do the research and thinking, you are doing it yourself.

[speedminded]

A brand new turbo is only a couple hundred to under a grand for more than you'll be able to handle on a stock engine....the major cost is the fabrication of a manifold and everything else if it isn't available then TUNING TUNING TUNING (which includes proper fuel deliverance) The turbo itself is relatively cheap considering the rest that has to go with it.

[madking411]

welll, i talked to the guy who built his own turbo sunfire, and he said that in order for me to turbo the car, i hafta, 1) spend at least 1500 on it...and 2) ill need a WHOLE new ignition system, fuel system, exhaust system, and intake...now, obviously, having all of these pieces modified is a must, but I really dont believe that I'd hafta have each system installed TOTALLY different. To me, it sounded like i would have to have the entire car rebuilt from the ground up..is this true? or is is possible to run with, generally, MOST* of the stock parts that came in the car?? Another thing i was wondering, is should i have to worry too much about attempting to lower the compression in the engine as well?



*not counting the fuel injectors, ecu, or manifolds (intake and exhaust)

[madking411]

and, superboost...

im not really sure if i want to make TOOO much power, as i am attempting to turbo a car with an automatic trans. But, im lookin for somewhere in the neighborhood of....say 250 - 300HP minimum... I would also need to get a new/stronger torque converter wouldn't I?

[speedminded]

and, superboost...

im not really sure if i want to make TOOO much power, as i am attempting to turbo an automatic trans. But, im lookin for somewhere in the neighborhood of....say 250 - 300HP minimum... I would also need to get a new/stronger torque converter wouldn't I?

What car? Most automatics can't handle more power than what is already being put to them from the factory.

[madking411]

What car? Most automatics can't handle more power than what is already being put to them from the factory.

96 Pontiac Sunfire....


and, theres also another fairly strange thing i noticed, with the transmission...
me, i just took a risk with it, and i installed a CAI, and a ecu upgrade...both of those mods gave me ~an extra 20HP...and the torque converter didnt get killed, and the tranny still acts 100% normally

[speedminded]

96 Pontiac Sunfire....


and, theres also another fairly strange thing i noticed, with the transmission...
me, i just took a risk with it, and i installed a CAI, and a ecu upgrade...both of those mods gave me ~an extra 20HP...and the torque converter didnt get killed, and the tranny still acts 100% normally

If 20hp effected it then 1,000's of transmissions would be blowing out daily.

[redrumracer]

did he show you any pics

[redrumracer]

and he is also just runnin around 5psi right now but so far his trans is holding up good cuz his is also an auto.

[madking411]

nah, he didnt show me any pics...but do i REALLY have to rebuild essentially the WHOLE THING, like he said??

[redrumracer]

no i think he exaggerated a little

[redrumracer]

here are some pics

[Kyle]

People have definitely built budget turbo cars with junkyard parts. You just have to know what you are doing and what to look for. Grassroots Motorsports may have the article archived on their website, but they had an entire issue centered arround custom junkyard turbo setups. I would look there if I were you.

[madking411]

People have definitely built budget turbo cars with junkyard parts. You just have to know what you are doing and what to look for. Grassroots Motorsports may have the article archived on their website, but they had an entire issue centered arround custom junkyard turbo setups. I would look there if I were you.

welll.......1, i definately have NO idea what i am doing, heheh....and 2, i am going to sell the sunfire, because, it has re-occurring transmission issues...

What i'm going to buy next?? i reeally have no idea...i was thinking about a VW golf gti..(not the new one...)
soooo, scrap the turbocharging of the sunfire, im gettin somethin new!

[redrumracer]

how much you sellin the sunfire for

[madking411]

i'll sell it for ~$2000 - 2500...