Homemade turbomaster build up

[625fireman]

Here is my build of my turbo master. If you do this I cannot recommend enough on the fact of installing a boost gauge with this. It is an absolute must in order to set it correctly

First pic is items you will need to buy or acquire ):h

1. 1/4" by 1 1/2 long bolt
2. 1/4" heavy fender washer
3. 3/4" by 2.5" spring ( I bought mine at TSC)
4. 1/4" nylock nut

second is vacuum acutator on turbo

You dont have to remove turbo for this but I had it off already

Third remove 2 bolts holding vacuum can to compressor housing and remove e-clip holding arm to wastegate. be carefull it can fly away without warning, it is not the easiest thing to get to.

 

[625fireman]

4th put actuator in vice and cut the can on the vacuum hose side of the crimp.

5th cut the cup so you can gind off the peened over end of the rod, doing this will leave a "nipple" on the end of the rod.

6th cut below the crimp and pull off the diaphram and washers.

 

[625fireman]

Next cut the remainder of the can off flush to the bracket but leaving the plastic bushing housing this will keep the spring centered.

Then file and cleanup this cut. Push the rod all the way up and set aside for a little bit.

Take the 1/4" by 1 1/2" bolt and cut the head off and drill a 1/8 hole in the center of the shank to acept the 'nipple' on the rod.

next carefully weld the bolt to the rod. Making sure it is as square as possible by tacking one side the the other. Migs work best for this but can be done by an arc. Then cleanup your weld on the grinder making the welded connection round and fairly smooth.

 

[625fireman]

Next put on spring, flat washer, and nylock nut.

Then remount Turbomaster to the compressor housing and then to the wastegate arm.

Install boost gauge

Test drive and turn nylock in to compress spring until boost does not exceed 12 psi MAX. Of course there are many factors for this......... Towing, pulling a hill, air intake system, exhaust system, tune, health of turbo and engine, yada, yada, yada

Last pic is of cut off throw away parts.

 

[625fireman]

This can be done in about an hour or less depending on your exp and shop tools and skills.

 

[buddy]

Have you found that spring to hold your boost well? It looks just a little loose for me, after testing like 6 springs. I like my boost high and I like it to hold there too

For those that dont have or want to weld, you can just get a replacement 1/4" rod, bend 90 degree on one end and chop it off, dremel a groove to put a C clip on, and just thread the other end.

 

[625fireman]

yep it will hold, at 18 if I crank it in The pic was at a starting point also. I have found the more you let our 6.5s breathe the better they run. with just the 3" downpipe it was cranked in quite a way once the 2.5 crossover went on I had to back it off even more. Now with my setup runin down the road at 2000 rpm's i have 4 pounds boost, and as soon as I kick the lockup out it jumps right to 12.

 

[JiFaire]

A lot depends on the pitch and tensile strength of the cpring... that one actually looks quite a lot like the spring on a Heat TurboMaster; they don't look all crunched-down, either, but they sure hold boost.

Less powerful springs are much more compressed to get to roughly the same effect; remember that those springs will have much less travel and a far different rate of reaction.

Nice job, Joe! This is about to become a classic!

 

[625fireman]

The biggest thing to think about with this style and setup on our turbos is.............you are releasing exhaust pressure. Which is the driving force on the turbine wheel. We are not setting the spring to open at 12 boost psi, we are setting it open at a certain drive psi which limits the boost the turbo can make, by stopping an increase in RPM on the turbo. This is why the ATT is the best thing out there for us. After all the testing done the ATT cannot build enough drive pressure to build high boost numbers. It does however flow more CFM's than any GMx ever built, which is exactly what the DR ordered. (yes that is a personal referance here). However I feel this is the best bet for us to run until we can aford an ATT. Which is cheper than most for the other two.

 

[JiFaire]

Thread has been added to the 6.5 Technical Reference Library under Turbomaster!

Thanks for the pics and the write-up, Joe!

 

[buddy]

I personally prefer the vacuum system, because if I program it to hold 12psi it does that no matter what the rpms and fuel, as long as there is enough it will hold the wastegate closed. The spring obviously progressively opens and I notice it doesnt hold pressure as well unless I got it real tight, and then my cruising pressure is a bit much. The vacuum system will hold it shut all the way up to whatever I program and then just dump when I like depending on RPM and fuel rate, load. So if Im going 70mph flat land empty truck then I have a low boost, like 1psi programmed so Im not wasting energy by spinning the turbine. So the vacuum wastegate can be programmed to boost low when you dont need it for better efficiency. The spring does alright and is more reliable, and for those without aftermarket program it provides them much more boost. Thats because stock program is terrible boost curve. And aftermarket guys dont have any creativity with the curves so although it will boost real high and hold it well, its not an ideal curve.

Thats my educated opinion, being able to program it myself, and having used the vacuum system, the ATT and a homemade manual wastegate actuator on the GM4.

There is a reason the people that sell them or dont sell them will tell you that the vacuum system will outperform the manual wastegate actuator, you just didnt understand why.

 

[bk95td]

Great write up joe. The same basic thing can be done to the factory turbo master on the 92-93s to make them adjustable.

 

[625fireman]

I personally prefer the vacuum system, because if I program it to hold 12psi it does that no matter what the rpms and fuel, as long as there is enough it will hold the wastegate closed. The spring obviously progressively opens and I notice it doesnt hold pressure as well unless I got it real tight, and then my cruising pressure is a bit much. The vacuum system will hold it shut all the way up to whatever I program and then just dump when I like depending on RPM and fuel rate, load. So if Im going 70mph flat land empty truck then I have a low boost, like 1psi programmed so Im not wasting energy by spinning the turbine. So the vacuum wastegate can be programmed to boost low when you dont need it for better efficiency. The spring does alright and is more reliable, and for those without aftermarket program it provides them much more boost. Thats because stock program is terrible boost curve. And aftermarket guys dont have any creativity with the curves so although it will boost real high and hold it well, its not an ideal curve.

Thats my educated opinion, being able to program it myself, and having used the vacuum system, the ATT and a homemade manual wastegate actuator on the GM4.

There is a reason the people that sell them or dont sell them will tell you that the vacuum system will outperform the manual wastegate actuator, you just didnt understand why.

Now thats the rest of the story. Not pokn the hornets nest but that is the first time I have heard you mention that you can program the boost cntrol yourself. It makes complete sense that you would prefer that over a spring. Most of us cannot program the boost psi which is why the spring is better for us.

 

[625fireman]

Thread has been added to the 6.5 Technical Reference Library under Turbomaster!

Thanks for the pics and the write-up, Joe!

Thanks Jim, wow I got published!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[625fireman]

Great write up joe. The same basic thing can be done to the factory turbo master on the 92-93s to make them adjustable.

thanks BK. I kinda figure any of the GMx can be done this way with a few changes, I know the newer ones the wastegate is verticle but it should still work.