Odd High Flow Turbo? Trying To Get Some Info On It?

[BLITZ-26]

ok so i did a search but couldnt really find the info i was looking for so i hope someone could shead some light for me

I have seen this turbo on an RB25 it has the RB housings front and rear well i am sure its a rb25 det front comp cover anywa, but its got a VL turbo core highflowed with bigger wheels.

has anyone heard of this being done, say a highflow VLT core with RB housings making it a bolt on?

i drove the car and honestly feels behaves like a stock turbo and pulls quite good on boost, spool up is good and i thought it was a stock RB turbo at first?

Anyone else seen one heard of one? woth it to throw one on my RB25 drifter instead of the stock unit?

[GTSBoy]

Well, given the VL turbo is pretty much just an older non-ball bearing version of the RB25 turbo, why are you surprised? What has happened is that someone has built this up because they wore out or broke the ball bearing centre and a simple plain bearing rebuild became the solution to their problem.

[BLITZ-26]

simple solution yes, but a worth while mod?

[GTSBoy]

I wouldn't have said it was a great thing to do. It's a step backwards in tech. The turbo would likely be able to make more power, as you'd want and expect, but it woud also likely be more laggy than the modern hi-flows which can be done with BB centres. There are still plenty of people who make and fit hi-flows based on plain bearing centres though, even these days. Still teh cheaper option for those who can't or won't spend the extra for the technically better options.

[urtwhistle]

I think people also overlook the major benefit's of the good Ol bush bearing turbo. Unlike a ball bearing turbo you can give them allot more of a hard time b4 they die. BB turbo's will die from the tinyest bit of contamination. but a bush bearing will will survive a fair bit b4 it dies.

There cheaper by a fair bit and once spooled deliver exactly the same results as there BB cousin. and lets be honest really how much of a difference in spool time is there between a BB and bush turbo? About a bee's D1ck!!!

[The Mafia]

So you're not concerned that this contamination is also going through all of your main and big end bearings?

Unknown turbos are not worth it. Youll only be disappointed. Go and get yourself a GTRS or something smaller if you want response. Surely a GTRS is responsive enough though.

Also, buy a full bolt on kit to save yourself the trouble down the track.

[GTScotT]

I think you would be better off sending your turbo to Hypergear and knowing what you have on there for a nominal amount more. I think HG charges $960 for a high flow?

Atleast you will know what you have and what to expect. Pretty confident that is a good 230-240rwkw option from memory.

There is an entire HG thread, please read it.

[discopotato03]

What you are calling a "VL Hi Flow" just means someone has made up some kind of Bitsa using a Garrett T3 water cooled bearing housing .

Generally the reason why this is done is because T3 bearing housings , centre sections if you like , are dimensionally quite similar to the Hitachi ball bearing one . I seem to remember the water cooling holes being the same size and thread but don't quote me there .

It is possible to "Hi Flow" these RB25 turbos with a Garrett ball bearing center section but these are shorter and a bit more fiddly to work on .

I wouldn't say you can flog plain bearing centers harder than ball bearing ones , often people assemble Hi Flows that have a lot higher turbine end pressure than the cold side so with huge end thrust they overload the thrust bearing . Just about everything except cost and availability goes in favour of ball bearing center sections . One exception with Garretts small frame ones is that they are based on a smallish GT25 dimensions so shaft and bearing wise can be on the limit with larger heavier wheels like say GT3582Rs have .

If you put some pics up we may be able to see what turbine and compressor your Hi Flow has , what you won't be able to see is the condition of the bearings and the turbine end seal . To be sure it needs to be gutted and everything inspected no short cuts here . To be hon est I'd do it anyway because its a major PITA to fit it and then find it has problems .

I'm very wary of Hi Flows unless they've come from someone whos played with them over time and basically found out what doesn't work .

My experience when I was mucking around with the things is that the turbine and turbine housing are the hardest things to get right and there is a lot less choice with them compared to compressor wheels and housings . Also the learning path is very expensive and often frustrating .

My advise is to go to someone thats been down this road or just buy a manufacturers std something ie Garrett etc .

I would also be conservative size wise because it is so so easy to lose power you use every day and gain more higher up where you don't go so often . I go the conservative way because the end result tends to feel more like a larger engine than a more highly strung rev happy std one . This is a difficult point to get across mainly because people want 300 RWKWs without actually knowing what a 300KW 2.5 litre engine drives like . If anything Mr Mafia sounds to have struck the best trade off on power and a reasonable boost threshold . He didn't worry that everyone reckoned that 0.63 AR housing on his GT3076R would choke , over 300 Kw and 700Nm of torque speaks for itself .

A .

[gotRICE?]

But then again, Everyone also used to/or still do say that a .82AR housing on a GT3076R was ridiculously laggy on a stock rb25.

I say its what you like, and what works for you is all that matters. Im over the moon with my setup (.82AR GT3076R Rb25) full boost, 17psi, anywhere between 3200-3400rpm.

[urtwhistle]

So you're not concerned that this contamination is also going through all of your main and big end bearings?

Unknown turbos are not worth it. Youll only be disappointed. Go and get yourself a GTRS or something smaller if you want response. Surely a GTRS is responsive enough though.

Also, buy a full bolt on kit to save yourself the trouble down the track.

I think you missed the point of what I was getting at. All I'm trying to say is that Ball bearing turbo's are not the magical silver bullet that people think they are. I personly run an earls prefilter on my turbo but thats because it was part a clause in the warranty of the turbo that said if it was a brand new motor it had to have a prefilter on it. Fair point in my veiw.

Chris

[BLITZ-26]

Just looking at an option i got the turbo for free and was going to get it rebuilt and trow it on my stock rb25 drift car see if it makes a bit more not looking for crazy power my new built rb26 will be done and running jan feb so no issues with power or chasing power from it just though if it could pull 200-220kw then that would be a good till the other car is running, ill take some pics off it soon as i can and ill throw up the no on the id tag see if it can be better identified