Anyone here replace their OEM turbos with aftermarket - looking at PowerMax bolt on kit

[zablalbaz]

Hey Folks. I've seen a couple posts on this for our 3rd gen vehicles but not too many with a whole lot of detail in them. Have any of you done a a swap on your turbos with aftermarket performance turbos? My mechanic is telling me that I may need to replace the driver side turbo in the not too distant future, and I'm wondering if there is any reason why I shouldn't consider an "upgrade" kit like the following?

2013-2016 F-150, 2015-2017 Expedition/Navigator 3.5L EB Garrett Powermax Turbocharger Upgrade (Left & Right Side) 881027-5002S 881028-5002S - 5 Star Tuning

POWERMAX™ PERFORMANCE TURBOCHARGER UPGRADE: 2011 – 2017 Ford 3.5L EcoBoost Engine Platforms: F-150 | Expedition | Navigator PowerMax™ direct fit performance turbocharger kits are engineered for enthusiasts that want increased engine performance while maintaining OEM direct fitment. With...

5startuning.com

From what I am seeing online, the OEM kit is a lot cheaper - like around $550 for both L&R turbos - just the parts. So this kit is definitely more pricey. But my understanding is I'd be getting more horsepower with an upgrade kit. And that's something I wouldn't mind.

Other than the obvious price difference for the parts, are there any drawbacks that I should be aware of? Would an upgrade like this reduce overall engine life? Would I need to worry about "blowing" something up? I don't race my car, and I drive pretty conservatively most of the time. But I like the idea of being able to have another ~100hp to play with if I want. The link above actually says the turbos would *support* up to 300HP but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that probably requires a LOT of extra shit to be done and some sort of tuning. I'm not greedy, I just just want what I could get with some new turbos.

Would I NEED to get a tune with this sort of upgrade? Or would it be okay without a tune? These turbos in the link above say that they are direct "drop-in" replacements. Would it be worth it to do JUST the turbo upgrades? I've already added a Banks Pedal Monster to my vehicle. And I' was considering a 93 octane tune. But if a turbo is getting ready to die, I'm thinking why not look into an upgrade? It's not like I have a warranty to void or anything like that.

Thanks in advance.

 

[tacoduck]

How many miles are on your current rig?

 

[JasonH]

Would I NEED to get a tune with this sort of upgrade? Or would it be okay without a tune? These turbos in the link above say that they are direct "drop-in" replacements. Would it be worth it to do JUST the turbo upgrades? I've already added a Banks Pedal Monster to my vehicle. And I' was considering a 93 octane tune. But if a turbo is getting ready to die, I'm thinking why not look into an upgrade? It's not like I have a warranty to void or anything like that.

Thanks in advance.

I'm basically in the same boat, as my driver side manifold is leaking and I have to repair it. I can't upgrade one side without doing the other and I have 145K on the stock turbos and manifolds, so a turbo + manifold upgrade is in the near future. There's not really any downside to the upgrade, apart from the price. You can be as conservative as you like with with a tune, which is my preferred course of action since this is primarily a tow vehicle. I wouldn't do the upgrade for another 100 HP though, as you can get most of that with a tune, 93 octane, and downpipes. I'm sure @LokiWolf will chime in here, but I think you can get away without tuning on this, as the OEM tune uses a torque demand method that is compatible with these Garretts. But of course tuning will give you more gains since these turbos will support higher boost levels.
Higher power output may mean less longevity, but it's hard to quantify due to the number of variables. My understanding is that the stock internals are good for ~500WHP before you're on borrowed time.
Full-Race has a complete kit with the turbos, manifolds, and all install hardware for ~$3,500 (note...it's on sale for $3,000). My quotes for install labor are $1,500 - $2,000, with an independent shop on the low end and a Ford dealership on the high end.

 

[JasonH]

Here's a data point on longetivity.

How much RWHP ARE YOU running on your daily GEN1

I’m nit asking this from a simple who’s got the most or setting records which generally tends to be the The reason as we’ve already got plenty of information on that .. What I’m interested in and I think now is a good time to ask this as the gen1 has been around a while so there should be a lot...

www.f150ecoboost.net

 

[LokiWolf]

@JasonH nailed it. On the Stock tune, even with 93, you would see little gain in power, but increased lag. Most of that is mitigated by the better manifolds, and the Turbo adapters. The kit from Full Race seems like the best way to go in my opinion. Everything needed is there in one kit. You would see lower EGT temps because the turbos in general are better turbos, and would be working less to meet the same demand. It would be a WASTE to do these without a tune. Also, you REALLY should pair these with a better Intercooler if you are going for longevity. Yes the IC will help with power, but the IC is more help under sustained load, because the Intake charge is cooler, allowing less timing to be pulled, so power is sustained. Even on a 100% stock tune a EcoBoost will be quicker in the 1/4 with just an upgraded IC, because timing is held because of the cooler air.

Do the Full Race kit, pair it with a decent IC, and get a mild tow tune from a tuner that will do logging, and then adjust the tune. Log with the load you regularly pull, and then let them adjust.

Hope that helps.

 

[Brons2]

I vote for stock, personally speaking. If the old stock setup was working fine then why mess with it? The OEM manifolds have been redesigned from what I understand. $550 is a lot cheaper than what I would have expected a stock replacement kit to be.