Turbo's and Truck pulling

[huklebuk]

So I entered an amatuer truck pulling competition with the ole' expedtion, pretty good times. Got another coming up in a couple weeks that I'm going to do. I did have a problem pulling, because the track was clay and spongy, I actually got too much traction and bogged the motor down. It wouldn't go over about 3k and get the tires spinning. It just kindof hovered around 28-2900. I had a good showing, first place in the gas trucks (one guy did outpull me but he was running a heavily modified truck so he gave me the trophy for good sportsmanship, there werent enough to run two classes for gas) and managed to outpull some diesels as well in the open class, and grab second. Not too shabby. So for this upcoming pull I need more power. I don't have a programmer and was thinking of getting one to see if it will help.

For the turbo, I can pick one up locally pretty cheap. Can any turbo be fitted in? I know very little about turbos so I have no idea. Supercharger is out of the question, and so is nos. I have a cold air intake and a flowmaster with dual exhaust. Thats about it for modifications. What do you guys think?

 

[thevalleyboy]

A supercharger is out but a turbo is in? They are probably about the same work either way wouldn't they? I know there are supercharger kits for the 5.4L not sure about a Turbo - but I am sure it can be done - if you manage to shove one under the hood take lots of photos - I like photos...

 

[huklebuk]

The difference is cost. I can pick up a used turbo locally. sc not so easy to come by.

 

[99 Expy]

Do you already have a turbo picked out or do you have choices?

 

[99 Expy]

I have a little experience with turbos, but no way near completely knowledgeable. Everything I have learned is from tearing apart and rebuilding a couple t3 turbos on my buddies 84 SVO mustang. For starters, if you do a single, you will probably need around a 60mm turbo or maybe 2 38mms if you run twins Turbos come in many different sizes and can have different housing sizes. Larger sizes flow better, but have more lag time. If you have the time, pretty much any turbo that matches well with your size motor can be fabbed up. For materials, you will have to have to fab pipes to attach the turbo from the exhaust, then run 3 inch pipe out the back, not sure about cats and mufflers in this case. For the intake, you should have it intercooled to prevent detonation and come up with a way to do the intake. You will also need to have a cooling system on the turbo, which is either water or oil, but some have both. For the motor, you will need larger injectors, 39 or 42 lbs. a larger throttle body, a 255lph fuel pump, and a tuner. I think this will give you the general idea of what is needed, and I am probably leaving out more info, but this is most of what I can think of now. Hope it helps.

With your current set up, you would only be able to run around 5-6 psi because I don't believe the 5.4 has forged internals like the 4.6 if I remember.

Also, I'm not sure what kind of deal you are talking on the turbo and how much of it you will do yourself, but I did see some recent complete used superchargers on ebay running about 1500 and they would be a direct bolt up and take less time, but IMO, turbos are way sweet. I love hearing them spool down, and it would be sweet if you do this because I love doing things myself, and they make you feel so much better in the end. Back in the day, my grandpa build monster 460s for truck pulls.


Good luck if you take on this project and at your next pulls and hope this helps

Zerick

 

[huklebuk]

Well you know much more than I. I'm not trying to change injectors and all that, I didn't think it was that in depth for a small turbo... I guess nos is going to be the way to go. I'm thinking a 50-75 hp shot should be ok. I can do the fab (at least have people help me with it) but I don't want to rip apart the motor to do it. Going to order a programmer I'm positive that will help.

 

[FordRacing1]

its not as easy as just buying a turbo for your truck and putting it on. You need a new turbo manifold, possibly injectors, the computer will have to be tr tuned and depending on the compression of the motor it may not even work. I dont know if expeditions are low compression motors. And if you you give it to much boost you can kiss your motor goodbye. Just be careful. It gets expensive. Especially since i have not seen a turbo manifold for an expedition which means custom made.

 

[99 Expy]

The turbo would be a good set up, but there is a lot of time and money to do it right. I'm not sure what your budget is, but the few $1500 superchargers on ebay came with everything to set it up, including the tuner, injectors, and all brackets.

 

[huklebuk]

I didnt realize a turbo was so involved. I don't want to sink 1500 into a supercharger, although I'd love to, but the spousal unit isn't going to let that happen unless I buy here a new suv. She uses it to take the kids around on the weekends and whatnot. Its quite the dilema. I'm thinking that nitrous is going to be the only option for me. For the short amount of time I need the extra power its logical. I haven't seen any kits out there. I'd imagine that I can make something work. Thanks for all the good info guys. Anyone know of anybody foolish enough to put nitrous in an expedition?

 

[FordRacing1]

you can run nitrous just not alot. maybe 100 shot at most. Just be careful bc like they said, the 5.4 dont have forged internals which means you throw to much at it from any power adder and your gonna be sweeping pistons and rods up off the track.

 

[nvycrmn]

take videos so we can watch! or post up the links if you did already....i would love to see that beast.

 

[panda24619]

well if you add power adders as in Nitrous, Turbos, or Superchargers you should most likely change the injectors. all that added air will make your engine run lean. and a turbo can put in behind the manifolds. its called a turbo back. you can put it at the Y pipe. then run the intake pipe to the inter cooler then to the TB. i was thinking about doing that.

 

[99 Expy]

I thought turbo back was the exhaust after the turbo, but running it that way would be easy, but I wonder how lag would be with it that far back. I don't think it would be a big deal unless you were racing.

I agree with nvy, post some videos!! show your tank at work.

 

[panda24619]

I thought turbo back was the exhaust after the turbo, but running it that way would be easy, but I wonder how lag would be with it that far back. I don't think it would be a big deal unless you were racing.

I agree with nvy, post some videos!! show your tank at work.

its called something. i just thought that was a turbo back. either way thats the easyest way to mount a turbo and get lines to it and what not but the air pipe will be the hardest to find where to put to the TB. not much room under there. and lag yeah itll be lot but if your pulling just hold the break b4 green to get that turbo spooled up. or are you not allowed to do that? idk what the rolls state for stock.

 

[firemann32]

I've been looking into a turbo kit for my Expedition and haven't found any out there. Basically what I was told was that most of the performance for the 4.6/5.4's come from the mustangs and there's really no room on a factory Mustang for a turbo that's why they have superchargers. It came down to I would pretty much have to build everything from scratch, so I scrapped that idea.

I do know that they are running the rear mounted turbo systems on snowmobiles and are having pretty good luck with them. Haven't heard much about lag but I would say that it would be hardly noticable.

You can buy supercharger kits all day for the 5.4 so that'll probably be the route I take but if you end up building a rear mounted turbo I'd like to hear more about it.

 

[tallsville]

@ firemann check out

http://ststurbo.com

and as far as turbos on mustangs i have seen several running and there are a couple running twin turbos running in the 8sec range but they are customized.

 

[nvycrmn]

i say screw it, find a scrapped L and swap engines! thats what i might end up doing if i dont do a 460 swap.

 

[firemann32]

@ firemann check out

http://ststurbo.com

and as far as turbos on mustangs i have seen several running and there are a couple running twin turbos running in the 8sec range but they are customized.

Yea that's what I was talking about, those rear mounted turbos can go on just aobut anything.

 

[panda24619]

@ firemann check out

http://ststurbo.com

and as far as turbos on mustangs i have seen several running and there are a couple running twin turbos running in the 8sec range but they are customized.

i saw on horsepower they took one of those systems and a supercharger and put it on a vette. there was litterly 0 turbo lag because of the super charger. really cool and no engine mods cause it was a ls2 i think. forged everything. just new injectors.

 

[huklebuk]

That looks like an interesting setup. I will take video on the next one on Nov 27th. And to answer your previous question panda, when you hook up to the sled you pull the chain tight and then you get the green flag. There is no need to stand on the brakes, the sled weighs 26000 pounds. Generally you roll into the throttle gently and build up speed and power. If you just mash it, the truck starts hopping all over the place. Thats why a turbo would be good, I wouldn't need it to spool until about 2500 rpm. Thats the problem I had this last time, I didn't have enough power to get into the sweet spot of the power curve, it bogged down just under 3k rpm because the track was so wet and my tires got too much traction. If I go the nitrous route, I wouldn't go any higher the a 75hp shot. That would be sufficient I think.