MY TU cast header install pics

[A.J.]

I didn't want to hijack Johnl's thread so I started my own. Tomorrow is going to be day four of my engine install. I would say that two days worth are from making this header work. I'm a perfectionist and there were things that I didn't for see or thought certain things were going to be easier. I'm going to take pictures of the factory air box being used with this header tomorrow. I am so tired. Three 9-11 hour days. Good thing I quit my job before I started this project.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0878-1.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0887.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0859.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0861.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0862.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0866.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0904.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0905.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0906.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0907.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0910.jpg

A.J.

[tryingbe]

You setup looks nice. :thumb:

You really need a bigger cold side....

[Bubba]

Lookin' good! A question though...which side did you end up using the coolant return extension for the turbo, block side or turbo side?

[2.2turboscotty]

lookin' good AJ, looks like a very nice mini too! does the TU header make it a lot easier to remove and replace the turbo than stocker? i've been debating getting one too, just stinks that i just bought a ported one from Cindy. just wanted to say looks real good.

[Clay]

Looks awesome! Thanks for the great pics as well! Gives me a good idea of what I need to do when I put mine on!!

[Bubba]

lookin' good AJ, looks like a very nice mini too! does the TU header make it a lot easier to remove and replace the turbo than stocker? i've been debating getting one too, just stinks that i just bought a ported one from Cindy. just wanted to say looks real good.

Sell that ported stocker! The pipe on the TU header are huge compared to a ported stocker. Definitely will make more power!

[2.2turboscotty]

yea, one of my buds has one and it looks real nice, i had already bought the ported one from Cindy when he got his. i'm sure with all the time i'm going to spend at the track the head will be off again and i'll get one then. it just looked like it would make it easier to get the turbo off and on, but i might have to do some changes to my intercooler piping because it moves it over a couple of inches.

[omni_840]

Looks good, very clean engine too!

[A.J.]

Lookin' good! A question though...which side did you end up using the coolant return extension for the turbo, block side or turbo side?

I put the extension on the block side so I could remove the starter without having to remove the coolant line. Another selling point for Chris.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0904.jpg

I ported a stocker myself, then had Chris put his thermal coating on it. Then he came out with his cast header. :banghead: So now I have a ported, coated, stocker on my shelf.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0574.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0576.jpg

I don't know how much easier turbo removal will be. But for you guys who have to do it, you don't have to remove the head. Take out the passenger side cv shaft, move the down pipe to the side, and take it out the bottom. I've done it this way on Daytona's and Mini-vans.

No comments on my custom turbo support bracket?

[2.2turboscotty]

i saw that bracket, nice! when we put John's TU header on we had to cut, weld, heat and twist the stocker but it did work. i don't pull the head when removing my turbo, i always get it off without any issues too. before i went with ARP studs it was just to costly to pull the head everytime and IMO it's easier to just pull the turbo anyway. NICE JOB!

[moparzrule]

TU header and 3'' swingvalve, with a .48 turbine housing, a small wastegate can, and likely a stock T2 compressor? IMO, waste of $ until you get a larger turbo not to mention the fact that you'll be lucky to get over 15 PSI with the small wastegate can.

[2.216VTurbo]

Looks good AJ, just ignore the haters:amen:

I think the TU header/manifold is probably stout enough without the support, it's the tubular headers that will crack and fail if you 'hang' a turbo from them.

[moparzrule]

Hater? Not me, love the TU header and 3'' SV, but with a stock T2 turbo doesn't make sense. Well, I don't know what compressor it has but thats a stock .48 turbine housing anyway.
And the small wastegate can is even worse!
I never said it didn't look good. But looks and functionality are 2 different things to me ;)

[MiniMopar]

Did you fabricate that turbo support bracket? Mine did not come with one.

[A.J.]

Did you fabricate that turbo support bracket? Mine did not come with one.

Yes. That's why I called it a "custom" turbo support bracket.

It's a stock T2 turbo. I have a TU boost controller. It's set at 12 p.s.i. right now. Once the motor breaks in I'm going to up it to 15 p.s.i. I have a stock computer and injectors. I'd go higher but I have a stock turbo tranny and I don't want to blow it up. I was thinking about switching to a manual but I like having a free hand. Don't forget, I take this prairie dog hunting and I don't want to deal with a clutch idling along the trails.

This is a pic of what I had to trim off of the stock air box to turbo hose.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0912.jpg

This is a pic of the spacers to move the air box bracket over.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0916.jpg

And this is done. You can see the cut out in the air box to accomodate the intercooler tubing with the old manifold.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0917.jpg

[johnl]

Hey, nice job AJ. Lots of thought goes into the layout and routing of all the peripherals and you have done it nicely. Let the big turbo wait. One step at a time. It IS easier to pull the turbo with this header and the stock turbo will definately be better on those trails. I like that scissor lift BTW.

[A.J.]

I forgot a picture.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0913.jpg

Thanks for the positive responses. And the not so positive. Granted for a full blown race application this might not be the best set up. But for me it's what I need. Pulling the mountains going to Flagstaff on my way to Seligman (prairie dog country) it's going to be just fine. I'm just trying to be as efficient as possible. With efficiency comes power. I'm just glad to finally have a 2.5 in my mini. The 2.2 with the Garret was to laggy, and the 2.2 with the Mitsu just got to hot pulling the mountains.

What I built with and is on this motor:
2.5 liter common block (replacing a non c.b. 2.2), balance shafts removed, .040 forged Weisco pistons, TU reconditioned rods w/ARP bolt, ARP head studs, Cometic head gasket, self ported head, back cut valves, thermal coated TU cast header, thermal coated and port matched .48 turbine, thermal coated 3" swingvalve, 3" TU exhaust, 3" Magnaflow muffler, no cat, Toyota Supra intercooler, TU boost controller, TU cut out eliminator, baffled oil pan, sandwich oil cooler adaptor, B&M oil cooler.

A.J.

[GLHSKEN]

Small can will be fine with spacers behind it... I used 2 1/8" washers on each bolt. With that set-up, the boost will fall off due to maximised turbo, not wastegate issues.

[GLHNSLHT2]

Even with 1/4" or more of washers on my small wastegate can it wouldn't hold mor than 15psi

[A.J.]

The small waste gate can is a non issue. I have a TU boost controller and it works great. You can see it in some of the pictures up top.

A.J.

[GLHSKEN]

Small can IS an issue... spacers fix it. With a stock turbo and 1/4" of spacers you will run the turbo out of air before before it becomes an issue

[moparzrule]

I used a shimmed small WG can and it held ~18-20 PSI, unshimmed it maxxes at about 15.

[MiniMopar]

I'd say it can vary by a few psi, but the large can is the way to go. My unshimmed small can on a bone stock 87 TII turbo can do 18-20psi. Less at the track.

[moparzrule]

Yeah I was just stating what I had. It varies by how much drive pressure you have, and how much HP you are making.

[GLHNSLHT2]

Small can IS an issue... spacers fix it. With a stock turbo and 1/4" of spacers you will run the turbo out of air before before it becomes an issue

Did you read what I said? I had 1/4 inch of washers under my can and 15psi is all it would hold. Small can is a POS. So NO spacers DON'T always fix it.

[GLHNSLHT2]

The small waste gate can is a non issue. I have a TU boost controller and it works great. You can see it in some of the pictures up top.

A.J.

Doesn't matter what boost controller you have, The small can can be a limiting factor in A) how fast the turbo spools because it could already be opening under the pressure in the manifold/turbine housing and B) limit your boost because it can't hold that pressure at all.

[A.J.]

TU header and 3'' swingvalve, with a .48 turbine housing, a small wastegate can, and likely a stock T2 compressor? IMO, waste of $ until you get a larger turbo not to mention the fact that you'll be lucky to get over 15 PSI with the small wastegate can.


Even with 1/4" or more of washers on my small wastegate can it wouldn't hold mor than 15psi


I just want to pass on some real world experience as oppose to arm chair quarter backing.

I had to remove the TU header because my exhaust studs were leaking coolant. I used teflon paste instead of tape. I decided to leave it off for another project and put a self ported coated stocker back on. After that I was barely making 7 lbs of boost. I adjusted my boost controller as tight as I could get it and could not get more than 12 lbs of boost. I had no problem with the TU header and getting 15 lbs at 1/4 throttle but not with the ported stocker with the throttle floored. So after checking and rechecking everything I decided to shim my waste gate can. I started hitting fuel cut out and had to back off my boost controller.

So true, the small wastegate can not hold the back pressure and will open too soon preventing you from hitting higher boost ranges. That is if your using the stock manifold. The TU header is so F***ing big it reduces backpressure in the manifold so you can use a small can wastegate.

So moral of the story. Be wary of advice you get. Anybody can guess and speculate. But only those that have been there and done that can speak with certainty.

A.J.

[Bubba]

Which studs go into coolant passages, I can't seem to remember. I think it's the lower ones?

[MiniMopar]

It's the upper ones. They are the ones that corrode and won't come out.

[A.J.]

The lower ones were leaking on mine. So your probably right. It's the top ones.

A.J.

[Bubba]

Dang, I can't remember if I used any sealant on the upper holes. I didn't use studs all the way around on my tu header, I used studs on the bottom and bolts on the top. The studs got lock-tight.

[MiniMopar]

Whoops I had a brain fart...it's the bottom holes. I was thinking of the broken off stud on the head on my bench in the basement. The head is sitting upside down. :wow1:

:angel:

[A.J.]

Dang, I can't remember if I used any sealant on the upper holes. I didn't use studs all the way around on my tu header, I used studs on the bottom and bolts on the top. The studs got lock-tight.

Don't worry about the upper holes.


Whoops I had a brain fart...it's the bottom holes. I was thinking of the broken off stud on the head on my bench in the basement. The head is sitting upside down. :wow1:

:angel:

I'm glad you cleared that up. :thumb:

A.J.

[Bubba]

Whoo, I just installed the head 2 weeks ago, but haven't finished bolting everything up. I was hoping I wasn't going to have to try and remove those top bolts.