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Thread: Just got a LeBaron, needed a new turbo.

  1. #1
    Mitsu booster
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    Just got a LeBaron, needed a new turbo.

    Hey everyone, just got a 1988 Chrysler LeBaron. It has the non-intercooled 2.2 Turbo I with the TE04H Mitsubishi turbo in it. It needed a new oxygen sensor because the original one was still in it at 145k miles. To make a long story short, the sensor was so rust welded in there that it cost less to buy a new turbo with the exhaust elbow on it than to pay a shop to get the old oxygen sensor out. I didn't know there were different turbos just yet, so I scored myself a never-been-used TE04H off of ebay for $70 shipped that some shop had found sitting on their back shelves.
    Of course, after doing some research, I'm finding that it would have been better to upgrade to the newer Garrett T03, but I'll have to stick with the TE04H I just bought for now.
    So, I'm wondering, what can I sufficiently do with this turbo? I haven't put a boost guage on it yet so I don't know what it's putting out, and I also haven't put the new turbo in yet. I plan on intercooling it and cranking the boost a bit. How much boost can I safely go without damaging the turbo or making it unreliable? I am NOT looking for any kind of track car, just something really fun for my wife and I around town and on the interstate. I wouldn't mind around 180 - 200HP, but don't care about much more than that. I've done some searches on the TE04H on here, but most just say that they're swapping them out. Not really much info on what CAN be done with them. Any advice would be great. Thanks!

  2. #2
    boostaholic
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    Re: Just got a LeBaron, needed a new turbo.

    Put a mechanical boost controller on it for now and a boost gauge. You can raise the boost more and have some fun. Buy the controller from Chris Wright at Turbo's Unleashed.

  3. #3
    Mitsu booster
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    Re: Just got a LeBaron, needed a new turbo.

    Quote Originally Posted by butchsuppe View Post
    Put a mechanical boost controller on it for now and a boost gauge. You can raise the boost more and have some fun. Buy the controller from Chris Wright at Turbo's Unleashed.
    What do you think the max psi for the TE04H is (with and without intercooler)? Or, at least, how would I "know" while raising the boost myself?

  4. #4
    turbo addict
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    Re: Just got a LeBaron, needed a new turbo.

    You can kinda gauge it with the boost gauge itself. Max out of a Mitsu or TE04H seems to be around 18 or 19 psi at least from what I've heard. I wouldn't go that high. If I would you I would try to get it to around 15 PSI MAX and leave it there. At least at that threshold your factory map should still be able to read. Our 2 bar maps only go up to 14.7, but some of the used ones don't even read that high. Just adjust the boost higher slowly first to see it you get the desired result before that point. All I can say is INTERCOOL it. That would the 1st thing I would do when running a TE04H.
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  5. #5
    Mitsu booster
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    Re: Just got a LeBaron, needed a new turbo.

    Thanks for all the info. Intercooling it will be first thing. I have one last question though, what happens when I go to high? Can I feel it? Smell it? Hear it? What are the symptoms? When I hit the higher boost, does it start to sputter and stuff? Just curious if I will definitely know when too much is too much, or I'll find out later on down the road when my turbo melts. =P

  6. #6
    boostaholic
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    Re: Just got a LeBaron, needed a new turbo.

    Unless you modify the electronics in your car (3bar map, custom computer) it will shut off if you get much past 14 or 15psi. Its not a pleasant experience. Kind of like hitting a brick wall while you're accelerating. If you up the boost too much, the car will start to ping. If you up it more, you will melt your pistons.

    With intercooling, you should be able to run around on 14psi all day long without an issue as long as your fuel system is healthy. if you haven't all ready and don't know when it was last done, change the fuel filter and run a can of injector cleaner through the tank next fill-up.

  7. #7
    turbo addict
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    Re: Just got a LeBaron, needed a new turbo.

    and 14 psi around town will make for a fun DD. The garrets build more power, but the mitsu's power will come on alot sooner and make it fun around town.

  8. #8
    Rhymes with tortoise. Turbo Mopar Staff cordes's Avatar
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    Re: Just got a LeBaron, needed a new turbo.

    IF you already have that turbo, run it. prudence is the key, and realize that reliability will go down hill quickly on a stock car which is that old if you do not heed that principal. I would not run more than 12-13PSI non-intercooled. I would not run the car at more than 13-14PSI on the stock injectors, although you will be maxed out there anyway without defeating the map or burning a new chip for the computer.

  9. #9
    Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff Force Fed Mopar's Avatar
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    Re: Just got a LeBaron, needed a new turbo.

    Yeah if you push past 14, you're gonna hit overboost. You can install a Zener diode to limit the voltage that the computer sees from the map, this will prevent that from happening. However, it will keep it from adding fuel too, so you really need to invest in an AFR gauge and maybe a knock gauge, and keep a really close eye on them when pushing the boost up. The stock injectors will only keep up w/ it to about 15-16 psi, after that you'll need a 5th injector, or some other means of adding extra fuel.

    Mitsu's can push 20, maybe more, but the problem is their not efficient up there, it's justing heating the air up after 18. They do spool quick though, they work good on stock/mostly stock cars.

  10. #10
    turbo addict
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    Re: Just got a LeBaron, needed a new turbo.

    Don't do what I did and bypass the boost solenoid altogether. I did that on my SVO and would bounce off the rev limiter with ease. sounded like an F1 car between shifts. Not a good experience when your running pump gas. If I would have had cast pistons like your running I probably would of killed one.
    [FONT="Arial Black"][/FONT] ____________________________________________ 92 Voyager LE 3.3/A604 luxury liner 185k [COLOR="Red"]"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Ben Franklin[/COLOR] [COLOR="White"]"It's not tyranny we desire; it's a just, limited, federal government." Alexander Hamilton[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]Support our economy-BUY AMERICA: [url]http://nortonsusa.com/[/url][/COLOR]

  11. #11
    Mitsu booster
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    Re: Just got a LeBaron, needed a new turbo.

    Thanks for all the info and advice everyone. I appreciate it. I think I will get my old boost guage out and set it to around 12 and be done with it (after intercooling it). It'll be enough to have some fun and I won't be pushing the limits where I will have to worry about reliability.

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