Ok fellas, I’ve been jacking around long enough. I’ve always wanted to turbo a car and originally I was buying a 4th gen camaro and buying a turbo kit but long story short, I never found one and I blew my initial budget when I found this gto. I’m prematurely creating this thread for a few reasons. 1) it’s going to motivate me more. If I don’t feel like I have something pushing me, I may wander off course. I’m easily distracted lol. 2) I welcome any and all helpful info and advice. I’ll need some walking through on this I’m sure. 3) you don’t see many single turbo builds.
I received my head unit Saturday. It’s an on3 7875 turbo. I figured if I bought that first it’ll lock me in. I’ve been really dreaming of an ls3 swap because it’s no doubt easier but the end result of this will make the car faster and more driveable and worth more money if done right.
A little bit about me. I’m kind of a jack of all trades. I do pretty much all my own work. I port my heads, build engines, transmissions, and rear ends. I do a little bit of paint work. I have a powder coat setup. I have a mill/lathe and a Ac/dc tig welder. And just about everything in between. I’m not the best at welding but I can stick some metal together. I’ll likely be a better welder by the time I finish this project.
On to the car. My goals are to make about 600rwhp. Or somewhere in that area. I want the car relatively quiet when driving around. I don’t care how loud it is when I get on it. Drivability is of utmost importance and gas mileage is a factor too. Right now I have a 227/234 stage 2 btr cam in it. I’m gonna change the cam in probably two weeks. That will soak up some of my money until I sell this cam. I haven’t decided what can or who I’m going with yet but I was very happy with the last Texas speed cam I had so I’m thinking Texas speed.
The first things I need to do is delete the power steering cooler, move the battery to the back and move the coolant tank to the passenger side. I also need to relocate the computer. The turbo will be mounted on the driver side. Seems like too much crap in the way in the passenger side.
Next purchase besides the cam will be the fuel pump and fuel injectors. I haven’t bought either of those yet because I’m not sure which ones to get. If your familiar with sloppy mechanics I’ve been watching a lot of his videos and reading his info. He does this stuff very cheaply and he’s got some impressive stuff out there. He never mentions anything about needing injector data. That’s why I haven’t bought injectors yet because I thought the data was super important but it’s never mentioned and he uses decapped injectors and hp tuners, he has them flowed but that doesn’t give all the data. So is it not that important? What fuel pump should I go with? Initially I don’t want to run a return line. I’m looking for simple and I’m not worried about making 800+rwhp. For now anyways. Lol.
**********update update update********
Parts list. (This May save you some money)
On3 7578 journal bearing turbo
Ace race parts:
304 stainless
Schedule 10 2.5” straight pipe, 1ft
Sch10 1.5” long radius 90 degree elbows (5) (4 cylinders and one for the wastegate)
44mm eBay wastegate https://m.ebay.com/itm/44MM-Wastega...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
Cheap eBay $23 blow off (not loud either) https://m.ebay.com/itm/UNIVERSAL-AD...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
(2) 3” 45 degree bends, (2) 90’s
(2) 2.5” sch10 45 degree bends, (1) 90
Box o stainless 2.25 exhaust pipe for x over
(1) 2.25 ace race parts bellows (the accordion looking one)
I bought an eBay oil kit but didn’t like the oil pressure line. I ordered a 24” line with a 90 on the turbo side. Tapped the plate for a fitting, the plate right above the oil filter. Used a -4an to 1/8 pipe fitting. Drilled and tapped it. Loctite it in. I did use the drain. I bought a 1/2” pipe to 5/8 hose 45 degree fitting.
Three stainless o2 bungs
One cheapie $20 boost/vacuum digital gauge (yea it’s accurate, and I have some ocean front property to sell you too lol)
2.25 vband flange and clamp in stainless
Cobalt ss 2 bar map sensor gm# 12580698
One 12” o2 extender wire for front driver side 02
60lb Siemens deka injectors (I have injector data if you need)
K&n RU2510 air filter
eBay turbo blanket
Aeromotive 11565 fuel pump. *note, it was not a direct plug in and the screen will not work. I cleaned and reused my screen and soldered and heat shrink the wires. BE CAREFUL of the oring on the pressure outlet of the pump!!!! Mine tore when someone else installed it for me. Left me stranded. I found some fat orings that fit and used two instead of one. Worked perfect.
eBay exhaust stud kit
Here’s a pic of my little budget turbo. I “splurged” and got the $400 unit instead of the $300 unit. Lol.
I received my head unit Saturday. It’s an on3 7875 turbo. I figured if I bought that first it’ll lock me in. I’ve been really dreaming of an ls3 swap because it’s no doubt easier but the end result of this will make the car faster and more driveable and worth more money if done right.
A little bit about me. I’m kind of a jack of all trades. I do pretty much all my own work. I port my heads, build engines, transmissions, and rear ends. I do a little bit of paint work. I have a powder coat setup. I have a mill/lathe and a Ac/dc tig welder. And just about everything in between. I’m not the best at welding but I can stick some metal together. I’ll likely be a better welder by the time I finish this project.
On to the car. My goals are to make about 600rwhp. Or somewhere in that area. I want the car relatively quiet when driving around. I don’t care how loud it is when I get on it. Drivability is of utmost importance and gas mileage is a factor too. Right now I have a 227/234 stage 2 btr cam in it. I’m gonna change the cam in probably two weeks. That will soak up some of my money until I sell this cam. I haven’t decided what can or who I’m going with yet but I was very happy with the last Texas speed cam I had so I’m thinking Texas speed.
The first things I need to do is delete the power steering cooler, move the battery to the back and move the coolant tank to the passenger side. I also need to relocate the computer. The turbo will be mounted on the driver side. Seems like too much crap in the way in the passenger side.
Next purchase besides the cam will be the fuel pump and fuel injectors. I haven’t bought either of those yet because I’m not sure which ones to get. If your familiar with sloppy mechanics I’ve been watching a lot of his videos and reading his info. He does this stuff very cheaply and he’s got some impressive stuff out there. He never mentions anything about needing injector data. That’s why I haven’t bought injectors yet because I thought the data was super important but it’s never mentioned and he uses decapped injectors and hp tuners, he has them flowed but that doesn’t give all the data. So is it not that important? What fuel pump should I go with? Initially I don’t want to run a return line. I’m looking for simple and I’m not worried about making 800+rwhp. For now anyways. Lol.
**********update update update********
Parts list. (This May save you some money)
On3 7578 journal bearing turbo
Ace race parts:
304 stainless
Schedule 10 2.5” straight pipe, 1ft
Sch10 1.5” long radius 90 degree elbows (5) (4 cylinders and one for the wastegate)
44mm eBay wastegate https://m.ebay.com/itm/44MM-Wastega...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
Cheap eBay $23 blow off (not loud either) https://m.ebay.com/itm/UNIVERSAL-AD...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
(2) 3” 45 degree bends, (2) 90’s
(2) 2.5” sch10 45 degree bends, (1) 90
Box o stainless 2.25 exhaust pipe for x over
(1) 2.25 ace race parts bellows (the accordion looking one)
I bought an eBay oil kit but didn’t like the oil pressure line. I ordered a 24” line with a 90 on the turbo side. Tapped the plate for a fitting, the plate right above the oil filter. Used a -4an to 1/8 pipe fitting. Drilled and tapped it. Loctite it in. I did use the drain. I bought a 1/2” pipe to 5/8 hose 45 degree fitting.
Three stainless o2 bungs
One cheapie $20 boost/vacuum digital gauge (yea it’s accurate, and I have some ocean front property to sell you too lol)
2.25 vband flange and clamp in stainless
Cobalt ss 2 bar map sensor gm# 12580698
One 12” o2 extender wire for front driver side 02
60lb Siemens deka injectors (I have injector data if you need)
K&n RU2510 air filter
eBay turbo blanket
Aeromotive 11565 fuel pump. *note, it was not a direct plug in and the screen will not work. I cleaned and reused my screen and soldered and heat shrink the wires. BE CAREFUL of the oring on the pressure outlet of the pump!!!! Mine tore when someone else installed it for me. Left me stranded. I found some fat orings that fit and used two instead of one. Worked perfect.
eBay exhaust stud kit
Here’s a pic of my little budget turbo. I “splurged” and got the $400 unit instead of the $300 unit. Lol.