Mudawg

Thinkin of goin turbo... what are the pro's and neg's of gettin a turbo on my '86 4wd p/u?

I seem to need more highway speed, and a little more pull all together. Help me out, what are some good brands that yall would recommend?

abecedarian

me- If for some reason I really wanted a lot more power out of my 22re, I'd supercharge before turbocharging my truck, and would intercool it. I wouldn't do it for highway speed power, but more grunt on the bottom end... call it a 22re torque monster... if that's even possible ... maybe for towing a camping trailer or something....

But after considering the cost, I'd probably swap engines and deal with emissions issues.

Matt16

Its going to be much cheaper to swap in a more powerful complete engine. Turbo kits are a couple grand.

khoopes

Turbo is good for highway power I'm told, and there was a kid on here selling a complete turbo conversion setup for $600 using a Garrett T3-T4 Hybrid which seems to be the turbo of choice for the 22RET, also the Toyota CT26 is a good one. Check out the forum at 22RTE trucks dot com.

abecedarian

pro's-
more mid/top end power
done properly- looks cool, sounds cool

neg's-
more than ~5 boost requires expensive engine work
more than ~8 boost requires aftermarket fuel and ignition controls
less bottom end power if engine modifications are not done
reduced engine longevity
reduced fuel economy
not legal in many places
relatively low return on investment - typically on the order of 1000-2000 dollars for each 50-75 horsepower gained

Mudawg

Well I have the 22r , not the re. Does that make a difference?

khoopes

Yes, you have a carburetor so you will have to stay on the old fashioned side of life..

No, turbo works with all of the above, in fact, yours is probably easier and more flexible.

I did lots of research to convert mine and the simplest thing is buy a 3 core radiator from a V6 truck, add a fitting for the coolant line to the turbo, and buy a used turbo conversion kit or package. You won't need an ECM or AFM since you have a carburetor, should be pretty simple unless its an electronic feedback carburetor and there is more to it than I know.. If you really want lots of power you will have to change out the pistons to lower compression pistons from the 22RTE. Otherwise boost must be very limited. (probably less than 5psi.)

Off the subject but if anyone needs a Carburetor re-manufactured call Erik Hoopes (Yes he is my Father so I must be biased) but he has references and he does Toyota Carburetors to meet the tight winter emission standards in Fairbanks, AK where he lives. He will re-machine worn and sloppy housings and rebushing shafts to make sure the carb is like new. Phone # is 907-456-1561 leave a message if no answer he has just moved his shop across town.

saitotiktmdog

Supercharger kits for the 22r is more than the turbo kits by about a grand. $3500 to $4000 for supercharger and about $2000 to $2500 for the turbo kit. If you piece together the turbo kit it will be even cheaper. Thats what I did. Saved myself about $2000 on the whole deal. Supercharged vehicles do much worse on fuel than turbo cars. Also generally superchargers do not need to be intercooled unless it is a roots type blower and even then a intercooled setup for a supercharger will be a lot. The type of supercharger you would get aftermarket for a 22r is basically like a belt driven turbo charger, so the benifit it would have over a turbo is not that much, plus it will always have a parasitic drain on the engine due to the belt drive. Turbo's do not sap as much power to make power like superchargers.

Matt16

Turbos aren't "free power" as they're often referred to. Putting an impeller in the way of the exhaust impedes the flow and does make for some parasitic losses, but the benefits obviously cancel those out.

just a 22re

i say go 3.4L its way cheaper and it gives what you are looking for as for the turbo they only made a few of them guess why not that better in power

if you want lots of power when you want do a 150 nos kit and then replace the motor with a 3.4L or sbc i guess go big or go home


i was thinking of doing the sc for my 22re and after the charger fuel spark and everything im at 6k plus shipped now a 3.4L 7 injector is about 1500 with everything and mounts bell housing and stuff im at about 2k sounds way better to me and if you ask me its easier cause when your working on the 3.4 you can build it with a cam and what not andstill drive the 22er then a weekend you can swap them out

gilby4runner

Surprised no one has asked.... what gearing do you have? Looks like you have larger tires. If you have stock gearing that would explain your lack of hwy power. Granted it is a 22r.

saitotiktmdog

I believe I said turbo's do not sap as much power. I never said they were free power. And yes as with a supercharger the gain in power does outweigh the loss.

saitotiktmdog

Good point

gilby4runner

Thank you! I was surprised it wasnt the first question asked. If its gearing... just regear and put in a locker while your at it.

Mudawg

Guys im only runnin 31/10.50/15?
As far as gears; Im just runnin stock. Well, I am right now, thinkin of goin down.

bigt

i love the whirrrrl of the turbo when she spools up right around the time im getting super diesel torque....

always wanted a turbo on my 22res...

maybe one day when i win the lottery

Matt16

I was adding to what you said, not putting words in your mouth. I've heard lots of people say, and read a lot of stuff touting turbos as "free power", which they are not.

saitotiktmdog

Thats what I have on my truck. Regear for sure. Go with 4.56 or 4.88. Then decide if you need a turbo. I had the turbo before i put 5.29 gears in my truck. Once moving no problems but starting out there was def difficulty. Now no problems except I need bigger tires now. 31s with 5.29 equals slow slow slow. Turbo spools quick though

secondarychaos

Well, i'm a huge fan of turbos... so here's what i would say.
If you can plan things out and do them right, you could turbo your truck for much cheaper than a kit. Do some research. learn how to read compressor maps. learn about all the parts required for a turbo'd car.
also, the backpressure required to drive a properly matched turbo is the same or less than a N/A setup.
Turbos will typically increase fuel efficiency because they reduce pumping losses.
Also, keep in mind that engine longevity/wear/head lift issues are exactly as present with a supercharger. boost is boost, cylinder heads and pistons dont care where you get it.
also keep in mind, you'll need to run higher octane and tune your carb/fuel for either...

saitotiktmdog

How does it improve gas milage?