58/64/14 hx40 was just not cutting it anymore, plus I had a blown manifold gasket. There has been a 3 piece layin around for better than a yr now as well as a couple bigger chargers just begging for attention.

Any one ever notice how much bigger the holes are in the turbo flange gasket than in the manifold? I figured turning a 67/70 could be challenging with a little ve pump so I better get the best exhaust flow possible. Clamed the manifold in the mill and removed about 1/4" from the opposing sides of the turbo flange. Finnished dressing it with a die grinder and gasket matched the turbine housing and thought I was well on my way.

760,000 miles of rust didn't work out so well for 3 manifold bolts. Welded on a couple dozen nuts with no luck so I stuck the new manifold up there and used a bushing to keep the drill bit centered and drilled down through all 3 of them. Blew em full of weld and 3 more nuts and one came out but the remaining 2 are stuborn. Had to drill and tap new threads and hope the suborn pieces don't want to come out any time soon

Turned some 4" vband flanges on the lathe and welded one to the turbine housing as it was originally a slip fit piston ring seal. Full 4" exhaust, that's a trick on a first gen to get between the frame and t-case without rattling. Welded a 2.5" hose barb to the compressor housing to match my old turbo.

Road test! Wow that's a lot of lag. My gay *** vac/boost gauge shows a couple inches negative if u smash it in neutral until the shaft speed catches up but once it spools hang on. It never ran like that before. More pump mods and she's liting almost as good as the 40. But now I need a higher pressure gauge cause this 30 is goin down around almost back to the pin.
45 PSI!!!!!!!
Dont know of this setup ever being done before on a first gen so I thought I'd post I up. Let me know what ya think. I'll try to get some pics together. Its kinda wild lookin to pop the hood of a first gen and see that size turbo especially with everything else appearing stock, even the head bolts.

 

hx52 on 3 piece manifold and 4" down pipe

 

No comments? I figured someone would be all over this.

 

what is the size of the 52?

 

It is a billet wheel 67/70/11 with the oddball exhaust housing custom machined to bolt directly to a t3 manifold flange

 

odd wheel sizes and i would have never thought you could get a turbine housing that small

 

Yeah if ur used to Borg Warner stuff. I started with all stock holset parts. Had to weld new outlets on the turbine and compressor housings and redrill the turbine housing inlet and of course make a new exhaust and a few other little details.

 

well tha size ought to be relitivly usable. large wheels and they are pretty close in size. watch for surging i wouldnt get off of boost in a hurry.

 

I've got an hx52 i'm considering for my 12v, it's off of a volvo d12d though so the turbine housing is a lil different, how steerable was yours?

 

what size is it, if its similar to the above it will be quite laggy but usable anything bigger for a street or near stockish truck i would turn my nose. there are much better turbos out there.