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Turbocharging for heavy towing-possible?
usually when setting up our 3500 trucks for towing around 10,000 lbs I choose the largest gasoline engine(454-502cid truck engine. I know a budget draw through ( have a lot of the parts for dt) 350 will make enough power but am wondering if I’d have to retard the ign timing so much(even my 8.0/1 427 Chevy needs 93ron) it would defeet the cause. thoughts anyone? |
While you would be able to get more power out of this than a naturally aspirated small block, there are several things to keep in mind.
1. If you're keeping the motor on boost instead of just hitting boost for short periods of time, you need a LOT of cooling. Both your regular coolant and intercooling. That's going to be a major challenge with a draw through setup. 2. In the boost range, a turbo motor will be burning more gas than a naturally aspirated engine making the same power level. It may be more fuel efficient off boost, but if it's usually going into boost you will get better mileage with a big block instead. 3. You really, really don't want to skimp on tuning. Retarding the timing off boost, for example, is really going to defeat the purpose. |
[QUOTE=Matt Cramer;1312932]While you would be able to get more power out of this than a naturally aspirated small block, there are several things to keep in mind. 1. If you're keeping the motor on boost instead of just hitting boost for short periods of time, you need a LOT of cooling. Both your regular coolant and intercooling. That's going to be a major challenge with a draw through setup. I would be running the 31x19 4 core copper radiator, wieand aluminum hv water pump and a 160 thermostat like the BB trucks for sure. If you’ve never seen a draw through system runnin it’s interesting. I had this turbo system on a sbc 307 for lite towing and any day it was less than 75 degrees out there would be a frost coating from the housing to the middle of the intake manifold. 2. In the boost range, a turbo motor will be burning more gas than a naturally aspirated engine making the same power level. It may be more fuel efficient off boost, but if it's usually going into boost you will get better mileage with a big block instead. the turbo I have is a carbon seal Garret ball bearing from a mid 80’s Buick V6. On a 307 You had boost at 1600rpm and by 3000 it was on the Waste Gate( opens valve to allow exhaust to bypass) so yes on a 350 it will be on boost a lot. You don’t get good fuel mileage towing either, 10 is the norm around here. 3. You really, really don't want to skimp on tuning. Retarding the timing off boost, for example, is really going to defeat the purpose. This is where we killed the 307, I used a corvair vacuum/boost distributor vacumn can that would pull about 7 degrees out of the timing which was good until the wastegate diaphragm ruptured. This time I’d use the MSD BTM as you can pull more timing out with that than the corvair can. I’ve never tried towing our heavier stuff with a turbo motor |
Very Good information Matt-Thank You |
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