Nate

Im just about finished with my build and I dont have enough money to afford the turbo setup I want. Now, I can drive around n/a with a 9.0:1 cr b16 which will be hell on earth or I can put something on my car just for now so I can have boost and feel like the world is right again. I have everything else left over from my old setup but a turbo mani and downpipe. I started playing around with the idea and thought about my options and decided that I would go with a very small turbo probably internally gated, make my own manifold and downpipe and go from there. Im looking for suggestions on a good way to make a manifold as cheaply as possible. The ugliest manifold in the world would be great as long as its CHEAP! What kind of materials are you guys using and what diameter runners? If I could make sort of a topmount mini-ram or something that would be cool too.

Im also wanting to setup a charge air temp gauge in the intake pipe for the turbo (ambient air temp) and then another one in the charge pipe right before the throttle body to gauge my intercooling efficiency. Both pipes are already tapped and ready for a temp sensor. Has anyone ever done this or know if it works well? Anybody sell gauges that can do this?

bitchasscracker

use plumming pipe to make the manifold or make a top mount fron a b18 4-1 manifold with a sink trap

LSD Motorsports

The way you emphsized CHEAP makes me think thats much more important then building it yourself in this case. If that is true, look around on here, H-T and turbod16 for deals on manifold / turbo / downpipe combos. If anything, buy a used blox cast manifold for $100 and a used turbo for $120, u will be well on your way to being boosted. All you need are two temperature gauges, but you could even do it with the laser gun they sell at Vato zone. Important thing is that you bought a descent intercooler. Also, maybe invest the money / time in a n02 intercooler / chargepipe sprayer. good luck.

imburne

I like the tempature gauges idea. Ever since someone posted that thread on the shitty flow of cdm intercoolers, its been running through my mind on how inefficient it is.

HiProfile

You're looking at least $600 in new parts, not including turbo, if you want to do a complete HMT setup. You can save $100 if you go with an internal WG w/o AC. Otherwise running the stock ecu (if the car is mostly stock besides the pistons/rods) will be fine.

For the temp sensor, you don't really need to use the 2nd pre-fmic sensor. All that counts is what the manifold's OEM IAT sensor is reading. Unless you're running a tiny turbo, you will assume it won't be making much heat. High IAT's mean there's a leak and the turbo is spinning faster than it should, the fmic sucks, or...just too many psi for the turbo (which is usually >20 for most mid-sized turbos).

btw this assumes you have an EMS that datalogs. To make the 2nd sensor work, you just extend the wires from the 1st/original IAT sensor to the 'hot' sensor, and do 1 run with the OEM placement, then another after with the 'hot' sensor. Just note that AFR's will go wacky, as it will try compensating...

Scott-EP

i was looking at the plumbing couplers at home depot the other day when i was there and i think we should just make a log that way. i think the finals cost of the manifold would be like $40 + flange$$

Nate

Yeah that might be a good way to go. I do like the idea of using the stock manifold and bolting a 180* bend to it to make a topmount. That would probably be the cheapest way to go. My family is good friends with a volvo mech and he has tons of old volvos laying around and I could probably go pull a small t3 off of one of those things for free. Anybody know what model volvos have real t3 flanges instead of that wierd one?

I want a temp sensor in the intake pipe so I can see what my ambient temps actually are under hood and what my turbo is actually seeing. Wouldnt I just run the wires right from the sensors to the gauges in the car to monitor them instead of running them through data logging or something? I got the idea from reading maximum boost and realizing just how important efficient intercooling is. I thought I would try and run a few different intercoolers and see what kind of different results I saw from them. Im really curious to see how a virtical fin designed intercooler would do compared to our typical lateral design.

lilpooh21186

im driving with 9.0-1 cp and my car is just fine turn the fp up to 65 and advance timing my car is not half bad 1-3 but if im over 80 mph its a dog but hey still pushes 120.

Scott-EP

hell, i probobly have the stuff here to make a sinktrap out of your stock manifold. if not we can go really ghetto fabulous and get some wrinkle bends from advanced auto. lol

Nate

Yeah I think that might be the way to go. My b16 manifold is a 4-2-1 so it might be a little awkward making a big enough collector to bold to the manifold. Is the Ls a 4-1? Im really hoping I can pull a volvo turbo from that friend of ours stock pile. I could send it to blaast and have a perfect quick spooling t3 for $150 or so. I still need to know what volvos have the normal t3 flange on them?