Just got my homemade setup able to move under its own power. Its a dead stock mass air 5.0 in an 89 notch back with twin IHI R5Bs from 87-88 t-birds.

Seems to blow alot of oil smoke. I pulled off my downpipes and could see some oil come out of the turbine side on one of the IHIs. The plan is to get rebuild kits (may as well do both while I am at it) and have the compressor and turbine wheels balanced at turbocity. They say they mark up the two wheels so you can reassemble them balanced. Is that reasonable to do and have them maintain their balance?
Erich

 

I would just find 2 bigger turbos. some decent size t3's. those turbos are almost to small for a d series let alone a 5.0. you sure you werent overflowing the turbos with oil?

thats a bad *** set-up though! can you elaborate on it a little?

 

Thanks. Others who use the IHIs on 5.0s claim that the work pretty well: really fast spooling up (thats for sure!) but top out before 6K. That is not too bad for a stock 5.0-they are not exactly high reving motors. I will probably get better turbos later. Here are some more details.

Oil system: I used 1/4 inch brakeline for the oil feed and retained the stock t-bird oil restrictors. So I think I should be ok on the incoming oil. The oil drains are -10AN lines that I attached to steel fittings welded onto cut off stock flanges. I took the oil pan off and welded two more of those fittings on either side.

Fuel system: stock 19# injectors and maf, ATI fmu, 190 lph pump. This fuel system is a little on the small side. Also, it is pretty hard to control the fmu. It seems kind of hair trigger.

Hot side: Stock 5.0 headers flipped upside down. I cut the flanges off them and welded in 2.25 tubing to t-3 flanges. The down pipes are also 2.25 inch. I used the stock t-bird turndown for the wastegate on the drivers side. I cut off the bell mouth from the t-bird exhaust and welded it to the down pipe. That fits pretty well. On the passenger side, the wastegate turn down would turn up so I made a plate that covers the wastegate and turbine outlet. I welded two tubes on there: one for the wastegate and one for theturbine. The waste gate one connects into the other. This plate although 5/16 or 3/8 metal kind of leaks a little.

Cold sides: compressor sides reside in the fenderwells. Outlets are 2 inch tubing to match the turbo. They drop straight down and turn in in front of the radiator and enter the intercooler thru 2 to 2.5 inch silicone transistions. I put a pair of bosch plastic bovs on those pipes.

Air filters are stuffed in the fenders. Not easy.

Water cooling: have not plumbed it yet.

Here are some more pictures

Intercooler

Passenger side fenderwell showing compressor outlet to intercooler and intercooler outlet without MAF

This is the tubing that goes from the IC outlet to the throttlebody.

Erich

 

I'd just get them rebalanced. I've seen people mark the wheels but some have had good luck with it and some have had the wheels and housing chewed up.

 

I was just wondering how hard it is to line up the balancing marks. Pretty reasonable at 35 bucks for balancing. Still have to take them apart and see if there is anything messed up by the bearings etc. Any tips for what to look for damage wise? The compressor and turbine wheels seemed good when I put them on but I guess the shaft between them can get messed.
This is a really cool site.
Erich

 

Do you have both of the oil drain lines pointing down? Those RHB5s are much bigger than the ones on scoobys

 

Yep, the drain lines are pointed down. They have maybe 12 inches of drop to where they go into the oil pan. The line does get horizontal where it goes into the pan.
Erich

 

Hell yea!great turbo setup, hmt for sure