Pittsburg Power:

I'm assuming you mean for an ISX?

 

Yes, you have a copy of the PDI Stage 1 turbo. If you want a turbo blanket manufacturers name it's Advanced Thermal Products from Irvine, CA they make their blankets to military specifications

The turbo is actually a BorgWarner Turbo Systems turbo. It is built from individual components from BW parts catalog. BW does not offer this turbo as an assembled unit for sale to the public. BW I believe from my discussions with Kurt Henderson tested the components as an assembled turbo on a stock C-15 for efficiency and Hp advantages above the stock CAT turbo. The testing showed this turbo is very good in the low to mid RPM range on the 14.6L E/ C-15 CAT engines, both with Hp increases and fuel efficiency and will support 725 Hp without early failures. BW started telling their distributors to sell these parts as a performance upgrade for CAT engines. PDI and his supplying BW distributor was the first ones to start selling a large volume of them. Today there are cheap copies of this turbo manufactured in China that even have the BW casting numbers on them, but no part numbers. (Most people don't know where BW locates the part numbers and some will be burnt off as soon as the engine is fired up.)The way to tell the Chinese copies apart is the V-band clamps and nuts holding the exhaust housing and compressor cover to the bearing housing are made from a much cheaper steel instead of stainless steel. The nuts from BW for the V-band clamps are made from titanium

I actually build this turbo myself from BW parts and sell it for $2000 without a warranty.........if you want a 1 year warranty I sell the same turbo from PDI for $2450. The reason I don't give a warranty is that BW will not warranty an assembled turbo from components. They consider this a performance application and not an OEM replacement turbo. I charge less than PDI, Bully Dog, PP, and Full Tilt for the same product and can't afford to eat the warranty replacement costs out of my own pocket at this price. I tell my customers this also and let them decide which they want to purchase from me. I've also never had one fail after I've assembled it and sold to this day.

 

I would assume that's what he's talking about also. If he installed it on a stock engine it was a waste of money in my opinion. He should have done the tune and deleted the EGR at the same time to be able to use that manifold with good results.

 

I have to disagree, my new turbo was weak on the low rpm side that it does not spool up as fast as the stock one and got stronger at the mid to higher rpm side like a bigger turbo is suppose to do over a stock one on a 3406E.

You are right about it being a BW turbo, but that is no big deal because it is not a sin to buy from manufacturer of turbos with your own specs because PDI does the samething.

 

I didn't know anyone would actually install the ISX intake manifold and keep the EGR. How a stock ISX even actually runs as good as they do is amazing considering how much junk is in that stock intake.

 

it maybe slow to spool, especially when youre only running the box on numbr 1 setting for a total of 585 hp to spool it.........you didn't understand my post. What I was try to explain that was described to me was that on an engine dyno at the factory this combination was better than the stock turbo in fuel efficiency and hp. To say this doesn't mean that it's faster spooling than your stock turbo at the exact same working conditions. You evidently feel it's helping you in your quest for fuel mileage or you would have removed it to replace it wth the stock turbo. If you want to stay at the 585 hp level and never increase the power level above this, I have a slightly different turbo that I could sell you that is almost an exact copy of what you have now with a slightly smaller turbine and compressor wheels. It will be very fast spooling, give you great fuel mileage, but will not support more than 600 hp without an early failure.

What do you want fuel mileage or hp? The fuel mileage numbers you're hunting for won't be conquered with an 800 hp, a 1000 hp or a 1300 hp engine

 

It is not built to anybody's specs............I as a person/company can not buy this turbo from any BW distributor in the world as an assembly. If it's sold as an assembly, somebody else put the parts together after they left the BW factory.

Now the Chinese copies of this BW parts combination are built as an assembly in China and sold to the public as BW turbos........maybe you need to inspect yours a little closer..........I'll give you a hint.......remove the compressor cover and look for a part number and date engraved inside of the housing, if you can't find it..........you've been had

 

Let me explain this to you a little better........at the max fuel useage of the engine the HP increased..........at all RPM levels that power was measured on the dyno, HP increased or stayed the same as with the OEM turbo without adding fuel to increase the power..........efficiency went up, wouldn't you say? I never said the turbo spooled faster at low RPM compared to the stock OEM turbo

 

Thanks for the turbocharger advice and explaination. I am happy with my CAT 3406E getting in the low 8s mpg range fully loaded and I am working on getting it into the 10 or 11 mpg range with some help from some NASCAR/Indy car racing technology here in my area With MicroBlue Racing's micro-finishing metal process that ends with a coating to keep metal parts from touching to prevent friction and wear to free up the entire drive train.

I have 2 National Chamionships racing Karts back in the 80s along with some NASCAR and ARCA big track racing experience during the 90s. With my age now I raced RC cars during the 2000's that we used alot of ceramic bearings and coated metals throughout the years.

I also have alot of friends that work at various NASCAR shops from Hendrick's motor shop to the parts shop at Roush Racing and they all tell me micro-polishing metals have revolutionized racing.

I am starting the first part of my testing of MicroBlue Treated wheel bearings on my tractor that should gain about 1/2 mpg and then later test have the rear end pinion gears and bearings also done that should have total gain of another 1-1/2 to 2 mpg that should put me solidly in the 10 mpg range pulling a fully loaded 48' dry van.

Timken even micro-polishes wheel bearings and coats them in house for most NASCAR teams. It comes as a bearing/hub package. It is a shame they don't offer to us this option too. It used to take at least 4 crew guys to push a Sprint Cup car around the garage that now 1 guy can push it thank to micro-polished bearings and gears.

Also notice you hardly ever hear of rear end and tranny failures in NASCAR due to this leap in technology. Most of the motor parts are now micro-finished that has lead to a big jump in HP over the last 10 to 15 years.

The company I am working with also does some of the diesel tractor pullers parts too.

I will post test results soon on the wheel bearings that have been MicroBlue Racing micro-polished and coated.

 

This is all fascinating. I wish I had mechanical knowledge and understanding. Sometimes I feel like less of a driver and man without it. Thanks for the good reading guys!