How to Select the Best Turbo for your Car

War_Panda04

STill Plays With Toys!
i think this is a great how to. not just installing but how to go about selecting the right one. i am currently doing research on a turbo for my 07 STi and this is the first time i am upgrading a turbo but there are just too many brands with too many options.

so who has an idea on the best way to select a turbo not just for me but for anyone in the future wanting to upgrade? (help me also lol)

i know how a turbo works but as far as aftermarket designs and ball bearing, ceramic ball bearing, journal bearing and different inlet and compressor sizes its just beyond my knowledge.
 
Not that I'm an expert but I would start with hp goal. Keep in mind that might change once you realize what mods will be required to get to that point. Example I would have went FP black instead of FP green but I would have to go 1300cc injectors and really should build the heads to get more rpms out of them to get a more usable power band. And for a DD I want quick spool so again another reason why I went FP green. As for ball bearing they say it is more reliable then journal but i got 60k out of my stock and if I get that out if this I will be happy.
 

War_Panda04

STill Plays With Toys!
Im not really big on having the highest HP i can get. I could care less what the number is really. I have a list of parts including a built closed deck block that i know are high quality and work well together i just dont know what is the beat turbo to compliment them for what i want. Basically i want a car with quicker acceleration rather than high top speed. I dont drive fast i just want something that will pull hard. But my main concern is reliability. Its not a DD since i have another car but i plan on driving it a lot. The other car is just for work nd then the STi comes out basically.


And thats all i have to say about that...
 
I keep looking at the Borg Warner turbos like you I'm not going to be going for high numbers I just want a good powerband for a daily driver.

A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at. (Bruce Lee)
 

War_Panda04

STill Plays With Toys!
Ill be honest. Like i said i know how a turbo works. As far as different aftermarket designs go and how they are beneficial. I might as well not know what a turbo is at all


And thats all i have to say about that...
 

HolyCrapItsFast

Drinks beer!
And besides the HP goal, your driving goal is as important. Figure out what you want out of your car beyond power. turbo selection for 1/4 mile and 0-60 is going to be quite different than for auto cross or time attack and different yet for spirited street driving.
 

War_Panda04

STill Plays With Toys!
I deff dont just need to go fast in the straight line. I would say the most the car will get used is for street/spirited driving


And thats all i have to say about that...
 

HolyCrapItsFast

Drinks beer!
I deff dont just need to go fast in the straight line. I would say the most the car will get used is for street/spirited driving

So then you want your turbo to spool fairly quickly but you still want some top end for those highway pulls. You will want to look for a mid range turbo and you may want to consider something with ball bearings and a balanced assembly to help it spool faster. Once you have made that much of a decision you are mostly there but now you need to narrow down your choices and for that there are other things to consider. Beyond your power goals you need to consider supporting mods like what intake, intercooler, down pipe, exhaust, headers, cams, fuel system components. It wouldn't make much sense, per say, to put in a large turbo if you have a restrictive exhaust or a smaller turbo if you have a front mount or cams.

When I choose turbos, I go so far as to look at the compressor maps to see if it will be efficient for where I will be making boost and for how much boost I will be targeting. It sounds like you are going to go with something like stage 2 power so you probably want to target around 19-20 psi and try to maintain most of that boost to red line with out creeping outside it's efficiency range and achieving usable boost as low as possible. Any thing from a 20GXT to an FP Green or Blouch Dominator series turbos fall into that category

The easiest thing to do is to ask a well known tuner what he recommends for the goals you target.
 

War_Panda04

STill Plays With Toys!
I was talking to Mikey Botti last night and told him the same things im telling you guys and he suggested a GTX3076 or GT3576HTA.
 

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
GTX3076 is a great turbo, but the GTX3071 spools even faster, though at the expense of ~50hp at top end. Generally speaking, a 3071 should be good for 425-475whp (depending on other mods) and the 3076 should put you at about 450-500whp. From what I understand...
 
I dont understand why the GTX3076 doesn't look like a complete turbo like my FP Green. Do you have to reuse parts off your old Turbo?
 

War_Panda04

STill Plays With Toys!
GTX3076 is a great turbo, but the GTX3071 spools even faster, though at the expense of ~50hp at top end. Generally speaking, a 3071 should be good for 425-475whp (depending on other mods) and the 3076 should put you at about 450-500whp. From what I understand...

And how does the GT3576HTA compare to those specs? Do you know?
 

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
And how does the GT3576HTA compare to those specs? Do you know?

I'm not exactly certain, but I think it should allow you to make somewhere in the 500-575whp range. Of course, it spools up even later. Everybody's goals are different, but for me, a GT35 is a little too big. I like power, but faster spool is more important to me.
 

War_Panda04

STill Plays With Toys!
Yea im the same way. I dont want a car that the boost will smack u in the face when it finally hits i want a smooth curve. Good for street driving so it looks like the GTX3076 is the way to go


And thats all i have to say about that...
 

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
Top