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923A1 .. Going turbo next week...

Jayco36REQS

Member
300
2
16
Location
Orlando/FL
Need some input from the guys who have put a turbo on their 923A1....

- What fuel button do you recommend? I've read as many posts as I could find, but many are old... so looking for whatever your current recommendations from EXPERIENCE....

- Recommendations for air-filter? Stock? Aftermarket mod?

- Exhaust? I've seen straight pipe, aftermarket muffler, .... The truck is plenty loud enough with soft top... so NOT wanting it any louder for sure! I'd love to find a nice camo hard top!! lol

- Ok.. dual fuel line mod.... Worth it or not??

Lot's to do and would rather only do it once vs tinkering to try and see what works!

Any tips from the experienced guys would be great!

Thanks!!
 

wreckerman893

Possum Connoisseur
15,611
1,981
113
Location
Akenback acres near Gadsden, AL
A turbo is not going to do much for the "Nifty 250". You can't gold plate a turd (well you can but then you just have an expensive POS). It will keep down the smoke if you turn the fuel to it. If you turn the fuel to it you will more than likely melt down a piston unless you're well versed in driving a hot engine. You have to back out of it in a hard pull or a long pull with a heavy load. Been there, done that. For what you will spend on upgrading the 250 you can prob find a 290 or 350 that will do a lot better job.
 

patracy

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
14,587
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Location
Buchanan, GA
I'll turn the tide on the gloom and doom.

You can turbo a NA diesel engine with good results. I've done it to several diesels. I will be doing it to my truck as well. But there's two things you must understand. First is, don't expect to double your power and it not melt down. The 250 can be turbo'ed and turned up to about 300hp safely for every day driving. It can be turned up more if you drive it properly like Wreckerman said. But not much more. Secondly, you MUST get a EGT gauge installed pre-turbo.

The 250 doesn't have oil squirters. Some swear gloom and doom by that fact. But I've not had any problems out of the other diesels I've converted to turbo without squirters either. I just turned them up to a safe level and always drove by the gauge.
 

162tcat

Active member
710
44
28
Location
Washington
I'm going to answer some of your questions.

I'm running a #20 button currently and it seems about right. Good power, no smoke.

For air filter I've done it a few different ways but I currently have a K&N cone mounted directly to the turbo. Seems to work fine.

I'm running 5" to a donaldson muffler to keep it quiet. I'm not out to annoy anyone or go def.

Do the dual fuel mod, worth it.
 

162tcat

Active member
710
44
28
Location
Washington
I removed the dog house when I did mine, only took about 45 min to remove but I wouldn't want to try with it on. The hardest part was removing the allen head from the cylinder head. It took lots of heat and I also used lapping compound, borrowed that idea from another member. After that everything was simple and very worth the time and effort.

Front mount intercooler is next on my list, just gotta find one that fits good. If anyone knows of one, please share!
 

Jayco36REQS

Member
300
2
16
Location
Orlando/FL
Ok... Truck is in the barn to be torn into tomorrow.... the fun begins! If I get a chance I'll take some pics. I want to get it done before the next Truck/Tractor pull and see what effect the turbo has on it's pulling power. I did some clocking on a couple of hills both back roads and highway... so I'll post some real world numbers before/after to let you guys know the difference. Let the games begin!! :driver:
 

jdknech

Active member
1,095
4
38
Location
Jeffersonville, Indiana
I'm going to answer some of your questions.

I'm running a #20 button currently and it seems about right. Good power, no smoke.

For air filter I've done it a few different ways but I currently have a K&N cone mounted directly to the turbo. Seems to work fine.

I'm running 5" to a donaldson muffler to keep it quiet. I'm not out to annoy anyone or go def.

Do the dual fuel mod, worth it.
do you have a part number and a pic for your filter setup? I need a new airfilter setup for my turbo.. the stock airfilter doesnt seen to have enough flow..
 
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jdknech

Active member
1,095
4
38
Location
Jeffersonville, Indiana
Need some input from the guys who have put a turbo on their 923A1....

- What fuel button do you recommend? I've read as many posts as I could find, but many are old... so looking for whatever your current recommendations from EXPERIENCE....

- Recommendations for air-filter? Stock? Aftermarket mod?

- Exhaust? I've seen straight pipe, aftermarket muffler, .... The truck is plenty loud enough with soft top... so NOT wanting it any louder for sure! I'd love to find a nice camo hard top!! lol

- Ok.. dual fuel line mod.... Worth it or not??

Lot's to do and would rather only do it once vs tinkering to try and see what works!

Any tips from the experienced guys would be great!

Thanks!!

I used a #15 button, and i gross 60K+ pounds with my tractor.. as was said earlier in the thread- "drive by the gauges" the egt is a MUST, and you have to keep a steady eye on it at all times.. but i used 5" straight pipe and ran a stack about 3' above the cab pointed straight up.. that lowered the noise in the cab.. not sure what to tell you about the filter setup.. I'm still working on that.. I cant find a cone filter to fit in the space i have in front of the turbo, but also fit behind the coolent housing.. I had it run to the stock filter with 4" pipe, but there wasn't enough flow, and the egt temps climed FAST!! and it didnt seal all the way, and i pulled muddy water up the intake in a mudbog.. (didn't hurt anything so far as i can tell at this point)

dual fuel line mod- I have not done it (yet) but I wish i had..
 

162tcat

Active member
710
44
28
Location
Washington
It's a K&N E-1993 cone filter. I bought it on Amazon.com for $46. Works great until I get around to mounting and plumbing a standard commercial air canister and filter.
 

crewcab454

New member
26
2
0
Location
texas
I run a #5 button. i only pull 6-7k pounds with mine. It has 16.00s on it. 5" exhaust to a 6" stack and never see over 1100 egt. i have the small o.d. filter in the stock air box. The exhaust manifold and turbo are from a big cam 400 and the intake is off of an older 290.
 

Jayco36REQS

Member
300
2
16
Location
Orlando/FL
Anyone know a source for the Exhaust manifold? The one my guy got from the truck yard aims straight at the heater box?

Help!!
 
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