You sir do some great work!
If I did that with my truck I would never hear the end of it from my wife.
I'm looking forward to seeing the finished truck! And the smokey burnout!

 

Thanks, I really appreciate it. Honestly, I think my girl friend is almost as excited to see this thing together as I am. I'll get burnout video of it with the clip off all sideways in the parking lot and put them up here as soon as they happen.

 

OK, as of yesterday afternoon the cold side is finished and finish welded, the BOV has been added to the merge and the hot side is fully welded except for the tiny bit under the waste gate pipes. I need to pull the headers to get to that little bit. Here's another few pictures, this is as complete as this truck has been in a few years. Now it's almost time to pull it all apart again.

I'm trying to figure out where I'd put turbo braces.There's just not any really good places for them, does anybody really think i'd be asking for trouble if I didn't add braces to the turbos? All of the tubing is 16g and the cold side seems to kinda act like a brace, right? And the turbos aren't huge...(can you tell I'm trying to talk myself into not building braces?)

I'd appreciate opinions.

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Looking very nice. I would try to get some sort of bracing in there. It will work for a while without. I've seen many without but I believe at some point you would run into cracks/issues as the hot/cold cycles eventually fatigue the steel. Sure would hate to see those headers screwed up. just my opinion

 

^^^^^x2 your going to want some braces for your turbos

 

I figured as much. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to be talked into it. I'd actually already bought parts to build them.

This seemed to make the most sense to me. I've got to add a brace on the intake bracket and the tube could stand to be an inch longer but I think it'll work.

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The passenger side turbo has the same bracket on the bottom of the collector so that brace should end up in about the same place, relative to the valve cover, as the driver's side. I think it's kinda cool looking.

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I'm kind of wondering if the Heim joint is a good idea as far as bracing? Due to the fact it will allow the headers to "settle" down during heat cycles... Those look great for horizontal bracing, but dont look like they will do alot of vertical support.. Just my opinion though, and I could be wrong..

EDIT:After looking at it a bit It makes more sense why you did that... Sometimes I have my head up my rear.. Anyhow I'm curious if you could go up under the header too, something like what you have there for a horizontal support that ties into the header flange maybe? Just thinking out loud...

 

I agree, a small tab mounted on the compressor housing and welded to the inner fender wells would be easy to install and more aesthetically pleasing IMO.

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I was kinda iffy on the heim as well, but i figured all I really need to do is keep it from moving around as it heats and cools. I figured this might just help complete the triangle so the weight of the whole thing is supported. I might be really off base here, not sure. I thought about bracing to the flange of the original motor mount location but it just seemed like that would have been adding bracing in the wrong direction. It seemed like I just wanted to keep the turbo from "drooping" as the headers heat and cool. I can change it if I need to...

I like that too but having no inner fenders makes that kinda problematic. I thought about bracing to the firewall but was worried that the firewall (besides being quite thin) wouldn't "move" at the same rate as the engine and trans and I'd end up with the brace (or the firewall) work hardening and cracking. However, I've been wrong before.

I'm interested in more opinions if they're out there...

 

I've been thinking on this all afternoon (and for a few days) and it seems to me that I'm not actually trying to hold the turbo up as much as just keep the weight of it from wiggling around and cracking the headers. It's not like the headers are going to get hot enough to melt out from under the turbo, right?

There's just a pretty long lever arm (headers) with a big weight hanging from one end (turbo) the other end (flange) is triangulated in one direction (front to back) but not in the other (up and down). If that's the case, wouldn't the horizontal bar (even with the rod ends) just help support all that weight on another plane? It makes a rigid triangle from the intake to the head flange with the turbo being one point of the triangle. Right? If I put another bar from the collector to the flange wouldn't it just add more support in the plane that doesn't really need it?

It seems to me that if i keep that turbo rigidly mounted so it cant "fall away" from the head the header tubes aren't carrying the whole weight of the turbo. Wouldn't that also help to tie in back to the engine so as the engine moves as it runs, the turbo (now solidly tied to the intake) isn't moving at a different frequency, so the header tubes aren't having to absorb the vibrations of the turbo bouncing around on the end of them. Then, if the header tubes aren't flexing, they shouldn't crack, right?

I'm just thinking out loud. Someone correct me if I'm being an idiot. Thanks!

 

I think the way you have it will work amazingly well, and the heim will allow movement without stress during heat cycles.

 

Nice work!

 

its only going to sag till the bar lands on the valve cover, then the vertical motion is done and its truly locked in place... i think that setup is better than having no support but removing the heim joints would really seal the deal for single point support... just my $.02

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oh by the way holy shit awesome build! lol just read the whole thing today and thinkk its just tits!

 

Thanks! I'm gonna roll the dice on it ansee what happens, I made the other side a few days ago and I'm starting to pull it all down for gaskets and whatnot.

Thanks man!

I really don't even think it's going to sag that much, if at all. In order for the bar to contact the valve cover the tubes would almost need to collapse straight down on themselves. I hope it doesn't get that hot! I appreciate the compliment also! Thanks!

 

I ran an S475 on my Pontiac hanging off of the crossover for an entire season with no problems, I spun the main bearings one night ( the night I smashed the instrument cluster) and when I got back to the pits, the headers, and crossover were still cherry red. I think you're golden with that setup.

 

That's a big ass turbo just hanging from the crossover! If that held together, I'm gonna cross my fingers that this will work. For the sake of being cautious maybe I'll leave the bottom inch or so of the primaries unwrapped so I can check them for cracks.

I've got something like 8 weeks to get this turd back together. And try to learn how to drive it. And try to learn how to tune it. I'm not filled with confidence about making that June race but I'm going to give it hell anyway.

 

If there's one thing I've noticed about the internet, it's that people like to pole vault over mouse turds. I've done a lot of questionable stuff that's worked out really well, and a lot of it didn't work out so well. It's like Thomas Edison said "I have not failed, I've only found ten thousand ways not to do it." I can't wait to see this thing run, I'm certain that it's going to be wicked. I also love how you have the turbos behind the front axle centerline too. That's why turbo is where it is this time, I'm all about that rear percentage.

 

I'm following your triangulation idea for the braces. It makes sense. The rod ends also make sense by not inducing any added stress during heat cycling. K.I.S.S. at it's finest bolted right to a bundle of snakes!

 

Thanks man, I really appreciate it. I'm the same way, I'd rather try and fail than fail to try. I'm pretty excited about it going back together, I really think it's going to be brutal. If the math is correct (which it probably isn't) I really don't think it'll have a problem making damn near 600hp on about 6psi and a fairly conservative tune, and the more I think about that the more nervous this thing makes me...

Thank you! I'm really trying to build it while also keeping in mind having to service it when everything is assembled. I hate having to work on stuff that's just smashed together and doesn't have access anywhere.

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I'm not sure why that picture is so small but here's we we are as of yesterday. Headers are totally finish welded, alternator mount is braced, the spacer for the crank pulley is made and installed, the midplate is trimmed and the mounts are made for that and the radiator mount id finish welded. I ordered a new Walbro 450LPH fuel pump and I'm going to pick up the valve springs and rockers and adjusters for the vortec heads today. I'm gonna get head studs and gaskets ordered this week and that'll handle almost all of my parts (I think). Getting exciting now!

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Man its looking good! Yeah I may have been over thinking the support, just something I saw might be a issue so I figured I'd say something. Cant wait to see the final product!