Coolant supply for turbo

I?m heavily considering adding a turbo to my project.

I?m running an 87 B230F. It currently has no heater connected, and the heater hose lines are looped. Would those be sufficient to feed the turbo? And if so, does the direction of the feed into the turbo matter? (Is there a definite ?in/out??)

Thanks!

If this is on the jeep, I might suggest just running a turbo with a oil only center section. Or going full TB and just not using the water cooling on a stock turbo.

To answer your question: The heater hose would work fine, and the direction doesn't really matter if the coolant ports are relatively horizontal.
If the center section is rotated such that one port is higher, the higher port should be the "out" flow.

culberro said:

If this is on the jeep, I might suggest just running a turbo with a oil only center section. Or going full TB and just not using the water cooling on a stock turbo

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Interesting. I?m curious why?

itlksez said:

Interesting. I?m curious why?

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You're not running it super hard all the time, and simplicity (less chance for a coolant leak in the middle of the woods).

Water cooled turbos are really useful if the motor does a lot of work and then is instantly shut off. As long as you don't do a bunch of full boost operation and then shut down the turbo, water cooling isn't really needed.

culberro said:

You're not running it super hard all the time, and simplicity (less chance for a coolant leak in the middle of the woods).

Water cooled turbos are really useful if the motor does a lot of work and then is instantly shut off. As long as you don't do a bunch of full boost operation and then shut down the turbo, water cooling isn't really needed.

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Cool. Thanks for the reply. I really won?t be needing it much; I?m actually really pleased with the power, but there?re just a few hills and a mountain pass around here that I could use an extra push to get me up and over.

I would caution against using a water-cooled turbo without water. The internal geometry is different and was designed to have water in it. On an air/oil cooled turbo the oil cavity in the center housing is much larger and can accommodate a lot more coke buildup before causing bearing contamination or sealing issues. If you run a water-cooled turbo without water, the small oil cavity can coke up very quickly.

Either use an air/oil cooled turbo, or use a water cooled turbo with water plumbed into it.

The heater loop should be a fine place to plumb a turbo in, as long as you don't create any localized high spots in the hoses. This can trap gases and reduce water flow. As culberro says, water cooling is most effective after a hot shutdown when the oil flow and water flow from the engine both stop. By making the water outlet a bit higher you are encouraging a thermal siphon effect, drawing cooler water in through the low side and expelling hot water from the high side, all without the engine running.

Thanks for the input Duder. I’ve got the water cooled turbo, and I have the unused coolant lines, so I planned on using them if it was feasible.

No worries! Your project is rad. I like your blend of fabricated parts and OE parts from various sources. Must be a great feeling to have it looking sharp and running strong after a long build process.

The turbo water cooling topic isn't a sexy one, but let me know if you need more info. I wrote a marketing-centric white paper on the topic years ago, which I think explains all the concepts but was intentionally light on data. If you're interested: https://www.garrettmotion.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/GAM_White-Paper-No.1_Water-Cooling-1.pdf

Definitely take anything Duder says about turbos over anything I say

If you just need a bit more power, higher compression on the NA motor and a slight cam upgrade (if running a B cam) might get you to a good spot without the turbo complexities.

Just shaving 0.030-0.040" from the head on a stock b230F is a significant change in power.

Duder said:

No worries! Your project is rad. I like your blend of fabricated parts and OE parts from various sources. Must be a great feeling to have it looking sharp and running strong after a long build process.

The turbo water cooling topic isn't a sexy one, but let me know if you need more info. I wrote a marketing-centric white paper on the topic years ago, which I think explains all the concepts but was intentionally light on data. If you're interested: https://www.garrettmotion.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/GAM_White-Paper-No.1_Water-Cooling-1.pdf

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Thanks! It?s literally been a dream come true. It looks factory at a glance, but the people who know their way around cars will start to notice little Easter eggs. Once they come over and ask about one thing, they?ll see something else, I?ll open the hood... it?s fun to watch people?s reactions.

I?m definitely going to check out your link when I get a minute. Thank you so much for your time.

culberro said:

Definitely take anything Duder says about turbos over anything I say

If you just need a bit more power, higher compression on the NA motor and a slight cam upgrade (if running a B cam) might get you to a good spot without the turbo complexities.

Just shaving 0.030-0.040" from the head on a stock b230F is a significant change in power.

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Thanks for the input. I?m one to avoid engine work unless it?s necessary, but I?ll keep that in mind.