Small-Block Turbo Kit for $699! But Does it Work?

You’ve read about them before, probably seen one at your local dragstrip, and have maybe even pondered buying one. Before you do, HOT ROD brings you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about cheap turbo kits.

[boltonky]

I got one of these kits (without headers) for a steal and have seen it do 1000hp+ on a Mazda Starlet, the solution to the explosive boost problems was to replace the fake wastegate with a real 50mm progate.
Go cheap turbo, piping etc if you want but don't scrape on the wastegate/blowoff valve they are the only things regulating the boost getting in your engine.

Also thanks for a wicked video

[zachbates]

why is everyone complaining they made a extra 250 hp for $1000 thats gotta be the best deal ive ever seen haha

[JPtheHammer]

"This thing makes too much boost." Diesel guys: "Too much boost? What's that?"

[mobrien]

Half metric and half sae, so it's an 80's GM product.

[Capt_Killingfield]

Geez when the music(?) kicked in @ 9:35 my heart dropped i thought you guys spun a bearing or something lol

[MrRebustr]

My dad gave me his old 1988 caprice with a stock 350 motor he maintain almost daily for 25 + years and when i got it car had barely 35k miles on it since pops worked from home and was more of a family town car ...first i rebuilt the engine my self top to bottom nothing was spared ...then i added bullet proof parts basically and the correct set up for procharger that was fun then i decided to add a huge turbo and some beautiful custom heads / manifolds and full exhaust to compliment the build and the car ...i didnt want it sound like a hood box chevy..i wanted it to sound like a Chevrolet 9c1 police intercetor that it was born to be ....i love america and its many American cars ....this one fits me like a glove....i also have a 1984 Fleetwood brougham de' elegance 4dr with same exact love america

[tylerwabnitz]

what I got out of this is this... buy the turbo itself. Everything else make yourself or buy from a good company

[jackejr]

You guys have the old school knowledge that many people buying these systems on line DO NOT HAVE.... experience is the key.... Great Job Guys!!!!

[ricerockettuner]

without a boost controller, you hook manifold pressure to the bottom Port of the wastegate and leave the top Port open. Then that pressure acts on the spring in the diaphragm thus opening the wastegate at the proper psi... they had the manifold pressure hooked to the top of the gate hence why it kept pegging the boost

[cliftonnutter]

I did the same turbo build but with a different manifold on my blow through 385ci 89 s10. Don't know the power level but it's set on 10 lb and I've been driving it for 2 years no problems. As long as you do the proper prep work and maintenance it will last for a long time

[ttoman]

Just isn't the same not seeing freiburger in that room standing next to the motor....

[codellgayden]

Thanks guys, this video really helped. It's nice to see people out there helping others & letting them know what really works & what doesn't work. Too many people go out there thinking they know everything & then blow stuff up. This gives me hope for a sleeper that I want to build.

[mmodtomic]

Nice video showing what one is getting their self into by buying an eBay turbo kit...but the real question is longevity and reliability. Take that motor and drop it into...well, anything and give it to Freiburger and Finnegan. Have them drive it to Key West and back.

[sixxsixx]

Would love to see how much it makes right before blowing the engine

[dennisbryan]

this could have been an engine masters episode

[GigaMuffin]

When they said they were gonna hit it I thought they were talking about the spark plug at first 😂😂

[JerryWick]

I found with many things, you can either spend more money, or more time. But either way you can't get something for nothing. This was a perfect example of that fact.

[upchurchforpresident]

13 pounds of boost at 1000 rpm's 😂😂🤣🤣😂💀💀💀

[DougHanchard]

Superb review. So many enthusiast forget just how hard it is to make a good turbo package work AND fit into a car. One thing I'm curious about and wasn't talked about, was what kind of fuel and timing was the engine set at, given the mild cam (which turbos actually like) and old truck style heads. I couldn't tell if they were early generation Vortec heads or not.

[alexshahan]

“Just like at home” *does it on an engine stand