1.5T PRL Motorsports Bolt-On Big Turbo Upgrade Kit

[360glitch]

Thought this thread needed more big turbo.

 

[AsianGuy98]

Which turbo did you go with?

 

[360glitch]

Which turbo did you go with?

2860R Gen 2

 

[davemarco]

2860R Gen 2

Any numbers to compare against stock? I know that the peak delta will be huge, but I'd love too see how close the low end remains to the stock turbo with the 2860 Gen 2. Spool is supposed to be pretty great on that one.

 

[kshawn]

Can't wait for those install videos also curious to see what manual boost controllers people went with.

 

[Coolnezzz]

Can't wait for those install videos also curious to see what manual boost controllers people went with.

The kit comes with a manual boost controller, despite their page saying it's "optional".

edit: I could have been misled, I haven't dug through my box yet.

 

[davemarco]

Could someone explain how the manual boost controller affects things? Does the car just build boost as fast as possible no matter what?

 

[D-RobIMW]

Could someone explain how the manual boost controller affects things? Does the car just build boost as fast as possible no matter what?

The manual controller is included because you lose the ability to adjust boost pressure via the ECU. The electronic wastegate is gone completely.

Without some means of boost control, boost pressure would be limited to the spring pressure of the boost-activated traditional, mechanical wastegate actuator.

@360glitch is actually using a pretty neat electronic controller.

 

[LilToTo17]

The manual controller is included because you lose the ability to adjust boost pressure via the ECU. The electronic wastegate is gone completely.

Without some means of boost control, boost pressure would be limited to the spring pressure of the boost-activated traditional, mechanical wastegate actuator.

@360glitch is actually using a pretty neat electronic controller.

You still need an electronic boost controller for tuning as it's only limited to 14 psi from the Internal Wastegate Actuator

 

[360glitch]

Any numbers to compare against stock? I know that the peak delta will be huge, but I'd love too see how close the low end remains to the stock turbo with the 2860 Gen 2. Spool is supposed to be pretty great on that one.

**Insert all dynos read differently disclaimer here**

Derek and I ended up with 354.5whp at about 6800RPM with 24lbs of boost on an E30 blend before we maxed out capacity of the factory fueling system while maintaining a conservatively safe AFR. It is worth noting this is only about 15whp more than what we achieved on 93 octane alone. The turbo has a lot more in it than what the factory fueling system can provide for. We are still experimenting with Ktuner to see if we can get any more out of it, while we wait for the aftermarket to provide upgraded fueling options.

Peak torque (345ft lbs) was reached at about 4300 RPM, something the factory rods were sure to appreciate compared to what the stock turbo does to them.

The turbo spools VERY well, I don't think anyone would dare complain of any boost lag.

The kit comes with a manual boost controller, despite their page saying it's "optional".

edit: I could have been misled, I haven't dug through my box yet.

Contrary to what some reported before kits started shipping, it does not include a boost controller of any kind. Without one, you are limited to wastegate pressure of about 14psi.

I'm using a Cortex electronic boost controller for SIRHC Labs. I had never used this product before, but have been impressed with it so far. Notably it allows me to maintain boost by gear, RPM, speed, etc. The controller also can be configured to handle methanol injection, something I am not taking advantage of. @kshawn

You still need an electronic boost controller for tuning as it's only limited to 14 psi from the Internal Wastegate Actuator

A manual or electronic boost controller is fine, but you'll definitely want one of the two.

 

[10GenPearlSi]

Was the Cortex difficult to figure out how to wire it in?

 

[360glitch]

Was the Cortex difficult to figure out how to wire it in?

The only difficulty I had was tapping a couple of wires behind the OBD2 port for the speed and tach signal. In hindsight, I should have gotten an OBD2 extension cable to tap instead of trying to work with the somewhat hard to access factory harness. Got it done though.

 

[davemarco]

**Insert all dynos read differently disclaimer here**

Derek and I ended up with 354.5whp at about 6800RPM with 24lbs of boost on an E30 blend before we maxed out capacity of the factory fueling system while maintaining a conservatively safe AFR. It is worth noting this is only about 15whp more than what we achieved on 93 octane alone. The turbo has a lot more in it than what the factory fueling system can provide for. We are still experimenting with Ktuner to see if we can get any more out of it, while we wait for the aftermarket to provide upgraded fueling options.

Peak torque (345ft lbs) was reached at about 4300 RPM, something the factory rods were sure to appreciate compared to what the stock turbo does to them.

The turbo spools VERY well, I don't think anyone would dare complain of any boost lag.

Contrary to what some reported before kits started shipping, it does not include a boost controller of any kind. Without one, you are limited to wastegate pressure of about 14psi.

I'm using a Cortex electronic boost controller for SIRHC Labs. I had never used this product before, but have been impressed with it so far. Notably it allows me to maintain boost by gear, RPM, speed, etc. The controller also can be configured to handle methanol injection, something I am not taking advantage of. @kshawn


A manual or electronic boost controller is fine, but you'll definitely want one of the two.

Awesome. How would you say your low end compares to the TSP Stage 1? Lately, I've been finding the low end (<4000 RPM) on the Stage 1 tune to be a bit tame for my personal preference. I really appreciate your feedback, thanks!

 

[Coolnezzz]

Contrary to what some reported before kits started shipping, it does not include a boost controller of any kind. Without one, you are limited to wastegate pressure of about 14psi.

I'm using a Cortex electronic boost controller for SIRHC Labs. I had never used this product before, but have been impressed with it so far. Notably it allows me to maintain boost by gear, RPM, speed, etc. The controller also can be configured to handle methanol injection, something I am not taking advantage of. @kshawn

------

A manual or electronic boost controller is fine, but you'll definitely want one of the two.

Thank you very much for the info! I'll be giving the Turbosmart manual boost controller a shot for now then. Having never driven a turbo car that didn't have an electronic wastegate controlled by the ECU I wasn't entirely sure how boost controllers worked. If I understand correctly, the controller, manual or otherwise, will dump the boost that was intended for the wastegate actuator by a set amount, essentially forcing the wastegate into staying closed until the turbo is producing the controller's set amount of pressure at which point it opens it up to dump the excess exhaust coming off the turbine. With a manual controller this is generally about 2x the wastegate actuator pressure, which in the case of PRL's kit is 14psi, allowing us to run essentially up to about 28psi unassisted. Does my over-simplification sound about right?

Anyway, link for the one I am ordering:

https://twostepperformance.com/turbosmart-gbcv-boost-tee-black/

 

[360glitch]

Awesome. How would you say your low end compares to the TSP Stage 1? Lately, I've been finding the low end (<4000 RPM) on the Stage 1 tune to be a bit tame for my personal preference. I really appreciate your feedback, thanks!

Apple to oranges, really. I'd recommend to look towards flex fuel (and a clutch if you haven't already) if you are looking to increase low end torque.

Thank you very much for the info! I'll be giving the Turbosmart manual boost controller a shot for now then. Having never driven a turbo car that didn't have an electronic wastegate controlled by the ECU I wasn't entirely sure how boost controllers worked. If I understand correctly, the controller, manual or otherwise, will dump the boost that was intended for the wastegate actuator by a set amount, essentially forcing the wastegate into staying closed until the turbo is producing the controller's set amount of pressure at which point it opens it up to dump the excess exhaust coming off the turbine. With a manual controller this is generally about 2x the wastegate actuator pressure, which in the case of PRL's kit is 14psi, allowing us to run essentially up to about 28psi unassisted. Does my over-simplification sound about right?

Anyway, link for the one I am ordering:

https://twostepperformance.com/turbosmart-gbcv-boost-tee-black/

Basically, the boost controller "tricks" the wastegate into staying closed until whatever boost level you set it to. A manual controller will do the job just fine, you just won't have different boost levels per gear, RPM, etc. It's the old school way of doing things, nothing wrong with that.

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