I want to hang turbos off the heads on each side of the engine in a Pantera. I've read that there is a minimum recommended tube length of 16 inches, but didn't see the reason. It's looks easier to fit them pretty close to the heads.

Are there any non-obvious considerations when hanging the turbos like this?

Comments and suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,

Ken

 

Hello, the turbocharger needs good exhaust velocity. The way I look at it is, you need sufficient tube length to get the exhaust primaries to converge to achieve high enough exhaust gas velocity. If you blow into a big paper towel roll tube or into a straw, but keep the flow rate constant, the smaller tube will have the greater velocity thus greater useful kinetic energy. This is how I see it, I may be wrong.


- Dan

 

Just do it !! I think too much brain matter is used on turbine headers?? I'v seen big numbers on well looking / designed log headers and low- sh results with 1 3/4 equal length... Yes to keep HEAT and velocity and let it expand in turbine ....
Shorter anequal and short tends to keep under hood temps down also...

 

Thanks for the suggestions.

The engine is going into a street and open road race Pantera, so it will see high sustained speeds for about 100 miles. So I'll be fighting heat, and it does make sense that minimum length has minimum surface area which will radiate minimum heat. I'm moving the gas tank to the nose so I can hang the turbos on each side of the engine. If I loop the center tube out a bit and bring the outside tubes next to the engine, I can probably get very simple equal length headers, so I guess I'll go that way. I need to mock up the engine compartment to see if it all fits, but I think there is room for this.

Thanks,

Ken

 

Now we want pics !!!

 

https://www.theturboforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=61345.0
heres an old read with some good ideas.

I see alot of race headers with big primaries and small merge collectors to create the velocity.

ceramic coatings will help keep stuff near the engine from melting and hold heat in the manifold where its needed.

pics would be nice

 

Hi Rusted,

Looks pretty simple, I like simple, LOL.

I read that there can be problems with 304 stainless weaking if it gets to hot for too long, and it is better to use 321, but it looks like everyone is using 304. My engine will see maybe 100 miles at a time at fairly high speeds, so I have more to worry about than someone drag racing. Any thoughts on that? Will ceramic coating take care of that?

With short simple headers, can the headers carry the weight of the turbo (GT35 size)? Does that depend on tube thickness? Any suggestions?

I read that it's important for the wates gate bypass (right word?) to taper away from the flow, not a sharp T, but almost all the headers I see just T off the collector, so is it really not much of an issue? I want to limit the boost to about 8 pounds, so I may have a lot of exhaust flowing through the waste gate.

Thanks guys,

Ken