Lets talk turbos... (kits)

[sintax]

Say someone wanted to start stashing away some parts for a turbo build in the future. Which kits are good candidates for a build?

engine displacement would be in the mid 500's , horsepower would be < 1200hp, smaller boat 21', and water cooled, and carb

obviously a gentry setup would be awesome, but they are super hard to find, and not cheap when they are found. Would a Race-Aero setup fill the need, maybe a Lee setup?

 

[obnoxious001]

Lee stuff is going to be hard to find, and be careful of any old Lee turbo headers, they have served their time and likely to need repair or replacement.

Race Aero intercooler is significantly smaller if you are aiming for 1200 hp, even if you upgraded to Gentry turbos and housings..

Realistic goal on pump gas with a Gentry system is around 1050 HP or so with 540 cu in.

 

[sintax]

Thanks Barry, I kind of assumed that was the case. I remember you and I chatted a long time back when I picked up an old banks kit. I never ran that based on what we talked about, but I've been thinking about slowly gathering parts for a build in a year or two. I guess I'll look for a Gentry kit, unless I can get a smoking deal on a race aero setup.

I know there are different configurations of the race aero, but what about the gentry? Aside from the turbines specifically, were there many different kits?

 

[obnoxious001]

Thanks Barry, I kind of assumed that was the case. I remember you and I chatted a long time back when I picked up an old banks kit. I never ran that based on what we talked about, but I've been thinking about slowly gathering parts for a build in a year or two. I guess I'll look for a Gentry kit, unless I can get a smoking deal on a race aero setup.

I know there are different configurations of the race aero, but what about the gentry? Aside from the turbines specifically, were there many different kits?

You could still make power with a Banks kit, but the turbos were sized for a 454, and you would definitely want to consider adding wastegates .

Gentry kits are few and far between. I am finishing up a Race Aero setup with new turbos right now. You can save quite a bit of money doing a 496 instead of something like a 540, and still make some good power.

 

[sintax]

certainly would save a ton of coin going with a 496 since I could get away with finding a nice gen 4 block and just be done. certainly solid considerations. Right now i'm just day dreaming and window shopping, but I want to be knowledgeable about it so when a kit does show up for sale I can jump and be confident i'm making the right move.

loosely speaking, what are some realistic numbers for a race aero kit on a pump gas 496?

 

[obnoxious001]

Maybe mid to high 9's, possibly getting close to touching 1000. Depends on tune up and boost. You probably would want to leave it "safe" in warm weather so it didn't lean out when it gets cooler (and the air is more dense)

 

[sintax]

Maybe mid to high 9's, possibly getting close to touching 1000. Depends on tune up and boost. You probably would want to leave it "safe" in warm weather so it didn't lean out when it gets cooler (and the air is more dense)

fair enough, much appreciated sir

 

[SFV2RVR]

certainly would save a ton of coin going with a 496 since I could get away with finding a nice gen 4 block and just be done. certainly solid considerations. Right now i'm just day dreaming and window shopping, but I want to be knowledgeable about it so when a kit does show up for sale I can jump and be confident i'm making the right move.

loosely speaking, what are some realistic numbers for a race aero kit on a pump gas 496?

My 468 with a race aero kit made 922hp on 10lbs of boost. When I built the 540 using the same kit it made 1107hp.


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[sintax]

My 468 with a race aero kit made 922hp on 10lbs of boost. When I built the 540 using the same kit it made 1107hp.


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any changes to the turbines during that displacement upgrade?

side question: looking back, is an efi whipple a better option? (yes, totally apples to oranges just throwing it out there)

 

[SFV2RVR]

any changes to the turbines during that displacement upgrade?

Nope. I had Turbonetics 60-1 turbos on both motors


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[sintax]

Nope. I had Turbonetics 60-1 turbos on both motors


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any chance you recall the A/R of the turbos used?

 

[SFV2RVR]

any chance you recall the A/R of the turbos used?

I do not. It’s been quite a while


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[78DiMarco]

You could still make power with a Banks kit, but the turbos were sized for a 454, and you would definitely want to consider adding wastegates .

Gentry kits are few and far between. I am finishing up a Race Aero setup with new turbos right now. You can save quite a bit of money doing a 496 instead of something like a 540, and still make some good power.

View attachment 918820

I used my Banks setup and built a 509 and it makes 1178hp at 5350 rpm, I got some turbonetics smaller turbos with ceramic bearings and had Imco make me some risers with waste gate ports. Making 14 pounds of boost and had Alexi do the Efi and tweak it. Runs strong...

 

[obnoxious001]

I used my Banks setup and built a 509 and it makes 1178hp at 5350 rpm, I got some turbonetics smaller turbos with ceramic bearings and had Imco make me some risers with waste gate ports. Making 14 pounds of boost and had Alex I do the Efi and tweak it. Runs strong...

That's cool. 14 lbs is not usually a safe boost for pump gas.

 

[78DiMarco]

That's cool. 14 lbs is not usually a safe boost for pump gas.

I run AV gas or better only....

 

[sintax]

I run AV gas or better only....

hah thats a very different game

 

[obnoxious001]

I run AV gas or better only....

Apples and Oranges

 

[FrznJim]

Avgas is cheap insurance.

 

[78DiMarco]

Apples and Oranges

Yeah not a pump gas setup for sure. If it was I'd keep the boost around 7 or 8 psi...

 

[oldschool]

That's cool. 14 lbs is not usually a safe boost for pump gas.

Ain’t that the truth.

 

[78DiMarco]

Ain’t that the truth. View attachment 919241 View attachment 919242

I've seen that before. Had the waste gates get stuck closed because of water and made some crazy boost and busted rings and it wasn't nice... changed the exhaust flappers to keep the water out and i keep an eye on the boost if I stab it...

 

[Marios Metalworks]

That's cool. 14 lbs is not usually a safe boost for pump gas.

Well that’s not necessarily true. What would be considered a safe amount of boost on one setup could very well be low on another.

So do I understand this right that USCG requires the manifold, exhaust housing and a section of the down pipe be water jacketed? So most of these kits consist of the hot side wrapped in a shell and some type of air-to-water intercooler?

 

[obnoxious001]

Well that’s not necessarily true. What would be considered a safe amount of boost on one setup could very well be low on another.

In reference to the carbureted marine turbo kits that we are talking about, it is absolutely true.