Mark, the GT SERIES HYBRIDS ARE WATERCOOLED AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN,whether they are hooked up or not is another story,mine are .

 

Not Pcar specific...general info here...
what you are describing would be best served by ball-bearing, oil and water cooled turbos. Most people with upgraded turbos don't run them like you do, so the longevity and safety of the ball-bearing cartridges are not required; however, your use would be best served in the long run by BBs(water cooled or not). It's not the spool needed, so the smaller hybrids that spool quickly at low rpms are not appropriate...how many times are you under 3500rpms on track?...it's the response of boost when you shift and then get back on it, and that's where the bb cartridges will show their worth (re-spool or re-boost).
Most of the time-trial/time-attack turbo cars that run "unlimited" classes are using the Garrett BB turbos, or hybrids that have the Garrett BB cartridges. They have been known to endure the roadcourse quite well and show substantially higher power numbers than non-BB cartridges at the same boost levels, and will show greater gains when tuned with race gas maps.

I'm looking to up my turbo on my STI for NASA TimeTrial for next year and everything I research/everything I hear leads me to the Garrett BB cartridge turbos...quick spool, much faster transient response, and durable.

Just don't go too big on the application and you should be very happy for a long time. Lastly, and perhaps most important for your specific application, is finding a tuner who can dyno tune or remote-log-re-tune your ECU for your roadcourse application. There's quite a big difference in tuning for big numbers for the street, strip, or track.

Good luck,
TomK

 

General consensus seem to be that K24/18G conversions are the best compromise and can make solid power at a very affordable price. Where the K24s are are maxing out at 1.2 BAR and blowing hot air, it seems the 24/18g hybrid is within it's efficiency range.

Can anyone tell me if the GIAC K24 flash can handle this mod if one keeps boost at 1.2 BAR? I understand anything more needs a 5 BAR fuel pressure regulator and I'm assuming the flash to go with it?

BTW I believe cars that came with K24s don't need the upgraded fuel pump as they came with them stock?

To answer Tom's question directly, it seems to me you want a turbo that's not maxing out at 600HP and is probably pumping cooler air at those levels. Heat management is your friend in a car that sees a lot of track time. I'm sure you know this already of course.

 

Thanks for the info I certainly agree. My car is also set up and runs in the open class for NASA. that is why I have seen the hp and speeds continue to increase and my good ol' X-50 just aint cuttn it!!

 

Thanks ari, and I agree. If one already has K-24's the next level up on turbo mods that makes sense is going K24/18. After that it is the move to Garrett for me as I like the Vivid set up.
I am going to contact Todd at Protomotive first and follow with Dan at Vivid.
Glad these guys are around to give us great products, support, and to help us spend all of our $

 

i think from this thread i will be putting together a lower cost kit as well using the K24/18G setup and our parts. That way you can have the bad boy kit, or the $$$ saver kit. Tom, you are my first guy, congrats

 

Tom I have to agree with the protomotive K24/18G option. Something else to keep in mind is the larger turbine wheel with the 1.0 AR hot side of the K24's will keep EGT lower than any K16 based turbo. I would suggest some EVO IC's from the money you saved to top off the package. Don't be afraid of the EBC. It controls boost better than the factory N75 valve could ever hope to. Protomotive still retains factory safety throttle body closure in the event of a wastegate failure. The EBC also has overboost safety features.

 

What about the software with your kit? Looks like the hardware offered is top notch. However, the hardware will only perform properly with the right software.

What sort of testing has been done with the tuner you're using for your kit?

I had not heard of them till your previous post.

 

What I would do is keep your turbos and just get the Giac stage 4 tune, port and coat your headers, stock intake. Get the 109 race gas option for the street. Should be about 600 hp since you already have the straight pipes. The extra 100 hp should be very reliable and plenty very fast with almost no lag, plus you can use the stock gt2 clutch. Lose more weight - to 3200lbs and there should be little competition on the track.

 

We did extensive testing with the software to make sure this kit not only performs well but also is safe and reliable.

I personally spent a solid 2 1/2 weeks with the car on the dyno doing run after run after run to make sure the final product is 100%.

Mitch Mckee
Vivid Racing

 

Like others have said, the best bang for the buck will be to upgrade to K24/18Gs from Protomotive (with or without the EBC-your perference). They are bolt-in, no other modifications are required, and they will give you a noticeable gain in power/torque. You will be very pleased. But having said that (and to answer your original question), Garrett turbos are far more advanced than KKK turbos...period. If cost is not an issue and you want the ultimate performance, then go with Garrett or Garrett based turbos.

 

WOW, I really learned alot from this post. I have been so consumed driving and racing I stayed away from turbo changes and promised myself I would to "spare the engine"
I really admit since the 997TT with the additional factory boost button then the GT2 running up to 1.4 bar really made me realize that I NEED MORE SAFE RELIABLE HP!!
Now that I have convinced myself that the turbo upgrade is "safe" I will start with the above K24/18 mod. Then move to the Garrett in the summer most likely? If I can get two full seasons out of that then I will go with a full rebuild.
thanks for all the help and input it has been invaluable.

 

Tom,

I think we can learn a lot from you. You are one of the few people that works on driver's skill upgrades more than car performance upgrades.

 

Tom, like most have said before me. i really recommend the k24/18g package from protomotive.

get the basic kit from them. i would recommend you running 1.0 bar for track and 1.3 as your high setting with 100+ octane, for street.

very important get upgraded intercoolers, evo at minimum, for those hot florida days at the track. i think this is a must have.

the great thing about the k24/18g package is that if you ever decide to go for another extra 100 hp, you will not have to swap out the turbos, but just add some custom piping for extra added fuel delivery.

based on your needs i think this should be the best bet. goodluck.