Turbo Bracing

[BLOZ UP]

So I think I've got my car more or less working the way I want it. I would like to take some of the weight of my 1.25" SCH10 pipe, turbo, wastegate, and downpipe off of my exhaust manifold studs. I haven't had any problem yet, but I fear that one day I'll hit a bump and it'll snap all the studs and send my turbo into the ground.

 

Hopefully this is in the right section. I figured either this or Exhaust/Fab. I couldn't find any other threads about this. I've seen some of the professional setups, they usually come off of the engine somehow. But I'm not seeing how I could do that here. Unless I'm missing something really obvious, which is not uncommon for me.

 

I've added a heim joint and have a sort of idea of where I could easily support it.... except I don't know where I should support it from on the car. I have solid engine mounts.

 

Here's an overview:

 

 

 

 

If you look below, right in front of the paper towel stuffed in the compressor outlet, that's my "support":

 

 

It's attached to the wastegate hole on the manifold, just covered by that coolant pipe's 90 degree silicone coupler. (In the first picture it's on the other side of the coolant pipe, laying against the radiator.) I just don't see how I can make anything go support that it without it looking stupid and being at an odd fulcrum. Should I move it somewhere else on the manifold? I figured I didn't want the heim getting too hot, or it might lose it's heim-ness.

 

What If I got/made some sort of strut brace that also came to the radiator support?

 

 

Edited February 15, 2012 by BLOZ UP

[sq_creations]

I know its a totally different motor and setup but It might give you ideas. I like the Idea of attaching it to the motor even with solid mounts. This is what I did.

 

 

Maybe you could build it to attach to the intake manifold bolts or something.

 

Here you can see the other brace I had on the old setup. It attached to the frame rails.

 

[78zstyle]

Bloz... please let me see your car in action..

[BLOZ UP]

I know its a totally different motor and setup but It might give you ideas. I like the Idea of attaching it to the motor even with solid mounts. This is what I did.

 

 

Maybe you could build it to attach to the intake manifold bolts or something.

 

Here you can see the other brace I had on the old setup. It attached to the frame rails.

 

 

No, no, this is good. It looks like I'll just have to make some sort of frame like that frame rail one you posted, but in the engine bay. I guess my biggest worry is how can I make it not look dumb. That, and my hood clearance is a little tight for some frame going all over the place. I like the first one you posted, but in my case the turbo's just too far away from the motor to be able to support any real weight (IMO).

 

Bloz... please let me see your car in action..

 

Check out my build thread: Link, or my website in my signature. Last page or two has video.

Edited February 20, 2012 by BLOZ UP

[deaner]

On a VG 510 we built, and pretty much any other big framed turbo or "V" engined turbo setup, we run like a 1/2" piece of thick walled tubing with bolt tabs(square plate with a hole drilled lol) welded on each end. Underneath the turbo(on either the 4 bolt flange or 2 of the 6 bolts that hold the compressor housing) run down to the block.

 

Kind of a PITA sometimes to make stuff like that look really good lol. At the end of the day though it's function over fashion. Just please don't use angle iron or rec tubing lol.

[BLOZ UP]

Thanks for the reply. That's not a bad idea, holding it up from the bottom, I hadn't thought of that. I was stuck on, "How can I support this from the top". I've got some spare space on the driver's side head, and then a little space right next to the oil pan (on either side), I could probably make some sort of triangle like support that the turbo rested on.

[deaner]

That'd prob work just fine. Just remember that a brace doesn't have to support all the weight of whatever it's supporting. Just has to take part of the load off. Think of it as triangulating with the exhaust manifold. If that even makes sense or is worded right lol. I'll try and dig up some build pics reference, hopefully I can find them lol!

[BLOZ UP]

That'd prob work just fine. Just remember that a brace doesn't have to support all the weight of whatever it's supporting. Just has to take part of the load off. Think of it as triangulating with the exhaust manifold. If that even makes sense or is worded right lol. I'll try and dig up some build pics reference, hopefully I can find them lol!

 

Yeah, I recall Corky Bell saying somewhere that the brace should just be finger tight. That is, in his example of a heim joint or two with adjustable rod lengths, you get it finger tight and then lock it in place. That way it takes a couple pounds off of the exhaust studs, but more importantly takes the brunt of the force of bumps while driving.

 

But I can make something similar coming from below the turbo. I'll plan for a little bit of warp movement and use a heim joint or two.

 

Something like this, where the ends on the right are connected to the lower block and head, and the turbo is accurately depicted on the left.

 

[deaner]

That drawing looks spot on to me lol. Love the compressor wheel too!

 

Honestly you'd be fine without using heims and all that flair. Some tubing and a few bolts seems to work on the cars we've put together. We did a VG turbo 510(has the cover of NissanSport) that has a similar turbo setup as yours. I ran the brace down to an open hole in the block. He's pounded the car and seems to be holding up well.