I have found the turbo off a 98.5 24-valve local to me, and I should be able to get it for around $100. I'm sure I'd need to send it off for a rebuild.

Is this turbo any advantage to me over the stock turbo on my 91 12-valve? I am not sure yet if I have the 21 or 18.5cm2 exhaust housing on my truck. I will use my truck primarily for towing (maybe as much as 14k), lots of highway miles, and it has slight mods as shown in my sig.

This later-model turbo will be waste-gated, right? And that will help with low RPM boost, and also allow me to limit total boost?

If this would be a good turbo to get, will it bolt onto my exhaust manifold? Will I need a significantly different down-pipe?

Thanks for helping out a newbie!
Richard

 

Can you find out the details of the new turbo? Some of the later auto-equipped trucks had a 9cm exhaust housing which, IMO, would be a bit small for pulling 14k, especially w/o an intercooler. If it's an HX-35 it'll have a 12cm exhaust housing. Low end power will go through the roof, weather you have the 18 or the 21. It's still considered a bit small for towing, but if you keep the truck mildly tuned it can work as long as you watch your gauges. The HX-35 compressor housing is far superior to your present H1C and will really make the getrag easier to drive around town.

What is the condition of your current turbo? A 12 cm exhaust housing can be found for next to nothing and you can easily upgrade your current compressor housing above and beyond what an HX-35 stock housing has to offer--check out High Tech Turbo. They are a sponsor on this site. Get in touch with Paul there and he'll sort you right out if that's the route you take.

Both options are good ones. If your current turbo has some life left, it may be cheaper and quicker to upgrade it, but you could always buy a core HX-35 and send it to HTT for the rebuild AND some upgrades. Choice is a good thing!

BTW, welcome to DTR--I'd love to see some pics of that C-30!

 

I just confirmed that it is an HX-35. Will see how it goes - if I can get it cheap, I may go ahead and get it and then decide which way to go.

Just out of curiosity, I have read in many threads that a 12 cm exhaust housing can be found for next to nothing for my current turbo, but I have not been able to find one. Where should I look?

Thanks for the advice! Here are a couple pics of my K30:

 

Don`t know about where to get a housing but thats a nice looking rig you have there!

 

Are you getting the turbo with the 98 exhaust housing? The wastegated housing is about 1.5in longer than the non wastegated housing so your downpipe will have to move towards the back of the truck about 1.5in. You may have enough flex in the exhaust system you won't have to modify it, or in my case I had to take 1.5in out of the top turn in the down pipe to clear the fire wall. Also the inlet on the hx35 is 4in instead of 3in like you have. And I believe the compressor outlet is larger or slightly different.

As long as you don't go with larger than stock injectors the 12cm is the perfect housing. Bigger injectors and it gets restrictive.

It'll be a good upgrade for you though. I would do it.

Also as long as there in no in and out play in the shaft and the compressor wheel doesn't touch the housing side to side I wouldn't get it rebuild I would just run it.

 

Sweet truck!

Watch e-bay for the 12 cm housing as well as the 2nd gen classifieds here on DTR. They were stock for 94+ trucks, but because the p-pump can push sooo much fuel with very little tweaking, the 12 often goes to the wayside in favor of a 16 or 18.

 

I'm pretty sure you can find one at PDR....
Here is the link...and I should also say that I was an employee and am still a dedicated customer of theirs ....that way no one calls this cheerleading or whatever.....

http://www.piersdiesel.com/

bob...

 

Thanks PB, guess that shoulda been a gimmie--I'm just used to scouring the yards and want ads---yeah, I'm cheap, hehe.

 

The wheel is a little taller on the hx's vs the h1c's.. you can always look at HTT for some upgrades to the hx to a bigger compressor wheel and housing... ..