edwinsmith

HI:

I have the 1989 CTD which has the non-wastegated turbo. Can this be upgraded to a turbo WITH a wastegate? WOuld this be better than the 16 scm housings I see advertised for about $160?

I'm considering the PowerPack from Banks with the intercooler addon and complete hi-perf exhaust system. It's available here for a little over $2K. Is this a good system? Anyone have any experience with this? I have factory air also. Will the intercooler still fit?

I bought this truck to haul a 32' 5th wheel travel trailer. The engine and drive train and suspension seem solid but cosmetically the rest of the truck is rough. Supposedly it has 160,000 actual miles but with the speedo only registering 5 digits who knows how many times it's been over.

Regards

Edwin

wannadiesel

Yes, you can put a wastegated turbine housing or a whole different turbo on the truck. My turbo is a wastegated unit off a '94.

Is it better? Well, that depends on the intended use of the truck. It sounds like you plan to mostly use the truck for highway towing. In that situation the 16 cm non-wastegated housing would be the way to go. The wastegated housings build a lot of boost quickly, but they are restrictive at high RPM and heavy load conditions. They also make more boost under highway cruise conditions, which is really just more pressure that the engine has to overcome. A 16 cm housing will give you better fuel economy in your application than you would get from a wastegated housing.

The Banks intercooler is a nice piece, and it will allow you to use more of the power that your engine is capable of making. You can get exhaust kits that are as good or better than the Banks for less money. Try Rip Rook or www.bigexhaust.com. Last I knew the intercooler kit was available separately for around $900. Supposedly it's compatible with factory air. You should also upgrade to the late model crossflow radiator at the same time. The old downflow radiators are marginal when towing big stuff.