Haven't left quite yet ... tomorrow morning. Have started packing the liquid concoctions ... spirits ... steaks ... munchies ... golf clubs. Morale IS on high right now.

The Baby 55 is loosening up. Only got about 50 miles or so on it & see it happening. No doubt by the time I get back I'll have more to report & grande . I'm already looking like Nicholson in Batman.

Another Baby 55 user saw 3 to 400 miles. Side note - i'd love to have this sweetheart modified with ball bearings.

Just as an EGT observation, got a 70mph, cruise control 'hill' that saw 850 degrees with the 40. It's real close to that with the 55 in tiiiiiiiigh / un-broken in mode. Basically flat travel is the same.

Something of note though on the comparison front. I picked up an H2E hybrid, some time ago, that had a 16 housing on it. It was used & broken in. It didn't provide hardly any boost until about 2100rpm & very little acceleration under 2100rpm. The 55 is WAY better. It boosts at lower rpm.

I'm keeping it 20'ish psi tops with one easy up & down trip to 30psi. Just for grins, I cranked the star wheel all the way forward, to see if that would "assist" early spooling. It didn't, but is providing for a grande' black cloud.

 

Please point me in this direction!

 

We be broken in. That shaft spins like it IS on ball bearings. Wow, keeps on spinnin.

Out of the box, the max boost is about 30, so on the way home, I removed the elbow & plugged the hole in the compressor housing with a pipe plug from the 40. Now can get to 40psi, no problemo, but I backed off the throttle there. When I got home, I replaced the plug with an adjustable elbow from the TST kit & I'll play with that.

With the wastegate disabled, on the way home, I noticed way higher EGT in the mountains. Boost stays lots lower than before while maintaining speed in the mountains.

I tested on the local hill, 70mph cruise control. 800 degrees with the stock HX40, 925 with the HX55.

Down in Death Valley @ minus elevation levels & the wastegate set from out of the box, slower spooling than the 40. Now @ home @ 5k' I got more accurate comparisons. The rocketing up spool up point is about 2100rpm. The stock 40 starts rocketing @ 1700rpm.

The 55 builds boost before it starts rocketing as where the 40 didn't build very much boost. The 55 is a different beast. If you floor it @ 1400rpm, it's building boost all the way to about 2100 where the needle starts moving fast, then I backed out @ 40psi.

The action of the 55 is so much different, it's hard to tell acceleration differences. As soon as I get the wastegate set to 40, I can play more.

 

Oh ... how could I forget to mention smoke. More isn't quite the word for it. Cars in my lane actually disappear, then break thru the cloud. Ernie was following us in his Beemer. We were watching thru the mirrors & poof ... there he is.

I had a Nv Highway Patrol pull up beside me, really ****** off, shook his finger at me. I really didn't see him back there. We were going up a hill, slow, in 5th, then the control freek pulled in the slow lane ... on the throttle. Must have left a little cloud back there.


Edit: Mileage was 20.4 @ 75mph

 

Forrest,
Can you drive with that turbo normal without smoking out everyone behind you?
Is it easy to drive normal? Please tell me more.

Chris

 

Oh yea, easy. No doubt the Mach 3's help that as they don't smoke as bad as the 300's.

Normal driving smoke is nil. I need to play with the star wheel some to get rid of the initial smoke. I cranked it all the way forward for experimentation.

Where it smokes more than the 40 is when it's not spooled up & you really get with the program ... wot or close.

 

Whats the latest? How do you like the turbo?

 

Hey buddy. Getting use to it more & more. Controlling smoke via easier on the pedal. It's fun to drive, but takes some getting use to.

It's really a different turbo. With the 40, acceleration & boost were hand in hand. Not a lot happened until 1700rpm then the needle rockets up. With the 55, you get strong accleration with lots lower boost than the 40. At least that's the feeling & you look down & you're hauling a$$.

I'd like to hear someone speak to the dynamics of a BF compressor housing compared to a small compressor housing & boost, with the same exhaust housing.

I got the boost elbow adjusted to 40psi. If you spool it up easier & then floor it, it smokes a lot less & EGT appears to be lower. I haven't had a chance to take it on a WOT, loaded, run check EGT.

I can't wait to tow with it.

 

Forrest:

Thanks for the excellent report and update!!

---------
John_P

 

Did a "roll on" test this morning. Accelerating up hill, up the on ramp, into the throttle 1/2 way or so. Smoke is minimal ... let the rpm catch up, 2000rpm or so, apply 3/4 throttle, minimal smoke, hauling a$$. Then WOT, smoke, but no wheres like if you WOT @ 1500 to 1800. Keep it in WOT, rear bumpers catching up really fast, speedo past 80, EGT sweeping past 1400, back out @ 1500.

I saw 1500 with the HX40 as well ... sooner/faster I think. I think the 55 will "EGT plateau" off at a point, like the 40 did. I just don't know where it is yet.

No doubt the solution to cramming this much #2 @ 5.2k' is twins.

This goes against my better judgement, but I'm thinking of backing off on the zero plate ... in increments ... adding more marks to the top of the pump . There have been some interesting posts about plate position ... tuning ... smoke. I wonder if there is an optimal position, with better efficiency hiding there.

 

Here's an EGT test for you.

4th gear, up small hill, hold 18 to 20psi. I'm reading 1100 degress.

5th gear, flat ground, hold 18 to 20psi. I'm @ 1100 degrees.

These are both no wind, truck is empty, not towing.


I don't have a comparison to the 40 @ this time. It's getting sent up to PDR for Piersification. I'll post in a couple weeks when it comes back.

I'd like to hear what your turbo is doing with these 2 simple tests @ what elevation.

Forrest

 

Stock Turbo, #8 Plate Forward "A Little"

70 MPH, 5th Gear, Flat Ground, 20 PSI is 900 Tops
70 MPH, Gthe Gear Towing, Flat Ground, 20 PSI is 950-1000


But that is comparing a four wheeler to a hummer, I don't even have injectors, YET.

But there it is regardless.

Chris

 

I just found the sweet spot on this Baby 55. It's 1100 to 1150.

You know how the EGT plateau works when going from a 35 to a 40? My stock 40 was about 950 degrees. You know how it seems like it made it to 950 quicker than the 35, but it took work to get it over it?

I just ran 30psi, sustained, long grade. 1150 degrees. I repeated it 3 more times, just to make sure. Watching the radar detector of course ... had to back out once ... that's about 95.

Just for grins, I re-ran 20psi a couple of times, sustained ... 1100 degrees.

No doubt that's lots of fuel & HP difference between 20 & 30psi & only 50 degrees difference!!! I'm impressed. From what I remember, there was a lot larger temperature differential than that with the 40.

 

Just got the 40 back from PDR ... it's been PDR'itized & prepped for running in twins.

Tested the 30psi run on the long hill. Got the same EGT reading as the 55 ... 1150.