# Replacement Turbo's



## Azyzz (Apr 1, 2014)

Hi all 

Im planning to replace my stock ceramic blowers on the car for something new that fits as a direct replacement. Ive searched most threads and cannot come up with the right solution as i am no expert on turbos. 

So far the options i have seen are


*Rebuild my R33 Turbos* with steel exhaust wheels (Why and what is the benefit?)

*Buy used R34 Turbos and rebuild* (Why over R33 turbos?) 

*Nismo N1 *turbo kit (Earn Nismo points)

*HKS GT2530* (Not much info on this turbo)

*Trust Greddy T517z* (Apparently Ive been told this is the best)

*HKS GTIII SS* (New expensive turbos not much info on them)

*HKS GTIII RS*

*Tomei arms M7655*

*Garrett 2860* -7 -5 -9 (Leaning towards this as most popular choice with owners but not sure to go for a -5 or -9)


If anyone can help me out with turbo knowledge that would be much appreciated

Car is mainly used as a weekend cruiser but I'm still after a kick so a responsive setup would be ideal as right now it is quite slow.

it is v-spec R33 GTR 80,000km fully stock with De-cat HKS dual dragger exhaust, No oil cooler. Runs fine but having the gut feeling to change turbos and re-map for Uk fuel,exhaust & general running of the car.

Down the line (2/3 years) I'm looking to build a 500 to 600bhp car (Probably not forged but depends on the funds around then) but for now September/October time I'm just going to replace the turbos add a link g4+ Ecu and possibly a fuel pump. So probably looking at 400bhp which is much better than what i have now 

Thanks for reading my long post but any guidance would be helpful


Az


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## FRRACER (Jun 23, 2013)

Go -5 if looking for 600hp. It's a no brainer really.


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## K66 SKY (Jan 25, 2005)

FRRACER said:


> *Go -5 if looking for 600hp. It's a no brainer really.*


Nobody ever mentions Torque outputs preferring to focus on BHP goals only?!


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## Azyzz (Apr 1, 2014)

K66 SKY said:


> Nobody ever mentions Torque outputs preferring to focus on BHP goals only?!


@K66 SKY

I forgot to mention torque but i am after a very torquey set up as i love accelertion


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## K66 SKY (Jan 25, 2005)

Azyzz said:


> *@K66 SKY
> 
> I forgot to mention torque but i am after a very torquey set up as i love accelertion*


It wasn't a dig Azyzz, I'm just as confused as the next bloke where it comes down to _"Turbo's and Tuning"_ witchcraft. I've read countless posts on here with Owners who have virtually the same spec as mine but with far better results. 

OK I understand engine health makes a huge difference with regular services too but when you get 100lbsft+ of Torque difference on a similar 500bhp+ motor with the same cams, nigh on same Turbo's, etc, etc...._I just don't get it?! How is there such a massive Torque difference between the two RB26 DETT engines??_:runaway:


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## FRRACER (Jun 23, 2013)

K66 SKY said:


> Nobody ever mentions Torque outputs preferring to focus on BHP goals only?!


People only care about power lol

How many people have we seen going for long duration cams? All they do is push the power band up the rev range and sacrifice low end grunt and torque. Often it is people just following each other with out thinking.


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## 120506 (Jun 23, 2015)

K66 SKY said:


> Nobody ever mentions Torque outputs preferring to focus on BHP goals only?!


Im just glad someones finally asked which turbos would be best.


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

Okies..

R34gtr turbos I believe are steel and ball bearing.. that makes an responsive and boost hard. They are smallish so respond well low down too.. make about 450

You can rebuild your 33 ones steel but they'll still be journal bearing so not quite as responsive as 34gtr ones which is why ppl upgrade to them.

Nismo n1...fairly certain it's just steel turbos. Could be wrong?

Hks2530 ...very similar to -5 setup I think.

Trust greddy t517z dunno

GT3-SS & GT3-RS I'm not fully clued on em but I think they are circa 500+ ..i think the ss are more responsive but prob wrong.

Garrett.. ok now we're talking..
-5 ..big power turbos.. 600+ some have seen 650 and more. At 1.1 bar they make 500 and at 1.6 they'll do 600+
However they do lag.. below 4000 there ain't much going on.. they're into full swing at 4500 ish generally. That might sound laggy and it is but.. once you get the car in that power band it's hell on earth lol. They make 500 feel sedate because of how they lag a bit but it makes it easily drivable too.

-7 -9 I've heard these are good for 500 ish and responsive with it. The -7 are good for street and response but I reckon you'll wish you'd gone for -5 to get more power. A couple of ppl on here have done that and sold so a few thousand miles later because they top out lol.

Of course a big top mount ..precision 6266 or Garrett gtx3582 would give big power and response too.. a gtx3076r will deliver 550 and serious low down and mid response.

Just a quick rundown really. Hopefully I've got most of it right. I'll edit it if I'm wrong

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## FRRACER (Jun 23, 2013)

Busters new turbos - I am confident he will hit 700bhp and hoping to improve on 515ft/lb. this is from a 2.6 setup. Head work, cams and +1mm inlet and exhaust valves will no doubt help.


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

FRRACER said:


> Busters new turbos - I am confident he will hit 700bhp and hoping to improve on 515ft/lb. this is from a 2.6 setup. Head work, cams and +1mm inlet and exhaust valves will no doubt help.


Interesting. What turbos are they then? Bespoke custom setup or something else?
Totally agree on your comment about torque earlier on too. It's hard to get decent torque from a 2.6 really but the cars make epic power considering the engine size and type really.
My own pretty much matched an RS4 up the m6 toll last weekend.. i'd say i were inching away just higher up the rpm but overall quite evenly matched.. alot of fun heh.. my car only goes to 6800rpm and 1 bar boost so it'll be cool to see how it is once I get it back as it's going to just over 8000 and 1.6 bar with adjustable cam pulleys too.

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## FRRACER (Jun 23, 2013)

People seem to be shit scared to map over 7000 these days. If that's the case why don't they encourage to use our Spline Drive kits? Lol


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

FRRACER said:


> People seem to be shit scared to map over 7000 these days. If that's the case why don't they encourage to use our Spline Drive kits? Lol


Ah mine was simply mapped to 6800 because it was a fresh build and run in mate so it got some stick for a bit. In that time it's done about 5 to 6000 miles over a year so it's time for some more biffing hehe

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## Cerro (Apr 4, 2012)

The R34 N1, -9 and SS are all about the same - very responsive turbos, good for ~550hp (-9 I believe gives you slightly more power)
-5 and 2530 are still pretty responsive and good for about 650hp (2530s are better for top end, but not sure how they compare to the newer -5s)
-7 is like the -9 only less power
Twin HKS RS is too laggy for a street driven 26 imo. 
I think the T517 is mid-way between -9 and -5
No idea on the Tomei.

If you're not going to go for a forged engine then I'd say stick to the -9 or SS. Very responsive turbos, great on the street and enough power to have plenty of fun. -5 or 2530s are a bit beefier but to get the most out of them (and you want to get the most out of them, otherwise get the -9/SS) I would forge the engine if you want it to last.


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## Cris (Sep 17, 2007)

Azyzz said:


> Hi all
> 
> Im planning to replace my stock ceramic blowers on the car for something new that fits as a direct replacement. Ive searched most threads and cannot come up with the right solution as i am no expert on turbos.
> 
> ...


You've got a very wide range of ideas there.

Assuming that your car is in good shape I would suggest step one would be getting the car running at 1bar. This could be done without much work.

I would suggest a Nistune ECU and a EBC (electronic boost controller). You should see 400bhp from that set-up and you'd most likely get change from £1,000 for that set-up.

You might find that that is enough for you.

If not then you need a pretty specific goal in mind. The more power you want the more you need to change.

If you looked at the -7 turbos they are very similar to the R34 N1 turbos. You should see 500bhp from these. I would suggest that a set of -7s, some bigger injectors (Bosch get my vote), probably a bigger fuel pump, remap and you should be alright. I think that the OEM MAFs will support this (worth checking though).

I would suggest looking at an aftermarket oil pressure gauge too.

NB consider the age of the car. Is all well? Is the oil pump OK? How are the boost/oil/water hoses? If any of these things are sketchy then more heat/boost/power will only highlight issues more.


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## Stipete (May 14, 2015)

Could have a pair of hks gtss tubbies for sale soon as looking for bigger turbos like the -5's or 2530's now my engine is being forged.
They hit 540hp with supporting mods. @1.4b
Very very responsive,also zero lad.


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## Azyzz (Apr 1, 2014)

After asking around and doing some research i have found there isn't much new technology regarding upgrading the twins. Allot of owners overseas say It is actually best to go single as seen on this Motive twins vs single video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45ZODU3XWlg

This really tempts me on going to a single but I'm not sure if i can commit :s

Apart from that my research on twins has left me with not much info on the HKS units so this has pointed me to favour a pair of Garett 2860-5 and possibly opt for the upgraded billet wheels.

This seems like a good option as they will comfortably support big power mods in the future.


So the plan currently in my head:

Link G4+ with 2 stage boost and knock sensor  
pair of Garett 2860-5 maybe with the billet mod
Aftermarket turbo elbows like Tomei or Mines ("Is this a good shout?") 
upgraded fuel pump 
--------------------------------------------------------
Maybe cams for response but a big "maybe"
Not sure if i need a oil cooler at this level.

This should keep me going happy & stress free for about 2/3 years for then later buy a heap of stuff and do the full wack, keeping the 2860-5 turbos & Ecu 


Reason for the 2/3 year delay is that i still have a year left of university and i might spend another year doing a masters. After this i should hopefully land a half decent job and show the skyline some love and go ahead with a build. Obviously hiding the bills from the future wife as this hobby is quite expensive and addictive. :chuckle:

Please let me know your thoughts on this?


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## davew (Apr 28, 2003)

we have a set of very low miles HKS 2530's in stock.


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## goinsleeper (Jan 5, 2017)

Azyzz said:


> This really tempts me on going to a single but I'm not sure if i can commit :s


If it helps, I had the same dilemma about a year ago. I went back and forth on tubs, but I eventually landed on the -5's. I wanted to keep the car as close to the stock setup as possible. After 8 months, I've decided I'll be going with a single setup in the future. You made the correct comment that technology hasn't effected turbos enough to warrant twins being the better setup. I'm seeing singles put up the same numbers, sometimes even better, and doing it at as much as 1k RPMs sooner in very good scenarios. On one hand, you may have the desire to stick to the original nature of the GTR, but on the other hand you have up-to-date technology, a less complex setup and better efficiency. I find it difficult to outweigh all of the rational reasons for going single turbo, just because the GTR came with twins.


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## Azyzz (Apr 1, 2014)

The motive DVD shows just how savage the GTX3582R single turbo is. Ive been watching it on repeat and i find it hard to actually believe how it performs on the car. Newer technology is actually great compared to the old giants like the T88. It literally harnesses the most power and full potential of a stock RB26 motor. If only they could squeeze that technology in two smaller turbos.


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

Azyzz said:


> The motive DVD shows just how savage the GTX3582R single turbo is. Ive been watching it on repeat and i find it hard to actually believe how it performs on the car. Newer technology is actually great compared to the old giants like the T88. It literally harnesses the most power and full potential of a stock RB26 motor. If only they could squeeze that technology in two smaller turbos.


Just bear in mind that their car runs a 6speed box from a 34gtr and that really helps it step thru the rev range.. in fact it completely transforms the big single turbo setup and a big power twin setup. It's my next major mod.

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## FRRACER (Jun 23, 2013)

I run the getrag and makes acceleration much better and I have -5s and cannot fault this setup. Type A cams helps a great deal here.


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

FRRACER said:


> I run the getrag and makes acceleration much better and I have -5s and cannot fault this setup. Type A cams helps a great deal here.


Yep heard a few ppl say it feels like sticking another 100 torque under the hood and the getrag is a nice newer feeling box overall 

Need to source one at a good price but I'm fairly happy with my 5 speed and short shifter that tigtened up the shifts actually.

Anyway.. yep sounds like a perfect addition overall but even on a 5 speed the -5 are rather amusing

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## UnderDriven (Jul 9, 2015)

I have the Greddy T517Z's, they are hard to find and keep in mind they are a oil fed only (no issues with that, just pointing it out), journal bearing turbos, they come alive at 4500 rpm, below that its a turd but when they do come on its amazing (easily 500 BHP currently). I have them at 1.1 bar low boost and 1.4 bar high boost, they are 1.6 bar capable but I am on stock cams, cam gears, head gasket, etc and don't want to push them to their limit. With all that said I plan on going to a nice single set-up in the future to get some of the low end back. Im sure a set of Tomei type A or B cams and cam gears would help a lot on my current set up and may try them before going single (would need them with a single set-up anyway).


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## ShopGTR (Oct 4, 2007)

I have the 2860 -5's on my 33. It runs 19-20 psi and makes 530 on my dyno. I think it's 460-480 tq but it's been a couple of years so i don't recall exactly. I've had one fail and had both rebuilt and checked over, other than that I'm very happy with them.

As a guy working on customer's GTRs I have to say the initial investment to go single is a bit more cost due to the added parts required, new maifold, wastegate, intake solution, downpipe, some plumbing...but the ease of installation, maintenance, and the more simple setup one turbo makes is great, and there are several Garret/Precision/HKS etc turbos that can get you 600 easily. 

I like twins on my personal GTR. Just because. That being said turbos have come a long way and a single is easier to get it done these days.

Best of luck with it.

Cory


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## FRRACER (Jun 23, 2013)

anthonymcgrath said:


> Yep heard a few ppl say it feels like sticking another 100 torque under the hood and the getrag is a nice newer feeling box overall
> 
> Need to source one at a good price but I'm fairly happy with my 5 speed and short shifter that tigtened up the shifts actually.
> 
> ...


Busters old R33 GTR was a 5sp with -5 his car was rapid.


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## FRRACER (Jun 23, 2013)

Twins vs singles will go on for ever. My personal preference is to stay twins - new range of GT2860 are improved and better option than the old HKS 2530 and GTSS


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

FRRACER said:


> Twins vs singles will go on for ever. My personal preference is to stay twins - new range of GT2860 are improved and better option than the old HKS 2530 and GTSS


Agreed. Been thru so many threads in the the last 5 to 6 years alone all ending up the same way.

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## daveym_sir (Nov 14, 2016)

Are -5s a good option for a fairly stock engine? Or are they going to be very laggy? Would it be a good idea to go for them knowing eventually you will build the engine and get the most out of them or would I be best to go -9s for now and change out when you do?


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## FRRACER (Jun 23, 2013)

-5 will be laggy on a stock engine. Your better off going -9


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## goinsleeper (Jan 5, 2017)

daveym_sir said:


> Are -5s a good option for a fairly stock engine? Or are they going to be very laggy? Would it be a good idea to go for them knowing eventually you will build the engine and get the most out of them or would I be best to go -9s for now and change out when you do?


Depends on how much you're willing to spend: now + later. It also depends on what your power goals are. If you want it responsive, and you're not looking for 550'ish awhp, the -9's should be fine.


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## daveym_sir (Nov 14, 2016)

Would 550 bhp be achievable with the -9s or would that be pushing it, that's the long term goal, also are -9s better than -7s or is there much difference? Thanks ?


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## FRRACER (Jun 23, 2013)

550 is possible with supporting mods.


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## truupR (May 30, 2016)

I'm just under a fortnight away from transitioning from stock turbos to -5's. Aiming for somewhere between 450 to 500bhp at the wheels. Injectors, pump, oil cooler, poncams, linkg4. Unsure if it will get all the way to 500 to the ground safely as I'm not yet having the head gasket changed.

AFAIK, the -5's will make 500whp without too much trouble. But unless you're having a HKS/Tomei headgasket, most people have said I'd be setting myself up for something going bang.


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

truupR said:


> I'm just under a fortnight away from transitioning from stock turbos to -5's. Aiming for somewhere between 450 to 500bhp at the wheels. Injectors, pump, oil cooler, poncams, linkg4. Unsure if it will get all the way to 500 to the ground safely as I'm not yet having the head gasket changed.
> 
> AFAIK, the -5's will make 500whp without too much trouble. But unless you're having a HKS/Tomei headgasket, most people have said I'd be setting myself up for something going bang.


If pushed too far with the boost yeah it will but 1 bar will be fine perhaps a little more. I think they make 500 crank at 1bar? 
Get a thicker head gasket on and you can wind it up as long as the other stuff is done right.. ecu fuel pump injectors etc

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## goinsleeper (Jan 5, 2017)

daveym_sir said:


> Would 550 bhp be achievable with the -9s or would that be pushing it, that's the long term goal, also are -9s better than -7s or is there much difference? Thanks ?


I hate to be the one to say it, but do some searching. There have been some very in-depth threads here and on SAU comparing all three turbos. You can also visit Garrett's website.


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

Thing is a responsive 500 is bloody fast in these cars. It might not keep up with some cars today but you can go into a corner brake hard and get on the gas and left the 4wd pull you out then with the turbo response it'll just make for a fast and nimble car so bear in mind what you want it to do. I know that -5 you gotta keep them rpm up and it's a bit of work on the ol 5spd.

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## truupR (May 30, 2016)

anthonymcgrath said:


> If pushed too far with the boost yeah it will but 1 bar will be fine perhaps a little more. I think they make 500 crank at 1bar?
> Get a thicker head gasket on and you can wind it up as long as the other stuff is done right.. ecu fuel pump injectors etc
> 
> Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk


Not sure of the exact bar=/=bhp figures but MGT said they will be running it 1.2 bar. They said it will be safe for the stock gasket and maintain reliability aslong as I don't drive it like an absolute tool everywhere. Probably have a rpm limit set to 7200/7800.

Aiming for 450bhp at the wheels to start, anything above is a bonus. The turbos certainly aren't the restricting factor at that power though


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

Nope I can vouch for that they're asleep lol altho certainly doesn't feel it when driven

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## samgtr (Aug 4, 2010)

I had hks gtss and at 1.3 bar was fun and fast, 470hp at hubs.
Now im with -5s with a few other changes (elbows, intake mani, exhaust bla bla bla)but not mapped yet


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## FRRACER (Jun 23, 2013)

anthonymcgrath said:


> Thing is a responsive 500 is bloody fast in these cars. It might not keep up with some cars today but you can go into a corner brake hard and get on the gas and left the 4wd pull you out then with the turbo response it'll just make for a fast and nimble car so bear in mind what you want it to do. I know that -5 you gotta keep them rpm up and it's a bit of work on the ol 5spd.
> 
> Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk


Even better if you have a Nismo 1.5way LSD in the front


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## anthonymcgrath (Feb 22, 2005)

FRRACER said:


> Even better if you have a Nismo 1.5way LSD in the front


Ooo intrigued what does that do then 

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## Azyzz (Apr 1, 2014)

Is anyone running a set of Trust T517Z Turbo's


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## FRRACER (Jun 23, 2013)

anthonymcgrath said:


> Ooo intrigued what does that do then
> 
> Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk


Front grips up well and pulls you out of corners, hard to explain but works a treat. No understeer or other nonsense that has been speculated here about front LSDs.


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