Screw it, I'm going turbo

[CrashBomb]

Seeing as I've got it apart anyway (well, mostly) I've just about talked myself into a hairdryer over the winter. I haven't seen very much talk about turbo AND big bore (1397) but that's what I'm considering. I want to do it once and do it right. I think I've made my mind up on the Ghetto stage I kit because it's completely concealed by the stock bodywork. I also like the full pipe idea because dump pipes just aren't my thing. I'm not going to mess with the aerodynamic perfection that Suzuki's engineers came up with in the first place.

Anyone out there running a stage I with a 1397 (stock length swing arm)? I know it's going to be a handful but hey...that's kind of the idea isn't it?

My questions are many, of course, and I will be calling Motorhead but I'm going to throw them out here first.

1. Stock compression is around 12:1, right? So if I build a 12:1 compression motor it'll take (roughly) the same amount of boost, yes? I'm not going to run more than 5-7 pounds and for the amount of road I've got around here that's going to be plenty.

2. I can't find a definitive answer, but looking at the pictures of the Ghetto kit it doesn't look like you have to pull anything off to change the oil filter. True?

3. Does anyone have a sound clip of the Stage I with the full exhaust, I'm curious as to what it sounds like compared to a straight dump.

4. It looks like a lot of people have been experimenting with H20/meth injection in lieu of an intercooler. I've been wondering if there's any feasibility to using a small amount of nitrous sprayed somewhere between the turbo and the intake for the same purpose. I know, I know windshield washer fluid is much cheaper but I've got a spare nitrous kit and I've always got plenty of N20 around from other vehicles and I'm talking about using a very small amount. It probably isn't necessary for the boost I'd like to run but I'm mostly thinking academically anyway.

5. Originally I was thinking of swapping the exhaust cam for a stock intake when I put the big bore together but with more duration and overlap won't this actually hinder a forced induction motor?

6. I've worked on Supras that have a blow off valve that can be set to reroute back into the intake instead of the atmosphere. Who makes these? I know a lot of people love the bov sound, but personally I hate it. It's amusing for about a week and then it just gets obnoxious and annoying.

7. Anything else I'm forgetting or failing to see?

Be patient with me fellas. I'm sure I'm going to have a ton more stupid questions, but I'm only about an hour from Dennis in Cleveland (he is in Cleveland, right?) so he's going to have it worse than you with me chewing his ear off with various junk.

Thanks a ton in advance, the motto for the coming 2007 riding season is going to be turbocharged 1397 or bust.

 

[psycobusa]

take a number sir, someone will be with you in a moment

 

[nitrousjunkie]

Give Burt a call @ 1320Straightliners

 

[TheNOSman]

I know you said you've decided on a Ghetto kit but I would call Richard at RCC first, he has a bike that's a 1397 with turbo. Plus his kits are awsome! And his stage I kit also fits inside the body work. Check him out at www.rccturbos.com.

 

[OZBooster]

JE does a bigbore turbo piston, if your buying anyway may as well get one that suits the application.
Oil filter is easy to get at
Full system is nearly as quiet as stock but deeper.
Can't help with nos ??
Keep stock cams unless your chasing big hp with big turbo's
Low boost BOV will be fairly quiet , some can be very quiet, not much room to plumb back but i suppose you could if you wanted to.
Ghetto,Rcc and Straightliners kits are mostly the same , as your near Dennis take advantage of his experiance.

 

[Gary Evans]

(TheNOSman @ Nov. 11 2006,06:46) I know you said you've decided on a Ghetto kit but I would call Richard at RCC first, he has a bike that's a 1397 with turbo.  Plus his kits are awsome!  And his stage I kit also fits inside the body work.  Check him out at www.rccturbos.com.

Despite any impressions to the contary RCC makes what is called the Getto kit. Bert (1320 straightliners)would be a better choice as a dealer if for no other reason than he won't try to BS you into thinking its something he mades up in the back room.

 

[TheNOSman]

I'm not a turbo guy so I'm sure I could be wrong but I thought Ghetto kits were made by Motorhead out of I think Ohio and RCC is Richard out of Canada?  Even the pictures of the kits look completely different???

My picture of the RCC kit is too large to upload but you can see it on www.rccturbos.com.

Ghetto Kit:

 

[CrashBomb]

(TheNOSman @ Nov. 11 2006,18:50) I'm not a turbo guy so I'm sure I could be wrong but I thought Ghetto kits were made by Motorhead out of I think Ohio and RCC is Richard out of Canada? Even the pictures of the kits look completely different???

From what I can see, and this is nothing more than an educated guess, I'd like to make that perfectly clear, the Ghetto and RCC kits share some of the same components, but the airbox looks very different and there's several other items that aren't alike at all. Both manufacturers state that the turbo itself is a "custom hybrid," so perhaps RCC actually manufacturers or modifies the turbos that Dennis uses to put together his Ghetto kit. I'm sure someone else can shed some light on this as it seems to be a point of contention.

 

[Gary Evans]

The individual pieces have changed somewhat over time but the kit is made by Richard (RCC in Canada). Nothing of any significance is made in Ohio except shipping labels that say Ghetto. Call Burt or Richard at RCC for a straight answer.

 

[TheNOSman]

I'm glad my super street bike is going to be a big bore stroker with NOS!

Good luck with your turbo build!

 

[Nick Kickass]

I don't know why people are suggesting kits other than ghetto if you live an hour from dennis - just buy everything from him and have him install it. I understand he is the man when it comes to installing that **** so that it never goes boom.

I have been reading up on this for a long time and most people who blow up fit into 1 or more of 3 categories

1) stock compression
2) no intercooler or water cooling
3) 300+ whp

And most of them installed it themselves.

So from what I've been reading, I wouldn't go stock compression, but hey what do I know... In fact I don't even have a turbo yet (coming in mail now).

Oh I would like to know the answer to his #2 question too.

 

[sageronin]

Gary Evans has the right idea ... talk to as many turbo owners and turbo installer/tuners as possible before you make your final decision. Installer/Tuner proximity was the deciding factor for me and I'm very happy with my decision.

 

[GPW]

(sageronin @ Nov. 13 2006,17:54) Gary Evans has the right idea ... talk to as many turbo owners and turbo installer/tuners as possible before you make your final decision. Installer/Tuner proximity was the deciding factor for me and I'm very happy with my decision.

 

[Mr Brown]

(CrashBomb @ Nov. 11 2006,18:08)

(TheNOSman @ Nov. 11 2006,18:50) I'm not a turbo guy so I'm sure I could be wrong but I thought Ghetto kits were made by Motorhead out of I think Ohio and RCC is Richard out of Canada?  Even the pictures of the kits look completely different???

From what I can see, and this is nothing more than an educated guess, I'd like to make that perfectly clear, the Ghetto and RCC kits share some of the same components, but the airbox looks very different and there's several other items that aren't alike at all. Both manufacturers state that the turbo itself is a "custom hybrid," so perhaps RCC actually manufacturers or modifies the turbos that Dennis uses to put together his Ghetto kit. I'm sure someone else can shed some light on this as it seems to be a point of contention.

Ghetto kit is an RCC kit that TMH installs.

 

[CrashBomb]

Ok, seriously now guys...I know about all the infighting going on among the turbo builders, so you're not telling me anything new there, but I'm wondering why is this such a problem? I keep hearing the same thing over and over again about the Ghetto kit, "Oh...they don't make their own kits."

Why is this such a point of friction? I haven't spoken with Dennis yet but I can find nothing on Motorhead's web site that says they modify, manufacture, fabricate, or in any way "make" the turbo or anything in the turbo kits.

So they [TMH] import the packages from RCC in Ontario and specialize in the installation? Seems to me that most of the performance parts market operates a very similar way. If you go to your local Suzuki shop to get clutch springs installed it's not like West Everytown Suzuki forges their own metal and fabricates the springs in house, they just install them.

What's the big deal about this? If they're selling and installing the exact same kit for the exact same price as RCC why is there suck an uproar about TMH not building their own turbos?

I'm not trying to start a shouting match here, I'm just attempting to understand the theory behind what some of you are saying. Because it's being said often and by numerous people.

I'm curious as to why I'm getting suggestions to go to go hundreds or thousands of miles away from home when I am able to get the same thing for the same price with a little less than an hour driving time and still have access to local help for testing and tuning if something doesn't go right when doing it myself.

Thanks for everyone's input and concern.

 

[GPW]

Two words....competition and money. Good ole America...

 

[Gary Evans]

(CrashBomb @ Nov. 13 2006,20:09) Ok, seriously now guys...I know about all the infighting going on among the turbo builders, so you're not telling me anything new there, but I'm wondering why is this such a problem? I keep hearing the same thing over and over again about the Ghetto kit, "Oh...they don't make their own kits."

Why is this such a point of friction? I haven't spoken with Dennis yet but I can find nothing on Motorhead's web site that says they modify, manufacture, fabricate, or in any way "make" the turbo or anything in the turbo kits.

So they [TMH] import the packages from RCC in Ontario and specialize in the installation? Seems to me that most of the performance parts market operates a very similar way. If you go to your local Suzuki shop to get clutch springs installed it's not like West Everytown Suzuki forges their own metal and fabricates the springs in house, they just install them.

What's the big deal about this? If they're selling and installing the exact same kit for the exact same price as RCC why is there suck an uproar about TMH not building their own turbos?

I'm not trying to start a shouting match here, I'm just attempting to understand the theory behind what some of you are saying. Because it's being said often and by numerous people.

I'm curious as to why I'm getting suggestions to go to go hundreds or thousands of miles away from home when I am able to get the same thing for the same price with a little less than an hour driving time and still have access to local help for testing and tuning if something doesn't go right when doing it myself.

Thanks for everyone's input and concern.

The fact that he doesn't make anything is now pretty common knowledge but some stragglers still think other wise (power of the internet). I was banned from his site long ago for pointing out who was actually designing and fabricating his kits.
IMO there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying and reselling and nothing wrong with re-branding parts with your own name. When you do so however you are just a dealer for someone else’s product not a manufacture. Big difference between those two categories of marketers. Problem was that for a long long time it was left to appear that the designing and building was being done in Ohio so much so that even today some people are left with that impression. There have been many examples where pictures were posted as though the parts were done there and when someone praised the workmanship there was never any attempt made to explain who should really get the credit. That to me is akin to cutting and pasting someone else technical writing but leaving out the author so it would appear to be your ideas. That also has occurred and compliments on the plagiarism never resulted in credit being given to the real author/s.
Whether issues like this are important to you is of course your choice. I don't know if things have changed there recently as it is no longer of any concern to me. As far as an installation shop he has as much or more experience than almost anyone else and no reason not to use him for such.

 

[Mr Brown]

As Gary said, TMH was tking credit for things he simply wasn't doing. He acted like the whole Ghetto kit was designed and manufactured by him, and got severely bent out of shape whenever anyone called him on it. There have been many heated discussions on the topic on all the major boards involved with bikes, turbos and racing. There is nothing wrong with TMH's kits, but they are not the best for serious, high boost applications, and some people have issues with Dennis himself.

 

[TheNOSman]

That was my problem too. I was still under the impression that TMH made his own kits and I keep hearing people say that Ghetto kits are better then RCC when in fact they should be the same from what I am hearing.

 

[p-man]

I drove 10 hrs 1 way to have my kit installed, and it was worth it Dennis is a good guy, he's just human like everyone else. Does it matter who makes the kits, if RCC makes them he is still letting Dennis be a certified installer.