Hey, didn't know if anyone bolted up the saab intake, exhaust, and turbo (or td04 variant) with custom piping and inter cooler to the LE5 and leather rip! I'm thinking about doing this, then buying the piping from the ZZP LSJ turbo kit (front throttle) and molding the intake filter and piping into my gmpp LE5 Intake box that will seal on the RKSPORT, effectively making a ram air turbo setup.

First I just need to see and know what saab parts to get. I have a guy that'll sell me the intake and exhaust manifold for 160. I might just keep the stock turbo because even though it spools 8psi from the factory, that's on a lower compression motor whereas the LE5 is 10.4:1 and that amount of pressure will be far greater.

 

I ran the Saab setup on my old cavalier. I didn't use the intake mani though, just used the stock plastic one. The td04 is small and spools insanely fast, and that was on the 2.2. On the factory wastegate I could only make 4-5psi. Made a mbc, and turned it up to 12. Fun little car, tractionless but fun. Ran a best of 14.5@96.

It hit full boost by 2200 rpm. Full boost was on tap at anytime.

You would probably see about the same amount of boost I did until you put some kind of boost controller on it.

Also the stock Saab turbo did tend to taper off at redline. I'd have quick spike into boost, hold 12 til about 5500 or so then taper to about 8-9 at redline. That could of been my boost controller or just because of how small the turbo was.

My setup was Saab exhaust manifold and turbo and an eBay piping kit with a cxracing intercooler. Hotside piping will have to go under the car because you cannot clock the turbo with the stock wastegate.

Can be a fun setup, but I think you may wanna go a little bigger. I was about to start sourcing parts for a k04 swap on my lsj and that's what pretty much everyone has told me. Turbos just too small.

 

Wow! Thank you for the feedback!

 

this is news to me... what does this cost??? what exact parts would I be looking for?

 

Look up custom turbo kit. Costs whatever it costs at a junkyard.

 

Well why can't I run this budget set up, and upgrade to a bigger holset turbo down the road? I'll only need 8-12psi of boost and at 10.4:1 compression, that little Saab turbo should so the trick for a while until I get a gen 3 block built.

 

Sounds like a fun cheap build GL

 

I actually met a local that has a complete S252ET, tial bov, Saab intake manifold, and intercooler off the ZZP LSJ kit for 500. Still need the rest of the kit (zzp mani, piping, WG, plugs, injectors)

What do you think?

 

Buy it before anyone else can, that's almost as good as what I got mine for.

 

You're the second person who told me to buy it tonight.

 

Turbo alone is more than that...

 

Also, the turbo has somewhere around 26k miles. Still very little if any, shaft play. Still ok?

 

Yes, get it.

 

Is this the extended tip? Or does it look like it's been broken off? lol

 

I don't think bw's "extended tip" means what you think it means

 

Did you buy it?

 

No I haven't yet. Still debating on different routes to take. I was just looking at the pictures in zzps website with the tip, that's why I asked.

 

Lol im just messing with you. BW extended tip refers to the exducer of the compressor wheel being a larger diameter than the regular version. The outlet of the compressor housing wont be a big deal for the low boost you would be running, but you can always just have someone weld a fat beat around the outside to make sure.

 

Oh thanks noorj. Lol this is my first time dealing with ecotecs and BW for that matter. I build a 4G63T with an evo 3 16G a couple years back but that was pretty easy. The LE5 seems daunting. I'm getting RPT to tune me.

 

You definitely could, not telling you not to. But if you did that, when you went to upgrade the turbo you'd also have to upgrade the manifold. Unless you can find an adaptor or holset makes a turbo with the Saab outlet. Then you'd probably need a new downpipe.

The Saab setup is great fun. Pulls hard and makes decent power. And can be pieced together on the cheap. My total cost for most of the setup was about 600. Then the downpipe, which was the most expensive piece , put me at about 850.

But I say buy that setup you found. I think it'll set you up better and with more room to grow once you build.