5250 High Performance Dyno Shop Blog

Custom Fabrication vs. Generic kits | Chasing Horsepower

[fa icon="calendar"] Apr 19, 2019 6:00:00 AM / by Mike Wiener

Turbo Manifold Fabrication ColoradoBuilding Horsepower | If you look at some of the largest output engines, they all utilize forced induction.

While many enjoy instant supercharger torque, there is something about a turbo that is just hard to put down.

As the wise Jeremy Clarkson once said, "Exhaust gasses go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft happens and you go faster."

One of the biggest hurdles to a turbo install is plumbing. On a vehicle that was originally turbo'd, swapping in a larger turbo is relatively easy. You may have to make some things larger, but everything you need is already there.

Miata turbo exhaust manifoldOn an original non-turbo engine, you have to make all this plumbing from scratch. Planning / execution makes all the difference. Generic kits may sound good, however it still takes a lot of effort to get it right.

For engines that are commonly turbocharged, you can often find complete turbo kits with everything you need to bolt-on and go.

  • Of all the required plumbing, the exhaust manifold is the most important.

A good turbo kit will come with a new turbo manifold or manifolds making the installation and mounting of your turbo fairly simple. This is always preferable because it saves money and makes the build straightforward.

Frequently though, you cannot find a complete kit for your vehicle without major restrictions / limitations. This is where solid fabrication services come in.

Custom Fabrication turbo shopThat is where a good shop will take the proper time to measure and build the right parts in-house to meet the demands of a turbo upgrade.

That means getting the exact components you want and locating them in the engine bay where you will benefit in terms of good power throughout the rpm band.

A custom fabricated turbo system does not have restrictions that come with a generic one size fits all kit. Components are built to your engine bay and your specifications.

This leads to a cleaner install, better performance, and a higher quality result.

 

Fabrication Services

Topics: Turbo Upgrades, Custom Headers, Miata turbo

Mike Wiener

Written by Mike Wiener