Where to buy (specific) turbo? GT2554

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Rogue-AE95
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Where to buy (specific) turbo? GT2554

Postby Rogue-AE95 » Tue Apr 26, 2016 9:06 pm

I wasn't sure where else to ask this. Seems like the 4A-GE crowd know a lot more about turbos than anyone else I know. I'm so new to the turbo world that I couldn't be any more green. I'm trying to buy a new turbo for a low-mileage, super-efficient engine that I bought off someone (who kept the turbo). I can't get info from the seller so I figured I'd try here. I only know that it's a Garrett GT2554 turbo, internal wastegate, is clockable, and I think with a 2" outlet (discharge?). And obviously a T25 flange. I saw the damn thing with my own eyes so I know they're out there. It's not specific to the engine. The seller picked out this turbo for his (now my) build.

I've found GT2554 turbos for sale online but they aren't clockable (that I can tell), and they seem to have a 3-bolt flange on the outlet.

FWIW, this is not for a built-up engine making mad power. The engine's TB is only 2" diameter :lol: The outlet on the turbo was routed directly to the TB with silicone couplers and piping. I'm pretty sure the seller told me that the turbo had a 2" outlet (same size as TB, so easy to set up).

Thanks...
'88 Corolla All-Trac x2 (manual, auto)

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Re: Where to buy (specific) turbo? GT2554

Postby jondee86 » Wed Apr 27, 2016 2:30 am

Seems that there are a few options available with this turbo...

Image
http://www.bellengineering.net/product_ ... cts_id=405

I think if you ask at a decent speed shop they would be more likely to be
able to get you what you want. Ebay vendors are not always fully clued up
on the tech details for the stuff they sell.

Cheers... jondee86
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Re: Where to buy (specific) turbo? GT2554

Postby yoshimitsuspeed » Wed Apr 27, 2016 11:01 am

We would need more info to be of much help. There are a lot of T25 turbos out there. Just because it's not a 2554 doesn't mean it wouldn't bolt up and just because it is a 2554 doesn't mean it will. Even off Garretts website the same turbo designation can have different flanges. Their 2554 doesn't have these options but if you are looking at used turbos say on Ebay and found a Saab OEM 2554 it might have Saab specific flanges.

The best thing you could do for starters is look at the drawings here and see if all your flange patterns are the same. If not then measurements and pics would help try to figure out what you are looking for.
https://www.turbobygarrett.com/turbobyg ... er#GT2554R

If you are looking for a new turbo I can get Garrett and most other big names.

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Re: Where to buy (specific) turbo? GT2554

Postby Rogue-AE95 » Wed Apr 27, 2016 4:43 pm

Thanks guys. Jon, that looks like pretty much exactly what I saw. Damn that price though. I expected it to be around 800-900 for a new one.

It's definitely a T25 flange, because that's the flange on the manifold the seller has. He wasn't letting go of that manifold either, so that's another thing I have to source (found something close enough, though). So I could go with any inlet flange and have something custom made. I don't think I'm going to get a custom fabbed manifold for under $200, where I can get a T25 flanged, cast manifold for under $200. I can also get a T3 flanged, cast mani for about the same price. But this was definitely a T25 turbo. The seller originally had a GT15 on the engine... then switched to the GT2554 and got better mileage.

I've heard that a China ebay turbo is just as good as Garrett because Garrett was bought by Honeywell, and their production was moved to China. I don't know what to say about that. My heart isn't set on a Garrett if another quality brand will do the same. ...with a T25 flange ;)

This will be daily driven so it has to be quality. I was planning on buying new.
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Re: Where to buy (specific) turbo? GT2554

Postby yoshimitsuspeed » Wed Apr 27, 2016 5:26 pm

I can get you a new 2554 for $850.
My distributors specs can be a little vague so before ordering I would need to make sure that was the whole turbo as they do sell some that don't have the turbine housing and things like that but I believe that is a complete 2554.
Part number 471171-3
Same as the one I linked to above.

As for comparing Garrett to Made in China.
Well it depends on a lot of things. Made in China says nothing about the quality of the product. Toyota has stuff made in China as do many other companies. They will also have their own specs and quality control. A water pump made by Toyota China should be of the same quality as a water pump made by Toyota Japan. A water pump made by Fun Jin trading company will likely not be of the same quality.
This is where you get into brand and quality control.
One big thing that will separate Garrett from a turbo that cost 20% as much is that Garrett spends buttloads of money and development trying to design the optimal turbine geometry. A china knockoff company will spend a day trying recreate that design as best then can with the tools they have available.
Look at a 2554 turbo map and it may be completely different from what a cheap china turbo map would look like. The china turbo would likely be much less efficient. Then there is longevity. That is up in the air and largely depends on exactly who is making the turbo.

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Re: Where to buy (specific) turbo? GT2554

Postby Rogue-AE95 » Thu Apr 28, 2016 6:52 pm

Thanks. That's pretty much what I figured about China no-name brand turbos.

It's possible I had seen incomplete turbos in the $800-900 range. The problem with that one you linked to, the housing isn't clockable, and the outlet is a 3-bolt flange. Vehicle specific? The one Jon linked to looks just like the one I saw. Why can't I find that one on Garrett's site or in their catalog?
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Re: Where to buy (specific) turbo? GT2554

Postby yoshimitsuspeed » Thu Apr 28, 2016 9:15 pm

I have never seen a turbo that wasn't clockable but any internally wastegated turbo is going to have some degree of challenge to clocking it because the wastegate bolts to the compressor housing. Some are easier to clock. For example they might have multiple mounting holes so you can clock it in say 33 deg increments or something like that. It's also usually possible to drill your own holes where you need it. This also assumes you need to rotate the compressor and turbine separately. Oftentimes you can keep their relationship the same and just clock the CHRA to the orientation you need without changing the clock relationship of compressor and turbine.
As for the three bolt. All you need is something like this.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Turbo-Compresso ... bT&vxp=mtr

And as for not being able to find it on Garrets website that makes me a little suspicious. It might just be a stock photo of another GT turbo. Even on Google images all the 2554s have the 3 bolt flange.

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Re: Where to buy (specific) turbo? GT2554

Postby Rogue-AE95 » Wed May 04, 2016 8:29 pm

I did see this in my ebay searches. The wastegate is mounted differently so that clocking the housing doesn't require modifying the bracket:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Design-T25- ... 0654342255

I actually rather like that turbo, but I'm not sure about the brand (heard little about them before, plus Jeonsah just posted about their exhaust manifold). But I would need the turbo running at about 8-10 psi. Different spring for the internal wastegate? But it's also listed as a T28 and I don't know how much I'm moving away from the GT2554 I'm "supposed" to use.
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Re: Where to buy (specific) turbo? GT2554

Postby yoshimitsuspeed » Thu May 05, 2016 6:24 pm

That is an interesting take on the WG mount.
You could compare compressor wheel sizes to some Garret turbos to try to get a rough idea of where it stands. It's all ballparking till you see compressor maps though and I haven't seen any cheap turbo makers who do that.
I have always been leary of the cheaper turbos but have started to consider looking into them a little for cheap turbo kits. I mean they definitely aren't ideal but for someone looking for looking for a mild build and small bump in power they may not be the worst idea.
IDK my ideas on made in China or Taiwan are constantly evolving as I feel their product quality also is. There are still a few things like engine internals, brake components and things like that I am still really skeptical over but I have been looking at bringing in some cheaper peripheral components from overseas.

I can get CXracing stuff. I use a lot of their IC tubing and stuff like that but never checked out their turbos.

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Re: Where to buy (specific) turbo? GT2554

Postby XanManAE86 » Fri May 06, 2016 7:57 am

I actually have something similar to what your looking for. I have a used r34 gtr rb26 stock turbo which is t25 flanged and ball bearing. It's pretty close to a gt2554. If you're interested email me xanmanae86@yahoo.com.

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Re: Where to buy (specific) turbo? GT2554

Postby Rogue-AE95 » Fri May 06, 2016 5:08 pm

Thanks guys. I'll keep both in mind.

Thinking about the Garrett turbo and not being able to find it in their catalog... could it be an older model? Or a hodge podge of T25 and T28 parts? I thought I had read about being able to do that, to get different results for an engine build.
'88 Corolla All-Trac x2 (manual, auto)