Thread: Starting my SR20VE+T Build. Need some knowledge!

If thats a legit BB garrett turbo, a new chra for it (with the BB service program offered by Garrett through their retailers) would only be about $500

You can def do a turbo set up for 4k. Rebuilt turbos are cheap. Something to keep in mind.

The factory internals take a beating as well. I wouldn't even sweat building the motor for only 400hp. My old motor on 415 lasted two race seasons and is now going in a street car.

@unijabnx2000 - It is a legit BB Garret Turbo, and you're right, I could go that route, except that I would like to have at least a GT2871R on there and they will only approve the reduction in price if your CHRA is rebuildable. I'm not sure what state it's in, so I don't want to go through the expense of time on it. I might see if they'll give me a discount on a new GT2871 if I send them this one though. Probably not, but it might be worth a shot.

@nsusammyeb - I know I can do a turbo setup for under 4K, but there is more than just the turbo and such that I need to get if I were to go T3 top mounted. I just don't think I have enough for this build to do it the right way with a T3 setup. I could get a cheap turbo and piping, but I'd rather go a little lighter on my build and enjoy it longer.

You have everything you need for a decent vet set up...except for the head right? So what's the problem with staying under even $3k?

Pretty much, yes, except that the turbo is about shot, and the GTiR is simply too tired and too risky for me to dump any more money into right now. There's a whole list of reasons why I'm just wanting to go with a VE+T setup (using an imported engine) instead.

The reasons why I'm replacing the GTiR all together are:
Smoke (all of the time now), bad threads (worried I'll get everything done and won't be able to get the head to clamp down right), oil pressure issues (this could be the sending unit, which I'm replacing as well).

I've just had too much bad history with this engine to honestly want to put the money into rebuilding it. It has been a money pit since I bought it. By the time it's all said and done, for my power goals, I could have a VE+T, with a T28 mind you, and I'll have the car on the road a lot faster than I expected. I'm having to pay for shop time (moved into an apartment, no working on cars), so if I were to do a rebuild, the minimum I could expect would be an additional 2-300 dollars. And that's crossing my fingers that everything else is okay with the engine.

If I were to rebuild the GTiR, I would have to completely strip it, send the block in to have it machined (fix the head stud threads and hone the cylinders), get new bearings and possibly pistons, buy a new timing kit, and replace the oil pump for sanity's sake. That's not even counting the costs to either replace or fix the valve issues. I'd be in it for a lot more than a newly imported SR20VE, and I'm not going to be pushing any more than 400 at it right now anyway.

Having had 2 different ve-t setups both with custom manifolds I would tell you to get a good manifold first. If your budget it tight its actually cheaper to get a t3 turbo. there are several budget friendly mid sized precision turbos. The mid sized precision turbo will cost much less than a new garrett and will still be cheaper than a used unit. You could also go t2. If you go t2 the gt2871r is the smallest turbo I would consider. I would use one of the t2 gt30 versions for best results as they come with a larger turbine wheel. The greddy 18g is also another option. I suggest you read or ask some members via pm. When you open a thread like this you will get many opinions. All are valid but at the end of the day its your money. Remember "Cheap,Fast,Reliable" pick two

Not bad advice at all. The only real benefit for going T2 is that I should be able to re-use most of what I already have.

Doug Fab suggests externally wastegated T2. I like the idea, but it would require me to get a T2 turbo without an internal wastegate, which I haven't been able to find. I've mostly been looking at garrett though. I'll check out precision and greddy today.

You can still go T3 and reuse the current turbo (just get a t3 turbine for it), and just upgrade to a larger turbo later.

Precision has a great entry level T3 turbo which is a 5431E. We use this turbo on many Honda B series kits and depending on manifold it has made from 300whp to 470whp. The pricing is great as well if you are on a budget you can get this turbo in the range of $650-$750+shipping. You can get a manifold built from @Doug Fab, @nsusammyeb, or even us, which are all fairly priced. If you decide to go the T3 route.

You can take off the wastegate and have the wastegate flapper welded shut. Bam, external gated T2.

My vote is DE-T.

If you need VVL in your life, if you do a garrett 3071 or 3076, you can do a T2 now, and upgrade down the road (with a better manifold) by swapping turbines to a T3 and keep the same turbo.