I am pretty sure any modern turbo comes with provisions for water cooling, but not everyone uses them. I know on a few of my earlier builds, I didn’t run the water lines just for simplicity, and I never have had a problem. Just curious to see what people think, since we have plenty of boosted project cars here on the site :tup:
-Mark
i never saw the need for what i was doing. It’s not like i did any long term high-endurance racing. I guess it depends on what you’re using the car for.
Nah.
No im poor and have always bought journal bearing which were only setup for oil. so i didnt.
on my mhi turbo yes
I have a sleeve bearing turbo setup for water cooling. I’m still undecided at this point if I’m going to run it.
my turbo SHO had water cooling. My camaro turbo does not have coolant passages.
My turbo was water and oil cooled. I bought my car with the kit on it. Turbo was a dual bb garrett and I never had problems with it. Tracked it hot lapped all the time, drove it back from VA beating the piss out of it and took it on a ton of road trips with out any issues.
i run water lines for every turbo install i do. its super easy, a couple push lock fittings and hose barbs from ferry. if it has provisions for water cooling im sure the manufacture put them there for a reason and not to be optional.
I used a turbo without coolant passages.
Have you ever heard of anyone having a problem though from not running it? I personally have not had any experience, or heard of it first hand, of not running lines ruining a turbo. I am sure it helps cool, but I wonder on the average car, if that extra cooling is necessary for average turbo life.
I meant to click on oil and selected water by accident. Stupid small phone screen.
My personal thoughts on coolant is that it helps keep the center section cooler, so if it is shut down hot it will reduce the likelihood of coking oil. I think many enthusiast are aware that cars should be run easy for the last couple miles before you shut them down so the issues may not be as common.
+1
It depends on what the center section was designed for. If there are ports I would use them. If you have a ball bearing center section then it is wise as the bearing outer cage is made of plastic on some models and the cooling passages are meant for them. The oil requirements are low and so the oil feed is restricted to improve spool by reducing drag. If the center cartridge is ceramic ball bearing then it’s optional or so Comp Turbo claims.
IMO, it is far better to run an oil-less turbo and water-cool it if you are looking to save lines, money and hassle. The BS with oil seals, feed/drain issues etc is a MUCH bigger pain that set-it-and-forget-it coolant lines. Granted this isn’t an option for “cheap” turbos off Ebay or something, but if buying new & decent quality, it is a real option. It gives you the benefits all around on the least number of attachments.
As pointed out above, it is one thing to run a turbo that isnt water cooled… its another to run a water cooled turbo dry. They don’t always use the same internals, shielding, etc.
Wait, oil-less? What turbos require no oil lubrication??
I didn’t know some used a plastic carrier for bearings. My turbo has a ceramic ball bearing setup. I guess only time will tell on the durability side without water cooling. For what it cost I sure hope it holds up for the long haul.
Turbonetics turbos have plastic cages on their bearings and they melt over time if not cooled correctly.
Comp turbo has a line of oil less turbos now.
If it has provisions for it, run it. Its really a simple job to stick some banjo fittings on the turbo and run hoses to the throttle body heater ports.
I’ve never heard anyone ever claim that there’s a benefit to NOT watercooling a turbo that has provisions for it… and theres some really stupid people out there who will try to claim anything if it makes them sound smart.
Yes, Oil-Less. They have a special cartridge assembly that uses a high-temp grease, and does not require servicing… or a feed or drain for that matter. These are water-cooled and can be mounted in any orientation.