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Is it possible to get into forced induction for under $3g?

Phil18

New Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2015
Messages
7
Is it possible to find a super or turblow charger for less than 6g? on 3 performance makes turbo kits for 1500s for $1800 but it doesn't say that it would work on an AV (unless someone knows it'll bolt on the same?) But surely someone makes one for around that for an AV?
 
I'm sure one of the website mechanical gurus will answer soon but my guess would be not a new or complete system. You may get lucky on used system but then you don't know if it's worn out or complete with things like an intercooler and a professional tune. Also do you plan to do the labor yourself? Saving for a new complete kit like a Magnacharger will lower you labor costs and install time. They also come with a drivetrain warranty.
Is this going on a daily driver with stop and go traffic or a race application? Are you looking for improved towing, off the line acceleration or top speed? What year AV do you have and how many miles on it? Do you have any other mods such as headers and exhaust or are they stock? With more power you may want to upgrade brakes too......
Good luck with your search for more power.
 
Sorry about that it's an 08 LTZ with almost 170k. No mods yet as I just picked it up a couple months ago. I don't really want to buy too much yet though without looking at big kits first as they might come with the parts I would buy (especially with my luck)  it will be a daily driver and hopefully pretty strong sleeper. Also I will be doing the work on it. So the more complete the kit the better
 
What is your goal more power or do you just want Forced Air
 
Phil18 said:
Is it possible to find a super or turblow charger for less than 6g? on 3 performance makes turbo kits for 1500s for $1800 but it doesn't say that it would work on an AV (unless someone knows it'll bolt on the same?) But surely someone makes one for around that for an AV?

The Avalanche isn't that unique. It's still a Chevy 1500 so yes it'll work fine. The only fitment problems I can even imagine would be around the bumper. And if there are fitment issues, It'll be minor stuff, nothing a BFH and sawzall cant fix. Just do your research and be ready for other things to need upgrading.

http://www.on3performance.com/shop/1999-07-chevygmc-15002500-truck-turbo-system/

It reads like it's a pretty complete kit to get started with. Bolt it up and find a good actual local shop for a tune.
 
It does look like it's a pretty complete kit, and they have quite a list of upgrades that can be added. I would want to try to find some individual reviews of the kit, and especially try to find out what brand turbo it is.
 
Looks like they're pretty Chinese and iffy reviews. Probably should hold off for a trick performance kit  :(
 
Take a look at this kit for a suprcharger, several members have installed a kit like this with great dependability and since you mentioned it would be a daily driver and it has 170k miles on it you may not want to stress out the motor or your dependability may be suffer.
http://www.magnacharger.com/p-73-suburban-avalanche-tahoe-yukon-48l-53l-2007-2010-magnuson-supercharger.aspx
 
Trick performance makes good turbo kits. Spike performance also offers good turbo kits
 
600 wheel HP on a completely stock 5.3l?!?  For $2k?!

http://www.on3performance.com/cats-out-of-the-bag-1999-2006-1500-silverado-sierra-twin-turbo-design-in-prototype-stages/



mikeyjm1 said:
The Avalanche isn't that unique. It's still a Chevy 1500 so yes it'll work fine. The only fitment problems I can even imagine would be around the bumper. And if there are fitment issues, It'll be minor stuff, nothing a BFH and sawzall cant fix. Just do your research and be ready for other things to need upgrading.

http://www.on3performance.com/shop/1999-07-chevygmc-15002500-truck-turbo-system/

It reads like it's a pretty complete kit to get started with. Bolt it up and find a good actual local shop for a tune.
 
I hate to Debbie Downer here and point out the obvious but... One.. There's no way your going to put a twin turbo on anything for 2K and...  Two.. A twin turbo on a stock 5.3L making 600 RWH won't be running to long..
 
The price I saw on that web site is $3700.  That's more believable.

As Randy noted, 600 rwhp (750 crank) on a stock 5.3 isn't likely to last too long.  GM says the hypereutectic pistons are good for about 550 hp.  Last I checked GM's highest hp rated crate engine with the hypereutectic pistons was listed at 556 hp.  You'd be running your engine at 200 hp more than GM says the pistons can reliably take.
 
Yes $3,700 and you supply the fuel system and tuning to support it, that could be another $1,000 -$1,500 depending on what you need..

Also did anybody mention the transmission and rear end you will need to go behind that kind of horsepower?? Unfortunately one modification leads to another when kicking up the power levels.. 

If you have the tools and real good fabrication skills you can save allot doing most of the work, but at the end of the day plan on spending $6,000 for a new system and if your lucky and find a direct replacement used system that is complete you might get it for $2,500 -$3,000.. If it's not a direct replacement or not complete meaning all brackets, pulleys, adapters, reservoirs, tubing etc. You could be chasing parts or spending allot for a new bracket or have to fabricate one that is not mad anymore.
 
Most of those items are pretty spelled out in the article I linked. Including the fact that you don't really run 600 hp but dial it back to a more manageable level. But the potential is there. If I were able to get around 400 & comparable torque, I think I'd be ecstatic. Especially if it doesn't compromise the MPGs too much.

So what kind of fuel system upgrades are needed? Fuel pump? Throttle body? And the tuning?

I tow a 5k lb boat already & have done pretty well, even towing thru Hells Canyon, the Cascades & the Siskiyou Mts fully loaded. So a little extra ooomph would go a long way to keep it from shifting back & forth in 3rd & 4th. The transmission was replaced at 152k miles after it lost 3rd & 4th gear while towing a 4500 lb Jeep & trailer. New 4L60E has the Vette servo & an extra disc in the clutch pack. Shop tells me it's more comparable to the 4L80E now. Brakes have been upgraded. G80 & driveline would still need to be gone thru though.
 
AirJunky said:
The transmission was replaced at 152k miles after it lost 3rd & 4th gear while towing a 4500 lb Jeep & trailer. New 4L60E has the Vette servo & an extra disc in the clutch pack. Shop tells me it's more comparable to the 4L80E now.

Takes a whole lot more than that to make a 4L60 comparable to a 4L80.  Supershell, wide band, superhold servos, 5 pinion planetaries, upgraded input and output shafts, upgraded input drum, upgraded bushings, etc.

Here's a link to an article that was in the December Super Chevy magazine that describes what parts a particular shop upgrades for different power levels:

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/engines-drivetrain/1508-watch-this-4l60e-go-from-parts-to-performance/
 
Hmmm, looks to me like the transmission in that link is rated for up to 700 hp. I looked thru DCT's teardown & build sheet & he uses a lot of the same components you listed & in that article. The exceptions being the MSD controller & Supershell.
I sent him an email to ask if he thinks his build is good for 400 - 500 hp but it doesn't sound far off to me.

enoniam said:
Takes a whole lot more than that to make a 4L60 comparable to a 4L80.  Supershell, wide band, superhold servos, 5 pinion planetaries, upgraded input and output shafts, upgraded input drum, upgraded bushings, etc.

Here's a link to an article that was in the December Super Chevy magazine that describes what parts a particular shop upgrades for different power levels:

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/engines-drivetrain/1508-watch-this-4l60e-go-from-parts-to-performance/
 
"So what kind of fuel system upgrades are needed? Fuel pump? Throttle body? And the tuning?"



Depending on the system it could be just the fuel pump or could be fuel pump ($100-$300) and injectors ($400-$500) and tuning is going to be $400-$600. If you buy a Super Charger system new most will usually come with all the pieces needed including pump, injectors and tuning..
 
Randy said:
"So what kind of fuel system upgrades are needed? Fuel pump? Throttle body? And the tuning?"



Depending on the system it could be just the fuel pump or could be fuel pump ($100-$300) and injectors ($400-$500) and tuning is going to be $400-$600. If you buy a Super Charger system new most will usually come with all the pieces needed including pump, injectors and tuning..

I would say it's going to take pump and injectors plus tuning and your prices are pretty good I think.  I'm running 42# injectors in my 460 hp rated crate motor and seeing duty cycles in the 70s.  I've got a booster pump from when I was running a supercharger on the original motor - don't know if I need it with this motor.  Definitely not as much power with this crate motor.  I was maxxing out the duty cycle before with the same injectors and booster pump and loosing fuel pressure.  I'd purchased a fuel pump voltage booster but hadn't gotten around to installing it - the water meth injection was keeping the Air Fuel Ratio (AFR) where I wanted it but probably should have been running it even richer at WOT.  That may be why I had to retire that engine.

Which brings up other things that are very nice to have when one goes boosted - fuel pressure, boost and AFR gauges.

Edit - stock throttle body should be fine.
 
AirJunky said:
Hmmm, looks to me like the transmission in that link is rated for up to 700 hp. I looked thru DCT's teardown & build sheet & he uses a lot of the same components you listed & in that article. The exceptions being the MSD controller & Supershell.
I sent him an email to ask if he thinks his build is good for 400 - 500 hp but it doesn't sound far off to me.

Sounds good then.  You identified about the least expensive things that I had listed so I was unaware that there were additional and higher end goodies in your trans.

Edit - FYI the red AV in the pic below was running a supercharger and nitrous at the time of the pic and had put down VERY close to 500 rwhp on a dyno, which should mean about 625 at the crank.  It no longer has either the SC or nitrous but the original motor lives on with about 100K miles on it.  Drove it to work today.  Tranny's been rebuilt twice since the pic and rear diff has been replaced as well however ...
 
AirJunky said:
Hmmm, looks to me like the transmission in that link is rated for up to 700 hp. I looked thru DCT's teardown & build sheet & he uses a lot of the same components you listed & in that article. The exceptions being the MSD controller & Supershell.
I sent him an email to ask if he thinks his build is good for 400 - 500 hp but it doesn't sound far off to me.

hop over on performancetrucks.net. the big horsepower guys still trash 60's with all those goodies all the time.
 
mikeyjm1 said:
hop over on performancetrucks.net. the big horsepower guys still trash 60's with all those goodies all the time.

True - but you've got to not get too aggressive on hard shifting.  I shattered the stock output shaft on my first rebuild with many of the parts shown in my link above - before going supercharged.  Tires didn't chirp on a 1-2 shift with the truck going a bit up hill and more weight on the rear.  Without the tires giving the next weakest link was that output shaft which among other things also cracked the tranny case.  Current tranny (4L60E case from Lord Aries' AV for the old timers) has much more forgiving shift characteristics now - no more tire chirping even though it is there with only a few changes to the computer tune.  Current engine is supposed to be 460 crank hp and it is nowhere near where the supercharged 5.3 was that was pushing through this tranny.  The SC 5.3 was maxing out the fuel system whereas this engine with same fuel system and injectors (42#) has a comfortable injector duty cycle margin.
 
Possible....maybe...  highly unlikely.  You have to pay to play.  would you trust a untested $3k setup on a $20-$30k truck?  I wouldn't.  especially when there are so many ready to go, tested, reliable options out there for $6-10k.  I would pay the extra and trust it for the life of the truck.  Plus then you wont have to worry about major engine/tranny failure.  just my 2 cents
 
On a forced induction is one crazy to think it would be a good idea to keep it as a 4wd?

With my recent discovery of my potential issues I am considering doing a build that would eventually include forced induction but thinking that the WHOLE drive train will suffer and may have to consider replacing the whole shebang. What is the difference between a 1500 and 2500 drive train on a 4wd?

Note, high cost items will be defered on my end for another 5 years since I will have much more financial flexibility when I retire. But never to early to start researching.

Rodney
 
redheadedrod said:
On a forced induction is one crazy to think it would be a good idea to keep it as a 4wd?

With my recent discovery of my potential issues I am considering doing a build that would eventually include forced induction but thinking that the WHOLE drive train will suffer and may have to consider replacing the whole shebang. What is the difference between a 1500 and 2500 drive train on a 4wd?

Note, high cost items will be defered on my end for another 5 years since I will have much more financial flexibility when I retire. But never to early to start researching.

Rodney

you will need to make sure you upgrade CVs/axles and transfer case and front driveshaft to handle it, but you can.
 
Get the latest Hot rod mag it has an article on cheep turbos from Amazon.
Font cover 699.00 Turbo. See all the problems in stalling with the engine
on a dino let alone in a car. So if you love to fab go for it.

 
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