Technical Took a risk! (Turbo Q's)

[RobBravo]

Hi there,

The other day I bought a 500 Abarth turbo - assumed it was a VL36/ VL38 and that I could just swap my turbos over!

What turned up, turned out to be a MUCH larger Garrett turbo.

GARRETT 55231115 is what's on the turbo. Quick google says it's from an Alfa Romeo TB170!

What Abarth 500 ran this turbo !?!?! The breaker is 100% convinced it's a 500 Abarth and he also has other Abarth 500 parts for sale.

Any help with this is much appreciated!

 

[RobBravo]

Okay so amazingly I've ended up with a GT1446 off an Abarth 500 Essessee..

This might be a b**ch to fit compared to the VL37 - 36/38 swap....

Any help wouldn't go a miss right now haha

 

[carlorff]

perhaps it would work they are all the same except some parts like intercooler,turbo...

 

[RobBravo]

Well I've looked at the essesse kit features an exhaust manifold and oil feed pipes at the very least. Then I've got to look at the wastegate actuator which appears to have a large black connector attached to it which isn't present on the standard one.

It doesn't look an easy task.

 

[carlorff]

Any way I do hope you are a mechanic since it is a job that can be done...but it takes some time...do you have a regular Bravo without tjet?If so the problem is a bit bigger since non of the parts to be replaced are in place.I thought you own tjet.I was talking to my mechanic a few months ago and we were discussing differences between 150 and 120HP and the main difference is the turbo...

 

[RobBravo]

The main difference is the turbo but the 150 turbo will bolt on with no issues at all.

This a much larger turbo, and is it designed for the MultiAir engine rather than the T-jet which is where I think I may struggle.

A quick chat with TMC autosport tomorrow should sort me out!

 

[KHALED25]

Isn't the 170 bhp MA engine based on the t-jet 150 engine but with the addition of the MA unit and, as we know now, a bigger turbo? I know they share the same engine block and are both part of the FIRE family.

This is kind of off-topic, but I've heard that engine achieves miserable fuel economy from the alfa owner forum.

 

[Matthewr1990]

Heard the camshaft was one of the biggest restricters on the 120 engine? Even with a far turbo I don't think you will get the sort of gains the 150 gets.

 

[Graf]

You can do so.
Install the Garrett put 4 FPR. You can de-cat and gain more than 170.
Of course you'll need a remap.
Check this out.
http://http://www.e-tuners.com/index.php?s=13&t=408

 

[carlorff]

You can do so.
Install the Garrett put 4 FPR. You can de-cat and gain more than 170.
Of course you'll need a remap.
Check this out.
http://http://www.e-tuners.com/index.php?s=13&t=408

Hey the link ain't working

 

[Graf]

http://www.e-tuners.com/index.php?s=13&t=408

Fixed

 

[carlorff]

what a nice car

 

[RobBravo]

Heard the camshaft was one of the biggest restricters on the 120 engine? Even with a far turbo I don't think you will get the sort of gains the 150 gets.

I don't think so tbh Matthew.. not sure where you heard that..

People with the Grande Punto 120s (wasn't a 150 available) can hit those power figures easy without touching the camshaft. A quick google of 1.4 T-Jet tuning will point you towards the GP section of the forum which is full of good relevant information.

Comparatively, the 150 doesn't do terribly well on a remap either. Sure, you can get 170 BHP but then you may require a larger front mount intercooler and an exhaust, and at around 180 the turbo starts to run out of puff. Then you can either jump to the GT1446 or take the VL38 and hybrid it - which can then be made to run just over 200.

As a target, if you can get a VL38 off a 150 T-Jet/ Mito 155/ Abarth GP/ Abarth 500, fit a nice FMIC and exhaust and then get a healthy reliable remap between 170-180 BHP that's a nice figure to run at and any more than that is getting into silly amounts of money for small gains.