Is this worth snagging? Turbo off a marine diesel

syeve has two of these off volclvo marine diesel engines that are generally big rig siized. Frigging huge engines. 

i can get them for less than a c note each. 

Should i? What am i looking at? What would they be good on?

Are those off the Volvo I6 marine diesels?

I would totally buy one and slap it on a big V8 just for E36 M3s and giggles.

Looks like a VNT turbo off a 5 ish liter diesel engine. I wouldn't spend money on them unless you need a spare for that exact engine.  China GT35 clones and Holset HX35s are better money spent for a lot of applications you could maybe adapt that turbo to.

Back in the day we got a bunch of them (turbos off of various Volvo marine diesels) for free. Their North American headquarters is nearby and we knew a guy. Don't think we ever managed to use them for anything other than decorations.

Maybe I'm just dumb, but I feel like lag may be an issue. 

Sure would be fun in that baja though

Looks like a pretty small turbo. Maybe good for a 1.8 Miata or something in that displacement

In reply to buzzboy :

"When's it gonna spool up?"

"Sometime tomorrow..."

GA Tech had a big ole CAT Turbo feeding one of their cars, from what I remember. 

Get it.  Introduce it to a nice 6.0

Edit: unless I did some bad google, it's from a 5.1L diesel?

Mr_Asa said:

GA Tech had a big ole CAT Turbo feeding one of their cars, from what I remember. 

Get it.  Introduce it to a nice 6.0

 

Edit: unless I did some bad google, it's from a 5.1L diesel?

Exactly my point. Not worth messing with unless free. Marine engine means even less RPM variance, probably has a massive exhaust housing and turbine wheel with a smallish compressor. A $50 K03, HX35 or TD04 are all better options for budget 4 banger turbos than these.

I tried all the part numbers but couldn't find a map anywhere online. I don't think I'd want this for a gas engine.

Just pipe in a air jet into the exhaust side that is plumbed to a air tank and a small compressor. Kind of a self recharging nitros setup to eliminate lag. Put a valve controlled by a momentary switch either on the gas peddle or on your shifter. 
 

Thinks may go boom but it would be fun. 

RacetruckRon said:

Mr_Asa said:

GA Tech had a big ole CAT Turbo feeding one of their cars, from what I remember. 

Get it.  Introduce it to a nice 6.0

 

Edit: unless I did some bad google, it's from a 5.1L diesel?

Exactly my point. Not worth messing with unless free. Marine engine means even less RPM variance, probably has a massive exhaust housing and turbine wheel with a smallish compressor. A $50 K03, HX35 or TD04 are all better options for budget 4 banger turbos than these.

Diesels usually are the other way, the turbine housings are too small, no?

20 years ago, conventional wisdom was that VNT turbos did not last very long in gasoline engines.  Diesels usually have lower EGTs than gas motors (due to higher compression/expansion ratio), and the extra heat was not good for moving parts inside the turbine housing.

It's possible that's changed, but nobody seems to be using VNT on gas engine even today.

Got it. Not gonna bother.

Thanks yall!

For a change, y'all did NOT enable me! I appreciate it. 

I dunno.  Since they have an unlimited supply of cooling water, marine diesel tend to burn A LOT of fuel relative to their size.  This means boost will be in proportion to fuel.  It's gonna bigger than its land-based counterpart.  Keep that in mind.